《I am a Primitive Man》
Chapter 1: This is not in line with the rules of time travel
Chapter 1: This is not in line with the rules of time travel
I am a Primitive Man
The sky was washed in a deep blue, with sunlight bathing the mountains and forests. The whole world appeared quiet and serene, exuding a unique tranquility.
"Crackle, crackle."
"Boom, boom."
A series of thunderous sounds echoed suddenly in the sky, the authentic sound of a thunderbolt on a clear day.
The sky, just moments ago cloudless, instantly darkened with this series of thunderous explosions, as if nightfall was imminent.
"Puff."
The continuous thunder suddenly stopped, and a sound of surprise,pletely out of sync with the rhythm, followed. It sounded like an amplified muffled fart against the backdrop of the earlier thunder, making itically out of ce.
After this fart-like sound, the heavens, as if suffering from a stomachache, couldn''t hold back. A streak of fire, apanied by lightning, shot out from the gloomy clouds and descended straight down.
The glow elongated in the dim environment, appearing exceptionally dazzling.
After this lightningden fire descended, the space between heaven and earth immediately quieted.
The dense clouds that had obscured the daylight rapidly dissipated, vanishing without a trace.
The sun hanging in the sky continued to bathe the mountains and forests, and the sky became as clear as a pristineke.
If it weren''t for a certain area below, still shing with firelight and emitting blue smoke, trying to prove that the scene just now had urred, one might truly doubt if it was an illusion.
This astonishing scene''s sudden and rapid urrence, transforming the colors of the sky and earth, filled people with extreme amazement. It seemed as if the heavens had exerted their full force just to expel the churning substance within them.
While it might have been a satisfying disy for the heavens, the forest below suffered a cmity. Trees fell, ignited, and emitted blue smoke, taking quite a while to gradually extinguish.
In the air, thick with the smell of barbecue, someone unlucky enough to be affected by this rare spectacle became a roasted presence.
As the smoke cleared, the scene below became visible. A circle, approximately ten meters in diameter and entirelyposed of burned ashes, appeared within the somewhat leveled forest. It prompted people to marvel once again at the unique artistry of the heavens. Even in such circumstances, the aftermath could possess artistic qualities.
Apletely charred object stood in the center of the circle, about one meter and thirty centimeters tall. The aroma of burnt flesh wafted from it.
The world quieted down, with only strands of blue smoke lingering.
Sunlight streamed through the dense and tall surrounding trees, casting down onto the ashes. It seemed as though even the sunlight was curious about themotion caused by the heavens and what had been created.
Time passed quietly, and the diminishing blue smoke eventually disappearedpletely. The ce remained unchanged as if it was merely an unusually spectacr phenomenon.
Whether it was an illusion or something real, a barely audible sound emanated from the charred object''s upper part.
As time passed, a few pieces ofpletely burnt crust fell off. Behind these ckened fragments emerged two white, somewhat shiny spheres, and the most frightening was that they appeared to move.
"Whoosh."
"Whoosh."
Feeling like he was about to be suffocated, Han Cheng, resembling a fish returning to the water at the brink of death, greedily breathed in the fresh air. It took him a while to recover.
He stared at the ashes before him, the dense trees further away, and a sense of confusion shed in his eyes.
Once his memories gradually returned, his originally wide-open eyes widened even more. They would have fallen out without the eye sockets holding them in ce.
Damn.
What''s going on?
Wasn''t he searching for those three foreign friends who recklessly ventured into the desert, whom he ended up losing contact with?
How did I suddenly end up in this damn ce?
Han Cheng stared with wide eyes at the dense and unnatural forest before him, feelingpletely puzzled and full of suspicion.
In any case, this couldn''t be where he originally was.
That damn ce turned into a desert hundreds of years ago. If there were such dense woods, those three idiots wouldn''t have made him lose contact with them.
Han Cheng, alone and carrying his equipment, had been searching for his three reckless foreign friends in the desert for three or four days without any sign of them. Just thinking about it made him furious.
However, how could he exin what was happening now?
ording to the knowledge he possessed, there couldn''t be such a dense forest within a radius of three hundred miles from his original location.
In other words, he had moved at least three hundred miles.
This could it be that he had crossed into another world?
A ludicrous idea suddenly shed through Han Cheng''s mind, making his heart tremble.
Although he desperately wanted to deny this absurd thought, the current circumstances and everything he saw forced him to entertain this possibility.
Moreover, only this reason could exin everything he was witnessing.
He didn''t have any friends who enjoyed pranks, and he didn''t have particrly close rtionships with anyone. If he did, he wouldn''t have agreed to Li Lin''s request to cover for him on Valentine''s Day and carry out this unpleasant task alone.
After all, he was the only single guy in the squad.
This alone ruled out the possibility of a prank.
As for hallucinations, it was impossible. Han Cheng was exceptionally clear-headed at the moment, and the widespread pain throughout his body constantly reminded him that this was not a dream.
After the brief astonishment, Han Cheng''s heart gradually calmed down.
Whatever. He was originally a person without any attachments, wandering freely wherever he pleased.
Having crossed over, living differently wasn''t a big deal.
In his leisure time, Han Cheng had read many novels and was well aware of the happy lives of those who had crossed over.
Han Cheng wasn''t a greedy person. Having three wives and four concubines, holding high office, and enjoying wealth and prosperity those top-tier configurations were not necessary for him. Just being a prosperous rural man would be enough.
Having been busy for half his life in the previous world without achieving much, he now had a chance to start anew. Why follow the old path when he could be kinder to himself and live a morefortable life?
Thinking this way, he turned his attention to see if, as novels suggested, memories of someone else surged into his mind.
After trying for a while, he found nothing particrly extraordinary.
Well, it seemed he wasn''t undergoing soul transmigration or body possession.
With these thoughts in mind, he pondered and checked to see if a system existed. Would the main god in the system be as insane as described in novels, threatening people by cutting off certain body parts for no reason?
However, he was disappointed once again. He found no trace of a system.
Han Cheng felt frustrated. Damn it, why did others have a system apanying them when they crossed over, but when it came to him, there was nothing, not even the most basic contemporary memories?
Wanting to wipe his nose with his hand, a habitual action when he felt frustrated, he found something more unsettling. His hand didn''t move as it used to when he thought about it.
What made him even more frustrated was that after discovering that his hand couldn''t move, he quickly realized that, apart from his two eyes being able to move, his nose and mouth being able to breathe, and the rest of his body, no matter how hard he tried, couldn''t move a bit.
He couldn''t even produce a sound.
Damn it! Weren''t all those who crossed over the darlings of heaven and able to defy heaven, earth, and even the air?
Why did everything change when it came to him? It wasn''t just aboutcking a golden finger or something. Now, he had be something like a vegetable.
This didn''t align with the basic rules.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle."
A series of faint sounds came from the left side of the forest, and the branches and leaves swayed slightly.
In his heart, where despair turned into joy, Han Cheng eagerly thought that his benefactor had arrived.
ording to the novel plots, most crossers would encounter a benevolent benefactor, especially when the main character, like himself, resembles a vegetable-like existence.HomeNext
Chapter 2: This is… Big Senior Brother
Chapter 2: This is¡ Big Senior Brother
I am a Primitive Man
"Ssh, ssh, ssh"
The rustling sound grew louder, and the movement of branches and leaves became more pronounced. In Han Cheng''s eager and curious anticipation, his savior'' finally appeared.
"Hiss."
Even though his throat was so sore that he couldn''t make a sound, Han Cheng couldn''t help but inhale sharply.
Because his savior'' was indeed quite intimidating.
Carefully pushing aside some charred leaves, a head with messy long hair adorned with a few colorful bird feathers emerged. High eyebrows, an overly full forehead, a prominent nose, and a wide mouth with downturned corners left Han Cheng dumbfounded.
As he stared at this alert head ten meters away, a memory from his past suddenly shed, ovepping with the face before him. It was the reconstructed half-body image of Peking Man from the first chapter of the first volume of the middle school history book on human origins.
Han Cheng''s eyeballs were about to pop out. He looked at the person with astonishment, and aplex emotion surged in his heart, making him feel dizzy.
"Swoosh."
After he drew in a breath of cold air, the probing head immediately retreated, hiding behind the leaves to discreetly observe the strange presence in the ashes. After a short while, the head peeked out again, looked at Han Cheng, and, seeing nothing extraordinary happening, mustered the courage toe out fully.
Behind him, several more people with simr appearances gradually walked out, gazing at the strange circle of ashes and the charred figure within it with a mix of wariness and curiosity.
Han Cheng''s eyeballs still hadn''t retracted. He looked at these primitive people, and in his mind, ten thousand Alpaca were galloping away. This seriously vited the basic rules of time travel. Why were other people having all sorts of good experiences while he ended up like this?
Bing a vegetable-like existence could be tolerated, but why bring out some primitive people? Making him experience prehistoric civilization?
At this moment, Han Cheng wanted to die, especially after seeing the appearance and attire of these people, which left him extremely speechless and helpless.
The leader, appearing lean and strong, was shirtless, wearing a tiger skin wrapped around his waist like a skirt. He held a smoothly polished stick, about the thickness of a baby''s arm, with pointed ends.
The person following him looked broad and fat, especially the belly, akin to themon modern phenomenon of a beer belly. Why was this primitive person living so well?
Next to him, walking side by side, was another person with an unusually ck face, a sturdy physique, and a messy beard. A string of animal skulls hung around his neck, some turning white and some yellow, indicating differences in their ages.
Behind these two, five or six people with various expressions, cautiously holding wooden sticks and stones, walked towards Han Cheng.
This Are you sure you''ve encountered primitive people, not Big Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Sand Junior Brother of the Journey to the West?
Looking at the approaching individuals, Han Cheng marveled butmented silently. The three senior brothers didn''t care about what Han Cheng was thinking, leading six members closer to Han Cheng.
Seeing their preparedness with sticks and stones, Han Cheng, like a vegetable, could only remain motionless. Otherwise, they might mistake him for a monster and beat him to death, which would be too unjust.
As the people slowly approached the motionless figure, their courage grew.
Wearing a tiger-skin skirt, Big Senior Brother, leading the way, straightened his back and raised his stick, pointing it at Han Cheng while opening his mouth.
"Monster, take a hit from Sun Wukong!"
Having watched the 1986 Journey to the West, Han Cheng automatically provided the soundtrack in his mind for Big Senior Brother.
However, the response he received was unexpected.
"$%#$^#^#."
With a serious expression, Big Senior Brother stared at Han Cheng and uttered this string of words, leaving Han Cheng bewildered.
With eyes already strained from staring, Han Cheng struggled to maintain his posture, witnessing this unexpected scene.
"$^$%&%$%@."
Seeing the creature in front of him not reacting to his shouting and threats, Big Senior Brother raised his voice and looked more menacing, as if preparing to strike with the stick.
To avoid being mistaken for a monster and beaten to death, Han Cheng, with great perseverance, resisted the urge to move his eyeballs and ignored Big Senior Brother''s threat.
The stick stopped halfway, never actually descending.
Perhaps confirming that Han Cheng was just an inanimate and non-threatening entity, Big Senior Brother visibly rxed after two rounds of questioning and intimidation.
Turning to say something to the people behind him, Big Senior Brother and the others also eased their vignce.
Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he had passed this perilous moment.
However, the relief was short-lived. While Big Senior Brother, holding the stick, went to inspect elsewhere, Second Senior Brother, the portly one, sniffed.
Observing him sniffing and gradually inching closer, eyes gleaming, with a thin thread of glistening drool escaping his mouth, Han Cheng''s heart instantly tensed again.
He had forgotten that he now emitted the aroma of roasted meat in this age where the utilization of fire might not even be known. For a primitive person and a food enthusiast, his scent was undoubtedly an irresistible temptation.
Han Cheng could understand the sentiment of a food lover, but he absolutely could not tolerate bing the food of a food lover.
However, in his present state, with only his eyeballs able to move, he could only remain still. Otherwise, these people might mistake him for prey.
"Smack."
Seeing Second Senior Brother, who was getting closer and drooling, attempting to bring his face to Han Cheng''s, showing yellow teeth as if ready to bite, Han Cheng couldn''t care much anymore. To prevent himself from bing the primitive man''s meal, he mustered all his strength to move his eyeballs and scare off this damned food enthusiast.
Just at that moment, a crisp sound rang out. The face, about to touch Han Cheng''s, suddenly trembled and quickly moved away.
But, wearing a tiger-skin skirt, Big Senior Brother had somehow rushed over, grabbed Second Senior Brother''s ear, and pulled him back while scolding him sternly.
Despite Second Senior Brother appearing robust, he was quite afraid of Big Senior Brother and dared not resist.
After eight or nine primitive people searched the area without any discoveries, Han Cheng, with tears streaming down his eyes due to the prolonged strain, felt relief and gratitude as they finally left.
Only, as Second Senior Brother left, he turned around with a drool-covered face, casting a sentimental look at Han Cheng, making him shudder involuntarily.
Chapter 3: Catch a monster for dinner.
Chapter 3: Catch a monster for dinner.
I am a Primitive Man
"Hoo."
"Hoo."
Finally freed from the fate of bing primitive people''s food after confirming that Big Senior Brother and the others had truly left, Han Cheng took deep breaths, feeling that the world was so beautiful.
However, his good mood didn''tst long. When the sun set and the daylight faded, Han Cheng, who had be a tree, discovered a serious problem.
He was hungry.
Yes, hungry.
The kind of hunger where his front chest was touching his back.
However, he felt extremely helpless and desperate because he still couldn''t move.
As a child, he watched TV dramas and always thought Master Thief Bai Zhantang''s Sunflower Acupoint Sealing Technique was particrly cool. Especially the part where Li Dazui was acupunctured, holding two small red gs and posing as a sculpture near the door. It made Han Cheng both amused and envious.
Unexpectedly, now he was experiencing that feeling.
Damn it. He shouldn''t have been so curious to touch that rough mural.
After thinking for so long, Han Cheng finally came up with a usible exnation for why he had crossed over.
The culprit was the crude mural on the stone wall.
While walking through the desert, he encountered a deste mountain with crude and simple drawings carved on a rock face. They were drawings from primitive hands.
Later, thinking he had discovered something extraordinary, Han Cheng leaned over and used his hands to press against the mural to observe and then ended up here.
Damn it. Since he had brought himself here, why not bring his backpack along?
There were still five or six potatoes, seven or eight boiled eggs, and several packs ofpressed biscuits and instant noodles inside.
"Gurgle, gurgle."
Han Cheng shifted his attention for the eighteenth time, trying not to think about hunger, but his efforts failed again.
He found that no matter what he thought about, he would eventually bring it back to the topic of food.
Even the scent of roasted meat wafting from his body made him salivate.
If he could move now, Han Cheng wanted to take a bite of himself to satisfy his craving.
"Hiss."
"Howl."
Distant and deep roars echoed in the darkness, carrying a sense of ancient destion.
Han Cheng, who had been slightly drowsy, shivered. His somewhat heavy head immediately cleared up, and he no longer had time to think about his stomach.
Only now did he realize a serious problem.
It was the primitive era now.
In the ancient times, fierce beasts weremon. Humans, whoter dominated the world, were still struggling for survival in the crevices, undergoing difficult transformations, and striving against adversity.
The primitive era''s nights were destined to be unsafe.
Especially for him, an existence that continuously emitted the aroma of roasted meat, he was like a roasted chicken, constantly beckoning to potential diners.
At night in the primitive era, it was a paradise for fierce beasts.
In the tranquil night, distant or nearby roars echoed, making Han Cheng''s hair stand on end.
Especially when he heard movement around in the woods and, aided by the moonlight, saw a few greenish orbs not far away in the woods, his heart almost jumped into his throat.
He had experienced encountering wolves in the wild at night. He knew these orbs were the eyes of wild animals.
Judging by the size of the orbs, the individuals crouching not far from him were muchrger than wolves.
Han Cheng felt bitter, his heart pounding like a drum.
Damn it, he just narrowly escaped primitive people and now faced with the threat of bing the dung of fierce beasts in ancient times. Who did he provoke?
Indeed, luck was important for a person. Although everyone crossed over, others were all showing off, while he, a crosser, had utterly rotten luck.
Was it because he didn''t consult the almanac when crossing over?
Han Cheng, whose heart was about to jump out of his throat, couldn''t help butin in his mind.
He wondered if these ancient beasts found him, an outsider, not tasty, or if the mixed scent of burnt meat didn''t suit the taste of these ancient big shots.
Unable to see through their true faces, these mysterious beasts lingered around Han Cheng in the surrounding woods. After a few low roars, they eventually left withouting to eat Han Cheng.
Avoiding bing the prey of wild beasts, Han Cheng felt like his whole person was about to copse.
This was only the first day in the original world, and he had already experienced many thrills. Who knew how many terrifying surprises awaited him in the future?
Thinking this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sigh secretly. He realized he had thought too much.
In his current state, even if he didn''t be someone''s dinner, he probably wouldn''tst more than three days.
Standing there like a tree, Han Cheng looked at the moonlit woods shrouded in a vast atmosphere. A trace of helplessness appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Sasha, sasha."
Sounds started again in the surrounding woods. Having heard this type ofmotion many times before, Han Cheng, who had be indifferent, didn''t even bother to open his eyes.
Ever since a t-haired beast flew onto his head from who knew where, stood there for half a day, and before leaving, audaciously left a pile of incredibly smelly bird droppings on his nose, he had already lost all hope.
Rather than enduring this kind of undignified suffering and slowly dying, he might as well have a quick and easy death.
The sound approached from far to near as ifing in his direction.
Finally, a wild beast dared to enter the circle of ashes to eat him.
Han Cheng, not afraid but rather happy, eagerly anticipated the wild beasting to devour him.
At the same time, he was calcting where the beast would start.
It would be best to take a bite out of his neck first so he could suffer less pain.
"Pa, pa."
"Pa, pa, pa."
Some unusual sounds apanied by a strange sensation came from the charred shell covering his face.
Han Cheng, who had been waiting for death, became furious. Damn it, this is outrageous, bullying too much!
If you want to eat, then eat. If you don''t want to, stop wasting time. Don''t you dare p me in the face before biting me, what the hell!
Angry, he opened his eyes, ready to see what kind of beast was so twisted.
However, the scene before himpletely exceeded his expectations.
Standing before him was not some ancient fierce beast but an old primitive man with white hair and a weathered face.
He was obviously startled by Han Cheng''s sudden opening of his eyes. The hand that was about to p Han Cheng''s face stopped in midair.
A look of surprise shed in his somewhat cloudy eyes but soon became a deep confusion.
The hand that the old primitive man raised lingered in the air for a while. Then, much to Han Cheng''s angry gaze, it descended onto his face again.
However, it wasn''t a p but a caress.
He caressed Han Cheng''s mouth, nose, and many other ces.
Han Cheng became even more furious, not just because this old primitive man was molesting him, but what angered him more was that the old bastard smeared the bird droppings from his nose all over half of his face.
He red at the old man, expressing his anger.
At this point, he had already given up on concealing anything and didn''t care about being exposed.
However, the old primitive man didn''t stop because of his anger. Instead, he became more enthusiastic. After caressing Han Cheng''s face, he bent down and continued exploring further.
As the old primitive man crouched down, Han Cheng finally saw the scene below.
Behind the old primitive man, there were other primitive people.
Looking at the sexy tiger-skin skirt, the guy next to him drooling at him, and the guy with a big belly staring at him, along with a bone neplementing his dark faceweren''t these his senior brothers who had left yesterday?
It turned out their departure yesterday was just temporary. Leaving wasn''t their goal; their real intention was to return and bring their master here.
However, this master was a bit too unconventional. Upon their first meeting, he thoroughly examined every inch of Han Cheng''s body.
After all, Han Cheng was a man!
Han Chengmented in his heart. Although he was covered in a ck charred shell, except for a few important parts on his head, the rest of his body was not spared. He didn''t have any sensory feelings, but watching the old primitive man continue to touch him, he couldn''t help but shudder.
Fortunately, the old primitive man didn''t touch him for too long. He stood up and said something to his senior brothers, which Han Cheng couldn''t understand.
Evidently, these primitive people respected this old primitive man greatly, including the leader, his senior brother, who looked at him with the utmost reverence.
These people chattered, spoke, and gestured, and Han Cheng had no idea what they were saying. However, looking at his second senior brother, who was drooling increasingly while gazing at him, Han Cheng knew it probably wasn''t good.
Could these people, like the monsters in Journey to the West, be discussing whether to fry him with some sesame oil?
Their discussion didn''tst long. Afterward, the old primitive man looked up at the sky and nced at the circle of ashes and the footprints of some beasts around the ash circle. Suddenly, he ced his hands in front of him and made a strange gesture towards Han Cheng, muttering something indistinct.
Han Cheng could vaguely see some clues from their continuous conversation and gestures. He felt these people were telling the old primitive man about his origin.
However, the old primitive man''s actions and chanting-like movements confused him.
Could it be that they considered him a heretic and wanted to sacrifice him to the gods?
Who cared at this point? He had reached a stage where he didn''t care anymore. He wanted to see what kind of tricks this master and his disciples coulde up with.
Han Cheng was now the epitome of "a dead pig not afraid of boiling water." The old primitive man''s chanting stopped, and with a finger pointing at himself, several senior brothers holding stone sticks gathered around.
Chapter 4: Catch a monster for dinner (2)
Chapter 4: Catch a monster for dinner (2)
I am a Primitive Man
Han Cheng was still alive.
He wasn''t sacrificed or eaten. Instead, he was carried by his plump second senior brother. Together with a group of primitive people, they traversed through a forest where most leaves had turned yellow.
Looking at his second senior brother, who was panting and drooling while carrying him, Han Cheng had enough reason to believe that if it weren''t for the old primitive man and the eldest senior brother, he would have been eaten by his second senior brother on the way.
At this point, Han Cheng couldn''t help but wonder what kind of substance the charred shell on the outside of his body was made of. It seemed a bit too tough if it was charred flesh and skin.
He was being carried straight without any twists or turns.
Thinking about this, he couldn''t help but worry about whether he could get rid of his current state and regain his freedom of movement.
Of course, this depended on whether he could survive.
Until now, Han Cheng didn''t know what fate awaited him.
He didn''t know if these primitive people, who treated him like a monster, brought him back for rescue or intended to eat him.
The possibility of being eaten was greater based on some knowledge from his past life.
Because primitive tribes tended to be exclusive.
And now he had this strange appearance.
Perhaps due to time constraints, this group of ten primitive people was cautious and in a hurry.
They continuously traversed through the forest.
The forest was not filled with grass and trees everywhere; there were some inconspicuous winding paths, which were unclear whether created by the primitive people or trodden by numerous wild beasts.
On the way, they encountered some beasts, the fiercest being two creatures resembling leopards but muchrger.
At that moment, the atmosphere of the entire team became particrly tense.
The old primitive man and Han Cheng, carried by the second senior brother, were quickly surrounded by everyone else. The rest of the group confronted the tworge leopards, slowly moving forward with weapons like sticks and stones in hand.
Fortunately, the two leopards didn''t attack the group. After a short confrontation, they indifferently leaped onto a nearby tree and left through a shower of falling leaves.
Apart from that, they mostly encountered non-aggressive or minimally threatening beasts. Even the eldest senior brother and the other primitive people teamed up to hunt a rabbit and a colorful chicken.
However, the rabbit and chicken differed from what Han Cheng remembered. He could only guess based on his experience.
As the daylight gradually dimmed, the group quickened their pace. Even if some small prey appeared, they ignored it and did not pay attention.
Having circled for a while, a small river appeared before everyone.
For Han Cheng, who was carried on the back of his second senior brother, it was obvious that the people in the group rxed significantly.
It seemed their residence was nearby.
The river wasn''trge. The widest part was only about two to three meters, and the narrowest part was about two meters. At the narrowest point was a t stone serving as a makeshift bridge.
Han Cheng, carried by his second senior brother with his face facing down, saw many ck heads in the water.
Looking closely, he found that there were various sizes of fish swimming in the water.
As a child, he studied a passage describing the vast North Wilderness. He was extremely envious of the North Wilderness, where they could easily beat hares, scoop up fish, and have wild chickens fly into their cooking pots.
Because in his consciousness, the people living there have meat that can''t be finished daily
.
Looking at the number of fish in the river, it is by no means inferior to the North Wilderness.
The crowd walked past the solitary stone bridge and entered the forest, which had shed several leaves.
This time, the walk did notst long before a cave entrance, about one person high and two to three meters wide, appeared in front of them.
At the entrance, four or five primitive women with rudimentary weapons stood vigntly observing the surrounding area.
As for why Han Cheng knew they were women, it''s simple because, like the men, they exposed their upper bodies, and the developed chest muscles were somewhat excessive.
After seeing the approaching group, they shouted joyfully, dropped their weapons, and ran out to wee them.
Many young primitive people quickly emerged from the cave, shouting and running towards the returning group faster than the adult women. Some mischievous ones directly climbed up their legs.
The cave, silent just a moment ago, immediately became lively and vibrant with the return of the men who had gone out.
Some primitive women wanted to take the strange-looking Han Cheng from third senior brother, Sandy, back, but the old primitive man stopped them.
After a brief moment of joy, everyone returned to the cave together, and by this time, the outside sky had already darkened.
Inside the cave, primitive women and children curiously looked at Han Cheng, asking questions in anguage he couldn''t understand. Han Cheng, in turn, observed the cave with curiosity.
The cave was not very dark because there was a pile of fire near the cave''s entrance.
An old, bare-chested primitive man squatted there, asionally putting some firewood into it, taking care of the fire, not letting it go out.
Due to years of smoking and burning, the stone walls near the fire pit were covered with ayer of smoky color.
The space inside the cave wasrge, at least 150 square meters, from what Han Cheng could see.
In some ces of the cave, there were scattered piles of things, some of which were fuel like hay and branches, while others, due to differences in light and unfamiliarity with things from the future, Han Cheng couldn''t identify.
Not many people were in the cave, only about fifty or sixty, including adults and children. The number of adult men was roughly the same as what Han Cheng had seen today.
Of course, as for uracy, Han Cheng couldn''t guarantee it because he couldn''t move now. The light inside the cave wasn''t good enough, and people were still moving around, so he couldn''t categorize genders in such detail.
He started moving again.
This time, the one carrying him was not Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, or anyone else, but the Eldest Senior Brother in the sexy tiger-skin skirt.
The old primitive man was in front, and the Eldest Senior Brother carried him behind, walking towards the deeper part of the cave.
After walking about ten meters, Han Cheng was put down.
Borrowing the faint firelight from a distance, Han Cheng saw that this was a rtively secluded and independent space within the cave, containing some things he couldn''t see clearly.
After being put down, the Eldest Senior Brother said something to the old primitive man, then went out and loudly spoke to the surrounding primitive people.
The people who seemed somewhat idle immediately became active.
Chapter 5: Law abiding Primitive men
Chapter 5: Law abiding Primitive men
I am a Primitive Man
What Han Cheng previously feared, being shared and eaten by the primitive people, did not happen.
Upon the senior brother''s call, the people in the cave immediately got busy in an orderly manner.
The elderly primitive responsible for the fire source brought dry branches and logs, cing them on the pile of firewood. The faint mes soon soared, illuminating the cave brightly.
Two male primitives, armed with thin stone knives, skinned the newly caught rabbit while another plucked the feathers from an unlucky pheasant.
Five or six agile female primitives took the one or two-foot-long fish that the senior brother had selected from a corner of the cave, expertly threading them with tree branches and grilling them over the fire.
Soon, the aroma of grilled fish began to waft through the cave.
The small primitives, lively and active just moments ago, quieted down as the fragrance of the grilled fish filled the air. They gathered around the fire, salivating as they stared at the fish being roasted by the mes.
Some of the younger ones were even licking their fingers in anticipation.
Before long, the skinned and plucked wild rabbit and pheasant were also skewered with tree forks and added to the grilling lineup.
Watching this rustic barbecue and smelling the tantalizing aroma, Han Cheng felt like he was about to be enchanted.
Although he didn''t see these people scaling or gutting the fish, and the two rabbits and the pheasant only had their skin and feathers removed without removing the innards, Han Cheng, who was starving, didn''t care about these minor ws.
He just wanted to get something into his stomach as soon as possible.
Especially when he saw the first seven or eight fish being taken down and ced on a stone b, Han Cheng was so eager that he wished he could pounce over and eat them all.
However, reality was cruel. Like a statue, he couldn''t move and could only stand here, staring eagerly, unable to do anything else.
Amidst his helplessness, some unexpected events urred.
The hungry group of small primitives, upon seeing the grilled fish emitting an enticing fragrance, did not rush forward to take and eat them. Instead, they continued to gather around.
Their eyes, however, showed an even more intense desire.
This made Han Cheng quite emotional.
If this were in the modern world, with such a small amount of food, the children would have snatched it away long ago.
In modern times, children are far more precious than adults, especially in situations like feasts. Adults eating well or not wouldn''t matter much, but children must be satisfied first.
After experiencing several meals, dealing with mischievous kids hogging the rotating te, the fear of sitting at the same table with naughty kids, being unable to touch the dishes they like or a piece of pork ribs being chewed and spat back into the te, Han Cheng developed a fear of eating with mischievous children.
That feeling was not asfortable as having a te of fried noodles to oneself.
"Gulu gulu."
Thinking of the abundant meals in the future, Han Cheng''s stomach growled again. Considering he hadn''t eaten anything since he arrived, it had been nearly two days and nights.
All the food, including the rabbit and pheasant, was ready and ced on a stone b near the fire. No one went to take the food. Instead, they all waited for something.
Amidst Han Cheng''s confusion, the senior brother, who had been staying elsewhere, walked over. He tore off a chicken leg and half of a chicken breast, cing them on a leaf.
After some thought, he tore off a rabbit''s hind leg and ced it on the leaf. Holding it with both hands, he walked towards Han Cheng.
With eyes filled with longing, the senior brother walked directly past him without paying attention. He respectfully ced the extremely fragrant meat before the elderly primitive, then walked out.
It seemed that the senior brother held high authority in this tribe.
Ignoring the others, he went directly to where the food was ced, picked up the remaining half of the roasted chicken, and took five fish, leaving on his own.
After he left, the others came forward, but there was no chaotic grabbing. The process of taking food was still orderly.
After the senior brother, it was the plump second senior brother. He grabbed a rabbit missing a leg, and droplets of sparkling saliva flowed from the corner of his mouth.
He wanted to take all the rabbits, but looking at the junior brother, who was staring fixedly at the rabbit in his hand, he decided not to act on his desires.
Instead, he reluctantly tore off two rabbit legs and ced them on the stone b. He then selected the tworgest fish and left.
Like the senior brother, three women and two children also left with him.
Of course, more people left with the senior brother, including five women and seven children of various ages.
The distribution of food waspleted silently and swiftly.
The men who obtained the food, apanied by their families, found a ce in the cave and began to enjoy their dinner.
Men were the main group taking food, with some exceptions. Thest person to take food was a woman. Her man seemed to have injured his leg, making walking extremely inconvenient.
Han Cheng saw that the food was insufficient for everyone in the cave. So, in the end, when thest primitive woman approached to take food, only a fish was measuring less than a foot on the stone b.
She did not show dissatisfaction but picked up the fish, leading her two slender children and her even more slender,me husband to a corner.
Unlike other families where the men ate first, the woman held the fish and began to gnaw on it in this family.
After eating half, she handed the remaining fish to herme husband.
The male primitive did not eat the fish meat first but reached out and scooped out the innards of the grilled fish. Greedily, he ate a few bites of fish meat, snapped the exposed fish backbone with his hands, and put it in his mouth, chewing forcefully. He then handed the remaining one-third of the fish to the two eager little primitives.
The small primitives, who had long been drooling in hunger, devoured the fish like hungry wolf cubs.
The senior brother, who got the first share of food, had already finished his dinner. He had eaten more than half of the pheasant and nearly half a fish.
He reached out and scooped out all the innards from the pheasant''s chest cavity, leaving the chicken liver. Holding the remaining intestines, he walked to theme primitive''s family, handed the intestines to the primitive woman, and said a few words.
Then he turned and left.
Theme primitive man and the primitive woman looked at the senior brother gratifiedly. Looking at the bundle of intestines in their hands, their eyes sparkled.
The male primitive took the intestines, limped toward the cave entrance, and returned shortly after. The chicken intestines in his hand looked like they had been processed. He handed them to the primitive woman, who wound them around a tree branch and brought them to the fire to grill.
Han Cheng was hungry, and watching the primitive woman grill chicken intestines for her family made him incredibly envious.
Not far from him, the old primitive man sat on the ground, slowly and leisurely eating the grilled chicken leg, unlike the other primitives who devoured their food.
Indeed, in any era, there was no shortage of privileged sses. Moreover, without exception, the privileged ss always lived morefortably than the average person.
This damn old primitive man, eating so much good food alone, wasn''t he afraid of overeating?
Being tormented by hunger and staring at the old primitive man, who had finished dealing with the chicken leg and was now starting on the rabbit leg, Han Cheng couldn''t help but curse in his heart.
Han Cheng admitted that he had cursed the old primitive man unjustly just now. The old primitive man not only wasn''t damned but was also exceptionally admirable, almost to the point of being inspirational.
This was when the old primitive man, having leisurely finished gnawing on the rabbit leg, held the sulent chicken breast meat and brought it to Han Cheng''s mouth.
Chapter 6: Good Heavens, finally had a bite to eat.
Chapter 6: Good Heavens, finally had a bite to eat.
I am a Primitive Man
Han Cheng was on the verge of tears.
It wasn''t that the chicken breast wasn''t delicious or that the old primitive man refused to share it with him. The problem was his mouth a small slit that couldn''t open or close.
The tantalizing aroma of the food he had longed for wafted near his nose, yet he couldn''t get it into his mouth.
He strained to control his mouth, but the rest remained immobile except for a slightly movable tongue.
The old primitive man looked puzzled, observing this peculiar figure covered in something strange. Wondering why, while everyone else was enjoying their meal, this person seemed capable of abstaining from eating or drinking.
Was he not hungry?
Perplexed, the old primitive man contemted this strange being and offered the chicken breast to Han Cheng again, waiting patiently.
However, despite the man''s eyeballs moving around, there was no sign of any intention to eat.
After waiting a while, the old primitive man, full of confusion and disbelief, took the aromatic chicken breast away from Han Cheng''s mouth.
Then, holding the sulent meat, he left and tore it into small pieces, distributing them among the jubnt little primitive people in the cave.
The elder brother retrieved a pack of various-sized fruits from somewhere in the cave and distributed them individually.
As Han Cheng watched the master-like old primitive man relishing a fruit the size of a chicken egg, his heart yearned, and his mouth watered. However, in the cave, each person enjoyed their portion, paying no attention to the motionless trunk that could only move its eyeballs.
After dessert, the cave entrance was sealed with heavy stones, leaving a few not-toorge holes for venttion and protection againstrge wild animals.
Subsequently, everyone started to fall asleep.
The sleeping arrangements were simple: lying directly on the ground inside the cave. Some more particr individuals would ce dry grass and animal skins beneath them, while others simply slept on the ground.
An older primitive person took over the responsibilities of the previous one outside, squatting by the fire, tending to the mes.
The fire was much smaller than when they were cooking, just enough to keep it from extinguishing.
It seemed they were also intelligent, understanding the importance of conserving fuel.
Of course, not everyone would obediently go to sleep. After resting briefly, some energetic individuals started moving around in the dim light.
Before long, in the tranquil cave, the primitive singing sounds echoed.
Interestingly, it was quite simr to how women sang inter times.
As the night deepened, the people in the cave had already fallen into a deep slumber, including those who had been active at night.
Of course, these people did not include the statue-like Han Cheng, standing with a burning sensation in his stomach, and the primitive man sitting by the fire tending to the mes.
The cries of little primitive people resounded, followed by adults waking up in a daze, whispering something softly. However, the child''s cries did not cease.
After a while, an adult primitive person picked up the crying child, got up groggily, and headed toward the cave entrance.
After moving around at the entrance for a while, the seemingly sealed entrance revealed a gap about a meter high and half a meter wide.
Carrying the child, the adult primitive person went outside, and one or two others who had woken up from their dreams followed suit.
Before long, they returned to the cave, returning to their original ces to continue sleeping.
Based on experience, Han Cheng could understand what these people were doing.
Unexpectedly, these primitive people were quite hygienic. Even in the middle of the night, they went outside to take care of personal hygiene.
The cave''s noisy sounds woke the dizzy and light-headed Han Cheng. As he opened his eyes, he felt incredibly light, realizing it was due to the prolongedck of food.
Dizzy as he was, the agonizing hunger and thirst had disappeared. The stones and other objects used to block the entrance had been moved away, allowing light to prate from outside and brighten up the cave significantly.
Han Cheng noticed that the ces where light entered were at the entrance and above the cave, with several bright spots.
It remains unclear whether these were naturally formed or deliberately created by the primitive people for light and venttion.
The people in the cave seemed to have already eaten. Under the direction of the senior brother wearing a sexy tiger-skin skirt, the tribe members had each taken tools. After a briefmotion, they all left together.
As they departed, the cave immediately became quiet and empty.
Only twenty-three underage primitive people remained, along with a pregnant female primitive and three elderly primitive individuals. One was deep in the cave, Han Cheng''s master and the other two took turns tending to the fire.
The one who had tended to the fire throughout the night had already fallen asleep.
Of course, there was also the male primitive with leg difficulties and the statue-like Han Cheng.
Han Cheng felt hopeless. He no longer cared about starving.
He stood in a daze, surveying everything in the cave, his mind slowly processing.
The elderly primitive beside him stood up, holding a piece of meat of unknown origin and again cing it at Han Cheng''s mouth, the aroma wafting into his nose.
Even though he didn''t feel hungry anymore, his stomach stubbornly growled.
The elderly primitive still looked puzzled and contemtive about Han Cheng not eating.
However, this time, hecked the patience from the previous night. After feeling Han Cheng''s stomach for a while, he took the food away with a smile despite Han Cheng''s bitter smile.
But unlike the previous night, he didn''t distribute the meat among the little primitives. Instead, he walked to the external cave crouched down on a stone.
There was a pit on the stone. He tore the meat into small pieces and ced them in the pit. With another stone on top of it, he started pounding the cooked meat.
The action was somewhat like crushing garlic.
Han Cheng was puzzled. From yesterday until now, based on the information he gathered, food was a preciousmodity in the tribe. Why would this elderly primitive dare to treat it so recklessly?
In his confusion, the elderly primitive pounded for a while returned to where Han Cheng was, and brought out something like a bowl or te made from a head bone. He walked to the stone, grabbed the already crushed lump of meat, and then went to a not-toorge stone basin filled with water.
After scooping out some water, he stirred the crushed meat and water together. Holding the bone bowl, he approached Han Cheng.
He brought the bone bowl close to Han Cheng''s mouth, which was only slightly open.
Witnessing this scene, Han Cheng couldn''t help but shed tears. Finally, he could eat something.
Luckily, the elderly primitive was clever. Otherwise, he might have starved to death, bing a dried-up specimen, the most pitiful time-traveler in history.
The special meat gruel, moistening Han Cheng''s cracked lips, flowed into his thirsty mouth. He used all his strength to control his tongue, which could only move slightly and swallowed this life-saving meat gruel akin to a refreshing rain.
Seeing that this method worked, a smile appeared on the face of the elderly primitive.
After the water in the bone bowl waspletely drunk by the strange person before him, and about half of the crushed meat remained in the bowl, he walked to the stone basin, scooped out some water, stirred it, and continued to feed Han Cheng.
Chapter 7: Listening at the wall, but no response from below?! This is not good
Chapter 7: Listening at the wall, but no response from below?! This is not good
I am a Primitive Man
Han Cheng swore he had never tasted such delicious meat soup.
Although the preparation of the meat soup was unique and didn''t involve any seasoning, not even salt, he could confidently say that it was the most delicious food he had ever eaten.
After finishing three bowls, Han Cheng finished all the ground meat.
The primitive man seemed quite pleased with Han Cheng, looking at him with a smile.
He spoke some words apanied by gestures, but Han Cheng couldn''t understand or respond. Even if he understood, he could only roll his eyes and blink.
Seeing that Han Cheng seemed to have difficulty understanding him, the primitive man gave up and turned to attend to his tasks.
Since waking up today, Han Cheng had realized that the old primitive man was a cultured individual. This was evident from the several stone tablets in the rtively independent small cave adorned with many simple and crude characters. It was somewhat akin to the cave drawings he had seen before crossing over.
Now, the old primitive man was using a stone to slowly carve on a not-yet-filled stone tablet. A person who could write was undoubtedly a cultured individual, especially in the primitive era.
Han Cheng squinted at the old primitive man''s hand holding the stone, wanting to see what he was drawing. However, until he fell asleep again, he couldn''t figure it out. Not because the characters were too archaic for him to understand but because the old primitive man''s writing speed was too slow. It was so slow that Han Cheng had already fallen asleep by the time he had finished two characters.
When he woke again, the sky was getting dark, and the primitive people who had gone out were returning with joy from their harvest.
"Bang!"
The second senior brother''s stout shoulder shook, and a heavy prey fell from his shoulder, creating a cloud of dust that almost extinguished the me. Han Cheng looked over and recognized it as a wild boar. Judging by its size, it probably weighed around a hundred kilograms. He wondered how they managed to capture and kill such arge creature.
Today was indeed a day of harvest. In addition to therge wild boar, three smaller ones weighed around ten kilograms each. It seemed they had taken the entire family of the boar.
Some women also opened the animal skin packages they were holding, revealing the yellowish-green fruits inside. These fruits were ced where Big Senior Brother had collected fruits the previous night.
The people in the tribe were all showing joyful expressions, looking at this precious food with delight."
Because of the particrly abundant prey they caught today, they could enjoy a hearty meal.
Under the arrangement of the eldest senior brother, the people in the cave worked methodically and energetically.
Junior brother Sandy used a stone knife to cut open the bellies of the four wild boars of different sizes. After removing the internal organs, he handed the intestines to the thin, limping man.
With his wife''s help, the limping man took the intestines outside the cave. His wife didn''t take long to return with a string of already processed pig intestines. She handed them to the person responsible for making dinner, and she returned to help her husband with the pig intestines.
Han Cheng blinked. He hadn''t expected that this limping primitive man was an expert in handling intestines.
Others were not idle either. They skinned, cut meat, and grilled sausages, all busy and joyful.
As everyone busied themselves, the meat aroma quickly spread in the cave.
Tonight''s meal was indeed very abundant. In addition to the four pig offal sets, they separately grilled a small wild boar.
After the food was ready, Big Senior Brother took his share first.
He tore off a piece of delicious pork from the grilled meat and took a piece of sausage, offering it to the old primitive man who resembled their master.
The old primitive man pointed at Han Cheng and spoke a few words while gesturing to Big Senior Brother. Big Senior Brother nodded, then looked up at Han Cheng curiously.
Afterward, he went out and brought back some food from the pile of grilled food.
A dark piece Han Cheng couldn''t recognize it.
The sumptuous dinner began, and tonight''s food was very plentiful. Even theme primitive man''s family, who went to fetch foodst, got enough to fill their stomachs.
Watching everyone happily eating meat, Han Cheng''s stomach also joyfully sang a tune.
But no one paid attention to him, including all the people, including the old primitive man. They were all enjoying the hard-earned food.
Of course, the old primitive man still ate slowly and methodically.
When everyone else had finished eating and had spent some time helping each other tidy up their hair with their hands, the old primitive man finally swallowed thest bite of food.
Then he stood up, took the bone bowl that Han Cheng had used once, picked up the dark piece that Big Senior Brother had broughtst, broke off a small piece with his hands, and ced it in the bowl.
It suddenly dawned on Han Cheng that this was roasted pig liver.
About ten minutester, Han Cheng drank the delicious and unique pig liver soup.
At this point, the cave had already darkened.
By the time he finished his meal, most people in the cave had already gone to sleep.
Looking at the simple yet quiet cave and the people inside, Han Cheng''s heart unexpectedly felt serene.
He engages in work at sunrise and rests at sunset. In this seemingly monotonous and tasteless life, he feels something he has always wanted but couldn''t get before.
That is the slow pace of life.
Here, people don''t need to pursue too much. As long as there is enough food to fill their stomachs every day, they can experience joy emanating from the depths of their hearts.
Unlike theter generations, who are pressed by invisible pressures every day, feeling like there''s not enough time even if they stay awake all day and night.
From this perspective, people fromter generations might not necessarily live happier lives than primitive people.
Han Cheng''s somewhat ethereal thoughts were interrupted.
Perhaps because of being full, there were unusually many people unable to sleep tonight.
At this time, there were no good entertainment activities like ying mobile games, unlike inter generations. As a result, the cave soon resounded with primitive singing.
It echoed continuously.
Suddenly, Han Cheng realized a very serious problem. In the past, even if he didn''t want to admit it, there would be an immediate reaction from a certain part of him in such situations. However, now, there wasn''t even a slight sensation.
Damn, this could be considered game over.
Chapter 8: Embarrassing, being taught how to read by primitive people…
Chapter 8: Embarrassing, being taught how to read by primitive people¡
I am a Primitive Man
With food in his belly and a series of uninterrupted sleep, Han Cheng''s spirit had improved a lot.
He stood there, observing everything in the cave like a sculpture.
The adults in the cave had already left, but the tools they took with them had changed significantlypared to yesterday. There were fewer clubs, stones, and bone knives, but many more animal skins.
Moreover, today five or six half-grown children apanied them, indicating that today''s activities were not very dangerous.
Because they used animal skins to wrap the fruits, Han Cheng felt they were most likely going for a collective harvest.
Han Cheng used a rough method to judge whether primitive people were adults, which was their height.
The people in the tribe were much shorterpared to modern standards. After his anxious visual estimate, most women were between 1.4 and 1.5 meters, and men were taller, mostly between 1.45 and 1.6 meters. Those shorter than this were all underage.
This wasn''t just a random guess by him. He had seen some underage primitive people staying in the cave who, when they had nothing to do, would stand next to a stone wall in the cave forparison.
Two horizontal lines were drawn on that stone wall, with the higher one approximately 1.45 meters and the lower one around 1.4 meters.
Especially today, several underage people selected to go out were measured in front of these lines before being allowed to go out. This scene made Han Cheng even more convinced of his spection.
The old primitive man continued his tireless work diligently, and many new pictorial-like characters had been added to the nk te.
Han Cheng had always believed that pictographs were the earliest and most vivid form of writing, and this was indeed the case.
Every stroke and line in it was derived from life, unlike alphabetical writing, which was truly abstract.
As his thoughts went here, Han Cheng suddenly remembered a news report he had seen before he transmitted. It said that a schr in the Magnesium country concluded that for China topletely internationalize, it should abandon Chinese characters and switch to alphabetical writing.
Han Cheng wanted to pull that so-called expert over and open his head to see if it was filled with shit.
Han Cheng could roughly understand some things the old primitive man depicted. If he guessed correctly, what he recorded these two days was his origin.
The first character, or rather, a painting, was arge oval with many fine shes in the middle and several thick lines in the middle of the shes. Connecting it to the scene he saw when he first woke up, Han Cheng thought this recording was about the phenomenon in the sky before he appeared.
This painting or character represented the weather at that time, with dark clouds covering the sky and lightning tearing through the dark clouds.
The second painting was also the same sky, with dark clouds and lightning, but the difference was that something else had appeared under this sky. From the top to the bottom of the drawing, it could be seen that this thing had descended from the sky.
The third painting was
The old primitive man recorded it in great detail, including what the others told him when they returned.
Looking at these, Han Cheng suddenly understood why the big brother stopped the second brother from eating him when he first saw himself and why the old primitive man personally came and took care of him.
All of this was recorded in these records, his mysterious origin.
The big brother and the others were hunting nearby, and the weather suddenly changed. They witnessed him falling from the sky, andter, unable to contain their curiosity, they came over.
The big brother stopped the second brother from eating him because of his strange origin.
When he pretended to be dead, he had already fooled them. They came the next day because they had told the old primitive man about their discovery.
Through these two days of observation, Han Cheng had confirmed that the old primitive man was indeed the shaman of this unnamed tribe.
The shaman held a high position in the tribe not only because he could read and write, heal diseases, and possess a wealth of knowledge, making him the tribe''s wise man, but also because the shaman couldmunicate with the spirits, acting as a messenger sent by the gods.
It was precise because he held a sacred position that, upon learning about his miraculous origin, the shaman tirelessly had the elder brother, and others take him to the ce where he fell, personally inspecting it. They brought him back when they discovered he was a living being.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile wryly at the unexpected twists in the story of being picked up by primitive people.
Thinking back to that night when wild beasts roamed nearby, but none approached to eat him, he initially believed that these primordial bigwigs were picky eaters and didn''t like the taste of his charred meat. Now, he realized it might not be that simple.
The most likely reason was the thunder and lightning that apanied his appearance.
Although Han Cheng was not aware of it at the time, from the shaman''s recorded information and the scene of ashes he saw when he woke up, as well as his current charred and immobile state, it could be inferred how powerful the thunderstorm was at that moment.
Fear of thunder is an animal instinct, and these primordial bigwigs were no exception. Even though the thunder had disappearedter, these sensitive beings could still feel the lingering breath of the thunder.
Unexpectedly, he managed to escape and be saved from the mouths of wild beasts due to these reasons.
Writing became tedious for the shaman, so he took a short break, turning his head to see Han Cheng deeply pondering over the characters he had drawn. A smile appeared on the shaman''s face the smile of someone confident in their abilities.
After observing Han Cheng for a while and realizing his fascination, the shaman turned his body slightly, pointing to the topmost character, and said, #$^&*.
Coming out of his contemtion, Han Cheng looked at the elderly shaman with some confusion.
"#$^&*," the shaman repeated, pointing to the character at the top.
Han Cheng puzzled, tried pronouncing it silently in his mind. His head was confused, not understanding this "#$^&*."
He blinked.
Seeing Han Cheng''s attention was fully captivated, the shaman smiled again, pointing to the character and saying, "#$^&*."
Han Cheng inwardly sighed at his embarrassment. He never thought that after transmigrating, instead of educating the ancients with his future knowledge, he ended up being educated by them. This was done by ancient people from the Stone Age.
Criticizing aside, he still needed to learn thenguage. It would be quite ufortable if he eventually broke free from his current state and couldn''tmunicate with the people here. After all,munication couldn''t rely solely on gestures and confirming eye expressions.
Chapter 9: Autumn is a season for storing food
Chapter 9: Autumn is a season for storing food
""
The Shaman pointed to himself and then spoke to Han Cheng.
Although Han Cheng couldn''t speak, Shaman could see from his eyes that Han Cheng was indeed earnestly learning what he was teaching.
This made the older Shaman very happy.
It was because of this that he tirelessly taught Han Cheng.
"#$^&*"
He pointed to himself again, repeating his words.
"#$^&*"
Han Cheng blinked as if saying, "Isn''t that what I meant?"
The self-proimed mentor, Shaman, taught Han Cheng for a while and then stopped talking. He continued to pick up his stone-made pen and carved on the stone tablet the things he had not yet recorded.
After a little over an hour, people who had gone out returned.
Leading them was Junior Brother Sandy, who brought two men and five women, each carrying or holding animal-skin-wrapped packages containing fruits of various sizes.
They poured these fruits where they had originally ced them and then went out again.
Thinking back to the colorful scene he saw on the way back to the cave two days ago, Han Cheng understood their current actions.
Autumn had arrived, a season of harvest and a time when efforts were needed to store food.
In just these two days, Han Cheng had learned that this unnamed tribe was still in the hunting and gathering stage, far from the agricultural stage.
In this situation, collecting wild fruits abundantly became their most important storage means.
After all, fruits have a long shelf life and are storage-friendly.
As for meat, it''s delicious to eat, but without even salt, the storage time is limited.
That''s why, after hunting enough meat for the tribe to eat for two days yesterday, today, all thebor force in the tribe went out to pick wild fruits.
It was evident that there were plenty of fruits outside. About half of the people would return with fruits every hour or so.
Days passed peacefully, and Han Cheng''s life consisted of standing here like a statue, watching the activities of the people in the tribe, and eating the special meat soup made by Shaman twice a day.
Most of the time, it was smashed grilled meat and liver that could easily turn mush.
However, there was one time when it was amb''s kidney.
After eating thismb''s kidney, Han Cheng felt very sad.
It''s not that the kidney didn''t taste good, but he still felt nothing even after eating a whole pure wildmb''s kidney.
Damn it, this time, it''s truly useless. The source of joy is gone.
Of course, putting aside this concern, Han Cheng was still quite satisfied with his current life.
After eating daily, he followed the Shaman to learn some of theirnguage. The rest of the time could be spent daydreaming.
Storing food was still ongoing, with women in the tribe being the main hands in picking fruits.
If the hunted game was abundant enough to meet the tribe''s needs for two days or longer, the senior brother would join the men in picking fruits.
With their hard work, the number of stored fruits in the cave increased, and the ce where fruits were originally stored had piled up into arge heap.
Looking at this growing heap of fruits, including Han Cheng, everyone felt reassured.
Having food in hand, there''s no need to panic in the mind. Until the issue of hunger is resolved, this has always been a fundamental truth.
Han Cheng''s body was very itchy, and this itchiness had been going on for a few days, but it hadn''t been as severe as today.
He wanted to scratch, but the result was, of course, frustrating. He couldn''t move, he couldn''t speak, and all he could do was endure this torture silently.
However, when he discovered he could control one hand to move slightly, he immediately forgot about the itchiness, ecstatic with this newfound ability.
He even secretly cheered himself on, hoping the itchiness would intensify.
Yesterday, the senior brother returned with the hunting team, once again bringing back a full load of game that would be enough for the entire tribe to eat for three days.
So, after breakfast today, he also led the hunting members to pick fruits with the women in the tribe.
As for Han Cheng, he eagerly tried to control various body parts, looking to see which areas he could move.
After a long effort, a sharp pain apanied by a tearing sensation surged from Han Cheng''s face. After experiencing this feeling, Han Cheng was pleasantly surprised to find that he could open his mouth wider and close it again.
After confirming that he wouldn''t be a statue, Han Cheng suppressed the urge to forcefully open his mouth topletely liberate himself.
ording to experience, he was currently healing. If he forcibly opened his mouth and tore off the scabs on his face, there would undoubtedly be scars.
Although he didn''t care much about his appearance, he didn''t want to be disfigured. After all, it was something used to meet people.
While his mouth could open and close to some extent, he still couldn''t make any sounds. Han Cheng always felt like something was blocking his throat.
As he felt the subtle changes in his body with joy and curiosity, the people who had gone out to pick fruits returned.
They had returned twice today, so this scene was not unusual.
However, when Han Cheng noticed that everyone had returned, he became somewhat puzzled.
Now, the sky is still early, at most just past noon. Normally, at this time, not all the people who went out to pick fruits would have returned.
The situation was a bitplicated.
Not only did the senior brother and others return early, but the people who returned did not carry bags of fruits as usual.
Moreover, six people had varying degrees of injuries, including the senior brother, second brother, and Junior Brother Sandy.
The chubby second brother especially had several bruises on his big belly.
Fortunately, the number of people who went out did not decrease, and they all returned in a group. There were no casualties.
The atmosphere of the entire group seemed quite low and oppressive. The little primitive people, who had run out to greet them with cheers, quieted down when they saw the scene and felt the atmosphere. They looked at their parents and brothers with some confusion.
Shaman, who also noticed the anomaly, walked out from the cave depths and asked aloud with gestures.
The senior brother lowered his head in shame, remaining silent momentarily.
Shaman, being wise, didn''t press for more information upon seeing this. Instead, he instructed everyone to return to the cave and had some people bring heavy stone bs to seal the cave entrance.
The senior brother, walking limp, shook his head, pointed outside the cave, and stopped Shaman''s order, indicating that it wasn''t necessary yet and things hadn''t reached that point.
Shaman agreed and didn''t say anything more. Instead, he began to examine the injured individuals.
Chapter 10: But other tribes raided the orchard
Chapter 10: But other tribes raided the orchard
After Shamans tireless teaching during this period, Han Cheng has already understood many of the words spoken in the tribe.
After a moment of silence, the senior brother finally started to speak, exining through speech and gestures, and Han Cheng understood what had happened to them.
Not far from the cave is a considerable orchard, a ce the tribe discovered long ago and had been harvesting for many years.
Although it''s wild, it has long been considered the tribe''s property and an essential one.
This year, most of the fruits in the cavee from there.
However, today, a group from another tribe arrived from an unknown ce.
They immediately upied the orchard and rudely expelled the senior brother and his group.
Naturally, the senior brother couldn''t tolerate such an infuriating act. After a brief exchange of words, the situation escted into a physical conflict.
However, this conflict still carried some rationality; neither side used weapons, engaging in bare-handedbat.
The result of the battle was obvious.
The senior brother, along with the defeated tribe members, left the orchard. Even the fruits they had picked earlier were not allowed to be taken by the people from the other tribe.
"#$%"
The senior brother, feeling both ashamed and angry, spoke with excitement. At the end of his words, he angrily pounded his chest twice, flipped from the ground, and prepared to take his people back to the orchard for another fight.
"$#^&*%^$"
Shaman stopped the senior brother, pulled him back, looked at him, shook his head slowly, and prevented him from going.
The angry senior brother fell silent. He understood Shaman''s meaning. They had already suffered defeat once, and going again might only harm their people more.
Half-pressed by Shaman, he sat back on the ground, looking dejected.
Others in the tribe looked at Shaman, waiting for him to devise a solution or suggestion.
Shaman''s expression looked somewhat serious as he squatted there, thinking.
After a while, he stood up, facing everyone, slowly saying, "%$^%&*."
When interpreting the Shaman''s gestures, Han Cheng understood what the Shaman meant.
Shaman suggested giving up the orchard and going elsewhere to pick fruits.
For the people in the tribe, this oue was bitter, but they had no choice. With inferior strength, they had to ept the reality of losing the orchard.
After some silence, the senior brother raised his head, spoke a few words to Shaman, and then left with his people.
Shaman did not stop them this time, as the senior brother and his group were not returning to the orchard but going elsewhere to find wild fruits.
At this time, it was still early, with almost half a day left. After losing the stable food source in the orchard, the senior brother didn''t want to waste any time.
The little primitive people in the cave, after the initial silence and the departure of the adults, quickly started ying and frolicking again.
Being young, they didn''t quite understand what had happened or how it would affect their tribe.
In their yful age, they couldn''tprehend the concerns that belonged to the adults.
Shaman returned to his dwelling and sat down not far from Han Cheng, his face full of contemtion.
Compared to when he was in front of everyone in the tribe earlier, he seemed much more worried now.
The incident in the tribe made Han Cheng''s mood somewhat heavy.
The joy from discovering he could move and wouldn''t live like a statue for the rest of his life had faded.
After spending time together, he developed a dependency and identification with this primitive tribe.
Unfortunately, he waspletely static, incapable of helping with anything, even if he wanted to.
When it got dark, the senior brother and his group returned. Unlike the previous fruitful expeditions, only about half had fruits wrapped in animal skins this time. The rest returned empty-handed.
As the mes rose, the aroma of barbecue filled the cave. After a while, the eagerly anticipated dinner began.
Compared to the joyful meals of the past, the atmosphere at tonight''s dinner was quite somber.
People were silently eating, with very few words spoken.
Han Cheng''s mouth could move a bit now, and he could reluctantly chew on some things.
This unexpected discovery brought a smile to Shaman''s face.
Late into the night, the fire in the cave dwindled, and one by one, people went to sleep. The cave was unusually quiet tonight, without the usual primitive songs.
Early the next morning, after breakfast, the senior brother took some hunting tools and animal-skin-wrapped fruits, leading the group out of the cave.
Because they needed to find fruits elsewhere, where they might encounter various dangers, unlike the familiar safety of the previous orchard, they carried many hunting tools for self-defense.
Around noon, the senior brother and his group returned. Each person in the group had fruits, bringing smiles to many faces that were previously silent.
After a short rest, the group set out again, leaving behind four female primitive people.
Han Cheng initially didn''t understand why the senior brother arranged things this way.
It wasn''t until near evening when they came back carrying seven or eight fish, that Han Cheng understood what was happening.
It turns out that the game they previously caught was not enough for tomorrow''s meals, so the senior brother asked the four women to stay back and catch fish.
Today, the senior brother and his group brought back fruits three times. It seemed like a considerable amount, but Han Chengpared and found that the fruits harvested in a day were not even half the previous day''s.
Days passed like this, and autumn became increasingly pronounced. Although Han Cheng couldn''t see the outside world, he could imagine the scene from the progressively cooler, even cold, temperatures.
He could now feel the temperature because two not-sorge scabs had fallen off his face, revealing some skin.
The gradual joy of his body recovering made Han Cheng ignore his somewhat legendary, thick-skinned, peeling state.
Now, Shaman didn''t need to make the food mushy anymore. At this point, Han Cheng could chew on some things, albeit slower than Shaman. However, the joy of chewing was iparable to consuming mushy food.
In the following days, the senior brother, who had enjoyed a hearty meal, took the people who had also eaten well to the orchard for another attempt to reim what belonged to them.
Unfortunately, they suffered defeat once again.
All they could do was continue to search far and wide for fruits.
Chapter 11: The primitive people almost vomited
Chapter 11 ¨C The primitive people almost vomited
Yesterday night, the temperature suddenly dropped. Even though Shaman got up in the middle of the night and found an unknown animal skin to cover Han Cheng¡¯s head, Han Cheng still felt cold.
In the morning, waking up to the adults¡¯ words, the children¡¯s cheers, and a few white snowballs thrown at the cave entrance, Han Cheng learned it had snowed.
With heavy snow falling and everything quiet, this weather was no longer suitable for hunting outside. Unlike people inter generations who could fully armor themselves, these people wrapped in simple animal skins couldn¡¯t stay in the snow for a long time without getting frostbite.
Thinking that the Senior Brother, who had been collecting and storing food continuously with the tribe¡¯s people during this time, would take a break on such days, Han Cheng was surprised to find that after breakfast, he once again called people to go out.
However, the difference was that they didn¡¯t bring other weapons like stone tools this time. Instead, they carried tree sticks with sharpened tips. Having lived here for almost three months, Han Cheng knew these were the tribe¡¯s fishing spears.
Senior Brother and the others were going fishing.
Because the small river wasn¡¯t too far from the cave, Senior Brother and others allowed many children, often seen ying in the snow, to follow them.
As everyone was participating, their harvest was not small. By noon, they had brought back nearly twenty fish.
Due to the extremely cold weather, Senior Brother and the others couldn¡¯t stay in the icy world outside the cave for long. Therefore, the fishing activity was unlike previous hunting or gathering, where they could go on for the whole day. Instead, they worked for an hour or two, then stopped and returned to the cave.
After warming up by the fire, they would go out again for fishing.
Such rapid changes between hot and cold could easily lead to illness, but they seemed ustomed to it. Han Cheng just retained his thoughts on this.
Since the snowfall began, the diet in the cave, under the coordination of Senior Brother, had begun to change.
Originally, the main diet was meat, and they tried to avoid eating fruits. Now, it had shifted to fruits as the main course and meat as a supplement.
Han Cheng could understand this change. After all, in the past, it was easier to catch animals, and it didn¡¯t keep well. The current situation was just the opposite.
After about three days of fishing, the fishing activity stoppedpletely.
Han Cheng could understand this as well. After all, it was too cold outside.
After they stopped fishing, the entrance of the cave was basically closed all day long.
The cave entrance would only open when someone needed to go out or during meal preparations.
Every time this happened, the children, as if seeing the sun again, would be exceptionally excited.
Han Cheng had never lived here before and didn¡¯t know how long winter wouldst. However, since the snowfall, people in the tribe had been eating snowballs directly, suggesting that winter mightst for quite a while.
During winter, people staying in the cave mostly did one thing. Sleep. Firstly, other than sleep, they didn¡¯t have much to do. Secondly, after being busy for so long, their bodies needed proper rest. Thirdly, the cave was dimly lit, creating an atmosphere conducive to sleep. Lastly, sleeping could save energy and reduce food consumption.
Time seemed to be sealed off by the ice and snow outside, repeating the same days, making it almost impossible to feel its passage.
Han Cheng¡¯s condition improved, and his two arms could move to a great extent. The burnt skin on his body had also peeled off considerably.
As soon as he found out he could walk, Han Cheng insisted on going outside, ignoring Shaman¡¯s attempts to stop him. It wasn¡¯t about showing off his personality. he had an embarrassing problem.
He had been standing for the past few months, and he didn¡¯t know how much waste he had umted in his body. He had to take this opportunity to deal with it. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing when the lower scab couldn¡¯t hold it anymore.
Seeing a previously motionless ¡°tree¡± suddenly moving, the tribe¡¯s people were curious and gathered around, even waking up Second Brother, who was snoring loudly.
Looking at the crowd that refused to leave, Han Cheng felt helpless.
Damn it!
I just want to take a dump!
Does the entire tribe need toe out to watch the excitement?
After a short standoff, when the crowd still refused to leave, Han Cheng, with determination, decided to let them watch.
Since you all don¡¯t mind me doing things openly, as a transmigrator from the future, why should I be inferior to you?
Thinking like this, he reached out with his small hand to peel off the burnt skin from behind.
You didn¡¯t read it wrong. Small hand. For some reason, after it was freed from the burnt skin, it turned out like this.
The two hands looked like those of a six or seven-year-old child.
At first, when he saw these hands, Han Cheng was quite scared. However, after confirming that the other parts had also shrunk proportionally and there was no disproportionate change, he felt relieved.
After all, he didn¡¯t find it surprising with the urrence of transmigration and now the appearance of rejuvenation.
In the end, he considered himself lucky. He gained an extra twenty years for free.
¡°Damn, it stinks!¡±
The first time he peeled off the burnt skin from behind, Han Cheng couldn¡¯t help but curse in his heart. At this moment, even he felt disgusted with himself.
He didn¡¯t dare to look at the burnt skin, so he threw it away directly and summoned the courage to peel off the second piece.
At this moment, a chaotic noise erupted at the cave entrance.
Han Cheng, facing away from the entrance, mechanically turned his head and saw the people who had been enthusiastically watching him just now, all changing color. They covered their mouths and noses, rushing back into the cave.
Seeing this scene, Han Cheng felt delighted.
Damn, I asked you to watch my bare ass. Now you¡¯ve been affected.
Haha, serves you right!
¡°Hiss!¡±
Han Cheng shivered, unable to resist a shiver. Damn, the feeling of wiping his butt with a snowball was truly refreshing.
While drawing cold air, he cleaned his body with the snowball. Compared to the cold, he couldn¡¯t stand his stench.
Finally, taking care of personal hygiene, Han Cheng, almost frozen and devoid of sensation, took slow and mechanical steps back into the cave.
When he appeared at the cave entrance, everyone covered their noses again, looking at him with panic.
It wasn¡¯t until Shaman pped a couple of people on the head that they cautiously loosened their noses.
Han Cheng sniffed. Damn, even the primitive people find me smelly. Is it that bad?
Am I smelly?
Chapter 12: Food Crisis
Chapter 12: Food Crisis
Han Cheng now had an additional task. Peeling off the charred skin from his body whenever he had the chance.
There was an unexpectedly satisfying feeling, more exhrating than peeling off dead skin after a sunburn.
The skin revealed after peeling off the charredyer was pink, but it would gradually return to normal after a short time.
Han Cheng had already removed more than half of the charred skin from his face, but he had not touched the eyebrows and the area above them.
He worried that revealing these differences in his appearance would make him stand out among the tribe members and lead to rejection.
After days of internal struggle, Han Cheng finally decided to take action on his face.
He would have to face this problem sooner orter, so he might as well unveil it now rather than hesitating.
Considering the tribe''s reaction to his presence so far, even if they discovered the difference in his appearance, it shouldn''t provoke an overly intense reaction.
As he slowly peeled off the charred skin, Han Cheng''s heart couldn''t help but tighten.
Witnessing Han Cheng''s actions, the shaman became curious. He stood up from the fur he was sitting on and walked over to Han Cheng, who had already removed all the charred skin from his face.
Upon seeing Han Cheng for the first time, the shaman revealed a surprised expression.
Han Cheng''s heart tightened even more; it seemed that the differences in his appearance had been noticed.
He anxiously looked at the shaman, waiting for his next move.
In this tribe, the shaman''s status was even higher than the leader''s.
"You, good-looking," the shaman said, smiling at Han Cheng.
He spoke in their tribalnguage, but Han Cheng could now understand his words.
Seeing the shaman''s reaction, Han Cheng''s tightly held heart finally rxed. He smiled back and replied in the tribalnguage, "Shaman, good-looking."
Well, Han Cheng was no longer mute. As he gradually improved, he was able to speak after pulling out a long string of dead skin from his throat.
After hearing Han Cheng''s words, the shaman''s smile intensified. He reached out and gently patted Han Cheng''s head with some indulgence. Then, he called over the senior brother toe and see thepletely new face of Han Cheng.
The senior brother''s attitude towards Han Cheng was quite good. Although he found it strange that such a big thing had be such a small person, he could ept Han Cheng''s presence.
This was partly because he had witnessed the miraculous scene when Han Cheng descended and partly because of the influence of the shaman, who had taken good care of Han Cheng.
Especially when Han Cheng removed the charred skin from his lower body, revealing a small birdie reminiscent of the pre-liberation era, the senior brother became even more willing to ept Han Cheng.
After all, in this era, a man was more useful to the tribe than a woman in hunting and external conflicts.
Of course, due to the dangerous nature of their work, the mortality rate of men was much higher than that of women.
This was also the main reason why, including the shaman and theme primitive man, there were only eleven adult men, while there were as many as twenty-eight adult women in the tribe.
Suddenly seeing Han Cheng''s face, the senior brother was just as surprised as the shaman. After carefully observing Han Cheng, he also said the same words as the shaman, "You, good-looking."
Han Cheng wanted to say that the senior brother was even better looking, but the tribalnguage was not rich, and there was no such vocabry as "senior brother," so he could only say, "You, good-looking."
Because of Han Cheng''s transformation and the sudden appearance of a half-grown man in the tribe, the joy did notst too long.
This was because a food crisis emerged in the tribe.
The consequences of someone seizing the orchard where they used to gather food began to show during the harsh winter.
Although the senior brother and others tried their best to save and store food, reducing the daily supply had little effect.
Because the meat they had stored had already beenpletely consumed by now.
Without the meat buffer to stave off hunger, relying solely on fruits proved insufficient. Moreover, the supply of fruits was running low, and at the current rate, they could only sustain themselves for another five or six days, after which the tribe would faceplete famine.
Complicating matters was that some fruits had started to rot due to the cold weather and prolonged storage, worsening the already dire situation.
The atmosphere inside the cave, initially rxed andzy, gradually became tense and uneasy. Among the tribe members, the most anxious were the shaman and the senior brother, the tribe leaders.
They enjoyed certain privilegespared to themon members, but their responsibilities were also greater. The shaman and the senior brother had internal discussions on addressing the tribe''s crisis.
At this point, there were no perfect solutions; it was about finding ways to increase resources and reduce consumption. The result of their discussion was to reduce the food supply to the tribe members, excluding the shaman, two elderly individuals, theme primitive man, and half of the women who didn''t need to work. This was an attempt to save some food.
Meanwhile, the senior brother took the initiative to lead a group to hunt in the harsh winter, trying to secure additional food for the tribe. Hunting in winter was extremely risky, with beasts either hibernating or bing more ferocious due to hunger. Additionally, the pervasive cold and persistent snow severely threatened the primitive people with minimal clothing.
Despite the risks, they had no choice. If everyone stayed warm in the cave and refused to venture out, the tribe would face famine.
During these critical times, Han Cheng suddenly realizes he has been wrong. The primitive era was more brutal than the future he came from.
Even though these people could express joy from having three meals a day, achieving this simple goal required them to put in maximum effort, even risking their lives.
At this moment, Han Cheng truly understood the harshness of survival in this primitive era, where every meal was earned through relentless struggle and sometimes life-threatening efforts.
Listening to the discussions between the Shaman and the senior brother, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel perplexed. There was a small river near the cave, teeming with fish. Why go out into the wilderness to hunt when they could simply catch fish in the river?
When he raised this question, the senior brother shook his head and said, "Fish, gone."
"Gone?"
Han Cheng was puzzled. How could the fish disappear so suddenly? Could these fish be migratory, moving to another ce for the winter?
Unable to understand the situation fully, Han Cheng voiced his confusion. However, the senior brother simply shook his head and reiterated, "Gone."
epting the exnation, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel that the harshness of survival in this era was beyond his initialprehension. The uncertainty of resources and the struggle for survival were much more challenging than he had initially thought.
In this primitive world, people had to strive and fight for every morsel of food, making him realize that survival was never easy, regardless of the era.
Chapter 13: In the Name of the Sky God
Chapter 13: In the Name of the Sky God
The atmosphere in the cave seemed somewhat solemn. Led by the senior brother, wrapped in as much fur as possible, the group bowed to the shaman before heading into the vast snow.
As they trudged through the snowy terrain, the group gradually became tiny dots, obscured by the dense trees, disappearing. Due to the cave''s opening, the temperature dropped rapidly, causing some children to shiver.
The shaman instructed a few women left in the cave to seal the entrance. Returning to his usual spot, the shaman appeared even more contemtive.
Han Cheng stood silently on the side, feeling the severity of the impending food crisis. Having just arrived and already hungry for two days and nights, he deeply understood the terrifying sensation of hunger. The burning feeling in the stomach was unbearable, worse than any torture.
It was this intense hunger that weighed heavily on his mood.
After silence, the shaman stood up and began to busy himself in the cave. He took out an item adorned with colorful bird feathers resembling a crown, cing it on his head alongside a feathered crown. These were then offered, along with the bone staff, in front of a stone resembling a totem pole.
Using a bone knife, the shaman cut open the palm of his left hand and smeared the flowing blood on his face. After instructing Han Cheng to leave the cave, the shaman dripped his blood onto the ground before the totem pole, uttering words iprehensible to Han Cheng.
Subsequently, the shaman''s actions became even more peculiar. He danced around, asionally waving the white bone staff.
Although Han Cheng had never witnessed such a ceremony before, he understood that the shaman was performing a ritual,municating with their sky god, and praying for blessings and relief from cmities.
After observing the shaman''s rustic dance, Han Cheng wrapped himself in two moreyers of animal hides, took a rudimentary fishing spear used by the tribe, and headed towards the cave entrance.
Now a tribe member, Han Cheng felt the urgency of the food crisis. However, being too young to join the hunting party with the elder brother, he had to find other ways to contribute to the tribe. He wanted to check the nearby river to see any fish.
Concerning the elder brother''s im that there were no more fish, Han Cheng had doubts. Judging by the distinct seasons and the appearance of the tribe members with their ck eyes, ck hair, and yellow skin, he could reasonably conclude that he was still in thend that haunted his dreams.
In his memories, the rivers in thatnd did not have many fish migrating seasonally like birds. However, given the several thousand or even tens of thousands of years'' time difference from his original era, encountering different situations was expected.
Despite this, he wanted to investigate for himself.
"Where are you going?" The limp-legged primitive man asked in a hushed voice, afraid to disturb the shamanmunicating with the god.
"I''m going outside," Han Cheng replied.
He pointed at the fish spear in Han Cheng''s hand, questioning why he was taking it outside.
Han Cheng said, "Fish, stab fish."
The primitive man looked at him as if he were a fool. Even three or four-year-old kids in the tribe knew that there were no fish at this time. This seemingly shrewd guy said he wanted to catch fish. This was something.
"No fish," he warned Han Cheng with a concerned expression. Despite the overpowering stench when Han Cheng defecatedst time, he couldn''t help but try to remind him to avoid unnecessary exposure to the cold.
Han Cheng looked at the man and suddenly realized a problem. Given the current temperature, the river would likely have frozen over. This wouldn''t have been a problem for him in the past, but now, breaking the ice would be challenging.
The guy before him seemed like a good candidate for hardbor.
Han Cheng decided to deceive him.
Although his leg wasme, he could still walk, albeit very slowly. However, for primitive people, this was already a severe issue. Running slowly meant there was no way to chase after wild beasts, and when being chased by wild beasts, there was no way to escape. Running could be considered an indispensable condition for survival in this era.
Shaking his head, Han Cheng said, "Fish, not gone. Fish, hiding."
He gestured with his hands while saying this.
The primitive man didn''t believe Han Cheng''s words and stubbornly insisted, "No fish."
Shaking his head, he turned around and pointed to the cave''s depths where the shaman was conducting a ritual. His meaning was that this information came from the shaman.
Han Cheng shook his head again. "Fish, not gone. Fish, still here."
He pointed to the sky and then to his head, indicating that the sky god had told him.
The primitive man widened his eyes, seemingly stunned by Han Cheng''s expression. He somewhat believed it because, firstly, no one in the tribe dared to joke about the sky god. Secondly, Han Cheng''s origin was strange. Falling directly from the sky, he had never heard of anyone who could ascend to the heavens, let alonemunicate with the sky god.
He looked hesitant as he stared at Han Cheng, slowly standing up.
"Fish, still here," Han Cheng repeated.
He then told him that they wouldn''t go hungry once they found the fish anymore. Under the dual attack of the god and Han Cheng''s promise of not going hungry, the hesitant man finally agrees to join Han Cheng in catching fish for the tribe.
The entrance to the cave was opened, and Han Cheng, holding a fish spear, and theme primitive man, carrying a stone for smashing, walked out of the cave. The women left the cave, watched these two dreamers leave, and sealed the entrance.
Taking a stone from the cave when going outside was necessary. Otherwise, picking up a stone from the ground in the ice and snow would be difficult. The biting cold seeped through the gaps in the animal hides, causing Han Cheng to shiver involuntarily. He now strongly felt the urge to return to the cave and sew some clothes.
Wrapping animal hides crudely around his body and tying them with tough grass was ufortably inadequate.
Braving the cold and stepping on snow, they walked towards the river. Just as they reached the riverbank, theme man began to regret it. He shouldn''t have listened to this guy and followed him outside. There was no fish here.
"" (B), meaning "Lame," was the name Han Cheng silently gave to theme primitive man, as it was inconvenient without a name.
Chapter 14: Breaking the Ice to Catch Fish
Chapter 14: Breaking the Ice to Catch Fish
"Fish, not here."
Feeling deceived, the limping man pointed at the frozen river covered by ice, some parts still with ayer of snow, and expressed his anger to Han Cheng.
Han Cheng, upon seeing this, was a bit stunned. So, this is what Senior Brother meant by the fish being gone. Did they mean the river was frozen, and the fish couldn''t be seen as usual, so they assumed the fish were gone? Instead of his initial thought that, due to the cold, the fish had migrated elsewhere.
As Han Cheng contemted this, he suddenly pped his forehead. He realized he had been misunderstanding from the beginning. He had been thinking that the fish here were migratory, neglecting that Senior Brother and the tribe had been fishing for three days despite the heavy snowfall.
If it was snowing heavily and the fish were still here, it would be strange if they were migratory.
"The fish are below."
After sighing in relief, Han Cheng was d that the food crisis in the tribe could be averted. He wouldn''t be regarded as an untrustworthy person by the limping man.
With a delighted smile on his face, Han Cheng used a stick to poke at the ice surface to confirm its solidity. Once assured, he climbed onto the ice.
He pointed at the frozen surface with his foot and exined to the indignant, limping man.
The limping man showed a look of confusion. He disagreed with Han Cheng''s words. The surface had already turned into solid rock. How could there be fish?
However, Han Cheng''s excited expression and confident tone made him hesitate.
"The fish are below."
"Catch fish, eat."
Han Cheng expressed his intentions to the limping man through words and gestures, once again offering the irresistible temptation of food. He then signaled for the limping man to smash the ice under his feet with the stone he held.
Han Cheng directed the limping man to a location near the riverbank for safety. This way, even if the ice cracked, the gap wouldn''t be toorge, and the limping man could easily climb out.
"Thud, thud, thud."
With hands red from the cold, the limping man vigorously used the stone to smash the ice beneath his feet. Each time the stone hit, ice chips scattered around.
The iceyer was quite thick, and the limping man, sweating profusely, took four breaks before finally creating a hole in the ice.
Han Cheng silently praised his cleverness. Without tricking the limping man into helping, he wouldn''t have been able to break open the nearly 20-centimeter-thick ice with his current abilities.
As soon as the ice was broken, revealing water, the limping man smiled and unquestionably believed Han Cheng''s words. Since there was water beneath this rock-like thing, the fish hadn''t left, just as this guy had said.
Following Han Cheng''s guidance, the energetic, limping man continued to erge the hole in the ice. Because the ice had already been broken, it became much easier to smash it aside.
Not long after, the ice hole had expanded to more than twice its original size.
"Fish."
Before Han Cheng could tell the limping man to scoop out the broken ice from the ice hole, the man excitedly shouted, pointing at the mouth of the hole where a fish wasing up to breathe fresh air.
If Han Cheng hadn''t stopped him, the limping man, who had already thrown the stone in his arms aside, would have been leaning on the ice surface to grab the fish.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile. It''s great to have fish.
He instructed the excited, limping man to throw the stones on the ice to the shore. Otherwise, they would soon freeze to the ice in the current weather and be difficult to pick up.
"Poof."
It seemed like these fish had been suffocated. The ice had just been smashed, and seven or eight fish had already gathered at the hole. They crowded together, greedily breathing through their mouths.
Han Cheng felt ufortable with them all squeezed together, thinking it would be more enjoyable for them toe ashore. He seized the opportunity and, aiming at the middle of the group, fiercely stabbed downward.
A great start.
It was unexpected whether it was unlucky for this fish or the proficiency of Han Cheng''s fish-stabbing technique, but with just one stab, a fish over a foot long was pierced through the body.
With a strong pull, Han Cheng lifted it directly from the water.
The fish''s tail swung in the air, throwing out a string of beautiful water droplets.
"Fish."
Watching the fish dancing in the snow, the limping man shouted joyfully again.
With a limp, he quickly picked up the still-jumping fish, grinned at Han Cheng, and held the fish up for him to see.
Han Cheng also smiled. This fish weighed at least 1.8 kg.
"Poof."
Taking advantage of the momentum, Han Cheng struck again. Unfortunately, he didn''t have the same luck this time. Apart from some scales, nothing else was left after the stab.
These fish, being suffocated, took advantage of the rare opportunity to breathe, and when Han Cheng stabbed them, they sank a little but quickly floated back to the surface.
"Poof."
Taking a deep breath, Han Cheng struck again. The fish head was hit this time, causing the fish to jump directly from the water onto the ice, bouncing back and forth.
This was an unexpected joy.
"Fish, let me."
The limping man, having beaten up the fish that had jumped onto the ice, pressed it down next to the previous one. He then eagerly asked Han Cheng for the fish spear, ready to personally experience the joy of the harvest.
After all, picking up fish was not as exciting as stabbing them.
Han Cheng''s current body was still small and coupled with just having undergone rebirth, the charred skin hadn''tpletely peeled off. His strength was insufficient.
If he had the sharp fish spear made of thin steel bars or iron rods from hister years, it would be suitable for stabbing fish.
However, at the moment, with this simple stick, the head of which was not carved but ground into a fish spear, and Han Cheng''s current strength, there was still a long way to go.
Although Han Cheng wanted to stab a few more fish for fun, he knew it wasn''t the time for ying around. The most crucial thing was to get food. Therefore, he handed the fish spear to the limping man.
With ame leg, the limping man, with remaining strength and previous work experience, bent his waist and thrust the fish spear diagonally. With a loud ssh, a fish over two feet long was pierced through the belly and lifted out of the water.
"Fish!"
He shouted excitedly, took the fish off the fish spear, handed it to Han Cheng, and almost knocked Han Cheng down with the fish still shaking its tail.
This fish weighed at least 6 kg.
Completely immersed in the joy of the harvest, the limping man, forgetting the cold, stood by the ice hole, holding the fish spear, and stared at the hole intently. He fiercely stabbed the fish with the spear whenever he saw the opportunity.
With every stab, he would excitedly shout, "Fish!"
The limping man was genuinely happy. Since his leg injury, he has never been as happy as he is today.
He was no longer a burden to the tribe. He could also hunt for food for the tribe.
Having been a burden for more than three years, the joy he felt at this moment radiated from the depths of his heart.
Chapter 15: The secret of Shaman
Chapter 15: The secret of Shaman
The cold air prated the body, and Han Cheng, tightly wrapped in fur, shivered uncontrobly.
After being outside for so long, he waspletely frozen.
"There are many fish. Enough to eat. Let''s go back and get warm."
With a reluctant expression, Han Cheng extended the numb hand that had just gained some sensation from being pressed against his armpit. He pulled out the fish stabbed by the Lame with a fish fork and ced it in the snow pit on the shore.
There were already more than a dozen fish with holes in them, and due to the cold weather, except for the three just stabbed out, the others had be stiff.
Han Cheng no longer felt the excitement he had when he first saw the fish. The pervasive coldness hadpletely extinguished all his enthusiasm.
"Catch fish. Not cold."
The Lame was beyond salvation. He waspletely immersed in the joy of fishing and couldn''t extricate himself,pletely oblivious to the cold.
Han Cheng was no longer excited. He felt he had unintentionally made a terrible mistake by coaxing a workaholic into this. He stomped his feet, and the feet wrapped in fur were also numb.
"You, catch fish. I, go back, for Shaman."
Han Cheng expressed his intention with gestures and words.
Regardless, let the Lame catch fish here. He didn''t want to endure the cold with him any longer. If he continued like this, even if there were fish to eat in the tribe, his own life would probably be in danger.
After saying that, without waiting for the Lame''s response, he rushed towards the direction of the cave. He didn''t want to stay in this damned ce for a moment longer.
After running for a while, Han Cheng stopped, thought momentarily, and turned back. He found the smallest one among the fish lying on the ground, touched it, found it too cold to touch directly, looked around, and broke off some resilient dried grass exposed in the snow. He threaded the fish from gills to mouth with the grass, then dragged the fish and the grass through the snow on the topmostyer, rushing back to the cave.
It was not okay not to bring back a fish. Otherwise, he would need to spend many words exining to Shaman that the fish was not lost but blocked by the ice. Besides, Shaman probably wouldn''t believe him.
Better to bring back a fish directly, saving trouble.
Compared to the bitter cold outside, the inside of the cave was much warmer.
Jumping and sweating, Shaman finallypleted the ritual and prayed for blessings from the sky god.
However, despite his calm appearance, he was somewhat uneasy in his heart.
This kind of uneasiness urred every time after the ritual.
It was not because he was insincere in his prayers to the sky god or made mistakes. It was because of a deep secret in his heart for many years.
The secret was that he couldn''tmunicate with the sky god as the tribe imagined.
This was a lingering illness that had followed him for decades.
He could confirm that every time he performed the ritual, he did it with all his heart and soul, and every movement and action was impable.
However, what worried him was that he hadn''t received any guidance from the sky god all these years.
This made him uneasy because he vividly remembered that the previous shaman had explicitly told him he couldmunicate with the sky god.
It was precisely because of this that Shaman became even more uneasy in his heart after each ritual. After all, in the same ceremony and actions, one shaman could receive the guidance of the sky god, while he couldn''t.
Shaman held the white bone staff and ced it on the stone in front of the totem pir where the sky god resided. Carefully, he removed the feather crown on his head, ced it back in its original position, and heaved a sigh of relief.
He turned around, wanting to see the mysterious and miraculously transformed little guy.
However, he did not see him in the cave, and the Lame man was also missing.
Shaman felt a bit anxious. He cared a lot about this little guy who came from the sky.
In his understanding, the sky god resided above the sky where only birds could fly. The totem pole ced in the tribe was just a projection of the sky god, a temporary ce for the sky god to stay during the eptance of sacrifices.
And this little guy fell from the sky.
This discovery excited Shaman, who had never received any guidance from the sky god. It seemed like he had found some clues.
Especially considering the horrifying scene that happened when he descended.
A person who spent a night in the wilderness without being eaten by wild beasts and still managed toe back to life in this state.
All these things made him curious and concerned about this extraordinary little guy.
Through the exnations and gestures of a few weak women who stayed in the cave, Shaman learned about Han Cheng''s whereabouts and what they were doing.
This made Shaman both angry and touched.
This little guy All the fish had gone in this freezing weather. Where could he possibly catch fish?
Dont get hurt from the cold.
With these thoughts, Shaman looked at the five or seven children in the cave who were simr orrger than the little guy. He couldn''t help shaking his head.
They were all children, but these children in the tribe, except for the little guy, were far behind. Although the little guy''s actions might seem futile and result in unnecessary freezing, having this intention was enough.
Hmm, unconsciously, Han Cheng had be someone else''s child.
"You, you, call him back."
Shaman, looking at the few half-grown children in the tribe for a while, pointed to the two women who had just answered him, telling them to go out and bring Han Cheng and the Lame back.
The two women naturally dared not disobey Wu''s orders. They found some fur to wrap around themselves, covered a bit more, and then removed the middle stone at the cave entrance. The cold air outside immediately rushed in.
Without hesitation, they bent over and walked out.
Shaman, feeling the cold, was about to call someone to seal the entrance again when he found that the two women who had just gone out wereing back.
This puzzled Shaman and made him a little angry. They didn''t even listen to his words.
However, Shaman was a person who could keep hisposure. Instead of getting angry, he was about to ask aloud when Han Cheng had already crawled into the cave.
Feeling the warm air inside the cave, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sigh of relief.
Shaman had a smile on his face, ready to praise this sensible little guy. However, the next moment, his whole person froze.
His eyes were fixed on the fish that Han Cheng had dragged back, and he couldn''t move them. His face was full of astonishment and disbelief.
Chapter 16: A lot of fishes
Chapter 16: A lot of fishes
He stood there in a daze, then walked a few steps and squatted beside Han Cheng. He carefully examined the fish in his hands before confirming that it was indeed the fish they used to eat.
Holding the fish in one hand and pointing with the other, he looked at Han Cheng, appearing excitedly, and said, "This, this fish."
On the way back, Han Cheng thought about how the shaman would react upon seeing the fish. He thought the shaman would be surprised, but he never expected his reaction to be so overwhelming that he couldn''t speak coherently.
Understanding his emotions, Han Cheng felt grateful to the shaman and quickly said, "Fish, there are fish in the river."
As he spoke, he gestured towards the small river outside the cave.
"Fish, a lot. A lot of fishes," Han Cheng added, fearing that his expression wasn''t clear.
The shaman was a bit dazed and then stood up abruptly. He took Han Cheng''s hand and hurriedly walked outside, showing eagerness. He wanted to verify what Han Cheng said about the river quickly.
If it was true, then the food crisis for their tribe this year would bepletely resolved.
Although Han Cheng had brought back a fish, what he said should be true, the conflict with the shaman''s understanding was too significant. The shaman couldn''t help but want to see it with his own eyes.
To see if there were a lot of fish.
In his mind, he didn''t need a lot of fishes. He just needed enough for their tribe to survive the winter.
Han Cheng quickly grabbed the shaman, trying to convey that they should stop first. He then ran into the cave, carrying a few hides and gesturing for the shaman to tie them around himself.
The shaman smiled. He was indeed too impatient and had forgotten about the cold outside.
Taking the hides from Han Cheng, he quickly wrapped them around himself and called the two female tribesmen present earlier. The four left the cave, walking through the snow towards the small river.
Han Cheng''s face twitched into a bitter melon. He had just run back from there, and now, within ten minutes of entering the cave, he was going back there again.
Truly torturous.
The shaman walked quickly, wanting to see the scene described by Han Cheng as soon as possible. After suddenly learning about this news that could save the tribe from crisis, he forgot about his fatigue and old age.
"Ssh."
Upon seeing nearly twentyrge and small fishes arranged on the bank and fishes crowding at the hole in the ice, the shaman, now sure of Han Cheng''s words, showed a joyful expression. He knelt in the snow, muttering something in his mouth, perhaps words of gratitude to the spirits.
This made Han Cheng, who was happy to be able to help the tribe, somewhat helpless as he rubbed his nose.
The fish were discovered by himself. You can''t give all the credit to the spirits like this.
The shaman stood up from the snowy ground, looking at the fishes on the bank and the heads poking out from the ice hole. The joy on his face couldn''t be contained.
He picked up Han Cheng and embraced him, affectionately rubbing his forehead against Han Cheng''s head. Then, he put Han Cheng down and used his hands to tidy Han Cheng''s hair.
This was a mutual expression of affection in the tribe, something Han Cheng saw daily in the cave. However, he had never seen the shaman show such affectionate gestures to anyone before.
Although the action of grooming the hair looked like a big monkey picking lice from a little monkey.
"Fish, go back and get a fork, catch fish."
After Han Cheng''s hair was tidied for a while, the shaman, now less excited, ordered the two female tribesmen who were still in awe to take the fish back to the cave. He then instructed them to bring a fishing fork and join them to catch fish.
The two female tribesmen hurriedly moved, carrying three or four fish and quickly rushing back to the cave. Lame with the fishing fork became even more enthusiastic, especially after seeing the shaman''s and others'' amazed expressions. This gave him a sense of triumph.
"Fish, you"
After a brief pause, the shaman began verbally and with gestures questioning Han Cheng about how he knew there were fish underneath.
This made Han Cheng somewhat helpless. Why were primitive people so fond of digging to the bottom of things?
But, of course, he couldn''t tell the shaman that he was a transmigrator. That was just basicmon sense.
He pondered momentarily and suddenly remembered the methods he used to deceive Lame earlier.
Yes, the gods are all-powerful, and the people here seem to have great faith in the gods.
Since that''s the case, he decided to use the name of the gods again.
However, borrowing the names of the gods in front of a professional clergyman made Han Cheng feel a bit guilty.
But considering the high status of the clergy in the tribe and the fact that he would inevitably have toe up with other things for himself and the tribe in the future, exining everything in detail would be troublesome. It was better to attribute everything to the all-powerful gods.
Anyway, the gods are all-powerful.
With this decision in mind, he pointed to the sky, then to his head, and said, "The gods say there are fish."
To Han Cheng''s relief, the shaman didn''t show the slightest suspicion after he invoked the name of the gods. On the contrary, there was a strong expression of joy in his eyes, and this joy carried a sense of "as expected."
He once again affectionately groomed Han Cheng''s hair, then, as if remembering something, he loosened his hands a bit, looking somewhat uneasy.
Seeing that the shaman was a bit uneasy, Han Cheng, after careful consideration, realized what might be bothering him. He smiled, tiptoed, and started grooming the hair of the slightly bent shaman to show his affection.
The shaman''s uneasiness quickly disappeared. He looked at Han Cheng, and his face, which appeared somewhat aged, was filled with a smile.
Four more women who stayed in the tribe arrived.
They split into a group, one holding a fish fork and standing with Lame to spear the fish in the ice hole.
As for the others, Han Cheng chose several more ice surfaces at a distance and taught them how to break the ice and spear the fish.
The enthusiasm of the people in the tribe for food was admirable.
After breaking two more ice holes, along with Lame, six people were spearing fish.
Due to the fish being crowded in the ice holes due tock of oxygen, it was much easier to spear them than usual.
Even the woman responsible for returning the fish to the cave couldn''t keep up.
It wasn''t until Han Cheng broke off a rtively soft branch from the side, threaded seven or eight fish from gills to mouth at once, and had her drag the fish across the snowy ground using the branch that she finally rxed.
Han Cheng''s seemingly effortless innovation, which could save effort and transport multiple fish at once, made the shaman look at him with more admiration.
It wasn''tte yet, and the six had already speared enough fish for the tribe to eat for three days.
Lame, already frozen all over and with a darkened face, refused to move.
He and the other women who were fishing also refused to return.
It wasn''t until Han Cheng repeatedly told them that the fish wouldn''t run away and they could continue spearfishing tomorrow that they reluctantly walked back to the cave, hesitating and turning back several times.
Han Cheng, who was shivering from the cold, was secretly determined not to go out with them tomorrow, no matter what they said.
The small door in the middle of the cave was opened, and under the shaman''s orders, the old tribesman in charge of the fire put a lot of firewood on the fire pit, making the fire burn vigorously.
Han Cheng and the others gathered around the fire, savoring the rare warmth.
Lame and the others would asionally turn their heads to look at the pile of nearly a hundred fish together, then grin foolishly. When they looked at Han Cheng, who was roasting his feet, their eyes showed a strong sense of respect.
Unlike the joy inside the cave, the senior brother, who led the hunting party out, was unusually heavy-hearted.
Chapter 17: Big Brother, full of surprise and excitement
Chapter 17: Big Brother, full of surprise and excitement
Senior brother, eight men, and twelve women walked through the snowyndscape, enduring the biting cold that made them huddle and shiver.
A small icicle from his beard hung on the chubby face of the second brother, who liked to drool.
After a long and arduous trek through the snow, the harshbination of cold, hunger, and prolonged walking had drained their strength and warmth.
The atmosphere in the group was somber.
All the strongborers from the tribe were out, toiling in the freezing conditions for an entire day, and their efforts only yielded two scrawny mountain chickens.
In these circumstances, their spirits were understandably low.
The leader, the senior brother, appeared gloomy and burdened. As the tribe''s chief, theck of food weighed heavily on him.
Unable to provide sufficient sustenance, he felt the pressure on his shoulders increase.
It seemed like they would have to continue reducing food rations. Except for those initially assigned fewer provisions, the children and women were unable to endure prolonged activity in the snowy terrain, and everyone else would have to endure less food.
Giving the stronger members the avable food was the only way to conserve strength for the tribe to search for more food and ensure survival.
This solution was not the leader''s preference. If possible, he would want everyone in the tribe to eat their fill. However, reality forced him into this dilemma.
The familiar cave was in sight, with a warm fire,fortable straw, and fur waiting inside, along with their fellow tribespeople.
Yet, the leader hesitated, reluctant to bring back the disheartening news of theck of prey.
Suddenly, the blocked cave entrance opened, and a group of children and remaining women emerged, cheering and running towards the returning hunting party.
Witnessing this scene, the leader''s spirits sank even further.
From the current situation, he could infer that those left inside the cave had been anxiously peering through the crevices, hoping for the hunting party to return with an abundance of food, ending the hunger in the tribe.
However, he had only brought back two meager mountain chickens.
As the jubnt crowd approached, the leader, for a moment, felt an inexplicable urge to escape.
"Chief!"
"Chief!"
Children from the tribe ran up, greeting the leader before rushing toward their parents in the group.
The leader found it strange that these children and the women from the cave did not exhibit the disappointment he had expected upon realizing the hunting party had brought back no prey.
When Big Brother saw the shaman standing at the cave entrance, looking towards them, his heart warmed. There was no need to say it. This must be the shaman worrying about them, giving prior instructions.
Thinking this way, he ignored the hesitant woman, quickened his pace, and walked to the cave entrance. Facing the calm and smiling shaman, he bent down, respectfully calling out, "Shaman."
His voice sounded somewhat low, filled with guilt, shame, and warmth.
The shaman smiled, touched his head, patted his shoulder, and said, "Go back, get warm."
Big Brother''s eyes were a bit moist. He nodded vigorously, slightly lowered his head, and entered the cave.
The shaman stood at the cave entrance, going one by one to touch the head of each returning person, saying, "Go back, get warm."
This encouraged those who braved the cold to hunt for the tribe.
Han Cheng stood aside, silently watching, acknowledging the shaman''s wisdom. Through this gesture, the atmosphere of the entire hunting team greatly improved, and everyone became more united.
"Fishes!"
"So many fishes!"
Hearing the senior brother''s incredulous exmation from inside the cave, everyone who knew the situation, including the shaman and many children,ughed happily.
Among them, the happiest was probably the Lame. Tears rolled down his cheeks fromughter.
Upon hearing the senior brothers exmation and seeing the expressions of those inside the cave, the others who hadn''t entered were curious about what had happened in the tribe on the day they went out hunting. How could there suddenly be fish?
Looking at the hundreds of fish piled together inside the cave, the people who returned from hunting were stunned.
They couldn''t understand. There were no fishes now, so why did the tribe suddenly have so many fishes?
Of course, not everyone was shocked beyond belief. For example, Second Brother immediately began drooling after the initial shock.
"Shaman, this, this"
Senior Brother, for a moment, didn''t know what to say as he inquired about the situation from the shaman.
The shaman''s face was full of smiles. He pointed to Han Cheng standing on the side, then pointed to the Lame, who seemed awkward then, and began to exin.
The mes inside the cave flickered, and the aroma of roasted fish spread throughout the cave. The previously oppressive atmosphere due to the food crisispletely disappeared, reced by a cheerful mood infecting everyone.
Senior brother had a great time tonight, taking out forty fish. It was a satisfying feast for the people in the cave who hadn''t eaten a decent meal for a long time.
After roasting the forty fish, they were all ced on the stone b to store food on ordinary days, forming a high pile.
Senior Brother first picked a delicately roasted fish of suitable size and brought it to the deepest part of the cave to present it to the shaman.
Then he returned, not as before, taking some food and leaving with his family. Instead, he carefully selected a fish about a foot long, carried it with both hands, and walked towards Han Cheng.
He bent down to Han Cheng and said, "Fish, eat."
Han Cheng waved his hand at Big Brother, signaling no need for such formality. However, Senior Brother insisted, and Han Cheng had no choice but to ept the roasted fish with a smile.
Big Brother returned to the food pile again. This time, he picked out thergest fish, almost two feet long and nearly 10 kg in weight.
Just when everyone Senior Brother was going to take thergest fish for himself, something unexpected happened.
Senior Brother held the fish with both hands, walked to the outermost edge, and bent toward Lame, saying, "Fish, eat."
Lame was stunned by Big Brother''s gesture, awkwardly shaking his hands and repeatedly shaking his head.
Big Brother directly ced the fish into his arms, saying, "Eat."
Then, he patted the Lames head with a smile before returning to get his food.
Lame stood there, holding thergest fish, in a daze momentarily. After a while, he suddenly burst into tears.
Chapter 18: Divine child
Chapter 18: Divine child
Before the formal meal, the food distributed by the Senior Brother does not count as part of the total food.
Because of this, even after the other families received their share of food, Lames wife could still receive two fish, each less than a foot long.
"Fish, eat," Lame said, holding back tears, as he pushed therge fish in his arms towards his wife, who had just returned with food.
Lames wife shook her head and pushed the fish back, saying to her husband, "Fish, you eat."
She pointed to the two fish she had received, implying that he should have these, and they still had the two for themselves.
Seeing his wife refusing to eat, Lame thought for a moment and then took the fish back. Instead of eating the meat first, he opened the fish''s belly, scooped out the entrails, and smiled as he enjoyed them.
After finishing the fish guts, he finally began to eat the fish in earnest. However, the first parts he tackled were not the meat-rich spine but the fish head and tail, where there wasn''t much meat.
After eating these parts, Lame was already full. He handed the fish to two children looking at him eagerly, and said, "Fish, eat."
In contrast to the others who were happily devouring the fish, Han Cheng found eating a bit challenging. The grilled fish, like the others, had not been cleaned. The fish scales weren''t much concerned since they were mostly burnt off, but the fish heads and entrails inside the belly were.
It was bitter and gross.
Han Cheng couldn''t stomach this, so he could only quietly pick them out and throw them into the fire.
For others, such behavior might earn a smack on the backside as a lesson in frugality, but given Han Cheng''s unique origins and his contribution of food to the tribe, his minor ws were conveniently overlooked.
After dinner, many people feltfortable enough to hum a tune. Since the arrival of winter, they hadn''t been able to eat to their heart''s content for a long time.
However, unlike before, people in the cave did not immediately find a ce to sleep after satisfying their hunger. It wasn''t that they didn''t want to sleep, but rather, the shaman lit a fire near his dwelling, illuminating the area.
The feathered crown and white bone staff previously ced in front of the totem pole were again ced on the shaman''s head and in his hands. In their ce, a fish caught today was offered.
Everyone gathered outside the cave, watching the shaman who wore the feathered crown dance with the bone staff.
This time, the shaman''s ceremony was even more devout. He believed that the divine had truly revealed itself because, on this very day, he had prayed for divine favor and received such good fortune before nightfall.
Throughout the winter, their tribe no longer had to worry about food.
With a full stomach, the shaman danced even more energetically. After a while, he stopped and came to Han Cheng.
In a surprised expression and mood, Han Cheng was led by the shaman to the front of the totem pole.
The shaman had Han Cheng turn around, facing away from the totem pole and toward the tribe members. He continued dancing, circling Han Cheng.
Han Cheng considered the fish in front of the totem pole an offering. The corners of his mouth twitched. Could it be that the shaman wanted to sacrifice him to the divine?
The shaman didn''t dance for long this time. He stopped before Han Cheng and pointed at him with one hand while holding the bone staff in the other. He pointed to the sky and the totem pole behind Han Cheng, loudly and devoutly proiming, "Divine Child!"
Han Cheng''s eyes widened instantly. How did a simple act of breaking the ice to catch fish turn him into a divine child?
The shaman''s imagination was truly something else.
However, his eyes quickly returned to normal because he realized how much attention and advantage he would gain in the tribe with this new status. Moreover, it would make other tasks much more convenient.
"Divine Child!"
"Divine Child!"
After chanting these words three times while maintaining the same posture, the shaman turned away from the others, facing Han Cheng. He then ced the hand holding the bone staff on his chest, bowed respectfully, and said, "Divine Child!"
The rest of the people in the tribe were influenced and mimicked by the shaman''s actions. Awkwardly and with chaotic voices, they called out, "Divine Child!"
For a moment, only Han Cheng stood upright in front of the totem pole while everyone else bowed.
The flickering firelight illuminated Han Cheng''s youthful face. He watched the people performing the clumsy ritual of bowing to him, and he couldn''t help but sniffle.
Unexpectedly, his initial intention was merely to find food to satisfy the tribe''s hunger. However, he ended up being enveloped in a sacred halo.
Could this be the result of doing good deeds? Even unknowingly, he became revered.
The ceremony concluded, and the gathered people dispersed. However, not many of them went to sleep immediately.
Firstly, they had learned from the women who went to spear fish, including Lame''s wife, about the situation of fishing under the ice. They all wanted to wait until dawn to see if, as they said, the fish would stay still and allow them to spear.
Secondly, the appearance of a Divine Child in the tribe, who had not only descended from the sky but also shared the method of fishing under the ice, resolving the tribe''s severe food crisis. People felt that there was nothing inappropriate about calling him the Divine Child.
Han Cheng''s treatment noticeably improved. He was almost on par with the shaman.
For example, he lived with the shaman in the inner cave, lying on a thick fur nket, just like the shaman. It made him marvel that with higher statusesfort. It seemed understandable why, in the modern world, everyone aspired to climb the socialdder.
When dawn arrived, the people in the tribe woke up surprisingly early. After hastily having breakfast, the Senior Brother called everyone to pick up stones and fish spears and head to the river, eager to experience fishing under the ice personally.
Originally, Han Cheng didn''t want to go, but he was worried that they might create holes randomly in the ice, breaking it and endangering themselves. Therefore, he had no choice but to endure the severe cold and go to the river with them.
After a night, the three ice holes that opened yesterday had frozen again.
Han Cheng asked everyone to stand on the bank and had the experienced Lamee forward to demonstrate. Lame, holding a stone, limped onto the ice, looking excited. Since his leg injury, he has never been as glorious as now. No, even when his legs were healthy, he never had this kind of glory.
He nced at Han Cheng, who nodded, indicating he could start. Taking a deep breath, Lame swung the stone towards the ice hole created yesterday.
Although the ice was sealed again, it hadn''t thickened much due to the short time. The crippled man quickly reopened the ice hole.
Everyone stared at the ice hole, waiting for a miracle, including the crippled man and the other six primitive women who had already caught fish yesterday.
"Fish!"
A child pointed at the ice hole and shouted with great excitement as a fish swam to the opening.
Before his excitement could subside, three more fish appeared at the hole, causing everyone, including the Senior Brother, to cheer.
They shouted, ready to rush onto the ice to create more holes and ensure abundant food for the tribe.
Han Cheng, who was prepared for this, quickly shouted to stop them.
Rushing onto the ice together could disturb the fish and risk the entire tribe falling into the river.
In the past, no one would have listened to Han Cheng''s words at a time like this. However, things were different now.
Following his instructions, they halted, looking at their Divine Child, wondering what he had to say.
Han Cheng spoke and gestured for quite a while before finally making them understand the importance of not having too many people in one ce at a time, or they might all fall into the water.
He then personally went onto the ice. At intervals of about ten yards, he ced a bundle of dry grass near the shore to mark a spot for ice fishing.
He also stopped the eager Second Brother, explicitly instructing the Senior Brother to keep an eye on him. He allowed the Second Brother to only handle the fishing on the bank, not the ice. Given his weight, standing near the opening could risk pulling others into the river.
Witnessing the fishes had ignited great enthusiasm in these people. The sound of ice being chiseled resonated continuously.
Han Cheng patrolled back and forth on the bank, asionally giving corrections. He had be a leadership figure who only spoke but didn''t do the manual work in no time.
Not to mention, overseeing others''bor was quite enjoyable.
Of course, it would have been even better if the weather weren''t so cold or if he wore a warm down jacket.
Chapter 19: Crude and disgusting gloves
Chapter 19: Crude and disgusting gloves
After all the ice holes had been drilled and the work of spearing and transporting fish had proceeded in an orderly manner, Han Cheng didn''t hesitate. He turned around and ran into the cave.
This damn weather was just too cold. His two "eggs" were nowhere to be seen, and the little bird had shrunk to just a small head, looking quite pitiful.
If he didn''t go back and warm up soon, Han Cheng worried that no joy would be left in the future.
When Han Cheng returned, the first batch of fishes caught today had already been returned to the cave.
Han Cheng squatted by the fire for a while, feeling an unusual itchiness in his hands and feet. He immediately knew something was wrong. His hands and feet were most likely frostbitten.
He warmed himself by the fire for a while, scratched his hands and feet, and felt warmth return to his body. Then he went back into the inner cave.
Shaman smiled faintly, holding a stone pen and engraving something on a stone tablet. ording to Han Cheng''s previous experience, it was probably about catching fish under the ice to fill one''s stomach during the winter.
Han Cheng silently stood on the side and watched for a while. He didn''t disturb him because Shaman was writing seriously,pletely immersed in his world. Instead, he left quietly.
He came to a ce in the cave specifically used to store fur and began to search through it.
Because the tribe lived by fishing, hunting, and gathering, they umted a lot of fur over the years. However, many of them had shed due to their age.
Usually, these furs would be used to wrap fruits, and the good ones would be kept to resist the cold.
Han Cheng searched them for a while and found four rabbit hides that didn''t shed much hair.
Because rabbit hides were too small and inconvenient to wrap around the body for warmth, they were not very popr in the tribe.
However, for Han Cheng, these things were very useful.
He ced the rabbit hide on the ground, ced his right hand on the rabbit hide, and folded it over with his left hand. A warm feeling immediately spread up.
Frowning, Han Cheng realized the rabbit hide was still too big for his hands. One rabbit hide could fit four or five of his hands when rolled up.
This kind of glove would be extremely inconvenient and not very warm.
He went to where tools were stored, took out a stone knife usually used to open animals, and held it in his hand for a few moments,ughing bitterly.
This stone knife was fine for a strong adult to use to open up an animal just killed. But in his current state, dealing with dry hides was somewhat unrealistic.
Indeed, after he spread the hides on the ground, pressed them with one hand, and held the stone knife in the other, after pulling for more than ten minutes without any sign of the hides splitting, Han Cheng gave up on splitting the hides in half.
Forget it. If he couldn''t make gloves, he could make a hand warmer.
He consoled himself with thispromise and then returned the stone knife to its original ce. Holding the hides, he went to another location.
He was preparing to make a hand warmer.
Han Cheng still didn''t make the hand warmer, not because hecked needles and thread, but because he identally tore the rabbit hides apart.
Of course, he didn''t use his teeth.
Already prepared to make a hand warmer, he suddenly remembered a method from hister years when he wanted to cut a rope without scissors or other tools.
Holding the rabbit hide, he came to the stone b used as a door panel at the cave entrance. He selected the sharpest edge, then grabbed the rabbit hide with both hands, the side without fur facing down. He aligned the edge in the middle and pressed down with force, rubbing it up and down.
Friction, friction.
This method is really good, at least much better than using a stone knife to cut dry hides. Because this way, you can use the strength of your whole body, and because the friction is fast and the distance is long, after heating up, it can elerate the breakdown of the hide.
So after about ten minutes of friction, the hide was split in half.
The hide was ready, but the next step of sewing became a big problem because the tribecked needles and thread.
Han Cheng had no choice but to use his brain and search the ground for fish bones that had been spit out.
Unfortunately, these fish bones were too fragile, or the hide was too thick. Han Cheng had to give up this method after breaking five or six fish bones in a row and not finding a single needle hole in the hide.
Fishbone spines were unusable, so Han Cheng had to think of another way.
Yes, he picked up a stone again.
cing the hide on arge stone, he held another sharp-headed stone in his other hand and smashed it down on the edge of the hide.
Indeed, sometimes a little violence was needed. The hide, helpless against several broken fishbone spines, quickly yielded after encountering a stone. Han Cheng created a small hole with five or seven strikes.
After the first hole, he didn''t stop but continued to use the stone to make holes in the hide, controlling the distance and trying to hit one every half-centimeter. Of course, if he identally hit it crooked, that was also fine. It was about solving the problem of warmth and food, not pursuing aesthetics.
The sound of tapping inside the cave pulled Shaman out of his ethereal state of recording things.
He furrowed his brows, put down the stone pen in his hand, and rubbed his sore fingers and wrists. He walked out of the inner cave to see who made such a racket.
When he saw that it was Han Cheng knocking with a stone, a slightly surprised expression appeared on his face.
Shaman walked to Han Cheng''s side, and after seeing Han Cheng''s actions clearly, a look of confusion appeared in his eyes. He didn''t understand why the divine child made this good hide into two smaller halves, and so many small holes were smashed into it.
Wasn''t it better for the hide to berger?
Larger hides were better for wrapping around the body for warmth or for wrapping fruits. Why did the divine child make it smaller?
If it were before, Shaman would think that this little guy was fooling around. However, the experiences of yesterday were still vivid in his mind, making him not harbor the slightest contempt for this divine child who seemed to be only six or seven years old.
Han Cheng looked up at Shaman, also noticing Shaman''s confusion. However, he didn''t exin anything because the tribalnguage was too simple. It would take a lot of effort to exin what he wanted to do to Shaman and the usefulness of this thing. It was more convenient to just make the gloves.
Han Cheng finally smashed small holes along three edges of the rabbit hide, creating needle holes.
The problem of the thread was rtively easy to solve because there was a type of grass around here that was very tough and could be used as a rope.
There was arge quantity of this grass around, and many were inside the cave, used as firewood and to keep warm under the body.
Under Shaman''s gaze, Han Cheng found a rtively long piece of this grass. After folding the split hide, he began to use this grass, which he called rope grass, to thread through the aligned small holes.
Han Cheng didn''t use themon alternating stitching technique fromter years, as this technique was unsuitable for the current situation.
Instead, he used the tough rope grass to pass through two aligned holes that were folded together, wrapping it around twice, pulling it tight, and then threading it through the next hole.
After approximately twenty minutes, the first glove of this era appeared.
Chapter 20: Speaking proper Mandarin
Chapter 20: Speaking proper Mandarin
The gloves looked peculiar, more like a small rectangr pocket made of leather than an actual glove, with even the thumb not separated.
However, Han Cheng was already very happy. He eagerly opened the pocket-like opening of the glove and inserted his right hand.
The furry and smooth rabbit fur wrapped around his entire hand, and a warmth quickly spread from the glove to his hand as if his whole hand was being caressed by something soft and beautiful.
Yes, you read it right. The gloves made by Han Cheng had fur on the inside and leather on the outside.
As for the appearance, it didn''t matter. The primary requirement for making gloves was warmth, and everything else was secondary.
As for attaching fur to the leather, there was no need to consider it. In his tribe, theycked everything except leather. It was far from the imagination of those ancient people who prepared to wear an old sheepskin coat for a lifetime and pass it on to the next generation if possible.
Seeing Han Cheng''s actions and the joy on his face, the shaman seemed to understand something.
When Han Cheng saw the shaman looking at him, he removed the gloves, gestured for the shaman to stretch out his hand, and then put the gloves on him.
When Han Cheng put the gloves on him, the shaman''s hands seemed stiff, showing he was unfamiliar with this strange thing.
After the gloves were put on, the shaman''s expression changed. He felt the warmth and gently moved his hands up and down, left and right. These strange things securely wrapped around his hands, unlike before, when he wrapped the fur on his hands with a rope, and it would easilye loose if not paid attention, making his hands ufortable.
Feeling the warmth, the shaman''s eyes brightened because he thought of the many people in the tribe who suffered from red, swollen, and cracked hands yearly due to the cold.
If everyone had two of these things, they could take their hands out when working and put them in when not working. The people in the tribe would suffer much less.
And if the hands were taken care of, whether hunting or doing other things, efficiency would be greatly improved.
"Is this from the heavens?"
The shaman pointed to the sky solemnly, then turned back and pointed to the totem pole in the inner cave. He then brought the gloves he held closer to Han Cheng''s eyes, looking at him with anticipation and excitement.
Seeing the shaman like this, Han Cheng couldn''t deny the shaman''s intentions. He nodded and said, "Yes, from the heavens."
The shaman''s devout expression increased by a point. "This"
He spoke, pointing to the gloves in his hand.
Han Cheng looked at it for a while before understanding that the shaman was asking for the name of the gloves.
This put Han Cheng in a dilemma because there was no vocabry for gloves in the shaman''s tribe.
Han Cheng racked his brains but couldn''te up with a simr term to tell the shaman that these were gloves.
Suddenly, a sh of inspiration struck his mind. Since there was no word for gloves in the tribe, why not create one?
After all, wasn''t vocabry expanding day by day?
"Gloves."
Han Cheng said the word in proper Mandarin.
The shaman''s face showed a puzzled expression. He did not understand the meaning of gloves because he had never encountered such a strange word.
Han Cheng was now as patient as when the shaman taught him the tribe''snguage.
He pointed to the gloves and spoke again, "These are gloves. with the first two words in the tribalnguage and thetter in proper Mandarin.
"Gloves."
The shaman repeated after Han Cheng, and his pronunciation sounded awkward and inexperienced.
On the other hand, Han Cheng felt a surge of excitement hearing a familiar pronunciation for the first time from someone else since he arrived.
People are emotional creatures, and there are things that, for various reasons, are suppressed in the heart rather than easily forgotten.
"Gloves."
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Han Cheng pointed to the gloves in the shaman''s hand and repeated the word, pronouncing it more seriously than when he obtained his Mandarin certificate.
"Gloves."
The shaman followed suit.
After three or four repetitions, the shaman could say it quite naturally.
He refused when the shaman wanted to return the gloves to Han Cheng. The shaman was older and more susceptible to the cold, and considering the great favor Han Cheng owed him, it was only right to give the gloves to the shaman first.
As Han Cheng watched the shaman walking away, asionally repeating the word "Gloves," a smile appeared.
Because of the sessful experience of making one pair, making the second took much less time.
When Han Cheng went to find the shaman with the second glove, he found the shaman cing the first glove in front of the totem pole on a stone table, sincerely thanking the heavens for this generous gift.
In the past, Han Cheng couldn''t understand what the shaman said during prayers. But today was different because, in the shaman''s vague words, there was the clear and proper pronunciation of "Gloves."
This made Han Cheng quite happy as if a prank had seeded.
After waiting for a while, Han Cheng put both gloves on the shaman''s hands when the shaman finished thanking the heavens.
Wearing these warm and novel things, the shaman''s face smiled from the heart. He swung his hands back and forth, full of curiosity. At this moment, the shaman didn''t seem like the wise man of the tribe but more like a child full of innocence and fun.
When Han Cheng saw the gloves slipping down when the shaman naturally lowered his hands, he knew the gloves were unsuitable.
When he mentioned the need to improve the gloves for betterfort, the shaman repeatedly shook his head, indicating they were already veryfortable.
However, when Han Cheng took the gloves, punched a few more holes, and narrowed the opening slightly, allowing the shaman to wear them again, he found that even when the shaman lowered his hands, the gloves wouldn''t fall off. The shaman looked even happier.
After Han Cheng left to make gloves for himself, the shaman, after wearing the gloves for a while, carefully ced them on the stone and picked up a stone pen to start his creation.
He had to seize the time because there was a lot he needed to record now. Yesterday''s ice-breaking and fish-catching had only begun to be recorded, and now there was another useful item for the tribe the gloves.
These were all very useful things for the tribe''s development. If they weren''t recorded, how could it be possible?
But when his fingers became stiff from the cold while writing, the shaman no longer used his mouth to warm them but carefully and solemnly put on the gloves.
Today, the tribe achieved a great harvest. With everyone working tirelessly, three to four hundred fish had been added inside the cave by the evening.
So many fish piled up there, making people feel a sense of stability.
However, a new problem emerged. Many people''s hands and feet were frostbitten due to long hours of fishing in the icy wilderness.
Chapter 21: Crude socks and salt
Chapter 21: Crude socks and salt
In the past, due to sufficient food, people in the tribe would not go out during winter except to address physiological needs or y in the snow. Even if there were frostbite, it wasn''t severe. However, the situation is different, with over 70% of people having varying degrees of frostbite on their hands and feet.
When the tribe was troubled by this issue, Shaman informed everyone about the gloves and even took out the pair made by Han Cheng, allowing people in the cave to personally experience them. After feeling the benefits of the gloves, everyone looked at Shaman and Han Cheng, the divine child, with eyes full of anticipation, clearly desiring a pair to keep warm.
Shaman had discussed this matter with Han Cheng beforehand. Naturally, Han Cheng couldn''t make gloves for every person in the tribe. If he did, he might as well be a glove producer.
The solution was to select a few people from the tribe who were not physically strong and unsuitable for fishing activities to learn from Han Cheng how to make gloves.
After this n was settled, everyone in the tribe was smiling.
Indeed, they had no reason to be unhappy. They now had plenty of food to satisfy their hunger, eliminating the worry of famine. Moreover, the food was better than wild fruits, and the fish was more satisfying.
They were about to have warm gloves and the socks mentioned by the divine child to protect their hands and feet from the cold. These were the happy days they had long anticipated.
On the second day, Han Cheng began to teach the six primitive women in the cave how to make gloves from animal skins.
To him, these gloves were extremely simple or, one could say, crude. However, for these people who encountered them for the first time, they were not simple at all.
During the learning process, either the edges of the animal skin were smashed, or the gaps between holes were toorge. In some cases, the skin was directly punctured around with small holes.
After making the holes, they used grass rope to sew them up, which proved particrly challenging.
Fortunately, Han Cheng was not an impatient person. He patiently demonstrated over and over again. By the afternoon, even the Senior Brother''s wife, who had the poorest manual skills, finally learned to make gloves.
As for whether they looked good or not, that was something pursued after the technique matured.
After teaching these people how to make gloves, Han Cheng started to make leather socks ording to his n.
The shoes in the tribe were currently very simple, just rectangr soles made by grinding suitable-sized animal bones. Then, holes were drilled on top, and small strips of animal skin or tough grass rope were threaded through the holes and tied to the feet.
This was simr to the future sandals, except that wearing them in the deep winter was a bit too cool.
Of course, they would also wrap their feet in animal skins before putting on shoes. However, this was inconvenient and ufortable. It was easy to loosen, and sometimes, after walking a few steps, they needed to readjust, which was troublesome.
Because of this, some people who could endure the cold but found it troublesome would often go barefoot.
Han Cheng could only follow the same process as making gloves without any tools avable. Use arger rectangr piece of leather, punch holes, and thread with grass rope.
However, there were some differencespared to gloves. The grass rope was threaded not at the edges but at the top of the feet. This design, to some extent, could provide waterproofing and moisture resistance. Moreover, since the sewing was done at the top, the grass rope used as thread was less prone to wear and tear, extending the lifespan of the socks.
In the modern world, even if given for free, such items might not be in demand. However, here, they were rare and highly sought after.
Even Junior Brother Sandy, who was least patient with wearing shoes, walked around in socks and shoes for a while. The socks didn''t open like the previously wrapped skins, and he couldn''t help but smile pleased.
After all, if there were suitable sock shoes, few would willingly endure freezing feet.
The people in the tribe were no longer as leisurely as before. Previously, after dinner, they would rest for a while before going to sleep. Now, they would sleep after sitting by the fire for a while with gloves or socks.
Due to the sock and glove-making activities, fewer people went fishing. However, the fish were crowded in the ice holes because it was winter, making them much easier to catch.
Even with fewer hands, they caught enough fish daily, with plenty to spare.
After storing enough fish in the cave, the Senior Brother went out to fish less often. Sometimes, they didn''t even go out to catch fish.
Due to the abundant food, at Han Cheng''s suggestion, no one ate the greasy fish innards anymore, not even the usually frugal Senior Brother.
When roasting fish, they followed Han Cheng''s method. First, remove scales, innards, and gills before grilling them over the fire. Although some initially thought it was wasteful, considering they already had plenty of fish and the taste was better than before, they allplied. It had be a habit.
Looking at the grilled fish in front of him, Han Cheng found eating difficult. Nearly a month of eating fish twice a day made it hard for him to swallow.
Of course, a crucial reason was theck of salt.
Salt was the king of vors, and this statement was not wrong.
Moreover, salt was not just a seasoning but an essential element for the human body.
Han Cheng had asked the clever Shaman and the knowledgeable Senior Brother, but they didn''t know what salt was. If they had known, they wouldn''t have stopped eating it.
Now, the people in the tribe were increasingly lethargic. They appeared sluggish, and there was more sleeping than activity.
The people in the tribe, including Shaman, thought this was normal because, at this time of year, everyone would show this kind of state.
Shaman told Han Cheng that it would be better when the weather warmed up.
However, Han Cheng knew this was not a normal state but a result of theck of essential salt.
In the past, the people in the tribe primarily ate meat from animals, which contained salt.
Since the arrival of winter and the snow, the people in the tribe had not eaten animal meat for a long time. With a severeck of salt in their bodies, it was strange if they had energy.
They needed to find a way to get some salt.
Han Cheng, feeling lethargic andcking motivation, took small bites of the fish in his hand and sighed with mncholy.
Chapter 22: The whole tribe must speak Mandarin
Chapter 22: The whole tribe must speak Mandarin
I need to make a pot.
After eating fish, Han Cheng, holding a snowball made into a porcin-like lump, sighed again while gnawing.
Not to mention making fish soup to drink, just boiling some hot water would be nice. Unlike now, every sip I take is like an icy path from my mouth to my stomach. All the warmth painstakingly umted is gone, not a bit left. It''s just bone-chilling, not a bit uplifting.
I need to make a
In this primitive era, living in a tribe that relied on fishing and hunting, there were too many things Han Cheng wanted to make. However, the bitter cold outside and the ice and snow blocked many of his ideas. He could only stay in the cave and do things that were within his abilities.
With ample food, the atmosphere in the tribe had rxed again. Now, Han Cheng had an additional task. Take advantage of the people''s leisure time to teach them Mandarin.
This decision was inspired by the "gloves" incident and became Han Cheng''s resolution.
Thenguage in the tribe wasn''t systematic, extremely simple, and only consisted of some daily expressions. Slightly moreplex meanings had to bemunicated through speaking and gesturing, which took a long time. Even then, it didn''t guarantee the other person understood your meaning.
Han Cheng''s thinking had been limited in the past.
Because subconsciously, he believed that as an outsider, he needed to adapt to the local customs, and naturally, he should learn the tribalnguage. It wasn''t until the appearance of "gloves" that he had a sudden realization.
Yes.
He possessed an extremely richnguage and corresponding writing system. Why not teach thesenguages and writing to everyone instead of learning the almost primitivenguage of the tribe?
Especially after witnessing Shaman painstakingly recording things on a te, contemting and creating a new vocabry to describe the making process, usage, and names of the newly appeared gloves and socks. After pulling out even more hair from his already sparse head, this further solidified Han Cheng''s idea of teaching the tribe to speak Mandarin and write Chinese characters.
The first two characters he taught Shaman were "shou tao" (gloves).
Taking the stone pen from the shaman, with the Shamans surprised expression, Han Cheng wrote the characters for gloves on a nk te. Then, pointing at these two characters and raising the gloves in his left hand, he said, "Shou tao."
Shaman, being an intelligent member of the tribe, quickly understood Han Cheng''s meaning. He realized that these two square things referred to gloves.
Although the pattern was extremely strange, significantly different from the characters he usually wrote, and it was impossible to see the shape of gloves from them, the shaman didn''t find it difficult to ept. Since these were new things, just like gloves, it was natural that they didn''t resemble anything familiar.
"Shou tao."
He followed Han Cheng''s pronunciation and repeated the Mandarin words with clear intonation.
Han Cheng handed the stone pen to Shaman, indicating for him to write these two characters.
Shaman had never encountered this strange writing before, but because of his frequent writing, his attempt looked quite decent. Although it was a bit awkward at the beginning, with stiff wrists and inconsistent spacing and lengths of strokes, he could still recognize that these two characters represented gloves.
"Good."
Han Cheng praised in the tribalnguage and gave a thumbs-up to the Shaman.
Shaman looked at the two characters Han Cheng wrote, square and neat, and then at the two characters he wrote, uneven and twisted.
Hearing Han Cheng''s praise, he couldn''t help but smile, shake his head, and bend down again. Following Han Cheng''s example, he carefully and earnestly wrote stroke by stroke.
A person with a cultural background writes differently. After practicing about six or seven times, Shaman wrote the characters for "shou tao" in a decent manner, and he could now independently write them without looking at what Han Cheng wrote, silently recalling them.
This surprised Han Cheng.
From Shaman''s exceptionally quick reception of new knowledge, Han Cheng became confident in his idea of teaching and spreading the Chinesenguage and characters to the people in the tribe.
"Hand."
Seeing that Shaman had already mastered the "shou tao" characters, Han Cheng pointed to the character "" and pronounced it. Then, he pointed to his hand, telling Shaman that this character represented "hand."
Shaman expressed surprise because the pronunciation of "hand" in the tribalnguage waspletely different.
He seemed hesitant, unsure whether to learn this new character and pronunciation because it conflicted with something existing in the tribe.
Han Cheng roughly understood Wu''s thoughts, so he naturally brought up the banner of the Heavenly God.
He pointed to the sky and the totem pole not far away, saying, "Heavenly God, speak."
Shaman was moved. He did not expect this was the Heavenly God''snguage and characters.
After Han Cheng draped the glory of the Heavenly God over Chinese characters and Mandarin, Shaman immediately lost his resistance.
After all, this was thenguage and characters of the gods.
He had never received the guidance of the Heavenly God in his lifetime, and now the Heavenly God had sent a divine child to teach him thenguage and characters of the gods. How could he not study them well?
So, Shaman''s enthusiasm for learning Chinese characters was aroused.
On the first day, he learned to write the characters for "shou tao" and read and write more direct words in Mandarin Chinese characters, such as foot, leg, head, etc.
Education should start from childhood.
Having been educated from childhood for more than ten years, Han Cheng, who had never forgotten this principle, not only remembered it but also put it into action.
In the name of the ethereal god, telling Shaman that the god said to pass on thenguage and characters of the gods to the world, let everyone speak thenguage of the gods and use the characters of the gods, Wu began to understand the magic and simplicity of the characters andnguage of the gods.
Shaman, who had only studied for three or four days and knew only a few dozen characters of the gods, had already experienced the benefits of the characters andnguage of the gods.
In the past, hecked the correspondingnguage when he wanted to express something. Now, he could use thenguage of the gods to speak.
In the past, the characters he inherited and created had many readings that did not correspond to them, belonging to the kind that could only be understood and not transmitted by words.
This kind of thing is difficult to teach to others, and sometimes only the creator knows its meaning.
Now, with the characters andnguage of the gods, there is no need to worry about this problem because the characters andnguage of the gods are standardized.
Chapter 23: Education should start from young
Chapter 23: Education should start from young
After Han Cheng and Shaman confirmed this matter, they summoned the Elder brother, the tribe leader. The three of them discussed and devised a n together.
The Elder brother was also curious about thenguage and writing of the gods, but his enthusiasm was far less than that of Shaman. After all, his main responsibility was not to pass on words but to lead the tribe in fishing and hunting, ensuring there was enough food for the tribe.
When Han Cheng conveyed the idea that education should start from childhood using thenguage of the tribe along with gestures, the underage members of the tribe suffered.
In the past, they didn''t have much to do, especially in winter. They would eat until full, y until tired, sleep, wake up, and y again. If they got hungry, they would wait for the next meal.
Now, things were different because they needed to learn thenguage and writing of the gods from the god''s child.
There were many underage members in the tribe, nearly thirty-five, which was almost as many as the adults in the tribe.
If we included Han Cheng, who had an adult mindset but a child''s body, it was unclear where he belonged.
Among the thirty-five, excluding those still breastfeeding, those who had just learned to walk, those still babbling, and those still in a state of confusion, there were only eighteen children of the right age, and this included three who were close to adulthood.
Previously, they hadn''t carefully counted the number of people in the tribe. After this count, Han Cheng was somewhat shocked.
He discovered a serious problem. The number of underage tribe members showed a decreasing trend with age.
Although there were asional fluctuations, the overall trend remained unchanged.
For example, currently, there are roughly seventeen children aged zero to five, while there are only eighteen between the ages of five and thirteen or fourteen.
When he first noticed this phenomenon, he was silent for a moment. Soon, he understood that they weren''t in an era of worry-free clothing and food, with advanced medical and health conditions like in his original world. It was a primitive age, and the high infant mortality rate was the reason for this urrence.
Putting aside thisplex emotion, Han Cheng focused on teaching Mandarin and Chinese characters.
After all, he wasn''t a real Divine Child. He was just an ordinary person from the future who had crossed over without special abilities.
There were many things he wanted to do, but without knowing where to start, he could only work on things within his capabilities, gradually changing the tribe and creating better living conditions for himself and the tribe.
Eighteen underage members were learning Mandarin and Chinese characters from Han Cheng.
Yes, you read it rightHan Cheng had gathered all the children of the right age in the cave.
Han Cheng approached their education simrly to the shaman, starting with the gloves and socks they were familiar with and then moving on to body parts like the mouth, nose, teeth, and feet.
Tools for writing in the cave were limited, which was a problem.
Before this, writing was solely the shaman''s task, and others didn''t think much about it. If they followed the shaman''s approach of providing each child with arge te and allowing them to carve on it with suitable stones, it would be impractical. Finding te in the snowy wilderness in winter was unrealistic.
Moreover, they were learning words, not recording knowledge on the te for future generations like the shaman. So, using a te seemed a bit extravagant.
Of course, another crucial reason was that writing on te could only be done once and wasn''t easily erased, making it inconvenient for multiple uses.
This didn''t trouble Han Cheng too much. After years of burning in the cave, a thickyer of powdery ash had umted.
Han Cheng had someone mark out eighteen one-foot-square boxes on a t area and then filled each box with powdered ash. He used a tree branch as a makeshift pen, smoothing it over the ash creating a surface to write on.
After writing, one only needed to wipe the surface with the pen held horizontally, and it would be ready for more writing.
Of course, this writing tool had its drawbacks. If someone sneezed near it, the ash would immediately fly around.
Originally, Han Cheng wanted to make a sand tray, but since winter, the sand was frozen and not easily obtainable. Therefore, he had to make do with this ashtray for now.
Fortunately, in this primitive age, having any writing tool was considered excellent. Who cared about so many details?
Look at Shaman, for instance. After using the ashtray Han Cheng created, he immediately appreciated its usefulness and had one made in his dwelling. He would take a tree branch and write on it whenever he had nothing to do.
After all, in the past few days, he had used up arge te learning thenguage of the gods with Han Cheng.
Han Cheng didn''t use the ashtray. He didn''t deliberately want to be special; rather, the ashtray could only be ced on the ground. Everyone had to gather around and stretch their necks to see the characters, which was inconvenient.
He wrote on a stone te ced upright in front of everyone. Instead of using a stone pen, he selected ipletely burned charcoal from the ash heap to write on it.
Although his hands would be covered in ck ash after each writing, and he needed to clean them with snow, the advantagey in the clear characters. Additionally, wiping the stone te with snow and animal hide made it reusable, which was more convenient.
Children in the tribe needed to recognize words, write them, and learn thenguage of the gods. Other adult members of the tribe weren''t exempt from Han Cheng''s teachings either.
Considering that they needed to work and didn''t have much time to spend on learning, and their adaptability wasn''t as strong as the children''s, Han Cheng didn''t force them to learn to write.
Writing could be based on personal interest, but learning Mandarin was mandatory for everyone, with no exceptions.
Yes, everyone had to speak Mandarin.
Because this decision was made by Shaman, Han Cheng, and the Elder brother who served as the leader, even though many people found it troublesome, they didn''t dare to disobey. Especially when they heard that thisnguage was thenguage of the gods, any resistance diminished.
As for Han Cheng, after breaking the ice to catch fish and saving the tribe from danger, making gloves and socks to reduce the cold for everyone, especially after being given the title of Divine Child by the shaman, no one in the tribe dared to look down on him.
So, during the teaching process, there weren''t any incidents of students challenging the teacher.
As forzy children who didn''t study properly, Han Cheng had ways to deal with them. For example, making them write the words they had been taught a hundred times. This was enough to correct their habit of cking off.
Of course, Han Cheng hadn''t taught them to count to a hundred yet, but he had a solution. He found a hundred small bones in the cave and made a pile. After writing a word, he would pick up a bone from the ground and put it back on the animal hide.
As for cheating, Han Cheng, who had received education for over a decade, naturally could think of countermeasures. When someone was punished, there would be someone supervising nearby.
Those who knew but didn''t report to him will need to write together with the cheater, and each act of cheating meant adding another hundred characters.
Chapter 24: The tribe’s name is Green Sparrow
Chapter 24: The tribe¡¯s name is Green Sparrow
"Rabbit."
Han Cheng pointed to the two ck characters on the stone tablet, gestured to the rabbit Elder Brother had brought back today, and began to pronounce.
"Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit."
After some time, the children, who had be ustomed to this routine, followed Han Cheng in repeating it three times.
Energetic and loud, they already had a bit of the appearance of elementary school students inter generations.
"Achoo!"
A floating little feather took advantage of Han Cheng inhaling and slipped into his nostrils. He couldn''t help but let out a loud sneeze.
Then
Then, the cave resounded with three synchronized sneezes, "Achoo, Achoo, Achoo."
Seeing these students earnestly learning, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel speechless.
This scene was quitemon in the cave, and people no longer find it strange.
The current situation in the cave was that those making gloves and socks were sitting together, doing their work while watching the Divine Child teaching the children thenguage and writing of the gods.
They also asionally followed along and learned a few sentences.
Of course, most didn''t learn from Divine Child but rather from their children.
After learning thenguage of the gods, they would pass it on to their elders and rtives. This was a task assigned to these children by Han Cheng.
In this way, these children could consolidate what they had learned and reduce Han Cheng''s burden, preventing him from having to do everything himself.
People are different, and everyone has their preferences and strengths. Just talking about recognizing characters, the one who learned the fastest and best wasn''t the seemingly agile Elder Brother''s son, Hei Wa (ck Baby), but a boy named Stone, who was only about five or six years old. He is the youngest son of Junior Brother, Sandy.
Each time new characters were taught, it didn''t take long for Stone to read and write them urately, and his pronunciation was very authentic. This made Han Cheng feel like he was teaching not primitive people but modern elementary school students.
Of course, it wasn''t the kind of elementary school students who were good at ying mobile games.
Han Cheng''s education was far from being as strict as inter generations. They could do their things as long as they learned what he taught. Therefore, Stone became an object of envy for many people.
With punishment and Stone setting an example on the side, the other children noticeably elerated their learning.
Of course, Han Cheng knew the principle of being too greedy and not chewing well. He only taught five characters daily,monly used Chinese characters, totaling just over three thousand. Teaching all of them wouldn''t be too difficult.
Han Cheng gave Stone and Hei Wa names based on some of their characteristics.
For example, Hei Wa was dark-skinned, and Stone looked sturdy, like a little stone.
Now, Han Cheng finally knew the name of the tribe.
This was something he found out after carefully observing the totem pole.
On the totem pole, the most prominent figure was a somewhat abstract bird, which also looked like a chicken. This was the god worshipped by the tribe.
Knowing the truth, Han Cheng couldn''t help but shed tears. He couldn''t help but twitch his face when he realized that the god he had been waving the big g for was either a bird or a chicken.
Now that he was called the Divine Son, what had he be?
Birdman?
Eggman?
Chickenman?
Egg?
He must change the name.
After discovering the truth, Han Cheng immediately made up his mind to change the name of the tribe''s totem pole.
Even if he didn''t want to involve himself personally, just being referred to as the Bird Tribe or Chicken Tribe by the tribe was enough to make Han Cheng ufortable.
After much thought, without changing the tribe''s totem, Han Cheng decided to rename it to "Green Sparrow."
Although fundamentally still a bird, it sounded much more high-end than just a bird or chicken, at least several dozen floors higher.
The totem in the tribe was a bird, which was evident not only from the bird-shaped image on the totem pole but also from the fact that men, women, and children in the tribe liked to decorate their hair with collected beautiful feathers.
As the weather gradually warmed up, when Han Cheng taught the tribe''s students to count from one to a hundred, the snow outside hadpletely melted.
The ice in the river had also melted a lot. Han Cheng specifically instructed them not to go on the ice to catch fish to prevent any idents.
With more melting ice and more ces for fish to breathe, it was no longer as easy as in winter to spearfish effortlessly.
But there was no need to worry about the tribe''s food supply because, over the winter, the cave had stored a lot of fish, to the point that some had already spoiled and needed to be discarded.
And with the thawing of ice and snow and the arrival of spring, Elder Brother and the others could go hunting again.
With the supplement of meat, the importance of fish, which was not as delicious as meat in rtive terms, wasn''t as significant as in winter.
As the weather warmed up, small grasses emerged from the clumps of dry grass, peeking out with their yellow and thin heads, mischievously observing the world.
The trees, silent throughout the winter, sprouted buds. Some eager ones even bloomed.
The entire world seemed toe alive all at once.
The happiest were the children who had spent the winter in the cave. They were like young foals let out of their pens, leaping and jumping around in joy.
Laughter echoed in the woods in front of the cave.
Of course, for safety reasons, they couldn''t run too far and were limited to the area in front of the cave.
But that was enough to make them happy.
Shaman would sometimese out, basking in the sun, too.
With the increase in meat consumption, salt umtion in their bodies increased, and everyone''s stamina had somewhat recovered. However, eating salt directly would have been better, but Elder Brother and the others didn''t know what salt was. Also, due to his young age, Han Cheng couldn''t travel with the hunting party to different ces, so the matter of salt had to be temporarily set aside untilter.
Nevertheless, Han Cheng was still very happy, not only because he could step outside the cave and breathe fresh air freely but also because he could finally do something he had imagined many times beforepottery.
Yes, pottery.
It was difficult to sip hot water at this time.
Whether bronze, iron, or aluminum, they were all nonexistent. The quickest way for Han Cheng to have hot water was to make pottery.
Whether it was a pottery bowl, basin, jar, or some oddly shaped pottery, as long as it was pottery and could hold water, Han Cheng dared to put it over the fire to boil water.
After witnessing the horrifying infant mortality rate in the tribe, Han Cheng felt it was necessary to make pottery and promote drinking boiled water throughout the tribe.
Even just the ability to kill parasite eggs would be enough.
Chapter 25: Face that was struck by lightning
Chapter 25: Face that was struck by lightning
Early in the morning today, Han Cheng had already gotten up and had breakfast, and after Elder Brother and the hunters went hunting, Han Cheng announced the news of giving a day off to the children in the cave.
At first, they were a bit skeptical, wondering if they had misheard. The Divine Child, who had always been strict with their requirements, suddenly announced that they didn''t have to learn the divinenguage andnguage today.
When they confirmed that the Divine Child wasn''t joking but meant it, they couldn''t help but cheer and rejoice.
Watching these cheering little primitive people, Han Cheng recalled the scene when he was in school, and the whole ss cheered when the teacher announced a two-day break due to continuous heavy rain.
He smiled at these children, truly understanding their joy.
After the cheers of these children subsided, Han Cheng pointed a few times in the crowd and said, "Hei Wa, Tie Tou (Iron Head), Xiao Mu (Little Wood), Zhuang (Strong), Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, Xing (Star), the seven of youe with me."
These children''s names were, of course, given by Han Cheng. As before, the names had some connection with their characteristics.
For example, Tie Tou. This guy could use his head to crack open a walnut-like nut, which amazed Han Cheng.
Xiao Mu was named because he looked a bit simple-minded, like a piece of wood.
Zhuang because she looked rtively strong. Although she was a girl, Han Cheng gave her such a name.
Xiao Mei and Xiao Li were two twin sisters, rtively delicatepared to other primitive people. Han Cheng gave them such names.
Xing was also a girl with a younger brother named Cheng (Dawn). However, Han Cheng did not call him this time due to his young age.
Giving names was a necessary thing because before having a name, people in the tribe addressed each other with words like "you," "me," and "him." Apart from Shaman and the Elder Brother who served as the Leader, no one had a special title.
Because of this, if you wanted to talk to someone, you generally had to walk up to them face-to-face, or it was easy to get confused.
As students of Han Cheng, these underage people naturally had to be named first.
After Han Cheng gave them names, he would also write down the corresponding characters and let them firmly remember the pronunciation and writing of their names.
And he told them that this represented them.
At first, they were not used to it and found it hard to remember, but Han Cheng wasn''t worried because before teaching new characters each time, he would go through the names. Anyone who didn''t respond with "here" when their name was called or who answered someone else''s name would have to write their name fifty times and call themselves "I am xx" fifty times continuously.
This was indeed a good method. These children could all remember and write their names in just a few days.
Han Cheng called them out because he had a reason: pottery.
To be honest, he had never done pottery, but he had seen a video of an olddy from some tribe making pottery using traditional methods.
Because the olddy''s pottery skills were really good, Han Cheng had a deep impression and remembered quite a bit. As for burning the pottery, he was quite confident.
Han Cheng called these seven children to go with him to let them participate in making pottery.
They were children in the primitive era primitive tribe, so they couldn''t be like children inter generations, not worrying about anything else and just focusing on studying.
Han Cheng wanted to teach them Chinese characters, Mandarin and various survival or life skills.
Of course, there was another reason. Han Cheng couldn''t possibly do everything alone. Just like when he taught the people in the tribe to make gloves and socks, now he wanted to teach these children to make pottery.
The manpower in the tribe was limited, and these children were among the older ones in the group of underage people. They were already able to do some things, and with them as helpers, it could save a lot ofbor for the tribe.
Han Cheng brought them to where weapons were stored in the cave, took some weapons that the Elder Brother didn''t take with them, and then walked outside the cave.
Carrying weapons for self-defense was necessary because the path from the cave to the small river to the south was not smooth. In between, there was a dense forest with trees of various sizes.
Although there weren''t too many wild beasts in the vicinity due to the presence of the Elder Brother, there were still asional appearances, so precautions had to be taken.
"Divine Child, are you"
Lame got up from the ground, inquiring with a touch of respect and curiosity towards Han Cheng.
Due to following Han Cheng to bring fish to the tribe during the winter, Lames status within the tribe had increased quite a bit.
He was very grateful to Han Cheng for that.
Of course, having tasted the sweetness, whenever Lame saw Han Cheng making something new, he woulde over and ask. If possible, he would learn along with him.
This included the daily teachings of Chinese characters and Mandarin by Han Cheng.
Due to this, Lame unexpectedly became the second adult in the tribe, after Shaman, who could read and write characters. Among the adults, besides Shaman, he spoke Mandarin the best.
The small river was not far from the tribe, and it was fine for Lame to follow. After all, among them, there was not a single adult. Although Lames leg was not convenient, he used to be a man who chased after wild beasts. Even if he couldn''t contribute much, having a courageous person was still useful.
The sun rose from the east, shining across the mountains and forests. In the middle of the forest was a thin mist, like a white and translucent short skirt for the trees.
The nine of them crossed the forest and arrived at the side of the small river.
The ice in the river had long since melted, and the water was clear and transparent. Many fishes were swimming in the water, and reaching out was much more agile than in winter.
Han Cheng stopped about a dozen feet from the small river and didn''t want to go further. It wasn''t because the fish in this river had teeth that were more fierce than those inter generations. It was because the river water would reflect his appearance.
Han Cheng had always thought that after revealing his true face, the people in the cave would not dislike him and would not treat him as an outsider. This was partly due to his mysterious origin and partly due to the bond formed with the people in the cave after some time.
But after the spring arrived, he suddenly discovered that those were all secondary when he washed in the cold water by the river. The most important thing was his current face.
This face showed signs of atavism.
Although it was only about thirty to forty percent, it was enough to make Han Cheng feel depressed.
After all, he had never thought about stic surgery.
While depressed, Han Cheng couldn''t help but marvel at the thunderbolt that fell on him.
Not only did he change his body, but he also incidentally gave him a facelift. Fortunately, there was no sex change. Otherwise, Han Cheng would have found a crooked-necked tree and hanged himself from it.
Chapter 26: Han Cheng Making Pottery
Chapter 26: Han Cheng Making Pottery
Seeing the fish in the river, Lame was excited, as this marks a turning point in his bleak life.
Watching Lame with a tree branch approaching the river, ready to spear the fish inside, Han Cheng stops this enthusiastic fish spearer.
Han Cheng instructs the others to clear the grass within a circle of about one meter that he marked. Then, he asks Lame and Hei Wa, wielding versatile pointed tree branches suitable for hunting and fishing, to dig the soil.
Unlike ceramics, which require specific types of y, pottery does not have strict requirements for the type of soil. Pottery was widespread globally in ancient civilizations, while porcin, a more advanced form, was mainly found in China.
Having examined the soil here, Han Cheng knows its stickiness is suitable for making pottery. He chose the riverside instead of near the cave for pottery-making because pottery does not require special soil, but it does need water to mix with the y.
Digging ayer of soil, Han Cheng stops the actions of Lame and Hei Wa. He uses tree leaves to scoop water from the river and pour it onto the exposed soil. Then, under the gaze of the onlookers, he kneads the y.
Lame and the seven students who followed him are wide-eyed at this scene. They don''t understand why Divine Child has called them out and solemnly asked them to watch him y with mud. Or perhaps is Divine Child trying to teach them how to y with mud?
However, everyone has yed with mud before. After heavy rain stops, digging mud outside the cave is their favorite activity. Could it be that Divine Child can bring some new tricks to ying with mud?
Their minds are full of doubt and confusion, but they watch silently as Divine Child ys with mud out of respect for Divine Child, who often creates useful and novel things.
Han Cheng pays no attention to what they might be thinking. He concentrates on shaping the y into blocks and then takes a block, patting and kneading it into a round cake with a diameter of about ten centimeters.
He ces this cake on a stone they picked up on the way, which is covered with dry grass to prevent the y from sticking to it. Then, he takes more y, rolls it into strips about half a centimeter thick, and wraps them around the edge of the circr y base on the stone, creatingyers until it reaches a height of about five to six centimeters.
The onlookers, who are now witnessing the creation of a pottery piece with a small bottom and arge mouth, no longer look down on the process as they did at the beginning.
Divine Child did not call them here just to y with mud.
Han Cheng adjusted the barely recognizable bowl-like object, making it look more like a bowl. He then signaled Hei Wa to fetch water from the river using tree leaves.
Although the well-prepared y was not used up, Hei Wa was puzzled about why water was needed. However, he followed the instructions.
Han Cheng scooped some water held by Hei Wa and poured it onto the pottery embryo. He carefully smoothed out the rough surface using wet hands, gradually reducing the visible marks. It was a meticulous task that required extra care, but even with the utmost care, Han Cheng, being a novice at this, sometimes left unintended imprints.
Nevertheless, after about thirty minutes of effort, a bowl-shaped embryo appeared in front of everyone. Despite itsrger base, smaller mouth, uneven height on the left and right sides of the mouth, and an overall asymmetrical shape, it could barely be considered a bowl. After all, considering it was the primitive era, expectations shouldn''t be too high.
"This is what I''m giving you today. We can use it to drink water, hold rice, and even boil eggs," Han Cheng, with muddy hands, improvised a speech. Of course, those learning Mandarin with him for about two months could not fully understand his words, especially phrases like "hold rice" or "boil eggs."
However, they got the general idea of what Divine Child meant. Even the Lame, who respected Divine Child the most, couldn''t help but widen his eyes. He couldn''t understand how this odd-looking thing made of y could be used to drink water.
After all, anything made of y would be ruined when it encountered water. Even if it didn''t break, the mud would still stick to the mouth, making drinking impossible.
How could something made of mud be used to drink water?
Han Cheng exined excitedly, but when he turned around, he found everyone looking at him and then at the pottery bowl with dumbfounded expressions.
Han Cheng believed that if it weren''t for his divine status and the fact that he had performed many miraculous feats in the past, these people would have shown an even more obvious look of bewilderment.
"What are you looking at? Follow what I just did. Now, everyone starts working," Han Cheng, with a somewhat embarrassed face, snorted, pretending to be angry. Then, he ignored them and continued ying with his y.
"Pfft."
Someone couldn''t hold back theirughter, and soon,ughter echoed. These underage individuals, who had been learning from Divine Child for so long, had never seen the usually calm and seemingly omniscient Divine Child in such an embarrassed state. After the first burst ofughter, the rest couldn''t help but join in.
"A bunch of little bastardsughing at me now. In a few days, I''ll show you the skills of the Divine Child," Han Cheng muttered in his heart with some frustration. He habitually touched his nose with his hand, only to realize that his nose had picked up a chunk of y.
Seeing this, the little troublemakers burst into even moreughter, and even Lame on the side couldn''t help butugh, his face red and his neck thickening from holding back theughter.
Despite theughter, the work that needed to be done had to be done. Since Divine Child wanted them to do it this way, they followed suit. Whether the y could be used to drink water was not important. The important thing was that it was fun.
Especially today, witnessing the usually mysterious and serious Divine Child in such an embarrassed state was worth doing a lot of useless work. Moreover, apart from learning the divinenguage and writing introduced by the Divine Child recently, they didn''t have much else to do.
Chapter 27: Pottery and confidence
Chapter 27: Pottery and confidence
Han Cheng originally thought of making a pot first, but with his current rudimentary pottery skills, that seemed impractical. After trying three or four times, ending in failure, Han Cheng could only settle for making y pots instead.
Although it was less convenient for serving food, a y pot could still be used for boiling water and cooking soup. Given the circumstances, practicality took precedence.
Using both hands, Han Cheng crafted a y pot embryo with a diameter of about twenty centimeters. The pot was round, approximately thirty centimeters tall, and about two to three centimeters from the top, and he added two handles that could be used for threading ropes.
Han Cheng admired his creation for a while, thinking it looked decent. After all, he had been working on this for most of the day, umting some experience.
However, when he turned to look at the y embryo made by Hei Wa''s y pot, his face twitched involuntarily.
People often say that the student surpasses the master, and things are constantly progressing. That was correct, but the speed and extent of this surpassing were too much.
It was not just surpassing. He was much better.
Hei Wa had made a y embryo with a base smaller than the opening, a top diameter exceeding one meter, and had already taken shape. Hei Wa copied Han Cheng to sprinkle water on it, smoothing and polishing the inner and outer surfaces.
This scene left Han Cheng wide-eyed.
Having personally made y embryos, he knewrger pottery was more challenging. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have managed to create a y pot embryo with a diameter exceeding twenty centimeters and be somewhat self-satisfied.
What Hei Wa made was no pot. it was arge vat.
A vat like the one Sima Guang smashed, but a bit smaller.
However, this was enough to surprise Han Cheng. Truly, there were surprises everywhere in life.
Like other children who were also amazed, Han Cheng walked over to Hei Wa, watching him make the final touches on this y embryo that could easily surpass everyone else.
Hei Wa was very happy, and with this happiness, there was an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and aplishment.
When learning thenguage and writing of the gods, he was always the slowest, often being punished by Shaman to copy texts. Watching others y, he envied them, and even in front of his peers, he felt somewhat inferior.
But today was different. They didn''t study thenguage and writing of the gods; instead, they yed with mud. This made Hei Wa very happy, especially now when all his friends watched in awe as he crafted something. Even Shaman came over to observe.
This made him feel triumphant and extremely useful.
I''m notpletely useless. I''m better than others in some areas, and I can do things well, just like everyone else.
Hei Wa carried a somewhat naive face, his determination to make this thing better evident. He diligently smoothed every part of the y embryo as if it were a precious treasure rather than a pile of mud.
Having lived two lives, Han Cheng naturally understood Hei Was thoughts. The slightly stubborn look in his eyes clearly showed a child who had been wronged and was now trying hard to prove himself.
Han Cheng''s feelings about this were quiteplex. There was some bitterness some joy, but mostly an understanding of Hei Was emotions, as if he could feel them himself.
"p, p, p."
When ckwa finished thest bit, Han Cheng led the apuse.
"p, p, p."
Apuse echoed from the other seven people as well.
Han Cheng taught this while instructing them in Mandarin and Chinese characters. When someone excelled in learning, they would receive apuse from everyone.
Hei Was body stiffened, and his eye sockets heated up. He turned around, looking at the smiling godfather apuding for him and the little friends pping their hands loudly. Tears uncontrobly streamed down his face.
He hurriedly wiped them away with his hands but forgot about the y. As a result, he ended up with a big mud face after a few attempts.
"Giggle, giggle."
"Hahaha."
Everyone burst intoughter. Hei Wa, feeling a bit embarrassed, stopped his tears and smiled. He ran towards the closest Tie Tou and smeared the mud from his hands onto his face.
Amidst theughter and joy, the children of the Green Sparrow Tribe yed around like a group of mud monkeys, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Han Cheng watched this scene with a smile, feeling a sense of tranquility and warmth in his heart.
After ying for a while, at Han Cheng''s call, the kids stopped their mud antics and immersed themselves in pottery-making.
ying with mud seemed much more appealing than the tedious learning of divine words andnguage.
Hei Wa had now be a skilled mud yer, guiding his little friends asionally and even assisting them personally.
Seeing this scene, Han Cheng felt genuinely happy. The earlier sentiments about the student surpassing the master had long disappeared. After all, having such a little expert was a great thing for him and the tribe.
Talents like these needed special attention.
Thebor results today were quite good. By the end of the afternoon, there were more than twenty y embryo pots, despite most of them being oddly shaped. This was already a satisfactory oue.
Instead of bringing these things into the cave, Han Cheng left them by the river. They had cleared an area specifically for storing y embryos.
It was spring now, with little dew and not too much sunlight during the day, making it ideal for air-drying the y embryos.
If it were summer or a time with intense sunlight, leaving these undried y embryos exposed outside during the day would not be suitable. Strong sunlight could easily cause cracks to appear on them.
Although Han Cheng was making pottery for the first time, he could understand these aspects with the help of videos and various survival knowledge.
The children were excited about their experiences today. After washing off the mud by the river, they happily walked back to the cave, feeling no fatigue.
Limping along, the Lame followed the group. He still held two lively fish in his hands, and his face was filled with a child-like smile.
Upon hearing about Han Cheng''s actions today, the Eldest Brother, who returned from hunting, couldn''t help but be curious. Together with Shaman, they asked Han Cheng what he was nning to do.
When they heard from Han Cheng that he intended to make many things for holding water and storing fruits, which were called pottery, which was much better than the tribe''s stone basins and bowls, they all showed expressions of surprise and iprehension.
Clearly, just like the others, they didn''t understand how things made of y could be used to hold water.
Trantors note:
Sima Guang
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sima_Guang
Chapter 28: Pottery firing without building an earthen kiln
Chapter 28: Pottery firing without building an earthen kiln
The next day, Senior Brother did not lead the group for hunting after the meal as usual. Instead, he followed Han Cheng, the seven or eight children, and Lame towards the small river. Apanying them were Shaman, as well as other people from the tribe who were curious about what magical items Divine Child had created.
After a night, these y embryos had dried considerably. The surface water had evaporated, and with a gentle touch, one could feel that these y embryos were much harder than the previous day.
Shaman, looking at this area, revealed a thoughtful expression. If these things were sturdy enough, they could hold many items. As Divine Child mentioned, they were far better than stone bowls or basins.
However, the key was that these things were made of y. How could they possibly be sturdy?
The shaman was puzzled. Even with the knowledge passed down through generations of shamans, he couldn''t understand how Divine Child can make these y items solid.
Shaman is intelligent. He knew the Divine Child also knows mud is not sturdy. Since Divine Child knew this and still continued to do it, he must have a way to make them solid.
"Use fire, burn them," Han Cheng said in Mandarin.
However, Shaman and Senior Brother were even more confused after hearing this method. In their understanding, fire could burn and destroy many things. Shouldn''t burning these mud items turn them into ash?
Communication became difficult at this point because exining these concepts was too cumbersome.
Han Cheng could only resort to his usual method, attributing everything to the will of the gods, and he wouldn''t provide much exnation. He would demonstrate the final results, saving a lot of unnecessary words.
Senior Brother, who had be even more confused after this visit, took the bewildered group to hunt, while Han Cheng continued to make y embryos with the children inside the cave.
Shaman stayed and observed Han Cheng and the tribe''s youngsters ying with y. After understanding the process to some extent, the shaman also joined the fun.
On the third day, the y embryos made on the first day had dried halfway. Looking at the over fifty y embryosid out on the ground, Han Cheng temporarily stopped making more. Instead, he led the people to collect dry grass, fallen leaves, and small twigs.
As it was spring, and these people did not have the habit of setting fire on the slopes, there was a thickyer of dry grass on the ground.
After hearing that their handmade items could be made sturdy through burning, these youngsters were eager to participate in the process. They worked energetically, and soon, arge pile of dry grass and small wood was collected in the vicinity.
By the afternoon of the fourth day, the first batch of y embryos had dried almostpletely. Due to weather conditions, the rest were intact apart from three that were cracked and discarded. Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, considering it a good start.
Han Cheng threw away the three damaged ones and then marked out an area of about two square meters. He had the people dig about thirty centimeters deep, and then he covered it with ayer of dry grass.
With the help of Senior Brother and others who came to see what was happening, the y embryos made on the first day were carefully ced on top of the dry grass, neatly arranged with about five centimeters of space between each one.
Following Han Cheng''s demonstration, everyone filled the gaps between the y embryos with the dry grass and twigs collected the previous day, pressing them down by hand topact them. Then, they further crushed the dry grass, mainly using sturdy stalks, to cover the y embryos. Eachyer was about ten centimeters high. They pressed it down with their hands and continuedyering until the height exceeded one meter, covering therge jar made by Hei Wa. They stopped there.
At this point, all the pottery was covered with crushed dry grass,pletely concealing them.
When everyone, including Shaman, thought they could start the fire, Han Cheng gave an unexpectedmand.
Instead of lighting the fire, Han Cheng instructed them to fetch water from the river and wet the loose soil that had been dug up, mixing it with the y. Unlike the rtively hard y used to make the y embryos, ording to Han Cheng''s request, this y mixture was softerreferred to as slurry.
Yes, Hei Wa and the others were now ying with slurry.
Under the gaze of the onlookers, Han Cheng scooped up the slurry and pasted it onto the pile of dry grass, covering it from top to bottom. All the grass had to bepletely sealed wherever he went, and the grass should not be visible from the outside.
After a few days of ying with y, Hei Wa and the others had be familiar with it. Following Han Cheng''s demonstration and orders, they began imitating him, applying slurry to the pile of dry grass from different angles.
Han Cheng did it for the bottom of the grass pile instead of letting Hei Wa and the others do it. He left four square openings, about twenty centimeters on different sides, without sealing them with slurry.
"Bring the fire over," Han Cheng ordered, and without him specifying, Sandy, who had been watching, quickly ran to the cave.
Although Sandy didn''t understand why Divine Child was doing this, he could still sense the difference in the orderly process.
The fire arrived.
Han Cheng took the burning logs from Sandy and ced them near the four openings he had left. He lit them one by one. Since they had used specially crushed dry grass and leaves for filling and they had pressed it down firmly, these fires did not burn quickly. They didn''t even produce a strong me.
Especially after ensuring that the fires wouldn''t go out, Han Cheng used slurry to seal the four ignition points separately, leaving a hole with a diameter of less than half a centimeter for each to allow venttion. As a result, the mes inside burned even more slowly.
Relieved, Han Cheng turned to Shaman, Senior Brother, and the others, stating that it would take three days to see the results.
This made the impatient crowd a bit anxious.
However, there was nothing they could do. After staying there for a while and realizing they couldn''t see the results in the short term, Senior Brother, eager to know the oue, took the hunting team out for a hunt.
As the spring ice melted, catching fish was not as easy as in winter. Hunting wild animals became the primary source of food.
Shaman stayed behind with Han Cheng and the others.
After ying around for a while, at Han Cheng''s call, the group of primitive youngsters started making y embryos again.
However, unlike the previous days when they were focused, today they seemed a bit distracted. They asionally nced at the pile of y-covered firewood, hoping for something magical to happen. They and even Han Cheng looked at it asionally, sometimes crawling on the ground to check if the fire inside had gone out.
After all, this was Han Cheng''s first time making pottery. He had only watched a video once. Even in his mind, whether it would seed on the first attempt was uncertain.
Chapter 29: Clay Kiln opened, Pottery Created
Chapter 29: y Kiln opened, Pottery Created
The sun revealed its face, rapidly transitioning fromrge to small, making one envious of its ability to quickly shed its broad visage and achieve a slimmer, sessful "facelift."
A gentle breeze blew, and a thin mist hovered. In the crisp morning, birds that had risen early to hunt for insects joyfully chirped. From the open cave, a group of primitive people emerged.
Today was an eagerly anticipated day. They had waited three days, foregoing their usual desire for food. Together, they left the cave, following a small path through the woods towards the riverside.
Although Han Cheng appeared calm on the surface, he was excited inside. Apart from his anticipation for the uing pottery, he also felt a bit anxious about the possibility of the firing process failing. If it did fail, it would be embarrassing to face everyone''s gaze.
Because he deeply understood this feeling, Han Cheng realized the correctness of the saying "n first and then act."
The thin mud smeared on the mounds by the riverside had already dried. Some small cracks emitted faint smoke.
Observing this semi-circr mound with smoke billowing out, Han Cheng suddenly recalled a saying from the future: "Smoke rising from ancestral graves."
The scene before him was remarkably fitting.
With a somewhat amusing thought, Han Cheng touched the dried mud, feeling its temperature, which was quite high and a bit scalding.
Leaning down to peer through a small hole, he saw a vibrant red interior, indicating that the fire had not burned outpletely.
"No."
Han Cheng resisted the urge to dig open the y kiln immediately. He cast a nce at the disappointed crowd and slowly shook his head.
The people, eagerly waiting for three days, couldn''t help but show profound disappointment.
"Let''s go back for a meal. We can check again after eating."
Although Han Cheng was eager to see the results, he didn''t want to disappoint the crowd further. Therefore, he suggested a time frame.
Many people realized they hadn''t eaten at the mention of food. Hunger struck, and stomachs began to growl in unison.
Despite some reluctance, the disappointed crowd returned for a meal upon Han Cheng''s suggestion.
A few kids who had participated in the entire pottery-making process lingered at the group''s rear, frequently looking back.
Compared to others, their anticipation for the oue was even higher.
Breakfast was prepared at an unprecedented speed. Yes, barbecue again.
Wearing arge golden chain and a wristwatch, having barbecue every day. Han Cheng had now embraced this lifestyle. He didn''t have the golden chain and wristwatch but ate barbecue twice daily.
The repetitive meals made Han Cheng lose his appetite a bit. So, until now, he often couldn''t finish the food that Senior Brother provided for him. Eventually, following the example of Shaman, he started giving the leftovers to the small primitive people inside the cave.
These small primitive people didn''t understand why Divine Child, who was a god''s son, didn''t seem to like such delicious food. They were used to stuffing their stomachs with as much food as possible, even if it meant eating to the point of being full.
In the tribe, except for Shaman and Han Cheng, everyone ate quickly. This morning, they ate even faster.
Amidst the people''s anticipation, Shaman finished hisst bite. Han Cheng distributed the remaining half of the food to the twin sisters, Xiaomei, Xiaoli, and Xing, who hadn''t received much.
Once again, the group left the cave and headed to the riverside.
Han Cheng, as before, extended his hand to touch the y mound. After a while, he felt that the temperature had decreasedpared to before. It seemed that the fire inside had almost burned out.
Observing the crowd filled with anticipation, Han Cheng, who also wanted to know the result, decided not to wait any longer. ording to his memory, the firing should have been sufficient after such a long time.
He took a wooden stick from the nearby Lame and knocked on the dried y shell.
The previously soft y had hardened after days of roasting, and the sound of the stick hitting it became somewhat crisp. However, due to the depletion of the underlying straw, it wasn''t very solid. Han Cheng managed to create a hole with two strikes.
Scorching hot air mixed with burnt grass ash gushed out from the opening. Preparing to knock again, Han Cheng heard some crisp cracking soundsing from inside.
It wasn''t the sound of the y shell falling.
Han Cheng''s heart sank. The pottery inside must have cracked.
Sniffing, he approached and looked inside through the hole, discovering a pottery piece that had cracked into several parts.
Not a good start.
The y kiln hadn''t been fully opened, yet he could already see the damaged pottery. It was unavoidable for some damage to ur during the first attempt at pottery without prior experience.
Han Cheng consoled himself this way and continued to knock on the y shell.
Fragments of the y shell fell, and a mixture of smoke and hot air dispersed into the surroundings. asionally, there were one or two distinct cracking sounds among the others.
Every time such a sound urred, Han Cheng''s heart twitched. Especially when he saw the double-eared pottery jar he had made split open, he felt an intense pang of distress.
All the y shell was knocked away, revealing the interior. Among the ashesy a collection of pottery pieces.
However,pared to when they were initially ced inside, they had undergone a drastic transformation. Their color turned ck, and they felt hard like stones, warm to the touch, and emitted a slightly crisp sound when struck.
This astonishing change left even the tribe''s most knowledgeable Shaman and the most experienced Senior Brother in awe.
As for the children who had participated in the pottery-making process with Han Cheng, they were so amazed that they couldn''t close their mouths. Holding these intact or broken pottery pieces, they examined and studied them, asionally knocking and feeling. Looking at Han Cheng, their eyes revealed confusion and deep admiration.
People who had never seen such pottery before were stunned by the miraculous transformation from mud to pottery. Especially when Shaman picked up a bowl, poured out the ash, scooped a bowl of water from the river, confirmed that it could hold water without breaking, and showed that the water the light little bowl contained was more than what their heavy stone bowls could hold, they widened their eyes in amazement.
This was a miracle.
Only a god could know such a miraculous method.
"Divine Child!"
The shaman put down the ceramic bowl, ced his hand over his chest, and respectfully saluted Han Cheng.
Imitating the shaman, others returned from the river after scooping water with their pottery, put down their vessels, followed the Shaman, and collectively bowed to Han Cheng, praising, "Divine Child!"
Chapter 30: Joyful Tribe and Depressed Han Cheng
Chapter 30: Joyful Tribe and Depressed Han Cheng
In contrast to the people''s excitement, Han Cheng was not as happy as expected. He looked at the fragments in the grass ash pile on the ground and felt slightly depressed.
He vividly remembered that in the video, the elderly woman of that ethnic minority had fired dozens of pieces in one kiln. Later, when the kiln was opened, only two were damaged, and the rest were intact.
Now, with twenty-two pieces fired, only eight came out intact. Nearly two-thirds had either cracks on the surface or were shattered into fragments.
Even though this was his first attempt at pottery, the difference shouldn''t be so significant.
Fortunately, the pot made by Hei Wa survived. It was intact without any cracks on the surface. This made Han Cheng once again marvel at the importance of talent.
Under the halo of the divine, Han Cheng received the crowd''s worship.
Compared to his initial awkwardness, he was much calmer now.
He helped Shaman up and then had everyone else stand up. To avoid dampening their spirits, he put on a cheerful smile.
The people in the tribe showed considerable interest in this novel thing called pottery. Excited, they filled all the pottery with water and carried them back to the tribe.
With this water, they no longer had to run far to the river when thirsty.
The Second Senior Brother, red-faced with a thick neck, moved forward while carrying arge tub full of water.
Beside him, Senior Brother shook his head asionally, indicating that the tub was too big and inconvenient for carrying water. The smaller ones would be more practical.
This scene left Han Cheng dumbfounded. It was the first time he had seen such use of a tub.
If using it like this turns out to be practical, that would be surprising.
This operation is even more excellent than Sima Guang.
After watching in amazement, Han Cheng sighed and quickly exined to them. He spoke and gestured for a while, finally making them understand that the thing called a tub was to be ced empty in the tribe. They should then use smaller jars to pour water into it.
Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother, somewhat embarrassed, scratched their heads. Carefully cing the tub on the ground, they poured out the water and carried the much lighter tub back to the tribe.
The entire Green Sparrow Tribe seemed exceptionally happy. The Divine Child had not disappointed them. The mud could indeed create wonderful things.
Led by Shaman, the people in the cave once again conducted a ritual to thank the god.
The offering this time was not food but the pottery just taken out of the kiln.
In front of the totem pole, the Shaman, wearing a feather crown and holding a bone staff, recited words that Han Cheng and the others in the cave couldn''t understand,municating with the god they had never sensed.
He thanked God for sending the Divine Child to the tribe and bringing boundless blessings.
In the Shaman''s ancient and iprehensible incantations, the word "pottery" asionally popped up, a term Han Cheng had taught them not long ago.
This made the originally mysterious ritual somewhatical. Han Cheng evenughed because he had a sense of aplishment, as if he had yed a sessful prank.
The ritualsted about thirty minutes, and after the Shaman dripped with sweat, it finally ended.
The children in the tribe were excited, especially the six or seven children who had personally participated in making pottery.
Even Lame was grinning because he had also participated in making pottery.
Lame''s actions once again confirmed the importance of following a good leader. Just like on the battlefield, the personal guards of a general usually died less than others.
Senior Brother was also very happy because Han Cheng gave him one of the bowls.
If it were ordinary things, like hunting spoils, as the leader, Senior Brother had absolute distribution rights. However, this time was different. The appearance of this new thing, inspired by the god and made by Divine Child, had never happened in the tribe''s history. Senior Brother didn''t dare to act recklessly.
Han Cheng didn''t pay attention to these. In his subconscious, he felt that he led everyone to create these things, and he naturally had the right to distribute them.
It''s not that he was too independent, but his thinking was often unconsciously influenced by the future. He wasn''t quite ustomed to themunal system within the tribe.
Among the eight pottery items, besides therge jar made by Hei Wa, there were two jars and five bowls.
The jars were consideredmunal property, while the bowls were more personal.
Han Cheng gave the best bowl to the shaman and kept the second best for himself. The remaining three bowls were given to each of the three senior brothers.
This distribution method faced no objections because it was consistent with how they normally allocated food.
Even Lame, who had been working diligently, had no objections. Like the children, he felt a bit envious but didn''t see anything wrong with Han Cheng''s distribution.
There were too few jars and pots, far from enough. However, there was no need to worry. The sessful pottery-making had already proven that the method worked. As long as they spent more time, they could replenish the shortage.
With a bountiful catch from the previous day and the senior brothers deciding not to go hunting today, they joined the children at the riverbank, participating in themunal pottery-making effort at Han Cheng''smand.
Han Cheng gave them some brief instructions, and then they all followed Hei Wa to learn.
This made Hei Wa a bit nervous but also proud. He took his responsibility seriously, meticulously demonstrating and imparting his knowledge to everyone.
Han Cheng observed from the side.
Everyone has their strengths, such as pottery making.
After a day''s work, three or four people excelled, while the majority reached a moderate level, some a bit higher or lower. A few also performed particrly poorly, like Second Senior Brother.
He failed to produce anything decent after a day covered in mud and sweating.
Due to these individual differences, coborative work allocation emerged. People were ced in fields where they excelled, doing what they were good at. It was an effective method to enhance productivity.
After a day of work, Han Cheng rearranged the tasks, assigning the four best adult primitive people to focus on making y molds during their free timetimes when they weren''t hunting or fishing. The rest were allocated tasks based on their strengths, such as digging soil, preparing y, collecting dry grass, and crushing it.
Of course, this was done without affecting the tribe''s regr activities. After all, obtaining food remained the tribe''s top priority.
The y molds made a few days ago were ready to be fired, but Han Cheng hasn''t engaged in this task yet. He still hadn''t figured out why his sess rate was so low with the same method.
After a failure, it was essential to extract some experience from it. Otherwise, repeating the process would be meaningless.
Chapter 31: Simple truth with a huge impact
Chapter 31: Simple truth with a huge impact
The night was tranquil, and the small me at the cave entrance swayed weakly as if it, too, was about to fall asleep like the people inside.
The old primitive man kept watch by the fire, asionally adding a bit of firewood. Preventing the mes from extinguishing was a crucial task.
The appearance and utilization of fire marked a significant leap in human evolutionary history.
The tribe had also mastered the method of fire drilling, but it was too troublesome. It was more convenient to have someone guarding day and night, just like now.
Since these two old primitive men were already of old age, they couldn''t handle most other tasks.
Under them were animal skins, and beneath them was a thickyer of dry grass. Han Cheng''s sleeping ce was morefortable than the average person''s. In the past, by this time, he would have already fallen asleep. However, tonight, he had no intention of sleeping.
There are generally only two reasons for insomnia at night. Either you slept too much during the day, or something is on your mind.
In the future, the first reason could be ruled out.
Han Cheng, who came from the future, could also rule out the first reason because he hadn''t closed his eyes all day.
He couldn''t sleep because his mind was filled with thoughts of pottery.
He recalled every step the old woman took in making pottery, thenpared it to the procedure he was currently undertaking to find the reason for such a significant difference between the two.
He had been pondering this matter from day to night and even into the deep hours of the night, yet he still had no clear clues.
Although he found three somewhat suspicious points, Han Cheng still felt that this wasn''t the main reason for the mass breakage of the pottery.
Han Cheng sat up from the bed, put on a fur coat, and wore animal skin socks as he walked out of the cave. He had a habit from the future that he liked to get up once he couldn''t sleep at night.
The old primitive man on night duty was already ustomed to people going out to solve physiological issues at night.
Whenever someone got up, he would turn to look. He would continue sitting by the fire without standing up if it was an adult. He needed to stand up to help the child open the heavy stone door if it was a child.
This was also one of his duties.
The old primitive man heard footsteps and turned his head out of habit, and when he recognized that the personing was Divine Child, he quickly stood up.
Before Han Cheng could say anything, the old man adeptly opened the stone door.
Outside, it was quiet, with bright stars embedded in the dark blue sky, looking exceptionally clear and beautiful. It was far superior to the future night sky, which had passed throughyers of haze and neon lights.
There were asional distant roars in the night as if the rulers of the primitive era were singing in the night.
The air was crisp on the early spring morning, and the night was equally chilly. Although it didn''t reach freezing temperatures, Han Cheng, who had juste out of the cave, couldn''t help but shiver several times, causing even the crystal-clear water column to tilt.
Han Cheng exerted force. He wanted to quickly empty the water in his body and hurry back to the warmth of the cave.
"Snap!"
Han Cheng didn''t go back, nor did he fall into the pit because of excessive force while urinating. Instead, he raised his hand and pped himself hard on the forehead.
He wasn''t crazy. He suddenly understood the problem that had troubled him all day and half the night.
Damn it, such a simple reason was overlooked by himself.
Han Cheng suddenly saw the light and wished to p himself on the head again.
The reason for the mass breakage of the pottery was straightforward. The pottery expanded and contracted due to heat.
His warm body came out of the cave and suddenly encountered the cold air, causing him to shiver involuntarily. The temperature difference in this process was at most ten degrees.
However, when pottery came out of the kiln, the temperature difference from extreme heat to extreme cold was more than a hundred degrees.
Under such intense stimtion, it would be strange if the pottery didn''t crack.
Realizing this connection, Han Cheng, who felt relieved, touched the frozen part of him that was now reduced to a little bird''s head and quickly ran back into the cave.
"The worries on his mind lifted, and hey on the bedding, covered with a thick fur, quickly entering the realm of dreams.
By the lively small river, witnessing a miracle and personally experiencing the usefulness of pottery made from y, the people in the tribe now have a great passion for pottery making.
Especially upon hearing that Divine Child was preparing to fire pottery again today, everyone became more enthusiastic.
After an early meal, they all gathered by the small river.
With the experience from the previous attempt, everything went much smoother this time.
However,pared to thest time, they had to make a lot more pottery this time.
Around the solid y pit that was burnedst time, Han Cheng had people dig around, and after the digging, the pit reached about four square meters.
Then came the process ofying dry grass, cing y embryos, filling with dry grass, smearing y, igniting, and sealing the hole.
After that, all that was left was to wait.
The senior brothers went hunting, and Han Cheng, with a group of little primitive people, made y embryos here while guarding this simple y kiln. They observed the temperature through the sealed y to see if the fire inside went out.
Since there were already enough y embryos for bowls, having one per person wouldn''t be a problem if they all seeded.
So, Han Cheng instructed them to reduce the production of bowls and make more of the rtively scarce pottery jars andrge jars.
They also had to make some pottery basins.
There were already plenty of y embryos, so there was no need to rush like before. After noon, Han Cheng led the people to clean up by the small river and returned to the cave.
Because they had been busy with pottery for these days, the matter of teaching Mandarin and Chinese characters had been put aside. Now that the pottery making was basically on track, Han Cheng naturally had to resume these lessons that had been interrupted for a few days.
What he taught today was very simple the newly appeared character "" (pottery), including its pronunciation and writing, and the pottery bowls, jars, and jars derived from it.
Because the people were very interested in the newly appeared pottery, even though the character "" wasplex and difficult to write, everyone learned it quickly. Especially the little pottery expert Hei Wa, who couldn''t remember characters before, could now quickly write out the character "" from memory.
Around the continuously burning fire pit, three stones were ced in a triangr arrangement. On the stones were the recently made pottery jars filled with water.
Under the continuous licking of the mes, white vapor had begun to rise from the water inside the pottery jars.
This relieved the old primitive man next to him, who had been worried that the fire would crack the pottery and then the water would extinguish the fire.
Like the others in the cave, he didn''t understand the purpose of Divine Childs strange actions, but they had be somewhat ustomed to it. After all, Divine Child had performed many iprehensible actions.
Han Cheng didn''t have any particr ns. He just wanted to boil some hot water to drink.
Having been here for several months, except for the warm urine, he had never touched hot water, which was quitementable.
The water inside the pottery jar didn''t boil despite emitting white vapor, which made Han Cheng somewhat frustrated. It seemed he had to make a lid immediately. This way, not only could it prevent dust from falling into the water, but it could also provide instion.
Chapter 32: Delicious boiled water
Chapter 32: Delicious boiled water
The water inside the pottery had boiled, but because the pot didn''t have handles, moving it away from the fire pit was a bit challenging.
Han Cheng found two piles of dry grass to prop up and finally moved it away from the improvised stove on the fire pit.
He took out his bowl, scooped some water from the tub, washed the bowl, and eagerly poured the hot water into the pot.
Then, cradling the bowl in both hands, he brought it close to his lips and gently blew on the hot steam. After a moment, he took a sip, and despite the tasteless hot water, Han Cheng seemed to have tasted something delicious. He let the water linger in his mouth, savoring it before swallowing.
A warm feeling spread from his mouth to his stomach, giving him afortable sensation that almost made Han Cheng want to sigh with contentment.
Watching this, the primitive people around, both young and old, couldn''t help but salivate. Considering that the Divine Child even had a somewhat indifferent attitude toward the delicious roasted meat, his expression now indicated how delicious this steaming water was.
After finishing a bowl of hot water, Han Cheng felt warmth all over his body, and beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.
He exhaledfortably, then looked around at the group of primitive people who were eagerly watching him and the hot water in the pottery.
He couldn''t help but smile.
Turning the pottery slightly, he poured another bowl for Shaman.
Just now, he had been so captivated by the thought of drinking the long-awaited hot water that he temporarily forgot about Shaman.
"You all drink. Be careful, it''s hot."
Han Cheng was mainly speaking Mandarin now. Only in cases where exnations were unclear, or they hadn''t learned something yet did he use the tribalnguage, exining with words and gestures.
At this point, he and the children in the tribe who followed his teachings primarily spoke Mandarin. After all, they were more adaptable.
Adults in the tribe rarely used Mandarin, partly because they often went hunting outside, unlike these children, who could focus on learning. Secondly, they had long been ustomed tomunicating in the tribe''snguage and mannerisms.
Han Cheng wasn''t in a hurry about this. Learning anguage wasn''t a one-day task; it required perseverance and time, like grinding a stone. With him around, they would all learn to speak Mandarin sooner orter.
This wasn''t due to Han Cheng''s overconfidence but because the tribalnguage was not well-developed, and there were many areas where Mandarin had to fill in the gaps.
These newly added things, since they didn''t have corresponding terms in the tribalnguage and without the interference of the tribalnguage, were easier for them to remember.
Han Cheng carefully walked toward the cave with the bowl in his hands. He intended to give this bowl of hot water to Shaman.
The group of primitive people who had been watching with drooling mouths immediately became excited when Han Cheng spoke. However, they didn''t rush forward but followed a certain order.
The first person to drink hot water wasn''t these young primitive people but Lame.
After most of the adult male primitives and the majority of female primitives had gone out hunting, those left inside the cave, besides Shaman and Han Cheng, the one with the highest status was Lame.
He brought a broken two-thirds pottery, imitating Han Cheng''s actions, tilted the pot, and poured hot water into it.
This broken pottery had been shattered during the previous kiln firing, but for the people in the tribe who saw pottery for the first time, even a broken piece was worth having.
Lame, holding the broken pottery, imitated Han Cheng''s actions, brought it close to his lips, and, with everyone''s envious gaze, took a sip.
"Pfft."
The hot water scalded his tongue, causing Lame to spray the entire mouthful of hot water out.
This made the people around him somewhat dissatisfied.
Food is extremely important for the people in the tribe, even more so than clothing.
The Divine Child enjoyed drinking with a satisfied expression, indicating that the beverage must be delicious. Strangely, someone spat out something so delicious.
Lame knew his behavior was inappropriate, but the water was too hot.
He sucked in some cool air and took a moment to recover.
This time he was smarter, not daring to take big sips but carefully sucking in a little.
It was warm.
But that''s all, just warm. It didn''t taste particrly delicious. Why did Divine Child enjoy it so much?
Lame was puzzled.
He took another small sip, carefully savoring it. However, the result was the same. Besides being warm, there was nothing special about it.
The others received their water and, unable to wait, drank it quickly. They all had the same puzzled expression as the limping man.
Everyone looked at each other with confusion, wondering if they had done something wrong or if Divine Childs taste was too different.
Delicious grilled meat didn''t taste good, but enjoying this tasteless hot water seemed to be everyone''s expression.
The Shaman was busy. After conducting a ritual ceremony celebrating the appearance of pottery, he hid in the inner cave, engrossed in his writing and creation.
He wanted to record everything about the newly appeared pottery, including every process.
This was beneficial for the tribe. Not recording and passing them on to future generations would be a waste.
The Shaman''s current writing was interesting. It was no longer the simple pictorial script from before. Now, it was abination of pictorial script and Chinese characters.
If you look at the records in chronological order, you will notice an interesting phenomenon.
Theter the writing, the more Chinese characters were interspersed. By now, Chinese characters upied almost half of the text written by Shaman.
Han Cheng believed that the proportion of Chinese characters in the shaman''s records would continue to increase over time.
The Shaman was busy now; he found that he had be increasingly busy since the appearance of Divine Child.
In the past, he would only record something after a long time. Since the appearance of Divine Child, the frequency of his record-keeping has increased.
From the initial arrival of Divine Child to theter breaking of the ice to catch fish, then making gloves and socks, and now pottery making.
Each was a good thing, and the Shaman didn''t want to give up any of them. They all needed to be recorded and passed down to future generations.
So, the Shaman began his journey of pain and joy.
Sometimes, he would think with joy that it was fortunate that Divine Child taught him a more simple andprehensive divinenguage and script. Otherwise, his records would probably be even more difficult.
Not to mention, creating new vocabry alone would be enough to make him pull out his hair.
"Shaman."
When the shaman saw Han Chenging in, he called out first.
He was a bit puzzled when he saw the bowl Han Cheng was holding. It wasn''t mealtime now, so why did Divine Childe with a bowl?
Chapter 33: Boiling water, pottery and broth
Chapter 33: Boiling water, pottery and broth
"Shaman, drink hot water."
Han Cheng brought the bowl to Shaman and spoke.
Shaman looked at the bowl in Han Cheng''s hands, somewhat puzzled and unclear about why the perfectly good water was emitting white vapor.
However, when his hands touched the bowl, he somewhat understood because it was hot.
Shaman took the bowl but didn''t drink immediately. Instead, he held it in his hands, looking at Han Cheng with confusion.
Han Cheng knew that Shaman wanted to understand the reason behind this.
Han Cheng, feeling helpless, knew that this old man tended to get to the bottom of things. Nevertheless, it was still better than worrying about him everywhere, as he did less and asked fewer questions.
While Han Chengined, he patiently exined to Shaman. He respected this primitive man not only because he saved his life but also because of the efforts Shaman made for the tribe''s development.
Exining things to Shaman was necessary. It not only rified Shamans doubts but also facilitated him in recording the information. Additionally, to implement the system of drinking boiled water in the tribe, the Shaman needed to step forward.
With the interchange of Han Cheng using Chinese, the tribalnguage, and gestures, the Shaman finally understood the significance of drinking boiled water.
He didn''t understand why there were invisible little bugs in the good water and found it hard toprehend that getting sick was rted to these bugs. However, he firmly remembered one thing: putting water on the fire to boil could kill these bugs, and drinking water without bugs could reduce illness.
Just this one point was enough.
In this era where there was no medical care or hygiene, at least not in the Green Sparrow Tribe, when someone got sick, the only way to survive was to endure it. If you managed to endure it, you were lucky; if you couldn''t, it meant death.
In a time when even amon cold could be life-threatening, hearing that regrly drinking this water could reduce the chances of getting sick, Shaman couldn''t help but take it seriously.
Shaman needed to record one more thing, and while he was happy about it, he also felt a bit mncholic.
He originally thought he wouldn''t run out of space on these stone tablets until he died. However, unexpectedly, with the arrival of the god''s disciple, these tablets seemed insufficient. He needed to instruct the tribe members to bring back more.
In the afternoon, the Eldest Senior brother returned with the hunting team.
Today''s harvest wasn''t too much. The hunted food was just enough for one day. There was no surplus, indicating they would need to go hunting again tomorrow.
After dinner, Shaman summoned the Eldest Senior Brother and repeated what Han Cheng had told him today.
Like Shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother widened his eyes upon hearing the significant effects of drinking boiled water. After that, he immediately expressed his agreement to implement the system of drinking boiled water in the tribe.
The three stones that had turned ck from being burned were ced around the fire in a triangr arrangement. The pottery with the ckened bottom was filled with water and ced on the stones to boil.
As time passed, steam began to rise from the water in the pot.
People in the tribe, whether near or far, watched this scene. Many who might not have understood Han Cheng''s actions before were now paying attention. After hearing that drinking such water could reduce the risk of illness, they all took it seriously.
There were too fewrge containers and pots, making it inconvenient for activities like boiling water. However, things would be more flexible once the next kiln was ready.
The two old primitive men responsible for watching the fire had a new task added to their workload boiling water.
Boiling water didn''t have any particr requirements. After Han Cheng demonstrated it a couple of times, they remembered the process and knew when the water was boiling.
After dumping the cold water, the boiled water was poured into arge tub. This way, people wouldn''t find it too hot and inconvenient when drinkingter.
The task of fetching water was assigned to a female primitive, not particrly strong, who was one of the mates of the Second Senior Brother. Due to her weaker physique, she generally didn''t go hunting with the hunting teams. Instead, she stayed in the tribe with a few other weaker women, those pregnant or nursing children, doing tasks like gathering wood and spearfishing at the river.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the second kiln of pottery had been fired for three days. On this day, just like the first kiln firing, many people gathered to watch.
However, Han Cheng didn''t act hastily this time. He continuously felt the temperature of the dried mud outside the kiln by touching and examining it through the small air vents.
He endured patiently, waiting from morning until afternoon until the mud outside the kiln felt somewhat cool. Only then did he begin tapping on the mud kiln.
A hole was smashed open in the kiln, and hot air escaped, but it wasn''t overpowering.
Han Cheng''s heart hung in suspense slightly. He listened intently for any sounds inside, fearing there might be the cracking sound of pottery.
He waited quietly for a while, but no sound came. A smile appeared on Han Cheng''s face, and he quickened his movements. In no time, the entire kiln was knocked open, revealing the scene inside.
After more than three days of intense firing, the original y had undergone a qualitative transformation. Not only had it be pottery, but most of it had also be a higher grade.
Many parts of the pottery were adorned with shiny ze, giving off a radiant luster, especially when hit by the afternoon sunlight.
Moreover, the yield was also satisfactory. Among the fifty-three pieces, only four were damaged, and the rest were all intact.
This included three differently-sized cylinders and five jars with double handles.
With this kiln''s production, the cave''s pottery inventory was significantly replenished.
Shaman and others touched the pottery that shone under the sunlight, showing excitement on their faces. Especially when they thought about these beautiful things belonging to their tribe, their joy was genuine.
After the initial excitement, everyone washed these precious pieces in the river and started transporting them back to the cave. Every movement was cautious, handling them delicately to avoid breaking these precious items.
Tonight''s dinner was exceptionally sumptuous.
This richness refers not only to the variety of food but also to the ample quantity, enough for everyone to eat their fill.
The food tonight was much richer, and a significant part was because Han Cheng set arge pot on fire, added meat, and then added water, cooking arge pot of meat soup.
People who had eaten roasted meat all their lives now not only had boiled meat but also drank rich meat soup with floating oil droplets. For them, it was truly a feast.
However, there was a bit of regret about this kind of cooking. They couldn''tdle out the meat at the bottom if the soup in the pot wasn''t finished.
Yet, the smart and clever Divine Child purposely fired several bowls with symmetrical small holes around the edges. Then, he found a clean finger-thick tree branch over a meter long and passed it through the small holes, tying the branch and the perforated bowl together. This issue was perfectly resolved.
The Divine Child called this thing, which could directlydle out the meat from the bottom of the pot, adle.
Chapter 34: –
Chapter 34: ¨C
Something that makes international friends turn to shame chopsticks
Drinking meat soup with just a bowl and adle from a big pot wasn''t enough. Something was missingchopsticks.
In the tribe, there were only two ways to eat food before Han Cheng arrived. Fruits could be eaten raw, and the meat was roasted over a fire. Both types of food were solid or, in other words, didn''t involve liquids. Eating with hands was sufficient. However, now, with boiled food, it was a different story.
Forrger pieces of meat or bones that couldn''t be submerged in the bowl of hot soup, they could be lifted with hands. But for smaller pieces, it was troublesome. They had to either drink the soup first or use their hands to grab the meat from the bottom of the bowl, a method that irked Han Cheng.
Eating like this resembled the habits of some international friends, including people from India. Han Cheng had watched videos of them grabbing food directly while eating hotpot, which felt ufortable for him.
Therefore, when he discovered this phenomenon in the tribe, he immediately stopped it. Stone, who loved grabbing the most, was even reprimanded with a specially-made ruler used for teaching.
The people felt a bit wrong, especially Stone. Even though he was young, he still got a big bowl. He hadn''t finished drinking the soup, and if he didn''t grab anything, he would be full on just soup and wouldn''t have room for the remaining meat.
Having meat in the bowl but being forced to drink only the soup was a huge torment for primitive people who valued eating more than anything else.
While everyone was diligently drinking the hot soup, trying to eat the meat at the bottom of the bowl, the god''s disciple, who had taken a stroll outside, returned.
He returned with a small bundle of smooth, thumb-thick twigs in his arms. To the puzzled looks of everyone, Han Cheng called Senior Brother over to help cut these twigs into segments of about twenty centimeters each.
After washing them clean with water from anotherrge pot, Han Cheng handed two to each person, much to the increasing confusion of the onlookers.
Shaman, who got the makeshift chopsticks first, put his pottery bowl on the ground, took a twig in each hand, and examined them, asionally gesturing. However, he still couldn''t figure out how to use them.
Shaman was wise. He understood the current predicament of the people in the tribe. Considering the Divine Child not allowing them to use their hands to grab meat in the bowl and observing the ongoing manufacturing of these two small sticks, he could guess the disciple''s intention.
However, Shaman was at a loss about how these things could get the meat from the bowl.
A bit perplexed, he held one chopstick in each hand and tried to pick at the meat in the bowl. One piece of meat was lifted above the surface, but before he could bring it to his mouth, a slight shake caused the meat to fall back into the bowl. The aromatic meat broth sshed out, making Shaman feel a bit regretful.
The others were even less adept than Shaman. Except for a few who guessed the purpose, the rest didn''t even know Han Cheng''s intentions.
Everyone was fiddling with the tree branches that Han Cheng had handed out, curious and perplexed. Some mischievous children had already started hitting theirpanions on the head with the sticks, finding a good use for them.
Except for the young children who couldn''t eat independently, everyone in the tribe now had a pair of makeshift chopsticks.
Knowing that they didn''t understand the purpose of these items, Han Cheng had no intention of exining.
He returned to where he had been before, picked up the bowl on the ground, cleared his throat, and drew everyone''s attention. Then, skillfully, he moved the two chopsticks to his right hand.
Bringing the two chopsticks together, the upper ends leaned against the base of his thumb, revealing about four to five centimeters at the top.
About two-thirds of the way up, naturally leaning against the first joint of the middle finger, the index finger and thumb, respectively, held the chopsticks. With a slight movement of the fingers, the chopsticks naturally separated.
Han Cheng extended the chopsticks into the bowl, quickly retracted them, and picked up a piece of meat from beneath the soup.
Han Cheng, enjoying the meat with everyone looking on in sudden realization. Shaman, who had witnessed how to use chopsticks, imitated Han Cheng''s actions, holding the two chopsticks with the hand he often used for holding a stone pen.
Before Han Cheng introduced the god''snguage and writing system to Shaman, both of Shamans hands were used for writing. However, when Han Cheng advised Shaman to write with his right hand. The time Shaman spent using his right hand increased.
From just this aspect, Shaman learned a lot. Previously, he only knew people had two hands, but he couldn''t distinguish between them. After Han Cheng mentioned left and right, this problem was well solved.
Moreover, the concepts of left and right were very versatile. Not only could hands be differentiated, but feet, ears, eyes, and many other things could be distinguished as left or right. The introduction of this concept made Shamans recording more detailed and urate.
With the left hand holding the bowl and the right hand holding the chopsticks, imitating Han Cheng''s movements, Shaman held the two chopsticks together with the hand he often used for writing.
The two thin sticks were like two fingers in Han Cheng''s nimble hands. However, in Shamans hands, they were quite unruly. He struggled to control them, attempting to pick up the meat in the bowl, but always failed. After several attempts, he finally awkwardly managed to pick up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth.
This brought a sense of aplishment to Shaman.
Compared to Shaman, the others were less skilled. Their movements were clumsy and awkward, and many couldn''t tell which hand held the chopsticks.
Among them, the adults in the tribe were the worst. The children who had learned from Han Cheng made fewer mistakes because they had grasped the concept of left and right during their initial attempts at writing.
For them, it wasn''t too difficult. They just needed to remember which hand held the pen.
Seeing everyone struggling to use chopsticks, unable to pick up the meat from the bowl, and even knocking over the bowls, Han Cheng, feeling helpless, had to demonstrate continuously, teaching each person one by one.
Many people inside the cave didn''t understand the Divine Childs actions. It was perfectly fine to eat by grabbing with hands. Why did he have to create these two things called chopsticks to torture people?
Due to the appearance of chopsticks, even the Second Senior Brother, who loved eating the most, became a bit scared when mealtime approached, especially when it was a meal with soup.
However, Han Cheng valued the use of chopsticks, and after discussing with the Eldest Senior Brother, he deliberately made meat soup for six or seven days in a row. Then, during a meal, he held the bowl with chopsticks, constantly scanning the people in the tribe. If he found someone not using chopsticks but grabbing with hands, that person would be punished with the ruler. Though it didn''t hurt, nobody wanted to endure it because it was embarrassing.
Under this kind of pressure, after about a week, the people in the tribe had gotten used to using chopsticks to eat. Some skilled individuals started using chopsticks to pick up and eat during barbecues.
As for the Second Senior Brother, after breaking five pairs of chopsticks and knocking over bowls eight times, he finally mastered the skill that had once terrified countless international friends.
Chapter 35: A magnificent masterpiece that came out of nowhere – Tadpole Looking for Mom
Chapter 35: A magnificent masterpiece that came out of nowhere ¨C Tadpole Looking for Mom
The affairs in the tribe have entered a routine, and life is peaceful.
The Elder Senior Brother continues to go hunting.
When they catch a lot of prey, people in the tribe can eat their fill, and the hunters can take some time off.
If the hunting yield is low, it bes a somewhat sad story. The people in the tribe have to eat less.
However, with the presence ofrge pottery jars and containers and Han Cheng introducing the method of boiling soup and cooking bone broth, even if the hunting yield is low, people in the tribe can still have a full stomach. After all, water is readily avable.
Of course, this kind of fullness is temporary. After relieving themselves, they get hungry again, but it is still better than before when they had less food and had to roast it.
In modern times, Han Cheng once heard a joke about a person who found a sparrow, and in his excitement, he quickly plucked its feathers, gutted it, and took out a carrot from the kitchen. He cut the carrot into pieces and cooked it with the sparrow. Then, he started calling friends toe over and enjoy a delicious and nutritious meat soup.
One sparrow and one carrot sessfully treated seven or eight people, and everyone ended up overeating.
Compared to this guy, Han Cheng feels that when making soup in the tribe, they put in too much meat.
They asionally catch fish, but the current fish are agile and not easy to catch, so the frequency of eating fish has decreased.
The Shaman is still busy, spending most of his time recording the things created by the divine child in the cave.
In his view, too much needs to be recorded, and he can''t bear to discard any of it.
For example, when there is a food shortage, they can userge pots to make soup, which is an excellent way for the tribe to save food.
But when the weather is good, Han Cheng would call the Shaman out to bask in the sun together.
Although the cave is warm in winter, moisture alsoes in with the warm weather. Moreover, the light inside is not very good. The Shaman is getting older and needs more sun exposure, which benefits him greatly.
As for Han Cheng, life has be more leisurely. With a Divine Child''s aura shining behind him, his status in the tribe is quite transcendent. Combined with his young age, he can live as he pleases.
After all, he is now one of the three leaders of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
His life has not changed muchpared to before.
He still teaches the children Chinese characters and Mandarin every day. However, Han Cheng gradually discovers a problem as the teaching time increases. When the children learn one character at a time or one phrase at a time, they tend to forget the previous ones easily.
Moreover, because they learn one character or phrase individually, they sometimes understand the meaning of the character know its writing, but don''t know how to use it.
However, this doesn''t trouble Han Cheng too much. After careful consideration, he brought out his big move: lessons with stories.
He starts with the story of tadpoles looking for their mother.
The appeal of the lesson is much stronger than learning individual characters. Through these short stories, the children can strengthen their grasp of sentence structures and their understanding of characters and phrases.
Children in the tribe have no chance to hear stories, and even if they asionally do, it''s about the tribe''s elders hunting and gathering. Far less interesting than these short lessons.
Because of this, Han Cheng''s short lessons immediately captured the hearts of all the children learning from him.
In just one day, they all remembered the story of tadpoles looking for their mother and even learned many new words from it.
So, in the days following thepletion of this short lesson, the children in the tribe would gather excitedly whenever they had free time, eagerly discussing and retelling the interesting story.
The appearance of the short lesson about tadpoles looking for their mother was like opening the door to a new world for these children.
It''s like when Han Cheng was in the first year of junior high school, and a kind-hearted ssmate shared the pirated online novels he had finished reading.
However, whenever Han Cheng sees them discussing the tadpole story enthusiastically, he feels awkward and guilty.
Because these children don''t know that their parents, in the evenings, perform a scene called "Tadpoles Looking for Mom" while humming a tune.
Teaching the divinenguage and writing magically and interestingly naturally attracts the Shaman. While enjoying the benefits, he also can''t help but sigh with a bit of helplessness. The things he recorded before have not been finished, and new things are emerging.
This is both painful and joyful.
Of course, Han Cheng doesn''t teach all day long. His time teaching each day will not exceed two hours at most. First, if he teaches too much, they won''t be able to remember or understand it well. Second, being a teacher is also hard work. Third, learning Chinese characters and Mandarin is not everything for these children. They must also learn many other survival skills because surviving here is their top priority.
For example, the older children in the tribe, like Hei Wa and the others, have increased the number of times they go hunting with the Elder Senior Brothers.
Fourthly, these children don''t need to strive for official positions. Unlike children inter generations who have daily exams and constant pressure on their academic performance, the quality of learning is closely rted to their prospects.
Children in the tribe don''t face such pressure.
Pottery production is also underway, but it''s not as intense as before. After all, pottery is not a disposable item. With the previous umtion, their demand is not as strong as initially.
Moreover, with some leisure time, pottery production gradually transitions from the initial rough style to a more refined one.
The variety of pottery is also increasing.
In addition to the originalrge pots, y jars, and bowls, guided by Han Cheng''s oral descriptions and outlines drawn on the ground with branches, the skilled Hei Wa begins to attempt making a teapot specifically for brewing tea, tea cups for drinking, and even a pillow made of y for sleeping.
Moreover, when making pottery now, they deliberately create some marks using ropes or other methods.
After the pioneering short lesson about tadpoles looking for their mother, the mostmon patterns appearing on various pottery pieces are clumsy yet childlike tadpoles and the mother frog.
After discovering this phenomenon, Han Cheng couldn''t help butugh.
He suddenly remembered something interesting.
Thousands of yearster, if the ce they live in is excavated, people find so many pottery pieces depicted with frogs and tadpoles. Will it not lead to various discussions?
Han Cheng thinks that by that time, their Green Sparrow Tribe will be known as the Frog Tribe.
Moreover, he has already figured out the reason for worshipping frogs. Frogs have many offspring, which can be conveniently associated with the ancient desire for a prosperous family with many children.
This is the rhythm of being invaded by tadpoles looking for their mother.
Chapter 36: Han Cheng tastes hundreds of herbs
Chapter 36: Han Cheng tastes hundreds of herbs
Han Cheng is now exercising every day. Regardless of the era, having a healthy body is essential, especially in primitive times.
One can withstand wind, frost, rain, and snow andbat diseases only with a good physique.
A healthy body enables betterbat against wild beasts, survival in difficult circumstances, and the gradual growth of the tribe for better survival.
His so-called fitness routine involves doing sit-ups, push-ups, and squats.
Of course, there''s also running.
He practices long-distance running to build endurance and sprints of 100 meters to develop explosive power.
Running is a crucial survival skill in primitive times and equally important in battles.
So, Han Cheng takes his training very seriously.
Climbing trees is also a crucial skill. It not only exercises the body but alsoes in handy for picking fruits, exploring bird nests, and, most importantly, escaping danger.
For instance, when facing a pack of wolves or other formidable creatures in the primitive wilderness, climbing a tree is a vital escape.
As for swimming,
He''d rather not.
Not only because the water is too cold but also because the river''s fish are too aggressive.
The fish nowadays are far from gentle like the fish in the future. Moreover, some of them have sharp teeth. If he were to dive into the river, there''s a risk of being bitten in sensitive areas, eliminating any chance of self-amusement in the future.
When ites to exercise, the happiest ones are the children. Not because they enjoy exercising but because training with the divine child easily brings a sense of achievement.
While Han Cheng proudly climbs to a height of more than one meter on a tree with a diameter of about twenty centimeters, a few guys immediatelye to the trees around the divine child. Each of them chooses a tree with a diameter exceeding fifty centimeters, using their hands and feet to climb up. In no time, they disappear into the trees.
This makes Han Cheng, who can only see their buttocks, particrly annoyed.
Damn it, climbing trees without wearing underwear.
Still climbing so fast and so high, are you happy now? You won''t be happy if you grind off your little bird.
In a depressed mood, Han Cheng can only vent his dissatisfaction in his heart.
As for underwear, Han Cheng wore it and had it made long ago.
The feeling of emptiness and freedom between his legs is too wonderful, making him dare not try too much.
Even if the underwear made of animal skins is ufortable, he endures it.
Of course, to avoid affecting the vigorous growth of his little bird below, he takes it off every night, letting it breathe freely in the air after being confined for a long time.
The underwear made of animal skins is indeed ufortable. This makes Han Cheng miss the things he wore in his previous life. The four pairs for ten dors would be better than these airtight animal skin ones.
Han Cheng''s desire for fabric has never been so high, but he can only continue to long for it under the current conditions, much like his longing for salt.
The children in the tribe have a high enthusiasm for surpassing and teasing the divine child in sports. Even if the divine child assigns a rare character to those who caused trouble the day before and requires them to learn how to read and write it, these children are still happy to do so.
For them, the slight pain and the joy of seeing the divine child''s vexed expression are not worth mentioning.
Han Cheng is not annoyed by the actions of these children who appear to be the same age or older. He knows that they are just ying around with him.
This is their way of expressing a good rtionship with him. These children greatly respect him.
He also likes this harmonious way of getting along.
Moreover, these things are beneficial for boosting his fighting spirit.
After all, he is a time-traveler and the divine child in the tribe. It''s not good to always be treated like this by these little rascals.
Under the influence of these thoughts, Han Cheng exercises more vigorously, and his progress bes more and more evident.
However, theck of salt for supplementation is affecting him constantly.
Because he did not have enough salt, his endurance was insufficient, and he often needed a long rest after exercising for a while.
The others in the tribe have long been ustomed to this state, but Han Cheng, who has experienced the modern world, cannot get used to it.
Unfortunately, he still can''t find any trace of salt.
In addition to teaching, exercising, and making pottery, Han Cheng also explores the forest near the cave, trying to find some wild vegetables that he can eat. After all, only eating meat is not sustainable.
The Shaman has a way to supplement vitamins, which the tribe often chew, called "papa."
It is a fruit that grows on a tree called "papa."
Oval-shaped, notrge, with some small fuzz on top, green when unripe, and turning brown when ripe.
It''s rtively hard, somewhat like wood.
When eating, they first smash it open by hitting it on the stone pit Shaman uses to crush meat for making meat soup. It''s then divided into several pieces.
Each person takes a piece and chews it in their mouth.
Han Cheng has tried this thing, and the taste is really strange. Even though he has eaten it more than ten times, he still can''t stand the taste.
When he asked Shaman, Shaman couldn''t exin why they needed to chew on this thing every few days. It''s a tradition passed down from the past, and Shaman has been doing it since he was young.
This is the wisdom of life.
Shaman doesn''t know the significance of chewing this thing, but it solves the problem ofcking vitamins due to a diet mainly consisting of meat.
Unable to tolerate the taste of this thing, Han Cheng feels it is necessary to find some wild vegetables.
Firstly, to eliminate the strange taste of "papa," and secondly, to increase the variety of food for the tribe and broaden their sources.
Because of the presence of the Senior brothers, there are not many wild animals around the tribe, and it is rtively safepared to other ces.
Han Cheng has tasted nearly ten kinds of grass but has not found any that taste good.
Of course, given that the ancient sage Shen Nong poisoned himself by tasting a hundred herbs, Han Cheng is very cautious in carrying out this great cause.
Firstly, the objects he tasted were those with insect holes or those that had been gnawed by something else. Secondly, he didn''t taste much. He just took a little to savor, then spit it out. After that, he drank a few sips of water from the pottery he carried with him, rinsed his mouth, and repeated this process five times before stopping.
Under his cautious operation, unless he tastes arsenic like Pan Jinlian gave to Wu Dng, there should be no problem.
Chapter 37: The ancestor of rapeseed?
Chapter 37: The ancestor of rapeseed?
Han Cheng was very excited because he finally tasted a wild grass that was rtively tasty.
This type of grass hadrge leaves, white stems, and greenish leaves. There were some small prickles on the upper side of the leaves. When chewed, it had a unique taste of fresh grass.
Unlike other grasses that were either bitter, astringent, or hard to chew, this wild grass was not particrly delicious but not bad either.
This discovery excited Han Cheng, especially when he saw the tender stems and the small flower buds on them, as well as a few yellow flowers partially exposed. It reminded him of rapeseed in the future.
Although this wild vegetable had many differences from future rapeseed, there were also many simrities. This made Han Cheng both excited and apprehensive.
Because he hoped that this might be the ancestor of rapeseed in the future.
If it were indeed the primitive rapeseed, there would be so much more that could be done.
Suppressing his excitement, Han Cheng found many simr wild grasses nearby. He pulled some and took them back.
Han Cheng would never be so reckless as to put this unknown wild nt, which wasn''t bad tasting and resembled rapeseed, in the meat soup to cook without first discerning if it was toxic. Doing such things could easily jeopardize the ancient tribe passed down for countless years.
Han Cheng had his way of distinguishing between toxic and non-toxic nts.
A circle of stones about a meter high enclosed an area in a corner of the cave. On top of it was a stone b that covered more than half of the top.
When Han Cheng approached and looked inside, a quiet gray figure was startled and jumped around inside. It took a while to calm down, and sat close to a stone, vigntly making eye contact with Han Cheng.
Han Cheng intentionally kept this wild rabbit alive after being caught by the Eldest Senior brother and others.
Han Cheng threw the nt that resembled the ancestor of rapeseed into the rabbit enclosure from the entrance. This action frightened the rabbit, causing it to jump around wildly, even attempting to escape the cage.
However, because the entrance was covered by a stone b that blocked less than one-fifth of the area, its escape attempts were thwarted when it repeatedly bumped its head on the b.
After several attempts, it finally gave up its impossible escape mission and stayed inside the narrow stone circle, not touching the vegetable Han Cheng had thrown.
It seemed that this little creature had some trauma. Who knows what it went through on its way back after being caught by the Eldest brother and others?
Han Cheng moved another small stone b, covering even more of the entrance, to prevent the creature from escaping. Then, he left.
It would eat the wild grass.
Indeed, the next morning, when Han Cheng moved the small stone b again to look inside, the wild grass he threw in the day before waspletely eaten.
The rabbit was still lively, attempting to escape at any opportunity.
It seemed that this thing was fine to eat.
Thinking so, Han Cheng continued to throw this kind of wild grass inside to feed it.
The little creature was still lively after being fed for seven consecutive days.
ustomed to this life, it continued to frolic with another of its kind brought back by the Eldest Senior Brother, shamelessly carrying on as if no one was watching.
It seemed that this wild vegetable was really fine to eat.
After seven days of observation, these wild vegetables alsopletely blossomed, with a brilliant yellow color. They adorned the forest and grasnd, making the surroundings exceptionally beautiful.
There are bees.
Let''s assume it''s a bee, although this fellow is twice the size of future bees.
The bees buzz around tirelessly between various flowers, demonstrating the style a flower thief should have through their actions.
Butterflies.
The butterflies are different from themon ones in the future, but Han Cheng can still recognize them.
Butterflies of various sizes join in the fun,peting with the bees for the title of the flower thief. They flutter around in the flower clusters, dancing back and forth.
By now, Han Cheng could confirm that these were primitive rapeseed nts.
Han Cheng looked at the golden flowers, smelled the refreshing fragrance, and couldn''t help but burst intoughter under the warm spring sunshine.
At this moment, the joy in his heart was beyond anyone''sprehension.
He never expected that he would find rapeseed just when he was looking for some wild vegetables to eat.
Luck, oh luck. Up to now, he somewhat believed that time travelers were favored by fate.
Although others encountered various secret techniques and treasures, he only found rapeseed, which was primitive rapeseed. There was a big difference, but Han Cheng was still very happy.
After all, his requirements were not very high.
Han Cheng looked at these sparsely nted rapeseed nts. Suddenly, he hesitated because these nts had already bloomed. It wouldn''t take long for them to mature and produce seeds.
If he collected these seeds and nted them in a dedicated area, wouldn''t he be able to harvest more rapeseed?
Thinking beautifully like this, as if he were standing in an endless sea of rapeseed flowers, basking in the warm sunshine and smelling the fragrant air, Han Cheng''s beautiful dream was soon shattered.
A creature with antlers on its head and fur on its body emerged from somewhere, joyfully feasting on the rapeseed that Han Cheng hesitated to harvest.
It moved quickly, and its teeth were sharp, devouring leaves and flowers. In a short time, two flourishing rapeseed nts were in its mouth.
Its short tail wagged back and forth, a clear sign of its delight.
Han Cheng''s heart, however, was bleeding.
Damn it, I''m not easy. I''m a time traveler, after all. Finally, Ie across some rapeseed, and before I can bring myself to take action, it''s snatched away by something else.
"Damn beast, stop!"
Stunned momentarily, Han Cheng, filled with anger, shouted at a deer approaching another cluster, preparing to take another bite.
The deer, happily eating, suddenly heard themotion. It stopped eating, turned its head to look at Han Cheng, and headed toward him.
Anger, Han Cheng pointed to the side and shouted, "Get lost!"
Contrary to Han Cheng''s imagination, the creature didn''t flee in panic upon hearing the shout. Instead, it made a disdainful snort and lowered its head to continue eating its beloved flowers.
Chapter 38: The Cunning Deer Lord
Chapter 38: The Cunning Deer Lord
Han Cheng stared in disbelief, muttering, "How can it be so unaware? Even a deer dares to ignore me. Though it''s the primitive era, and they are the bosses, they shouldn''t dismiss people like this."
Enraged, Han Cheng, also known as Divine Child, grabbed a handful of dry grass from the ground and charged at the impolite creature, shouting, "Die, you beast!"
If this were the modern era, the deer would have fled in fright at a distance of eight yards. However, things were different now, and the deerpletely disregarded Han Cheng, even rolling its eyes at him. It turned its headzily, not understanding what this two-legged creature, who was yelling at it, wanted.
While looking back at Han Cheng, the deer lord nonchntly chewed on a piece of rapeseed stalk, it had just bitten off. The scene was incredibly rxed.
"F***, get lost!"
Feeling utterly ignored, Han Cheng decided to stop the shouting and opt for something more practical. He charged toward the deer, jumped, and pped its belly.
However, the deer acted as if it didn''t feel a thing, continuing on its way, even giving Han Cheng a disdainful look before moving on to the next patch of rapeseed. Han Cheng stood there, hand raised and bewildered.
"What the heck, itpletely disregarded me."
Originally thinking of picking up a stone, Han Cheng changed his mind. It would be too easy on the deer. Instead, he looked around and plucked some grass from the ground, not to lure the creature away, as that would be too easy. Han Cheng wanted to be more cunning.
He wanted to capture the deer and bring it back to the tribe. After all, it was a considerable walking piece of meat. "You eat my rapeseed, I''ll eat your meat. Let''s see who''s tougher."
Han Cheng twisted the grass into a rope with a malicious grin. In no time, a rope over three yards long appeared.
Han Cheng formed a loop at one end, then approached the unsuspecting deer. He took advantage of its distraction and flicked the rope towards the deer''s neck, creating a loop.
"Haha, you''re mine now!"
Quickly tightening the grass rope, Han Chengughed heartily, watching the startled deer.
Covered in dirt and disheveled, Han Cheng stood up, spat on the ground, and tossed the half-made grass rope aside. The deer lord continued to chew on the grass rope around its neck, asionally snorting to express his disdain for Han Cheng''s futile attempt.
F***, I''ve been bullied by this creature.
Feeling somewhat helpless, Han Cheng couldn''t believe a deer had outsmarted him. The deer lord, seemingly unbothered, walked towards Han Cheng, who took a few steps back. Despite being an herbivore, the deer''s size was imposing.
From their brief confrontation, Han Cheng realized the vast difference in strength. He understood that, for now, he was no match for this formidable creature. The deer lord stopped two meters away from Han Cheng, turning its head, leaving Han Cheng bewildered, thinking it might use its antlers on him. Yet, to his surprise, it turned away.
Han Cheng was a bit puzzled about what this deer was up to, but his confusion was short-lived because
"Splurt!"
A loud and lingering fart, apanied by a pungent smell, immediately echoed.
The deer lord, wagging its short tail, took small, indifferent steps and walked away, leaving Han Cheng amidst the strong odor.
"Cough, vomit!"
"What the heck did you eat?"
Han Chengmented, then picked up a stone from the ground and chased after the retreating deer.
One can be killed, but one must not endure humiliation. This deer was truly too much.
Facing the two-legged creature chasing after it, the deer lord was fearless. It released more gas, feeling quite pleased, and even started jogging.
With its four long legs, the creature ahead easily outpaced the two-legged oddity behind. yfully, the deer lord stopped and started again, asionally looking back. When it saw the relentless pursuer closing in, it resumed its elegant stride.
Han Cheng, panting and out of breath, found himself unable to keep up. He thought the creature ahead was bing cunning. He considered giving up several times, but seeing the creature taunting him made him angry, so he continued the pursuit.
Han Cheng wanted to ask the creature ahead, "Which one of us is human?"
The deer lord stopped at a mountainside, where more deer were presentdozens of them, big and small. Han Cheng''s eyes widened in surprise.
He hadn''t expected a deer herd here. In the future, if the tribecked food, they coulde here for a hunt. Even half-sized deer would be enough to feed the tribe.
The other deers didn''t pay much attention to Han Cheng, who walked on two legs. The leader had already informed them that this guy''sbat power was lower than a yellow sheep.
As the leader, the deer lord, after arriving at the deer herd, ignored Han Cheng. It needed to maintain its high and cold image as a leader.
With its head held high, the deer lord approached the mountainside, stuck out its tongue, and started licking the mountainside, reminiscent of polishing shoes.
"This pervert is even practicing tongue exercises like the yellow bug."
Those who have read The Funny Bug would understand. Han Cheng, who had suffered humiliation, muttered quietly.
Suddenly, as if he remembered something, his eyes lit up.
Yes, animals also need salt for supplementation. Otherwise, where would the salt in their bodiese from?
Could this cunning creature not be molesting the mountainside but rather replenishing its salt?
This entire mountainside was a salt mine.
With this realization, Han Cheng forgot about his exhaustion. He sprinted to the mountainside and, like the deer lord, stuck out his tongue for a lingering kiss with the mountainside.
"Heh, bleh, bleh!"
The taste was bitter and salty, with various strange vors all mingling in his mouth.
The deer lord looked dissatisfied with Han Cheng''s noisy behavior, gave a snort, and elegantly walked away, doing tongue exercises on his own.
Understood. This was a salt mine.
Apart from salt, there were many impurities. Although it was far from ready-to-eat salt, extracting edible salt from the mine was not difficult for Han Cheng, a half-baked science student who had also worked in wilderness rescue for five or six years.
He found a nearby stone and then smashed it against the mountainside. The deer lord nearby wasn''t pleased with Han Cheng''s noisy actions, snorted loudly, and took small, elegant steps to the side.
"Thanks."
Han Cheng bowed to the departing deer, then carried the head-sized salt mine back along the way he came. With this salt mine, Han Cheng had already forgotten about the deer''s mockery.
Chapter 39: An edible rock – Salt
Chapter 39: An edible rock ¨C Salt
Don''t worry that Han Cheng will get lost. When he came, he had already considered this issue. At intervals, there are tree branches broken by him as marks.
He walks back with this nearly ten-kilogram rock salt along the markings and surprisingly doesn''t feel tired.
Is this the legendary ability to carry two hundred kilograms of grain without difficulty? If it were two hundred kilograms of money, not only could he carry it, but he could also run with it.
Han Cheng currently has no time for Rapeseed flowers. If these guys like to eat them, let them eat. They''ve been growing well all these years, and he doesn''t believe they can be eaten up quickly.
Han Cheng''s craving for salt has long surpassed that for vegetables.
Before reaching the tribe, Han Cheng was joyfully stopped by ckwa, who then turned around and shouted, "The Divine Child is back!"
In no time, seven or eight people surrounded Han Cheng.
ckwa took the stone from Han Cheng''s hand, his eyes slightly red, saying, " Divine Child, where did you go? The shaman is going crazy."
Other children and two adult female primitive people who came after hearing the news looked at Han Cheng with joy and concern.
Han Cheng felt warm, smiling, "I''m fine. I just went to find something good."
"This, this?"
ckwa raised the stone in his hand, looking puzzled.
He was almost an adult, with quite some strength, and this ten-kilogram stone didn''t seem heavy in his hands.
"Yes, this."
Han Cheng smiled and then nodded mysteriously.
This immediately aroused the people''s curiosity.
This time, Shaman didn''t stay in the cave but appeared in a nearby ce. Seeing Han Cheng, the worries on his weathered facepletely disappeared, turning into a bright smile.
He walked to Han Cheng''s side, squatting down, examining him up and down. Seeing Han Cheng intact, he reached out, touched Han Cheng''s head, tidied his hair for a while, and then led a group of people toward the cave.
The people in the tribe were very curious, eagerly watching the miracle the Divine Child was about to perform.
Because the Divine Child who entered the cave finally revealed the purpose of running so far and bringing back such a rockto eat.
This result left everyone stunned.
The Divine Child has performed many miracles, and they have be ustomed to it. However, this miracle is too outrageouseating rocks.
These rocks are so hard that biting into them might break their teeth.
Unconvinced, ckwa and a few others secretly tried it. The rocks were not only unchewable, but they also tasted surprisingly bad.
Shaman and everyone else stopped the seemingly endless recording and watched together.
He has developed a habit. Whenever Han Cheng is going to tinker with something new, he will watch on the side. For him, this is a crucial moment to witness miracles and learn.
Han Cheng is toozy to exin too much. He let Lame and ckwa smash the rock into small pieces and then put it into the pit used to crush oilseed flowers. They continued smashing it into a powdered form.
He then brought two pottery basins, one containing half a basin of clear water, and the other was empty.
Han Cheng put the powdered rock salt into the basin with clear water, dissolved it, and the water immediately became cloudy.
He found a bunch of dry grass, ced it on the mouth of the basin, and had Lame lift the half-basin of muddy water and pour it into another basin.
After filtering, the water was somewhat clearerpared to before. Han Cheng took the grass from the basin with clear water, rinsed it, and then pressed it against the basin''s edge containing saltwater, letting Lame repeat the previous actions.
After repeating these actions for two rounds, Han Cheng stopped and picked up some charcoal he had just scraped from the ash pile. He mped it between the grass in his hand and continued filtering.
After repeating this process seven or eight times, when looking at the water basin, it had changed from the initial turbidity to rity.
Han Cheng dipped his hand in the water and put it in his mouth, and the familiar salty taste almost made him cry.
What Han Cheng wanted was salt, not saltwater. This saltwater was not suitable for his needs.
However, this final step was easy to perform.
He poured the filtered and detoxified saltwater into a pottery pot for boiling soup and heating water, cing it over the fire.
Unlike before, he didn''t cover the pot.
A wisp of white vapor rose, and with the steam, the water evaporated. Not long after, all the water inside the pottery pot hadpletely disappeared, leaving ayer of white crystals below.
Han Cheng took the pot off the fire. He couldn''t wait to pick up a piece of the crystallized salt and put it in his mouth. The familiar and rich salty taste spread throughout his mouth.
He didn''t spit it out, but after fully experiencing the long-lost salty taste, he swallowed it down, licking his lips, showing a satisfied expression.
People on the side stared wide-eyed. Can this rock be eaten?
However, after the experience with in boiled waterst time, they had some psychological preparation for this strange white rock, lowering their expectations.
Shaman, watching the entire process, approached, imitating Han Cheng. He picked up a piece from the bottom of the pot and prepared to taste the white rock that could be eaten.
Seeing this, Han Cheng quickly stopped him because Shaman picked a piece that was too big, almost the size of a thumbnail.
If he ate that piece in one go, the taste
Shaman thought that Divine Child was being a bit stingy. Even when he picked such a small piece, he still didn''t want to let him eat it, insisting on giving him an even smaller piece. How could he taste anything with such a tiny amount?
With this thought, he still put the almost unholdable small piece of white rock into his mouth.
In the expectant eyes of Han Cheng, Shaman widened his eyes instantly, his facial expression somewhat distorted. He endured the taste in his mouth for a while before finally swallowing it, shaking his head and saying, "Not tasty."
ckwa and the others watching showed expressions of "as expected." The Divine Childs taste is different from theirs.
Although they thought so, they couldn''t resist their curiosity and wanted to taste how bad the white rock was, so much so that it made Shaman''s face twitch.
Learning from Shaman''s experience, they picked even smaller pieces, but the rich, salty taste they had never encountered made them stick out their tongues in disdain.
Han Cheng scooped up a bowl of cold, in boiled water and handed it to the shaman, telling him to rinse his mouth. He smiled at the small amount of salt at the bottom of the pot.
He told Shaman with a smile that salt is not eaten like this. He will be able to appreciate its deliciousness in the evening.
Chapter 40: Enchanting Salt
Chapter 40: Enchanting Salt
Shaman learned the name of this white stone from Han Cheng''s mouth it was called salt.
However, he was somewhat skeptical of Han Cheng''s words. The lingering taste that made his body shudder didn''tpletely dissipate, even after rinsing his mouth twice. He found it hard to believe that something not tasty now could be delicious by evening.
Could it be that salt, like fruit, is not tasty when freshly picked and green but bes delicious after turning yellow?
Shaman thought about this and nodded, feeling that he had probably guessed the truth.
Han Cheng carefully scooped up theyer of salt that had condensed at the bottom of the jar. He then ced it on a clean stone b, crushed it into a powder with a careful stone, and put it into a new, clean jar, sealing it with a lid.
He then directed the others to follow the same process to crush and cook the remaining two-thirds of the salt ore.
The salt content in this salt mine was quite high. From a small ten kilograms of salt ore, they obtained about one kilogram of salt, which pleasantly surprised Han Cheng.
The senior brothers returned with their hunt in thete afternoon, almost evening. The Eldest Senior brother, who had heard about the salt, opened the salt jar, pinched some salt crumbs into his mouth, and then made a spitting sound.
He looked at Han Cheng, repeatedly shaking his head, indicating that this wasn''t tasty.
Han Cheng smiled knowingly and didn''t exin much. If salt was tasty when eaten directly, that would be strange.
The hunted game was gutted, skewered on branches, and roasted over the fire.
Previously, Han Cheng didn''t bother with such chores as roasting meat. After all, he was the Divine Child and needed to enjoy the results.
But tonight was different. He held a bowl in his arms, and inside it was some salt he had poured out from the jar.
He stood by the edge of the fire pit, sprinkling ayer of salt over all the meat to be roasted.
Those who had already tasted the salt couldn''t help but twitch their faces.
Fortunately, it was Divine Child who did this. If it were someone else, they might have been punched.
Food was precious and shouldn''t be treated like this.
Shamans eyes showed a hint of surprise. He didn''t expect Han Cheng''s definition of "delicious" not to involve eating the salt directly but rather sprinkling this strangely vored salt on roasted meat.
Han Cheng looked at the golden brown meat dripping with hot oil and felt a sense of anticipation for tonight''s meal.
Once all the meat was cooked, Shaman was the first to eat just like before.
The Eldest Senior Brother picked a piece of well-roasted meat, picked it up with chopsticks, put it in a bowl, and then held it with both hands. With the chopsticks and bowl together, he presented it to Shaman, who stood aside and watched.
Everyone watched Shaman, anticipating his evaluation of tonight''s uniquely seasoned roasted meat.
Shaman, being a well-traveled individual, remained unfazed by the watchful eyes. He blew a few breaths onto the meat, waiting for it to cool, and then slowly took a bite.
Everyone held their breath, watching Shaman closely.
As Shaman took a bite, his eyes lit up. He chewed at a noticeably faster pace, a departure from his calm demeanor during meals before.
Seeing Shaman''s reaction, everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief. The food wouldn''t be wasted.
Then came the bewilderment was the roasted meat seasoned with the peculiar-tasting white stone that the Divine Child called "salt" really so delicious?
"Delicious!"
Shaman announced happily to everyone, resisting the desire to take another bite after finishing his first. The news was already known to everyone.
The Second Senior Brother''s mouthwatering gaze returned, looking at the salted roasted meat and then at the Eldest Senior Brother, eagerly waiting.
The message was clear: "Hurry up and get some food. Once you have it, I can quickly grab some too. Let''s taste this roasted meat that Shaman can''t stop praising."
The Eldest Senior Brother filled a bowl for Han Cheng and then eagerly took his food, leading his family to the side to dine.
Han Cheng felt an urge to shed tears. After being here for several months, he had finally taken a bite of salted food. It was a bittersweet moment.
The tribe ate noticeably faster than usual. Even Shaman slowed down after eating more than half of the meat in his bowl.
When the usual amount of food for the tribe was finished, everyone, especially the children, still felt unsatisfied.
After their parents ate, it was their turn, and usually, the food left by their parents, even if not enough to fill their stomachs, was sufficient. However, today, they receive less food.
Everyone looked expectantly at the Eldest Senior Brother, who also seemed unsatisfied. Fortunately, they had caught plenty of game today, so he didn''t disappoint. He selected more meat to prepare for roasting.
However, Han Cheng stopped him. Under his guidance, the roasted meat turned into a meat soup, with less meat and more bones than before, utilizing the bones that were usually too tough to chew.
This way, they could save some food. Besides, everyone had eaten enough by now. The feeling of not being satisfied came from the novelty of tasting salted food for the first time, creating a desire to eat more. Under this psychological effect, they would feel unsatisfied even if they were full.
At this point, drinking some meat soup would be better than continuing to eat roasted meat.
Arge pot specially used for boiling soup was ced over the fire. Someone skillfully added water, meat, and bones to it.
Under Han Cheng''s instructions and supervision, people in the tribe washed the meat with water before cooking, unlike when they cooked it directly with blood.
Once the meat was in and the water was added, Han Cheng poured the remaining salt from his bowl into the pot. Then, he covered it with a lid made of grass and leaves.
The pottery lids were either too small or too easily damaged, not to mention heavy and inconvenient to use. After breaking twice, Han Cheng remembered the pot lids used at home and improvised to create the current lids made of grass and leaves.
When boiling meat, adding salt early to enhance the vor was better.
Finally, much to everyone''s anticipation, the meat soup was ready. It didn''t disappoint, and the soup was extraordinarily delicious.
Even Junior Brother Sandy, who wasn''t fond of meat soup before, couldn''t stop praising it after a sip.
No one had expected that just eating the seemingly unptable salt alone and sprinkling it on food and adding it to the soup would make the food so delicious.
The Divine Child truly hadn''t let them down.
Inside the cave, in front of the totem pir serving as the altar, a new item was ced on the stone not food, but a small bowl of white salt.
Shaman led the tribe in a dance by the fire, thanking the heavens for bestowing them with such delicious salt through the hands of the Divine Child.
Chapter 41: Salt Mountain, deer, making salt
Chapter 41: Salt Mountain, deer, making salt
The delicious taste of salt lingered in the memory of every person in the tribe. After eating food seasoned with salt, even the previously vorful grilled meat and fish without salt seemed difficult to swallow.
Due to a sessful hunt the previous day, the Eldest Senior Brother and others, armed with tools, joined Han Cheng on the way to Salt Mountain today.
Salt Mountain was the name Han Cheng gave to the salt mine.
Without a name, things were inconvenient.
On the way to Salt Mountain, they passed where Han Cheng discovered rapeseed. The rapeseed flowers were still vibrant, although some had only left behind empty stems without flowers.
Pointing at these yellow flowers, Han Cheng informed the people in the tribe that this was another good thing he had discovered, warning them not to step on it.
Because they were yearning for the deliciousness of salt, the wild grass mentioned by the Divine Child did not receive enough attention from them. After all, they encountered many wild nts daily and didn''t find this flowering weed particrly remarkable.
Following the marks he remembered from yesterday, Han Cheng led the people to the east.
Luckily, he led the tribe to the location of Salt Mountain. Han Cheng didn''t face such misfortune unlike the unfortunate fisherman in the Peach Blossom Spring story, who became lost despite marking the path everywhere. In this ce, there was only a group of deerzing around, and unlike the people in Peach Blossom Spring, deer wouldn''t changendmarks and track signs.
The deer, led by their leader, were leisurely basking in the sun, nibbling on grass, and asionally licking the rocks with tongues.
Upon seeing thisrge group of deer, the eyes of the Eldest Senior Brother and the others ustomed to hunting gleamed. Without being instructed by the Eldest Senior Brother, they wielded their weapons, preparing tounch an attack on the deer.
Han Cheng quickly stopped them.
He had his thoughts about this group of deer.
Han Cheng conversed with the Eldest Senior brother and ordered everyone not to disturb the deers.
Afterward, he led the reluctant group of people a considerable distance to the south, maintaining a distance of about a hundred meters from the deer, observing each other without disturbing them.
At the beginning, the deer lord and his group were somewhat wary of the unexpected guests. However, when they found that the leader was the two-legged creature that had been bullied by them yesterday and the others were also two-legged creatures walking on two legs, and these creatures did not approach them, they gradually rxed.
After calming itself, the deer lord even walked elegantly, disying a royal demeanor. It strolled toward the two-legged creatures and practiced tongue movements against the rock in front of them.
Han Cheng quickly stopped the Eldest Senior Brother and others eager to hunt. He picked some rapeseed that he had pulled from the roadside grass and handed it to the deer lord, who was exuding an air of majesty.
These were things he had thought about and specially prepared for today.
Originally, he nned to try approaching the deer if they were still here. However, before he could take action, the deer lord, who had seen the world, hade over to collect protection fees.
Facing the rapeseed handed over by Han Cheng, the deer lord did not hesitate to open his mouth and eat.
After eating, seemingly satisfied with Han Cheng''s well-behaved actions, the deer patriarch lifted its head high, showing a proud and triumphant appearance, then walked back to its herd with an elegant stride.
With the addition of strong individuals like Eldest Senior brother, who often engages inbat with wild beasts, smashing rocks for salt bes much faster.
Therge chunks of salt are carried away directly, while the smaller pieces are stored in animal skins to be usedter for wrapping fruits in the autumn.
Since the salt mountain is about ten miles away from the tribe, there is concern about the safety of the round trip. Therefore, when transporting the rock salt to the tribe, they don''t go individually. Instead, they wait until enough rock salt is smashed for half the group and then set out together, much like when they transported fruits to the tribe in the autumn.
All these efforts have been umted over a long period of living.
Although carrying the salt by hand and on the shoulders is slow, there is no other option since no efficient tools are avable at the moment.
However, after a day of hard work, a pile of various-sized rock salt has been gathered near the small river not far from the pottery area. There is at least more than a thousand pounds.
This is not an exaggeration. Rock salt is not too hard to break when it falls from the mountainside. Additionally, seven or eight semi-grown children are participating inbor today.
Even though it''s not much, transporting over a thousand pounds of rock salt in a day with so many people is no small feat.
There is no salt production. All efforts are focused on transporting rock salt.
It''s difficult for them to gather when Eldest Senior Brother and his team don''t need to go hunting.
Making salt is a task that Han Cheng and some children in the tribe, as well as the Lame and a few women who are either physically weak, pregnant, or have children to take care of, can handle.
However, transporting rock salt from the mountain seven or eight miles away is challenging for the elderly, weak, women, and children.
On the second day, the Eldest Senior Brother led the team to continue hunting while Han Cheng took the pottery maker elderlies to start salt production.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others also wanted to stay, as they were keenly interested in extracting delicious salt from the rocks.
However, if they don''t go hunting, the tribe will have no food tomorrow, so they have to go hunting.
Next to the small river, the bustling salt production business is in progress, with Han Cheng assigning tasks based on everyone''s strengths.
Those with greater strength, such as Heiwa and the Lame, are responsible for smashingrge rocks into small pieces and then further into powder.
Several women with less strength are responsible for using basins, dry grass, and charcoal to filter the mined salt.
Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and others with even less strength are responsible for the fire and boiling the salt.
Han Cheng acts as a technical guide on the side, extracting the final salt from the pottery jar, crushing it into pieces, and cing it in jars.
Moving the salt production site to the small river is necessary because salt production requires considerable water, and the space needed isrge. If everything is done in the cave, which is already damp, it will be uninhabitable.
When ites tobor, there is no rest, and everyone is exhausted after a day.
However, smiles appear on everyone''s faces when they see the half-jar of delicious salt. This tasty salt makes the exhaustion worthwhile, even if they work a bit harder.
Chapter 42: Every step forward is difficult
Chapter 42: Every step forward is difficult
The salt production is mainly done by Han Cheng, along with the children and the elderly, and women in the tribe.
The strongest members of the tribe, such as the Eldest Senior Brother, do not participate much because hunting alone to provide enough food for the tribe already consumes almost all of their energy.
They can take advantage of some rare free time to transport rock salt from the salt mountain to the riverbank.
This makes Han Cheng quite helpless. The issue of food is always a looming threat. If the problem of food could bepletely solved, the productivity within the tribe could be greatly liberated, allowing more energy to be devoted to other tasks.
However, achieving this is easier said than done. In Han Cheng''s previous life, with its long history, his powerful homnd only recently managed to eliminate hunger for the people.
Fortunately, the consumption of salt is not toorge. With proficiency in salt-making, Han Cheng and his tribe can produce about ten pounds of salt per day, which is enough for the tribe to use for about a month.
With the salt reserves in the tribe exceeding a hundred pounds in five jars, Han Cheng no longer needs to be as tight as before. Instead, he reduces the salt production by nearly half every day.
During the salt-making process, they also fired two kilns of pottery, mainly casting items such as pottery basins and pots needed for salt-making.
With enough pottery in the tribe, under Han Cheng''s advocacy, a decision was made to reform the pottery-making technology.
The focus of the reform is not the technique of making pottery but the kiln used to fire the pottery.
The advantage of using a simple y kiln is that it is easy to build and master. The downside is that it is too troublesome. After each firing of pottery, it needs to be resealed with y.
It''s more convenient to use a kiln built with bricks. Of course, a kiln built with bricks is initially cumbersome, especially in kiln construction. Han Cheng only knows a general idea about it.
Apart from oveing difficulties such as digging underground, making bricks, designing shapes, mastering firing temperature, and others, it requires a step-by-step exploration and summarization of experience.
However, it doesn''t matter. The development of any technology has gone through such steps.
If one is afraid of this trouble and another is afraid of that trouble, the world wille to a standstill.
In the future, the Green Sparrow Tribe can only use simple y kilns, and pottery technology will stop here.
Don''t stop eating just because you choked before.
They can''t make bricks now, not just because they don''t have a kiln for firing bricks but also because they don''t have enough fuel.
Firing bricks requires a continuous and long period, and relying solely on firewood to burn bricks to make them well-burned and solid, at least four to five days are needed with a brick kiln.
If fewer bricks are needed,rge amounts of water must be poured from the top of the kiln, and the water-sealing process takes about two days.
Four or five days of uninterrupted burning, not to mention the manpower and material resources, just the firewood burned, for the low productivity of the Green Sparrow Tribe, is a huge burden.
It is not cost-effective to burn bricks at this stage.
Of course, pottery and brick-making are different. Because the kilns for firing pottery are rtively small, the required temperature is far lower than that of firing bricks, and pottery is rtively thin, so it consumes much less fuel.
It''s not a problem for Han Cheng not to make bricks. Even without bricks, he can still build a kiln.
This is not because he has any superpowers but because he can use a substitute for bricks simple y bricks.
Simple y bricks are rtively easy to make. It''s just a mixture of y. After mixing the y well, put it into a y mold to form a rectangr prism. Let it air-dry to remove moisture.
The bricks inter generations were generally 5 cm thick, 10 cm wide, and 20 cm long, but these specifications did not meet Han Cheng''s requirements.
So, he multiplied the simple y bricks'' length, width, and height by two.
As for the pit excavation needed to build the kiln, they could only slowly dig it with simple tools.
Fortunately, there is no rush for building the kiln to fire pottery. They have enough time to do this task because pottery is not a one-time consumable, and they have simple y kilns.
However, although Han Cheng is not in a hurry, Heiwa is very anxious. After all, he is currently the number one potter in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Of course, Divine Child needs to be excluded because he has many ingenious ideas butcks practical skills.
Heiwa''s confidencees from his achievements in pottery, which has increased his fondness for pottery. He couldn''t sit still when he heard Han Cheng talk about better pottery-making methods.
Digging pits and making y molds are what he is most passionate about.
ording to the rules of the tribe, Heiwa is now an adult. If it were in the past, he would need to join the Senior brothers in daily hunting.
However, things are different now. The appearance of salt and pottery has made the Senior Brothers realize the importance of these things to the tribe.
As Heiwa is good at pottery, he is not sent to hunt but instead focuses on making pottery and boiling salt.
While doing these things, Han Cheng did not neglect the rapeseed. More than ten days ago, he led people to temporarily stop making salt and transported the mature rapeseed back.
During this process, Han Cheng specifically instructed them not to touch the rapeseed pods too much.
Han Cheng did not wait for the rapeseed to drypletely before harvesting, as it would be difficult to recover them. Instead, he brought them back when there was dew. Even if the rapeseed pods were touched, not much would be lost.
The harvested rapeseed is ced on a small piece of cleared ground near the tribe''s entrance for drying.
This area was opened a few days ago under Han Cheng''s guidance.
In addition to removing the weeds and small trees, Han Cheng instructed people to use t stones topact the approximately 11-12 square meters of ground by hitting it twice, making the soil solid and embedding small stone particles into the soil.
This way, when it''s time to beat the rapeseed, the soil won''t float, and there won''t be more small stone particles than rapeseed.
Don''t be fooled by the small size of this area. To clear it up, Han Cheng and the others have spent a lot of effort.
Because of theck of tools, clearing away the weeds and some small trees and shrubs took a lot of effort.
It was still challenging despite there were norge trees. If there wererge trees, they would have been left helpless.
To fall arge tree, relying solely on stone and bone axes, even with everyone working together, it would take a whole day and night to struggle against it.
Chapter 43: The big plan to increase the population – eat more kidneys
Chapter 43: The big n to increase the poption ¨C eat more kidneys
Shelling the rapeseeds was much easier. After two days of drying in the barely describable open space, the rapeseed were thoroughly dried and turned brown.
On the third day at noon, under Han Cheng''s guidance, the people once again wielded their multifunctional weapons wooden sticks. They beat the dried rapeseeds, flipped them over, and even called the children from the tribe to jump around for a while.
After two rounds of beating, the already dried rapeseed pods cracked open, revealing the seeds that had been nurtured inside.
With limited resources, anything could be managed. The empty rapeseed nts were moved to the side, and the fallen empty pods were sifted by hand. Then, using a broom made by Han Cheng from suitable wild grass, the remaining seeds on the ground were gathered into piles.
After two or three rounds of this process, therger debris was removed, leaving only the finer particles, such as the thin white film inside the rapeseed pods and some small leaves. These couldn''t be separated by sweeping.
Han Cheng swung the broom left and right to get rid of these, creating a gust of wind that blew them away.
After a while of this busy work, the clean rapeseeds were ready.
However, the freshly harvested seeds couldn''t be directly stored in jars because they had a high moisture content. Directly storing them would lead to mold and spoge; they must be dried first.
The cleaned rapeseeds were spread out in front of the cave''s entrance. Han Cheng assigned two children to guard them, preventing birds and even the tribe''s symbol, the green sparrows, from approaching.
Three dayster, Han Cheng looked at the nearly half-filled jar of rapeseed with delight. He would asionally insert his hand into the jar, grab a handful of seeds, slightly loosen his grip, and feel the smooth, small seeds slipping through his fingers. It was a beautiful sight.
But having seeds didn''t mean they could start nting. There was another important issue to consider. Thend.
Without resolving thend issue, having seeds was pointless. Suddenly, a thought shed in Han Cheng''s mind, and he chuckled.
But clearing thend was a troublesome task. Previously, opening up just a small space of about ten to twelve square meters required a lot of effort, and that was in an area specifically chosen for having fewerrge trees, shrubs and weeds.
Rapeseed cultivation requires a certain scale. For the first season, they needed more than fifteen hundred square meters.
Looking at the forested conditions near the cave, they might not even clear thend by next year.
It was a tough journey. Indeed, it is a tough journey. Living in this era, every step forward required tremendous effort and oveing numerous difficulties. Without mentioning other things, just cultivating thend proved to be such a challenge.
Han Cheng looked at the jar not far from him, sealed with a bowl containing rapeseeds, and once again, he spent a sleepless night.
Counting on crude tools like stone axes to cut down trees was impossible, and Han Cheng would never consider doing such a thing.
If only Logger Vick was here. Han Cheng could ask his Senior Brothers to help him fend off the troublesome bears that hindered his woodcutting. Logger Vick could then wield his chainsaw, showcasing his skill in logging. With three meals a day of roasted meat as payment for his work, Han Cheng would dly ept.
Han Cheng chuckled bitterly, realizing he was almost losing his mind. If Logger Vick were here, it would still be more reliable than waiting for his Eldest Senior Brother to turn into the true Eldest Senior Brother of the Journey to the West.
Leaving aside other things, just Monkey Kings golden cudgel, weighing a hundred and eighty thousand kilograms, poking into the Southern Mountain Cave to kill ten thousand monsters and then poking into the Northern Mountain Cave to kill another ten thousand was enough to clear away these troublesome trees.
Han Cheng had a hard time falling asleep, and the next day, instead of making salt or building kilns for pottery, he led some people from the tribe with what could barely be called stone axes. They headed towards the forest slightly west of the tribe''s cave and began to strike the dense trees.
This is an easy task.
Easy tasks naturally wouldn''t happen to Han Cheng, at least not this time.
Leading the tribe''s people, Han Cheng used stone axes to strike the segment of the trees near the ground, not aiming to fall the trees but to peel off a section of bark.
As long as you encircled the tree and peeled off the bark in a circle, all the trees, except for a few sturdy ones, couldn''t withstand it.
In no time, they would wither and then diepletely.
After they died and dried up, when the wild grass on the ground turned yellow in the fall, Han Cheng would set a fire. These guys would obediently turn into ashes and then be fertilizer.
Under the guidance of the transcendent Han Cheng, the Green Sparrow Tribe took a firm and great step towards sh-and-burn farming.
"We don''t have enough manpower."
This wasn''t the first time Han Cheng had made such a sigh. As the need for various things increased, thebor shortage became more apparent, deeply restricting the development of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
To address thebor shortage issue, Han Cheng took out all the kidneys he had saved for two days, paired them with other meat, and deliberately brewed a pot of soup for the men in the tribe, including the Lame and those with wives.
That night, the primitive songs in the tribe were indeed much louder than usual.
Han Cheng chuckled secretly, lying on his bed. He looked like he had seeded in a conspiracy.
However, his joy didn''tst long and turned into a long sigh.
Because this method of increasing poption solely through reproduction was too slow. Even if one child gained somebor ability by seven, it still took about eight years from conception to birth and then to the age of seven.
There wasn''t a better way for the present, so they could only do it this way for now.
Heiwa, who had been with them for many years, also got married. His spouse had juste of age and was a strong woman the same age as him.
A strong woman whose appearance was almost on par with Heiwa''s was the top beauty among the younger generation of the Green Sparrow Tribe. To marry her, Heiwa had a fierce battle with the equally justing-of-age Tie Tuo, beating him to a pulp before carrying the beauty back home.
This made Han Cheng''s eyes go nk, but he could understand.
After all, there wasn''t much surplus in life now, and only strong people could live better in this era. So, the current aesthetic standard for people was strength.
As forter beauties like Zhao Feiyan or Pan Jinlian, and other famous beauties in history who were slim, would be the least popr women here.
Trantion notes:
Logger Vick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boonie_Bears:_The_Wild_Life
Chapter 44: Rabbit gives birth, mother and child are safe
Chapter 44: Rabbit gives birth, mother and child are safe
The path from the tribe to the salt mountain had be a well-trodden trail, thanks to the efforts of the tribe members who had cleared it.
Master Lu''s words were correct a road would naturally form where there were many travelers.
Han Cheng didn''te here for any other reason but to observe the group of deer that frequented the vicinity of the salt mountain. Since the day they extracted rock salt from the salt mountain, Han Cheng visited the location every day, except on days with heavy rain.
Since he incorporated daily running into his routine, the round trip to the salt mountain, covering about fifteen or sixteen miles, served as a good running route. Initially, this round trip would leave Han Cheng exhausted for quite a while. However, with persistent and regr exercise over time, the distance no longer inflicted as much pain as before. He still got tired, but it wasn''t as brutal, and his recovery was faster.
Of course, this improvement was also influenced by the daily salt intake during this period.
Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother worried about the potential dangers Han Cheng might face. So, Heiwa, Tie Tuo, and several women from the tribe apanied Han Cheng each time he went to Salt Mountain. They carried weapons, acting as Han Cheng''s guards.
As the sun rose, casting its rays on the earth, Han Cheng and his group reached the salt mountain. The Deer Lord, apanied by its followers, was still there. Some were lying on the ground, while others strolled.
They hadn''t left their habitat yet to other ces for food yet.
Upon hearing the distant noise, all the deer became exceptionally alert. Their tensed bodies rxed once they recognized that the approaching group consisted of these two-legged creatures.
For these deer, the presence of these two-legged creatures had be routine. Moreover, they willingly approached to eat the dew-free grass they brought.
The first to approach for a meal was their leader.
Unlike other deer, the proud leader would only eat the grass that Han Cheng held in his hands. It paid no attention to grass thrown on the ground.
Today, the leader wasn''t in the mood to eat much. After taking a few bites of the grass that Han Cheng brought, it stopped and nudged Han Cheng''s waist, where a covered pottery jug was hanging.
Seemingly urging Han Cheng to open it quickly so it could have a few sips.
Han Cheng chuckled as he patted the Deer Lords bony antlers and the silky smooth face. He chattered away to it while opening the jug''s lid.
The Deer Lord got impatient with Han Cheng, and shoved its mouth into the jug once the lid was off. It elegantly took a few sips.
Seeing the Deer Lord raise its head, Han Cheng quickly moved to the side to avoid it.
However, he was a step toote.
The darn deer still managed to bring its wet mouth close to him, giving him two light nudges, sshing half of his face with water.
Having consumed grass and saltwater, the Deer Lord didn''t care about Han Cheng touching his proud antler anymore.
Who cares about the antlers when theres food and salt water?
Well, this phrase applies to humans and works for deer. If you don''t believe it, just look at the author''s solemn face.
Han Cheng touched the Deer Lords bony antlers and smooth face with a sly smile. A jug of water wasn''t much, and the leader quickly consumed it.
The proud Deer Lord, having eaten grass and drank salt water, left with elegant steps, thoroughly satisfied. Before leaving, it stretched its neck to lick Han Cheng''s face, not wanting to waste the delicious saltwater sshed on him.
The other deers, following their leader''s example, approached the rest of the group to eat grass and drink from the jugs of saltwater.
Except for Han Cheng, the others were stronger, each carrying two jugs of saltwater. Of course, the saltwater wasn''t brought from the tribe. It was filled from a spring about a mile from the salt mountain.
On the way back, they would hide the empty pottery jugs near the spring, concealed by the surrounding trees. The next day, when they returned, they would retrieve the jugs, fill them with water, and add salt brought by Han Cheng from the tribe.
The deer, appreciating the savory taste of saltwater, eagerly drank it.
Han Cheng''s face lit up with a smile while observing the two or three dozen deers. His initial idea seemed feasible. Using this gradual approach, these deers would eventually be the exclusive property of the Green Sparrow tribe.
The tribe members imitated Han Cheng''s actions, giving affectionate touches to the deers approaching for grass and water. Han Cheng specifically instructed this to make the deers ustomed to their presence andfortable being touched by their hands.
However, these deers didn''t visit this spot every day. They also roamed to other ces, as eating grass near the salt mountain wasn''t enough.
But no matter how long they stayed away, they always returned to the salt mountain.
Han Cheng made a record regarding the time these deer spent at this location and elsewhere. Throughparison, he noticed that the time spent by the deer at the salt mountain gradually increased while the time spent elsewhere decreased. This was excellent news.
After ying with the deer, Han Cheng and the group began to head back.
The two rabbits in the cave, which Han Cheng had used for testing herbs and tasting various nts, were fortunate. Over this period, they showed no signs of poisoning and, instead, became fatter.
Not only that, but the female rabbit with slightly white fur on its head became pregnant and gave birth today. Five little ones, mother, and babies were safe.
Looking at the five tiny bunny babies, their eyes still closed as they suckled beneath their mother''s belly, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
This was truly a surprise.
While he had been diligently taming the deer and cultivating rapeseed, some progress had been made. Still, sess was a long way off. On the other hand, the rabbits, which he hadn''t paid much attention to, unexpectedly had babies.
No wonder these two rabbits appeared a bit irritable before. They would scratch the ground with their paws and even bite their fur whenever there was nothing to do.
Han Cheng thought it was just because they had been quiet for a while and, for some reason, wanted to escape. Failing that, they resorted to self-muttion, threatening by demonstrating their determination to harm themselves. This led him to reinforce the stone walls around them and cover the top with stone bs.
The ground was made of stone bs, so they couldn''t dig through it.
It wasn''t until now, seeing these little bunnies, that he realized what was going on.
Their previous behavior wasn''t an attempt to escape but rather an effort to dig out a burrow to have babies.
Understanding this, Han Cheng quickly found a pottery jar with cracks from firing, stuffed it with soft dried grass, added the rabbit fur they had bitten off, and ced it inside the burrow. He positioned the grassy side facing the stone wall and covered the jar''s opening with stones on both sides to prevent it from moving randomly.
And thus, a little nest was created.
Han Cheng made the nest waiting for a while, but the two rabbits did not intend to move in. The male rabbit even stood before the female, staring at Han Cheng with anger.
"Humph, the belly is covered in fur, and the important parts can''t be seen. Who cares about looking?" Han Cheng muttered to himself, feeling like a hoodlum being misunderstood by rabbits. He left, somewhat dejected.
Chapter 45: A panicked male rabbit
Chapter 45: A panicked male rabbit
After confirming that the ruffian with two feet had indeed left, the rabbit couple began to get busy.
First, the male rabbit entered the container for inspection and then packed the grass inside. Aftering out, he and his wife carried their unwilling little rabbit cubs, one by one, into the container, starting their happy life as a family of seven.
Han Cheng was extremely pleased. He instructed the two sisters, Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, to bring back some grass, being careful not to include yellow leaves. After careful selection, he finally ced the grass in the rabbit enclosure.
This time, he was more meticulous than before.
As he added grass inside, only two big rabbits could be seen inside the enclosure. It was obvious that they had hidden the little rabbit cubs somewhere.
Han Cheng was now looking at these two rabbits more favorably. Although the male rabbit looked at him with some vignce, as if afraid Han Cheng would snatch its wife, Han Cheng was still very happy.
This was a very good start.
nting and breeding were the two fundamental conditions people transitioned from primitive to ancient times.
Relying solely on hunting was insufficient to solve the food problem because the food obtained through hunting was too unstable. Sometimes, they would have a surplus, but they might not catch a single animal during unlucky times, leading to hunger.
Moreover, there was always the danger of life, and the rtionship between hunters and prey often changed.
In the case of the Green Sparrow Tribe, getting injured during hunting wasmon, and members of the hunting team were often injured.
Fortunately, during Han Cheng''s time here, they had only suffered minor injuries, with no one losing their lives or developing major injuries like Lame.
However, such incidents weremon. If you walk by the riverside, there are always wet shoes. To reduce such incidents, the best way was to minimize hunting.
nting and breeding provided a stable source of food and significantly freed upbor. It allowed the strongest people in the tribe, who were usually busy with constant hunting activities, to engage in other tasks during their free time.
Of course, nting and breeding were not easy either, but they were much better than the frequent life-threatening hunting activities.
At least nting crops had periods of rest and busyness, and raising livestock only required feeding a few times a day, unlike hunting, which had no fixed idle time.
However, the Green Sparrow Tribe was just taking the first steps in nting and breeding. At this stage, hunting remained the main source of food for the tribe.
But relying solely on hunting, the tribe couldn''t sustain itself in the long run, and it couldn''t grow into amunity of tens of thousands relying only on hunting.
Although the matter of rabbit offspring was small, its significance was enormous. This was the reason for Han Cheng''s joy.
The children were familiar with Han Cheng but couldn''t understand why the Divine Child was so happy.
These two rabbits and the newly born rabbit cubs were not enough for a single meal for everyone in the tribe.
Divine Child was not as happy as today, when the leaders previously brought back a sheep and two wild boars.
Not only were they puzzled by Han Cheng''s contrasting behavior, but even the most intelligent Shaman and the equally intelligent Eldest Senior Brother were equally puzzled.
The Shaman was a bit better than others. He vaguely sensed some of Han Cheng''s intentions, but this feeling was too vague, and he couldn''t grasp the key point.
Regarding this matter, they all came together to inquire, running to the rabbit enclosure whenever they had time, trying to peek at Han Cheng feeding the rabbits.
There was nothing to hide about this. After all, it was for the sake of the entire tribe.
Moreover, Han Cheng wanted to develop the domestication of livestock quickly. It was necessary to make the Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother fully understand the significance of this matter.
Only in this way could the entire tribe''s strength be mobilized, and efforts could be directed towards amon goal.
This time, the discussion did not ur in the shaman''s inner cave, as usual, but beside the rabbit enclosure.
The male rabbit was anxious because the number of people who used to peek at his wife feeding milk had increased to three. Moreover, the eyes of these three two-legged creatures looking at his wife were getting brighter and brighter.
It was very worried that they would barge in andpete for milk with its children.
Although its wife''s milk was abundant, there were five cubs to feed. Adding threerge two-legged creatures like this would leave its children hungry.
It quietly shifted backward, covering the entrance of the burrow behind it more effectively. It watched the three cunning two-legged creatures outside warily and nervously.
Shaman was indeed very excited. He didn''t expect things to turn out this way. Setting aside the wonderful prospect of being able to ughter an animal whenever they wanted to eat, without the need for a life-and-death struggle during hunting, there was something beautiful about raising some animals in the tribe. In inclement weather, such as heavy snow or rain, when hunting was impossible, or on days when no prey was caught, they could ughter and eat. This thought alone thrilled him.
The Eldest Senior brother, having be the leader of the tribe, was strong and quite intelligent. Upon hearing Han Cheng''s description, he was in a state of excitement. He wished he could lead a hunting party immediately and bring back more live prey.
At the same time, he felt some regret. The sheep they had brought back today could have been brought back alive. They only killed it to prevent it from escaping and for the convenience of bringing it back. If he had known about its significant role, he would have brought it back alive no matter what.
The Eldest Senior Brother had secretly made up his mind. In the future, during hunting, they would try to keep as many animals alive as possible.
Han Cheng noticed the eldest brother''s thoughts and quickly waved his hand, telling him that in the future, after obtaining enough prey for the tribe''s daily consumption, they could consider capturing live ones. However, not all prey needed to be captured alive. Animals like tigers, leopards, foxes, and other carnivores didn''t require this. If they encountered them, they would avoid them if possible. If avoidance was impossible, they would fight them to the death.
The ones to be brought back alive were grass-eating animals, such as pigs, horses, cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, and geese.
Of course, all of this was contingent on ensuring that the hunting party members were not in danger. If there was a risk of injury or threat to life, regardless of how valuable the animal was, they would immediately abandon the idea.
For Han Cheng, nothing was more precious than the lives of the people in the tribe.
Chapter 46: Salted meat and wolf
Chapter 46: Salted meat and wolf
Handling livestock is a long-term endeavor that cannot be aplished overnight. Han Cheng''s main instruction to the elder brother was to proceed within their means and not overly hasty.
Apart from concerns about injuries within the tribe, another crucial reason was that capturing too many animals would leave them with nowhere to keep them.
The cave was not small, but with many inhabitants and various jars and containers taking up space, the remaining area was notrge enough. So, Han Cheng decided to explore outside the cave and create enclosures for pigs, sheep, and the like.
As the weather gradually warmed up, the abundance of game hunted yesterday presented a problem. They couldn''t store it for an extended period. Last night, the Eldest Senior Brother brought out a lot of meat for grilling or making soup to be consumed by everyone, leaving many feeling stuffed.
At first, Han Cheng didn''t understand the elder brother''s intention. He thought it was a celebration due to the abundant game. Only after the meal did he realize the Eldest Senior Brother was worried the food would spoil, prompting him to distribute it.
Han Cheng pped his forehead, scolding himself for forgetting such a basic thing while being preupied with developing agriculture and animal husbandry. The Eldest Senior Brother took out the remaining food in the morning, intending everyone to finish it. However, consuming so much in one meal would be a severe waste.
Han Cheng stopped the elder brother and told him they couldn''t eat all the food. The Eldest Senior Brother smiled, aware that they couldn''t finish it all, but if they didn''t eat it quickly, it would spoil by night.
"I won''t eat, and it won''t spoil. I can keep the food from spoiling," Han Cheng confidently assured.
Due to the spread of Mandarin, Han Cheng''smunication had be much smoother. Hearing this, the Eldest Senior Brother no longer insisted and returned half of the meat.
He didn''t ask about the method. He knew there must be a way if the Divine Child said so. In over half a year, the miraculous abilities disyed by the Divine Child had already made them convinced and almost blindly obedient.
After breakfast, Han Cheng had people bring arge pottery bowl and a salt jar. He instructed the elder brother to ce the meat in the bowl and then continuously rub salt on it until every part of the meat was covered.
After salting the meat, it was left in the bowl for a while. Then, Han Cheng used a stone knife to create holes and threaded it with straw. He hung the meat on a tree branch from the cave entrance.
In a short while, the tree bore severalrge and small pieces of special "fruit."
Han Cheng also hung two pieces of meat on the ever-burning fire in the cave, attempting to smoke them. He remembered that smoked meat stayed preserved longer than air-dried salted meat.
The people were somewhat stunned by the meat hanging in the sunlight on the tree. They hadn''t expected the Divine Childs method for long-term meat preservation to be so simple.
With the avability of salted meat, this year''s winter wouldn''t be too difficult for the Green Sparrow Tribe, even if there were no fish. Usually, food storage only began in autumn, but now they could do it in summer, and it was meat that could resist hunger better than fruits.
Han Cheng''s n to build various enclosures was not immediately implemented because he discovered another urgent matter more urgent than improving the pottery kiln and creating enough nting space. This matter was building the wall.
It seems that in the past few days, continuous outdoor drying of cured meat attracted wolves to the vicinity of the tribe.
The wolves did not eat the meat hanging on the trees, as it was before the tribe''s cave entrance. During the day, someone was always guarding, and when it was not dark, the meat was brought back into the cave, denying the wolves the opportunity.
The real danger camest night. Xings younger brother, Chen, who was about six years old, was rtively small but clever. He was also learning under Han Cheng''s guidance, the son of Junior Senior Brother.
Yesterday evening, they had bone soup, and despite the avability of roasted meat, Cheng preferred bone soup. Greedyst night, he drank a lot, resulting in more nighttime visits to relieve himself.
For smaller children who cannot manage independently, adults usually apany them when they go out at night. However, Cheng was past that age, so he went alone to solve the issue.
The first two times were uneventful, but trouble struck on the third asion. Cheng had just stood outside when a ck shadow suddenly leaped out from the darkness, pouncing towards him.
Cheng had no time to react. He instinctively let out a scream of panic, and he was already pounced upon. Fortunately, Brother Sandy was awakened by Cheng''s nocturnal activities and felt the urge to relieve himself. After Cheng went out, he followed suit.
Seeing the wolf pounce on Cheng in the dark, Brother Sandy, who had umted much hunting experience,pletely ignored the urge to relieve himself. While shouting to scare the wolf, he bent over, randomly grabbed a handful of something from the ground, and charged towards the wolf.
Frightened by themotion, the wolf ran away, and Cheng escaped from its jaws. However, he was left with a mark from the wolf''s bite half of his right ear was missing, and there were a few bloodstains on his arm.
The blood stains on his arm might fade over time, but the missing half of his ear was a permanent mark that would stay with him for a lifetime. Fortunately, in the current society, and unlike in the future, beauty standards are different, and missing half an ear does not affect Chen''s marriage ability.
The next day, the Eldest Senior brother led the hunting team with weapons to search for wolf traces near the tribe.
Han Cheng''s daily running routine also stopped, and he and the other children stayed in the semi-covered cave. Several adult women were armed at the cave entrance, guarding against the sudden visit of wolves.
After a day of searching, they did not find any wolf traces.
However, the vignce within the tribe did not diminish. At least two armed adults apanied nighttime visits when children went out.
Han Cheng''s nighttime excursions became even more grandiose, with four people apanying him, making him uneasy.
However, for the sake of not losing his life, he could only act in this way.
After three days of expanding the search range around the tribe, the Eldest Senior Brother and his team gave up trying to find the wolves. After all, they still needed to hunt, and it was not feasible to continue like this.
Chapter 47: If you want to build a wall, you must first find food
Chapter 47: If you want to build a wall, you must first find food
The recent incident sounded the rm for Han Cheng. Previously, he had been focused on development but had overlooked the safety issues of the tribe. The tribe''s safety was the most important, as they undertook more tasks only when it was secure.
Now that the salt problem was solved and pottery was mostly sufficient, they could simply burn a couple of makeshift y kilns even if more was needed. There was no rush to experiment with new pottery techniques. Han Cheng decided to shift all the focus to building the wall. Otherwise, going out even to relieve oneself at night would be nerve-wracking, fearing a wolf might suddenly attack.
While the idea of building the wall was set, the question of how to build it became a problem. Ideally, bricks would make the sturdiest wall, but given the current conditions in the tribe, mass brick production was unrealistic.
Bricks were not an option, leaving them to use simple y bricks for construction. However, y walls were not strong, and making simple y bricks required much effort. Without the main force of the tribe, relying only on the elderly and women, it was uncertain whether they could build the wall within two years.
Labor was a bottleneck for the tribe. What seemed simple in the modern world had be a colossal project here. To solve the problem fundamentally, Han Cheng needed to consider the root cause.
He was confident that, with his prestige in the tribe, suggesting the construction of the wall would not be opposed by the Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother. They would likely support it willingly. However, they were willing but incapable, as the Eldest Senior Brother''s team needed to hunt to find enough food for the tribe.
To have enough manpower, Han Cheng needed to pull the Senior Eldest brother''s team out of the heavy task of daily food search. To do that, he needed to solve the food problem.
However, the key issue was that the food problem was difficult to solve. The only crop that could barely be considered food was the wild rapeseed, and they hadn''t even found a suitable ce to nt it yet.
As for animal husbandry, they only had two rabbits and five still-blind rabbit pups. The group of deer was not yet at the point where they could be domesticated, but they could be ughtered for meat. However, Han Cheng was reluctant to do that. This was a good group of deer, and ughtering them would plunge their animal husbandry into a low point.
nting and animal husbandry, up to now, were not even in the sapling stage. Relying on these two things to solve the urgent issue was impossible.
Han Cheng was feeling quite frustrated now. It seemed like they had nothing.
Han Cheng had trouble sleeping again during the night, only falling asleep in thetter half of the night.
In the morning, Han Cheng, apanied by the Eldest Senior Brother and the others, went to the salt mountain.
Coincidentally, Deer Lord was also there today, leading his little followers. Deer Lord seemed a bit anxious seeing the two-legged creatures he hadn''t seen for a few days. He actively approached Han Cheng and then directly pressed his mouth onto the y jug tied around his waist.
Okay, Deer Lord wasn''t interested in Han Cheng. He wanted the saltwater Han Cheng brought.
These days, Deer Lord''s mouth had be ustomed to the purified saltwater brought by Han Cheng. It felt a bit ufortable when facing the rough and all-tasting stone wall again. After all, Deer Lord was an elegant and dignified creature.
Han Cheng habitually reached out and gently touched Deer Lord''s radiant face and antlers while he was busy drinking water. Deer Lord''s tail wagged happily, indicating how pleased it was. As for being touched on the face and whether the other deer would use it of living off someone, Deer Lord wasn''t afraid at all. Under its leadership, all its little followers had joined the ranks of those who relied on selling their faces to drink saltwater.
After finishing the saltwater, Deer Lord habitually moved its mouth toward Han Cheng''s body. This time, Han Cheng didn''t dodge. He allowed Deer Lord''s wet mouth to rub against his half-drenched clothes.
Han Cheng gently touched Deer Lord''s face and smiled, saying, "Let''s go."
He then called Eldest Senior Brother and others who had finished feeding the other deer to return.
After thinking it over, Han Cheng decided not to act against this deer group, at least not now.
Today, Han Cheng taught the group of people new characters, and one of them was called "" (wall).
Stone, who found it easiest to learn characters, raised his hand and asked, "Divine Son, what is a wall?"
"A wall is built using wood, soil, or stones. It can iste wild beasts from the outside, protecting us and preventing us from being attacked by wild beasts," Han Cheng exined the definition of a wall as he had thought earlier.
"With a wall, you don''t have to worry about being bitten by wolves when you go out to pee at night," he added.
Xing, who still felt a lingering fear for her little brother Cheng being attacked by wolves, immediately raised her hand to speak upon hearing Han Cheng exining the concept of a wall.
Her words didn''t promptughter from the other children. This matter was not aughing one for them because they always had to be on guard against beasts who saw them as food. Especially for the children, the threat of wild beasts was no less than that of diseases.
Han Cheng nodded seriously. "Divine Son, lead us in building the wall. We''re not afraid of hard work."
After receiving Han Cheng''s affirmation, the eyes of these children, looking at Han Cheng, sparkled with hope.
"We will build the wall," Han Cheng nodded and solemnly said to these children.
In front of Han Cheng were several sticks, each over a meter long with a diameter of about two centimeters. He had asked the Eldest Senior Brother and others to bring them back on the way from the salt mountain.
Now that the Eldest Senior Brother and others had gone out hunting again, the tribe was quieter.
Surrounded by the children he had taught, Han Cheng took these sticks and said, "I want to show you how to make a wall that can keep wild beasts out."
These sticks couldn''t be easily broken by Han Cheng now, but there were others in the cave who could do such things.
Because of better food, increased salt intake, and more physical activity, Lames strength had improved significantly, especially in his two arms, which looked particrly strong due to the increased use caused by the inconvenience of his legs.
Han Cheng chose half of these sticks. He made a mark every twenty-five centimeters and let Lame break them from the marked ces.
This wasn''t difficult for Lame, who took the sticks, exerted force with both hands, and with a cracking sound, the stick broke from the mark.
The break was rtively neat because before Lame broke it, Han Cheng had someone use a stone knife to cut a shallow groove.
Chapter 48: The Inescapable Fish Cage
Chapter 48: The Inescapable Fish Cage
While Lame was breaking the sticks, Han Cheng marked another section, approximately half a meter long, on the remaining sticks.
He arranged these sticks side by side, using a straight stick as a ruler. Aligning it with the half-meter mark on the outermost stick, heid the ruler horizontally, holding it in ce with one hand while using a small sharp stone knife to cut along the ruler with the other.
After removing the ruler, a neat mark appeared at the same position on each stick.
Han Cheng didn''t let anyone move these sticks. Instead, he picked up the stick used as a ruler and aligned its end close to half a meter with the mark on the second stick. Then,paring it with the mark at the half-meter distance on the first stick, he made a second half-meter mark on the second stick.
He ced the first stick back in its original position, aligning it with the other arranged sticks.
Han Cheng picked up the ruler again,ying it horizontally on the sticks at the second half-meter mark. Following the same method as before, he cut horizontally along the ruler after finding the level.
This way, each stick had two half-meter marks.
Regardless of whether Han Cheng''s estimation of half a meter was urate, the distances marked this way would be consistent.
This ensured that they would all be the same length after cutting these tree sticks.
After marking, the children gathered around and began to follow suit. Each took a marked trunk, and using the method taught by the Divine Child, they cut a shallow circle around the marked area with a sharp stone knife. This ensured that the cut would be rtively neat.
Once the sticks were cut, some long and some short, including the curious Shaman who came over upon hearing themotion, everyone wondered what the Divine Child nned to do with these little sticks.
Could these small sticks build a wall to keep wild beasts outside?
Han Cheng didn''t say much. Instead, he started picking up four short wooden sticks, forming them into a square with sides approximately 25 centimeters long. The junctions were tightly bound with straw rope.
He made two such square frames.
After creating the two frames, he took out four long wooden sticks connecting them to the two frames. After securely tying the four sticks, a rectangr frame made of wooden sticks appeared.
Several female primitive people sitting not far away had a pile of sun-dried straw next to them. Following the method taught by the Divine Child, they twisted three strands of straw together to make a rope.
Straw was inherently tough, and after twisting three strands into a thin rope, it became even more robust.
Such a rope could hold more than ten catties of salted meat.
Han Cheng had instructed them to make ropes in the morning, so by now, they had already made a lot.
Han Cheng picked up one of the well-twisted straw ropes and began weaving it back and forth at one end of the rectangr frame. After a while, arge opening at the front and a smaller, inward-sloping opening appeared on this end of the frame.
This opening ensured that fish could swim in but couldn''t swim out.
That''s right. Han Cheng was now making a fish cage.
Thispact device couldn''t build walls but could provide a strong guarantee for constructing the wall.
With dozens of these fish cages, considering the abundance of fish in the nearby river, the people in the tribe wouldn''t have to worry about food for a long time.
With the food issue resolved, there would naturally be manpower avable to build walls.
Afterpleting the mechanism inside the fish cage that allowed fish to enter but not leave, Han Cheng started weaving the other five sides of the fish cage, one after the other.
The mesh size was determined by the span of Han Cheng''s entire palm, ensuring that the fish caught in the fish cage would weigh at least 300 grams.
Small fish were not worth catching for Han Cheng. After all, just like humans, a fish only has one life, and its value should be maximized.
One pound could only feed a child for the same fish, while five pounds would be enough for two adults.
Han Cheng considered this to be the value of life.
Weaving the outeryer of the fish cage was a somewhat strenuous activity. Fortunately, during this period, Han Cheng had been quite active, so he had some stamina to spare. Otherwise, he would have had blisters on his hands afterpleting one fish cage.
The fish cage waspleted when the sun had moved approximately halfway to the west in the afternoon.
Han Cheng pressed on it forcefully from all sides, ensuring the fish cage was sturdy and had no ws. He then picked up a thicker rope than the usual straw rope, tying one end securely to a wooden stick at the mouth of the fish cage.
This rope was twisted using the same method as the straw rope used to weave the fish cage, making it extremely strong. With it the fish cage breaking halfway while being lifted from the water, losing both the fish and the cage was nearly impossible.
The final step was alsopleted. Han Cheng, while sighing in relief, felt a subtle excitement. It was almost time to catch fish.
Unlike Han Cheng''s excitement, the Shaman and the children were puzzled and did not understand. They couldn''tprehend why this easily liftable thing was supposed to defend against wild beasts. The so-called wall, from their perspective, seemed unreliable.
Seeing their confusion, Han Cheng understood that they had misunderstood. He smiled and shook his head, saying, "This is not a wall. It is a fish cage used for catching fish."
Everyone was dumbfounded. The result was truly unexpected.
"You were just talking about building a wall, and after all this work, you''ve made something unrted to building walls."
They didn''t understand how catching fish was rted to building walls.
The Shaman''s eyes were thoughtful, and he vaguely understood Han Cheng''s idea.
However, if it was as he thought, this peculiar thing, which he had never heard of and was referred to by the Divine Child as a fish cage, had to be capable of catching a lot of fish. A fish cage should catch at least as many fish as two people using fish spears in a day.
Han Cheng handed the fish cage to Hei Wa, asking him to hold it. Then, holding the Shaman''s hand, he led the people towards the edge of the small river.
Due to the presence of wolves, everyone carried weapons.
The Eldest Senior Brother even selected two women from the hunting team to stay in the tribe, strengthening the daytime defense to ensure everyone''s safety.
Chapter 49: The Amazing Fishing Equipment
Chapter 49: The Amazing Fishing Equipment
The fishes in the small river were as abundant as ever, but using the tribe''s primitive fish spear to catch them was not easy at all.
This required years of practicing the technique and a certain amount of luck.
Usually, a person could catch about ten fish in a day with the fish spear, considered a rare and bountiful harvest.
Han Cheng has crafted a new fishing tool, and everyone is eager to see if it can improve the inefficient fishing speed.
With everyone watching, the fish cage was submerged in the water, with the rope held in Han Cheng''s hands.
After the initial shock of the fish entering the cage, they quickly resumed their usual behavior, swimming around in the water. Some mischievous ones even leaped out of the water, creating a "ssh" as they fell back, creating ripples.
Shaman, Lame, Heiwa, Xiaomei, Xiaoli, and others stood by, peering into the water at the submerged underwater fish cage.
After about five or six minutes, a fish swam into the cage''s opening. However, before Han Cheng could pull the rope, it had already swum out from the back of the cage. This fish was too small.
The fish cage remained still in the water, and three fish had entered and exited through the backting. This frustrated Han Cheng. It seemed like the fish were treating the cage as a yground.
Another fish approached the opening of the cage, and this one had a decent size.
It lingered for a moment and then swam into the cage with a flick of its tail, unaware that the passage it entered was gradually narrowing.
Once the fish entered the cage, Han Cheng started pulling the rope.
The fish inside the cage, frightened, bumped around, trying to escape quickly. However, surrounded bys on all sides, it couldn''t find the entrance it had used before.
In its struggles, the fish cage was lifted out of the water.
Han Cheng, grabbing the fish that was still jumping inside, took it out of the cage.
As everyone looked at the fish on the shore, covered in mud and grass from jumping around, and then at the fish cage ced back into the water by the Divine Child, they all showed surprise. This peculiar-looking thing could indeed catch fish, and it seemed quite effortless.
Shaman, being a forward-thinking individual, was even more excited than the average person.
Because he discovered a significant advantage of the fish cage made by the Divine Child.
In the past, fishing was primarily an activity for adults. Now, with the fish cage, even the young Divine Child could easily catch fish from the water.
This means that the younger individuals in the tribe, who were mostly dependent on adults for food, could contribute to the tribe''s food supply with the help of the fish cage.
Just this single benefit was enough to catch Shamans attention.
Shaman quickly made a decision. If two young individuals using the fish cage could catch as much fish as one adult, he could discuss with the leader and allocate half of the manpower from the hunting team to build the wall that the shaman mentioned.
Shaman soon overturned this decision because the surprise brought by the fish cage was too great.
As the first fishy on the shore, still gasping for breath, Han Cheng pulled the fish cage out of the water again.
This time, there were not one but two fish inside the cage.
This is truly a miracle.
Shaman didn''t know how to describe his feelings and could only attribute it to the almighty power of the Divine Child.
The others also widened their eyes, and some even eximed. The fishing enthusiast, Lame, looked at the fish cage in Han Cheng''s hands with shining eyes.
This incredible fishing tool was simply too tempting for someone who loved fishing.
Han Cheng didn''t expect to catch two fish at once this time. These two fish seemed to be showing off to him.
Seeing Shamans eager expression, Han Cheng handed the rope and fish cage to him, exining tips on how to grip the rope tightly.
cing the fish cage in the water was a straightforward task, and Shaman could naturally do it well.
After waiting about ten minutes, a big fish weighing around three to four kilograms entered the fish cage and was pulled up by Shaman.
Shamans face was filled with a smile. It had been a long time since he had obtained food, and now he experienced the joy of a harvest.
As the sun was about to set, Shaman, holding the fish cage like a treasure, led everyone back to the cave.
In the hands of this group of people were a total of thirteen fish, with the smallest weighing about one kilogram.
This was truly a miracle.
An underage person catching thirteen fish in less than half a day meant catching thirty fish daily. At this rate, with three underage individuals and three fish cages, the tribe''s daily food problem could be solved.
Shaman, familiar with simple addition and subtraction, was taught more advanced math by Han Cheng and had no problem calcting within a hundred.
After such calctions, watching Shaman walking excitedly with the fish cage it seemed odd.
After all, in the past, the entire tribe had to work together to secure enough food. Now, only three underage individuals were needed to aplish the same. Given this huge contrast, it was strange for Shaman not to walk with excitement.
Han Cheng also pped his forehead, wondering why he didn''t think of the fish cage earlier. He could have aplished so much more if he had remembered and made the fish cage earlier.
The Eldest Senior brother led the hunting party back with their catch. Today''s luck was not too good, and the prey caught was not enough for two meals for the tribe.
The Eldest Senior Brother might still be worried if it were before, but now he wasn''t. The cave still stored enough salted meat for the tribe to eat for several days.
He saw the thirteen fish, and a smile appeared on his face.
These thirteen fish meant they didn''t have to eat the salted meat reserved for emergencies.
However, the Eldest Senior Brother''s joy was limited. In a season with abundant food, thirteen fish didn''t bring much excitement for him.
But when he learned that the Divine Child caught these fish using a fish cage in less than half a day, he couldn''t stay calm anymore.
"tter!"
The fish in the Eldest Senior Brother''s hands fell to the ground. He stood still momentarily, then ran into the cave, eager to see this miraculous fishing tool.
After dinner, under Shaman''s leadership, the Green Sparrow tribe once again held a grand ceremony.
This time, the offering to the sky god was the fish cage, and thergest fish was caught with it today.
Han Cheng didn''t need to participate in the sacrifice. Under Shaman''s insistence, he stood in front of the totem pole, epting the worship of the people in the tribe.
Shaman, overjoyed, kept jumping until he couldn''t stand still. It was only with Han Cheng''s persuasion that he finally ended this grand ceremony.
Lying on the bed, Shaman shed tears of joy for half the night before finally falling asleep.
For them, nothing was more important than eating every day without worrying about hunger.
The Eldest Senior Brother, as the leader, also had a good night''s sleep tonight.
The food problem was like a hanging sword above his head, making him not dare to ck off, always working hard every day to obtain enough food.
The food problem was suddenly solved, and that looming threat disappeared. An unprecedented sense of relief spread throughout the elder brother''s body.
Chapter 50: Salted fish appears
Chapter 50: Salted fish appears
The entire Green Sparrow Tribe was stimted by the fish cages, and early the next morning, the Eldest Senior Brother got up. Together with members of other hunting teams, they rubbed their hands and looked at Han Cheng and the fish cages ced in front of the totem pole.
They wanted to witness the miraculous fishing performance bestowed by the sky god with their own eyes.
Knowing their intentions, Han Cheng took a fish cage and walked outside, and everyone else in the cave followed to witness the miracle.
Even the most stable Shaman couldn''t resist.
Today''s luck was not too good, and by the time they returned from the riverbank, they had caught only eight fish.
However, this was enough to shock the Eldest Senior Brother and the others. It was still early, and not even half of the morning had passed.
Moreover, after the fish cages were lowered into the water, the Eldest Senior Brother''s wife, who was the best at spearing fish in the tribe under the Eldest Senior Brother''s arrangement, tried her hand with a rudimentary fish spear about twenty meters away.
In the same amount of time, she had only speared three fish.
The advantages of the fish cages were vividly demonstrated after thisparison.
After collecting the fish cages, without Han Cheng''s instructions, the Eldest Senior Brother, who was already fervent, took the other enthusiastic people to find suitable wooden sticks.
Inside the cave, the others were busy making rope from grass.
Once the materials were ready, Han Cheng began making more fish cages, choosing three rtively skilled people within the tribe, including Lame, to teach them.
By the evening, the Green Sparrow Tribe had four more fish cages in addition to the original one, making a total of five.
The usefulness of the fish cages far exceeded the Shaman''s imagination.
Because Han Cheng had woven a at the mouth of the fish cage that could be opened and closed, there was no need to hastily pull the fish out after they entered the cage. The fish couldn''t escape anyway.
Therefore, one person didn''t need to guard a fish cagepletely.
A person could oversee three or even four fish cages and still handle the workload.
The person attending the fish cages needed to stay by the shore. Now and then, they would pull each fish cage out of the water, take out the fish, and then put the fish cage back in the water.
And because the fish cages were left in the water for an extended period due to this operation, sometimes, when they pulled the cage out, there were two or even three fish inside.
With one person guarding the fish cages and sending two people to transport the fish back to the tribe, the catch of fish in a day was more than the tribe could eat in two days.
The food problem that had been pressing on everyone''s minds, making them unable to ck off, was solved by these small fish cages and three underage individuals in the tribe.
This
This was truly a miracle.
Looking at the pile of fish inside the cave and those neatly arranged fish cages in the most conspicuous ce in the tribe, everyone''s faces showed sincere smiles.
They no longer needed to toil all day and still worry about insufficient food.
This was a gift from the gods and the Divine Child.
The advent of the fish cages elevated Han Cheng''s prestige within the tribe even higher. He had far surpassed the Eldest Senior Brother, the leader, and even had a higher standing than the tribe''s wise Shaman.
However, Han Cheng didn''t feel proud about it, as he believed it wasn''t something to be proud of. He maintained his respect for the Shaman and others, treating them as usualrespecting where respect was due and being approachable when necessary.
Yet, the people in the tribe showed a deep-seated respect for him. Now that the weather had be hot, they were catching so many fish daily that it couldn''t be consumed before it spoiled.
However, Han Cheng did not reduce the number of fish cages in the water.
But, unlike before, the caught fish were not directly transported back to the cave. Instead, they were cleaned on the spot by the river, rubbed with salt,id out to dry on the riverbank, cleared sandy areas, and the ces designated for pottery making.
This was to make salted fish.
Those responsible for these tasks were some underage individuals, women with slightly weaker constitutions, and, of course, Lame.
Han Cheng didn''t allow them to discard fish guts and scales randomly. Instead, he dug some pits about twenty meters downstream from the riverbank. Each day, the collected fish guts were thrown into these pits. When it was time to finish work in the evening, they would throw some dry grass on top of these guts and then evenly cover them with soil.
This wasn''t a pointless task for Han Cheng. Doing this helped protect the environment, preventing the riverbank from being littered with fish guts. Additionally, it served as a method ofposting.
Come autumn, he nned to nt a batch of rapeseed. Now that there was an opportunity, he naturally wanted to prepare in advance.
Building the walls was a massive project for the current tribe. Han Cheng roughly calcted the workload. Even if they waited until autumn, they couldn''tplete all the construction.
Moreover, autumn was the season for storing food. To avoid the food storage issue affecting wall construction, Han Cheng took advantage of the hot weather to dry more fish.
In the tribe, the ce specifically used for storing food was enclosed by thirteenrge jars. Under Han Cheng''s guidance, the open space inside the enclosure was covered with ayer of pre-made sun-dried mud bricks. On top of the mud bricks was ayer of tattered animal hides, and above that was a thickyer of dry straw.
This was the ce for drying the prepared fish.
With these threeyers of protection, it wouldn''t be easy for moisture to rise from the ground and affect the dried fish.
As for the surrounding empty jars, they were also used for storing food. Underneath these jars wereyers of mud bricks.
Storing food in this way had a good moisture-proof effect and saved a lot of space.
With the food problem no longer a daily worry, Han Cheng''s nned construction of the walls was moved up in the schedule.
Han Cheng didn''t want to build small walls because, after constructing the walls, he also wanted to build houses inside the walls, establish enclosures for raising livestock, and provide enough space for people in the tribe to rest and y.
Because building the walls was difficult, Han Cheng wanted to finish it properly. Otherwise, if they spent a lot of effort now and couldn''t keep up with the situation in a few years, having to push for reconstruction would be a big loss.
He had been wandering outside the tribe these past two days. Considering the terrain, he could roughly build walls with a width of three hundred meters north to south and a length of five hundred meters east to west.
Since the northernmost side of the wall was the mountain wall where the tribe''s cave was located, this side of the mountain was high enough, and a wall was unnecessary.
In other words, they only needed to build two walls, each three hundred meters long, and one wall, five hundred meters long, to create a sufficiently secure space for the tribe.
Chapter 52: Thunderstorm
Chapter 52: Thunderstorm
Han Cheng was notmunicating with the heavenly god. Instead, he was observing celestial phenomena.
The weather today was unusually hot, and even the sun in the sky seemed to be melting from the heat. The sun''s shadow disappeared from the sky, making the atmosphere gloomy.
This seemed like the prelude to a heavy rain.
"Stop, it''s going to rain. Go to the river and collect the fish!" After waiting for a while, dark clouds rose in the distance. Han Cheng didn''t hesitate and immediately gave the order.
Upon hearing that rain was imminent, the people, concerned that the dried fish by the river might be soaked, quickly rushed towards the cave.
As they reached the cave entrance, Shaman hurriedly exited, ready to inform everyone about the approaching rain.
Hastily grabbing y pots, jars, and animal-skin containers, the people sprinted towards the river.
During this process, the sky had already dimmed significantly, and ink-ck clouds covered half of the sky.
Han Cheng stopped those still joyfully catching fish with fish traps, instructing them to quickly pull the fish traps out of the water and join the others in collecting the dried fish.
With the dimming sky and the increasing wind, an oppressive feeling enveloped the group.
No one spoke; everyone swiftly picked up the dried fish from the ground and threw them into the containers they had brought.
For every full container, strong, fast adult men carried them and sprinted toward the cave.
The entire riverbank was shrouded in a wordless tension.
"Crack, rumble."
Bright lightning cut across the sky.
Deafening and hair-raising thunder exploded, causing everyone to look fearful.
Compared to people fromter generations, those at this time harbored a deeper fear of such unmatched heavenly power.
The wind grew stronger, and Han Cheng shouted after collecting thest batch of partially dried fish. The already terrified group, clutching bottles and jars filled with fish, rushed towards the cave.
The entire sky was almostpletely dark at this moment, as if the night was about to fall.
Only when bright and dazzling lightning shed across the sky did it bring a frightening brightness.
"Patter, boom, boom."
After the thunder and awe-inspiring lightning had built up enough momentum,rge raindrops eagerly smashed down, hitting trees, stones, and the ground.
In the tribe, the group of people, panting heavily, stopped inside the cave, looking at the world outside that was on the verge ofplete darkness due to the raging storm.
Many children clung tightly to their mothers'' embrace, showing expressions of fear. Some of the timid ones were already crying loudly.
Their parents, although also affected by the abnormal celestial phenomena, held onto their children tightly, continuallyforting them.
The raging wind, carrying torrents of rain, poured into the cave through the entrance as if to engulf everyone inside.
More children were frightened to tears, and many adults trembled in fear.
The shaman stepped forward, loudly shouting at the Elder Senior Brother and others to seal the cave entrance with stones.
The heavy stone b blocked the entrance, isting the world inside the cave from the seemingly apocalyptic world outside. The sounds of the wind, rain, and thunder became somewhat muffled, and the people felt more at ease.
Under Shaman''smand, the fire, which had nearly been extinguished, was replenished with more wood. The mes brightened, dispelling the darkness inside the cave, and the people felt a bit more settled.
Han Cheng wasn''t too afraid. He was somewhat curious about why the heavens were going crazy now. Perhaps some unlucky person, like himself, had touched the mural, provoking a divine retribution.
If that were the case, it would be great. It would be best to bring those three damned foreign friends here. They liked exploring deserted ces, right? They coulde and experience life in a primitive society.
The shaman put on his feathered crown again, held the bone staff, and danced in front of the totem pole. He fervently prayed to the heavenly god, seeking forgiveness for the people''s sins and asking to extinguish the fire of thunder.
Inside the cave, everyone else was terrified by the horrifying celestial phenomena. At this moment, Shaman was like a lifesaving buoy. They devoutly and shiveringly pray to the heavenly god.
However, it seemed that the heavenly god did not heed their prayers. Instead of calming its anger, it became even more ferocious.
"Thud, thud."
A dull sound echoed, and the heavy stone b blocking the cave entrance was blown down by the wild wind, tumbling on the ground like paper with little weight, rolling for two rounds before stopping.
Fortunately, except for Han Cheng, everyone else in the tribe had followed the shaman to another location to pray to the heavenly god, preventing casualties.
After the stone b blocking the cave was blown away, the raging wind forcefully surged, extinguishing the mes. Sparks flew, and darkness enveloped the cave.
Thunder roared, lightning danced wildly, and the people in the tribe were frightened, screaming, trembling, and crying uncontrobly. They all crowded towards the deeper parts of the tribe, seeking some sense of safety.
Even the tribe''s wise Shaman waspletely helpless at this moment, scared by the heavenly god''s wrath.
"Quiet, everyone quiet!"
Han Cheng shouted amidst the chaos, but no one paid attention to his words in the confusion.
It wasn''t until breathtaking lightning illuminated the sky outside that Han Cheng appeared exceptionally tall.
"I swear in the name of Divine Child, this is just the heavenly god expelling some evil spirits. It won''t trouble us. Our Green Sparrow Tribe works diligently, using our hands to feed ourselves, creating a beautiful life with ourbor and wisdom. We have never neglected our offerings to the heavenly god. If even our tribe is to be punished by the heavenly god, which tribe can survive? Stand up! We haven''t done anything wrong, so there''s no need to be fearful. I havemunicated with the heavenly god, and he will not trouble our tribe."
Han Cheng felt like aplete swindle, even more so than Shaman. He appeared even more convincing, especially with the dim lightning outside acting as background lighting.
The others only vaguely grasped his speech, which even the best-educated Shaman didn''t fully understand. But it didn''t matter. What was crucial was the sonorous tone of the Divine Child, the calm and confident posture, and thest sentence that almost everyone couldprehend.
The collective fear of the people diminished greatly as they looked at theposed and sacred Divine Child. They felt considerably reassured.
Yes, there was a Divine Child in their tribe. How could the heavenly god possibly bring punishment upon their tribe?
Chapter 51: Between the planks
Chapter 51: Between the nks
However, even with these three walls totaling just 1,100 meters, it was still a massive project for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng made a simple calction.
The simple y bricks made in the tribe were 10 centimeters thick, 20 centimeters wide, and 40 centimeters long. Assuming the wall was constructed to be 2.5 meters high and 40 centimeters thick, it would require 137,500 simple y bricks.
Yesterday, they tried making simple y bricks all day, including digging soil, mixing mud, and moving the finished y bricks to the side. Twenty-five people in the tribe participated in thebor, almost all of the main workforce in the tribe. After a day of work, they only produced 800 simple y bricks.
Even if all the future techniques became proficient, calcting a thousand simple y bricks per day, just making the simple y bricks would take over four months, almost five months. This calction doesn''t even include the time to dry and transport the simple y bricks to the needed location.
Considering rainy and stormy weather, making and transporting the simple y bricks would take six to seven months.
This assumed that the people in the tribe didn''t engage in other activities like picking fruits, burning trees to nt rapeseed, or gathering grass for deer and rabbits.
Getting the simple y bricks ready and in ce would take around ten months.
Then, they would need to dig some foundations, mix mud, and use simple y bricks to build walls, which would also require significant time and effort.
After calcting all this and subtracting the two to three months of winter when outdoor work was impossible, Han Cheng realized that the desired wall might not even bepleted by the second autumn.
This was damn hard. Trying to make something was truly difficult.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but want to curse loudly.
Following this method wouldn''t work; the required effort was too much.
For several days, Han Cheng pondered over this issue that gave him a headache.
But eventually, he seemed to have an idea. Instead of using simple y bricks, he could use a "board building" method to construct the wall.
Until the Qin and Han dynasties, and eventer, many city walls were built using the "board building" method.
This was also why, in ancient times, during wars, if one side diverted water to flood the city, some parts of the city wall would copse after a few days. Compared to making simple y bricks and then using mud to stack them into a wall, the " board building " method was much more time- andbor-efficient.
It only required supporting both sides and ends with nks in the intended location of the wall. Then, they could directly pour well-mixed mud into the enclosed space formed by the nks andpact the mud.
Walls constructed using this method were solid. In the absence of steel bars, cement, lime, or bricks in the present era, walls built this way would be much sturdier than those made by stacking simple y bricks.
Han Cheng pped his forehead when he considered the "board building" method. His thinking was once again restricted.
Walls were mostmonly constructed with steel bars, cement, and bricks. Even lime is rarely used in modern days.
The "board building" method was rarely seen, and if it was, it was used forying foundations or making circr beams with a thinyer.
Therefore, when Han Cheng was ready to start building the wall, the first method that came to his mind was to use bricks. He would use simple y bricks as a substitute if there were no bricks. Without cement, he would use live and watery mud instead.
Until he realized that this method was toobor-intensive, time-consuming, and not very sturdy. After much contemtion, Han Cheng suddenly remembered the "board building" method, an ancient technique for wall construction.
What prompted Han Cheng to recall this skill was his self-motivation. Faced with the difficulties of building the wall, he started boosting his morale to prevent losing confidence.
It wasn''t until he mentioned Mencius''s words about being born in adversity and dying infort that his mind suddenly became clear as if struck by lightning.
The original text goes like this: "Shun plowed in the fields, Fu Shuo worked between the channels, Jiaoge worked on the roads, Guanyiwu worked among the schrs, Sun Shu''ao worked by the sea, and Bailixi worked in the market. Therefore, Heaven is about to bestow great responsibilities upon these people. Before doing so, it will first make their hearts suffer, exhaust their muscles and bones, starve their skin and flesh, and let them undergo deprivation."
This inspirational passage benefited Han Cheng greatly, not because of theter part about heaven bestowing great responsibilities, but because of the beginning: "Shun plowed in the fields, Fu Shuo worked between the channels."
Indeed, it''s beneficial to read more books and have a few sips of spiritual chicken soup. Surprisese while sipping on it.
Upon recalling the "board building" method, Han Cheng immediately halted the action of his Elder Senior brother and the others in making simple y bricks.
However, building a wall using the "board building" method also presented some difficulties that needed to be ovee, with the most important being the wall''s foundation.
It would undoubtedly be unstable if they didn''ty a foundation and directly used the "board building" method on the ground. Butying a foundation, given the current tools and means, was equally challenging.
Besides these challenges, there was also the issue of clearing the forest in this area.
The simplest method, of course, was to kill the trees first and then burn them. In the tribe''s western area, over 300 square meters of trees had already withered, thanks to the efforts of Han Cheng and his team.
However, if they did that, the wall construction would need to be postponed. Skinning these trees, waiting for them to die and dry up, would take a long time.
This was unbearable for Han Cheng, who was eager to build the wall.
But there was no other way. Given the current production conditions, he could only endure it for now.
Han Cheng led arge group of people to take action in this forest.
The first to suffer were those trees growing along the line Han Cheng marked for the nned wall.
The early summer weather was extremely hot, especially now with no wind. The whole world felt like a steamer, making it difficult for people to breathe.
After peeling off thest bit of bark from the roots of arge tree that couldn''t be hugged, even the strongest Elder Senior brother had to stop. He wiped off the sweat from his head, picked up the water bottle by his side, tilted his neck, and downed a slightly salty gulp of cold boiled water. Only then did he breathe a long sigh of relief and feel more rxed.
Elder Senior Brother was quite curious. They would have had little strength left with this kind of weather in the past, but now it was different. Despite enduring this heat, he still felt more energetic than before.
He attributed this to the abundant food brought by the divine child since his arrival, allowing everyone to eat well every day.
Looking at the divine child not far away, who still looked like a child, gazing at the sky, Elder Senior Brother''s eyes were full of respect. It was precisely because of the guidance of the divine child that the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe could enjoy the good days they were living.
At this moment, seeing the divine child looking at the sky with such seriousness, everyone, including him, instinctively held their breath, afraid to disturb themunication between the divine child and the gods.
Chapter 53: Curse of the devil? No! It’s a blessing from the heavens!
Chapter 53: Curse of the devil? No! It¡¯s a blessing from the heavens!
It''s not clear whether it was a coincidence or the aura of the time traveler, but as soon as Han Cheng stabilized the people''s hearts for a short while, the wind diminished, the rain lessened, the thunder silenced, and the lightning disappeared.
The sky was bright.
"Divine Child! Divine Child!"
People in the tribe shouted with reverence and excitement.
Han Cheng rubbed his nose. The weather in mid-May, as expected, changed rapidly.
"Come and see!"
A cry of surprise came from the entrance of the cave. ckie pointed outside, repeatedly turning his head, his face full of shock.
"What happened?"
Han Cheng was surprised, and along with others, he ran towards the cave entrance.
"Hiss."
Even the experienced Han Cheng couldn''t help but take a sharp breath after seeing the scene outside.
This was too bizarre.
Following his gaze, the view was exceptionally broad, allowing a clear sight to the swollen river from the cave entrance.
Of course, there was a reason for this. After the storm, all the trees between the tribe and the small river were toppled and uprooted by the violent wind.
The area with fallen trees was extensive, not only in front of the tribe but also in the region west of the tribe where Han Cheng nned to cultivate fields. Dead trees and those still alive intertwined, lying together like bodies.
This This is truly a stroke of luck.
After a brief shock, Han Cheng suddenly felt ecstatic.
"Thump."
Before Han Cheng could burst intoughter, Shaman kneeling beside him suddenly fell to the ground, bowing repeatedly with a panicked expression, and even the words of prayer were trembling.
The others, seeing the scene as if a great disaster hade, were all filled with fear and awe. They followed the shaman, kneeling and bowing repeatedly.
This scene left Han Cheng dumbfounded. Shouldn''t they be happy?
He quickly helped Shaman up, preventing him from continuing to bow.
"We can''t stay here anymore. We must leave."
When the shaman said these words, his expression looked very heavy.
It was evident that he was extremely reluctant to leave this ce. After all, there was a cave for shelter and abundant food. However, the shaman still made this decision and spoke these words painedly.
Leave? Why would they leave when everything seemed fine?
"Shaman, why?"
Han Cheng asked, holding the shaman''s arm.
"This here, a demonic curse."
After a long while, the shaman replied to Han Cheng''s question with a trembling voice. Saying this, his face showed a terrified expression, and he couldn''t stop shivering.
Han Cheng''s mind was filled with question marks.
This was just a tornado mixed with heavy rain passing through. There were just a few more fallen trees. How did it be a demonic curse?
Unable to exin clearly to Han Cheng, Shaman pulled him towards the inner cave. In front of a stone b at the innermost part of the cave, he stopped, called the Elder Senior brother, and asked him to flip the stone b and bring it to a rtively bright ce, leaning it against the stone wall.
Shaman looked anxious and fearful as he pointed to the drawings on the stone b for Han Cheng to see.
Han Cheng turned his body to get a better view without blocking the light and looked at the drawings on the stone b.
The items exuded a sense of age, and the entire stone b and its inscriptions carried a quaint and ancient aura.
These were textsposed of a series of drawings.
With Shaman''s exnation, Han Cheng learned that a simr event had urred in the tribe long ago. ording to his ount and the scenes depicted on the stone b, manyrge trees had fallen, numerous animals died, a foul stench permeated the air, and people in the tribe started getting sick, gradually dying.
Many people in the tribe died, and ultimately, the shaman led the remaining survivors away from their long-inhabited ce, migrating elsewhere. During the migration, people continued to die, and even the shaman''s apprentice fell ill.
In desperation, the shaman selected all the sick people and had his apprentice lead them away. On the other hand, he led the healthy ones to another ce, and the two groups separated.
More than half of the people led by the apprentice died on the way, and only when they distanced themselves from the cursed ce did the situation gradually improve.
They eventually arrived at their current location, establishing roots and growing steadily. The apprentice became the shaman of this new tribe, recording the terrifying events on the stone b and passing it on to the next shaman, reminding them that if such a thing happened again, they should immediately move elsewhere to prevent the deaths of many tribespeople.
After listening to the shaman''s story, Han Cheng was stunned, not expecting such a convoluted history for the tribe.
ording to Shaman''s description, that incident should have been a gue. The violent storm caused the death of many animals, and the continuous high temperature elerated the decay of the corpses, leading to the outbreak of the gue.
After Han Cheng listened to the Shaman, he pondered for a while and told the shaman that he would go outside to inspect and determine whether it was a demonic curse. If it was, they could consider migratingter.
Although Shaman was unwilling to let Han Cheng go out, fearing for his safety, he stopped objecting when Han Cheng brought out the heavenly god''s banner.
Han Cheng wasn''t concerned about the curse mentioned by the shaman. With salt avable, he wasn''t worried about many animal deaths. Even if there were too many, they could burn or bury the remains. Moreover, the tribe now drank boiled water, significantly reducing the spread of diseases.
Feeling disappointed, Han Cheng, his nervous Elder Senior brother, and others inspected the area within a four to five-mile radius around the tribe. Besides an unfortunate mother wolf killed by a falling tree and a new born wolf cub hiding under its belly, they didn''t find any dead animals.
"This isn''t a demonic curse; it''s a blessing from the heavenly god," Han Cheng solemnly told the uneasy shaman after returning to the cave.
While Shaman felt somewhat relieved but wore a thick expression of doubt. How could such a horrifying scene not be a demonic curse?
Han Cheng then took the wolf cub aside, whining in his arms, and began exining to Shaman and the others about the various benefits of the storm. Except for the heavenly god, Han Cheng didn''t lie about anything. This was truly a stroke of good luck sent by heaven.
He had been worried about getting rid of those trees before, but now, a storm knocked them all down, saving him a lot of trouble. Moreover, with thisrge expanse of fallen trees, the problem of the unstable wall could be resolved.
When building the wall, after excavating some foundations, they could bring down the thick branches of the fallen trees, nail them along the dug foundation, and then start building the wall with mud, incorporating these stakes into the structure as reinforcement. A strong foundation was crucial for the wall''s stability.
Chapter 54: The Green Sparrow Tribe starts to brush teeth
Chapter 54: The Green Sparrow Tribe starts to brush teeth
In addition to this benefit, the wood used to block mud during the wall construction has also found a purpose.
By simply collecting more branches and arranging them together, weaving them with rope or other sturdy vines, a structure simr to bamboo mats can be created.
In the past, Han Cheng might have worried about obtaining materials, but now, with trees lying all around, he no longer needs to worry about this issue.
The best material for constructing walls is wooden boards, but Han Cheng cannot skillfully cutrge tree trunks into wooden boards since there are no saws. Instead, he uses wooden nks made by weaving together branches.
The walls produced this way will leave some traces of tree sticks on the surface over time, unlike the smooth finish achieved with wooden boards. However, this doesn''t matter to Han Cheng. He needs sturdiness, not aesthetics.
Besides being used to build walls, these trees also haverger purposes.
After the walls are constructed, Han Cheng ns to build houses. Living in the cave is not a long-term solution.
These wooden materials will be very useful when it''s time to build houses.
A lot of wood is needed based on five beams per house.
With this generous gift from nature, he doesn''t have to worry about obtaining the most difficult-to-get wood.
As for thoserge and immovable tree trunks, cutting off a section and hollowing it out to make a canoe is a good use for them.
Of course, they are also useful for making charcoal.
As for the remaining small branches and leaves, some can be collected as fuel for the tribe, while others can be stacked and burned in the area where Han Cheng ns to cultivate farnd.
The storm that knocked downrge stretches of trees near the tribe was truly a great help to Han Cheng. It can be rightfully called a gift from nature.
Shaman and Elder Senior Brother stared wide-eyed, quietly watching the Divine Child. Their eyes widened in surprise. No matter how hard they tried, they could not have anticipated that such a cmity, akin to a demonic curse, would turn into a tremendous blessing when spoken by their Divine Child.
They always felt that something was not quite right, but following the words of their Divine Child, they gradually understood.
Although they couldn''tprehend terms like making charcoal, building canoes, or constructing houses, their Divine Child''s excited and hopeful expressions indicated that this was undoubtedly a tremendous blessing. They remembered that even when the miraculous fish trap was created back then, their Divine Child didn''t seem as happy as he did now.
Under the persuasion of the person enveloped in a thickyer of divine aura, coupled with Han Cheng consistently meeting their expectations and aplishing many miraculous feats after his arrival, they had developed blind obedience to their Divine Child.
Even the Shaman, who most clearly remembered the legend of the cursednd, began to waver.
The good times had just begun, and he didn''t want to leave. Starting anew in a new ce would be too much effort, and unfamiliar surroundings could easily lead to danger.
After much hesitation, the Shaman decided to wait and see. If someone fell ill, the entire tribe would relocate immediately.
After hearing the Shaman''s thoughts, Han Cheng immediately agreed with the Shaman''s decision. To prevent any mishaps, he reiterated the rule against drinking untreated water and instructed the tribe members to wash their faces, brush their teeth, and bathe every day.
You did not read it wrong. It''s about brushing your teeth.
Nowadays, in the Green Sparrow Tribe, such a scene urs every morning. Along the ditch where the Divine Child had people dig on both sides after turning west from the cave entrance, people squat in two rows, holding ceramic cups and brushing their teeth with tree sticks in the other.
Since the production of salt and having a certain amount stored, Han Cheng has vigorously promoted the practice of tooth brushing in the tribe.
Han Cheng even led Hei Wa and others to fire a batch of cups with small tadpoles or frogs painted on them to increase everyone''s interest in brushing their teeth.
Initially, everyone rejected such a troublesome task. They couldn''t understand why the Divine Child was willing to waste such delicious salt on such a useless and troublesome activity.
However, reluctantly, they endured it, considering the exquisite cups.
Strangely enough, after continuing this practice for some time, people couldn''t do without it. If they didn''t brush their teeth one day, they felt ufortable, and even their meals wouldn''t taste good.
As it developed, without Han Cheng''s reminder, when everyone woke up in the morning, they would first pick up a ceramic basin, take their cups, walk to the water tank, scoop water out with a specialdle, and then go outside to brush their teeth and wash their faces.
As for the ceramic basin used as a washbasin, each person can''t have one, so households distribute them. Families with many members have two, while those with fewer members have one.
Han Cheng is an exception as a single. Being the Divine Child, he has two ceramic basins, one for washing his face and the other for washing his feet at night. Soaking his feet in hot water at night is incrediblyfortable.
Brushing teeth is a very necessary thing, not only for hygiene but, more importantly, for maintaining dental health.
In this era, if you don''t have good oral hygiene, it means you can''t be strong. Because if your dental health is poor, you can''t even eat delicious food.
Now that Han Cheng has fired the ceramics and invented the method of cooking food in ceramic pots, it''s much better than before when there was only one way of grilling. People without teeth suffered.
The two elderly primitive people in the tribe often had bleeding gums.
Now that the new cooking method of boiling soup has appeared, those two are the happiest. After these few months, they have noticeably gained weight and are in much better spirits.
Shaman also likes cooked food because he has lost about half his teeth. He eats slowly, not because he''s refined but because he can''t eat quickly with fewer teeth.
Confucius said, "Food is not tiresome when it is finely chopped and sliced." It''s not directly rted to teeth, but the principle is somewhat simr.
After a brief pause in the heavy rain outside, Han Cheng did not immediately start the grand project of repairing the walls. Instead, he instructed people to tidy up the cave ravaged by the storm.
The fire was also reignited. To ignite it, the Elder Senior brother, as the firemaker, almost smoked his hands while rubbing wood for fire.
The little wolf cub had recognized Han Cheng and always wanted to find him for milk, constantly whining.
Animals are very intelligent; they can sense people''s goodwill or malice.
The little wolf cub always clings to Han Cheng, not only because Han Cheng was the first person it saw when he pulled it out from under its dead mother''s belly but also because in the tribe, apart from Han Cheng, there are far more people who want to skin it for meat than those who find it amusing.
Cheng, who lost half of his ear and almost died under the wolf''s mouth, was particrly agitated when he saw the little wolf cub. He pantingly gasped, wishing to pounce on it and take a few bites to vent his anger.
Everyone has received their tickets, and it doesn''t hurt when using their faces to catch them. Really, if you don''t believe it, try smashing two more and secretly rejoice in upholding the rules.
Chapter 55: Excavating the foundation, driving wooden stakes
Chapter 55: Excavating the foundation, driving wooden stakes
Lame split the mother wolf, who had died a tragic death, belly open. for the tribe, such a delicious meal was not to be abandoned.
Han Cheng was worried that the little wolf cub would be saddened if it saw this, so he instructed someone else to perform this activity outside the cave.
In the meantime, he prepared a small pot of meat soup for the wolf cub to enjoy.
The reason Han Cheng cared so much about the little wolf cub was twofold. Firstly, the cub''s soft fur was amusing and always clung to him. Secondly, this little one reminded him of the second-tier divine beast, Er Ha (Husky), he raised in his past life when he was still a cub. Nostalgia for that creature made Han Cheng feel sympathetic toward the wolf cub.
Even though Er Ha, in his past life, was a bit destructive and tempted Han Cheng to live-stream eating a divine beast several times, after such a long time without seeing it, Han Cheng still missed it.
The third reason was that he wanted to try and tame this little wolf cub and see if he could turn a white-eyed wolf into a loyalpanion for humans. If sessful, it would be a great help for guarding and hunting in the future.
Since the wolf cub was too small and couldn''t directly drink the meat soup from the bowl, Han Cheng had to dip his fingers in and let it lick.
The little mouth with newly grown milk teeth nibbled and sucked on Han Cheng''s fingers, feeling ticklish.
Whether due to hunger or the soup with added salt, the wolf cub eagerly devoured half a bowl of meat soup and tworge pieces of meat chewed by Han Cheng.
After getting full, the cub didn''t whine around Han Cheng, looking for milk. Instead, ity on the ground, snuggling up to Han Cheng''s feet, resting its head on its small paws, and fell asleep.
Before sleeping at night, Han Cheng fed the little wolf cub twice.
At the edge of the inner cave, Han Cheng used some previously made y bricks to build a small nest for the wolf cub. He filled it with soft, dry grass and then, holding the cub in his hands gently ced it inside. After settling the cub, Han Cheng went to sleep.
As a result, as soon as he left, the little one came out and followed Han Cheng.
After this happened five times, Han Cheng finally gave up on letting the wolf cub sleep alone in the doghouse.
The cub, no longer being taken away, was quite excited. It asionally used its small head to nuzzle Han Cheng''s arms, ying with him. It would snuggle tightly at Han Cheng''s feet when it was time to sleep.
However, there was a risk to this arrangement. Sometimes, the hungry cub would snuggle up Han Chengs legs at night, searching for milk.
After two instances of this, when Han Cheng slept at night, he had to put on his airtight leather shorts.
Dealing with trees on the ground was much easier than with standing trees. One reason was that the trees hadpletely given up resistance, lying on the ground entirely at the mercy of anyone who wanted to care for them.
Another reason was that people''s feet were on the ground, allowing them to exert force.
After about a day and a half, with Han Cheng''s verbal guidance and the relentless efforts of the eldest disciple and others, the three lines designated for the wall construction were cleared.
Next on the agenda was digging the foundation.
At this point, the tools were primitive, making it somewhat challenging to dig deep. Therefore, Han Cheng didn''t require the foundation to be too deep, approximately only 30 centimeters.
In the first two days of excavation, the soil was moist due to the recent rain, making it rtively easy. However, after a few days of sun and evaporation, the ground became dry, making digging much moreborious.
Han Cheng instructed a few people to stop working and not to dig the foundation anymore. Instead, he used y pots to carry water from the river, moistening the area to be excavated. This made the digging process much more manageable.
With thebined efforts of more than twenty people, the digging of the foundation progressed rtively quickly. In five days, the westernmost 300-meter foundation waspleted.
Han Cheng did not n to start digging the remaining two lines now. Since it was already summer and there was more rain, digging at this time would require additional cleaning when it came time to pile up the soil and set up the stakes.
Of course, the foundation of the wall connecting the southern end of the western wall to the east-west wall needs to be dug up a bit. This is because the corner of the wall is crucial. If not constructed together, the three walls will act independently after the wall is built and won''t connect seamlessly.
This is also why the corners are usually built first when building houses or walls in rural areas.
Moreover, the person building the corners must have strong skills, usually done by the best among the masons.
Because the corner construction quality directly affects the straightness of the two walls.
With experience in this regard, under Han Cheng''s guidance during the construction of the wall, they didn''t start from the northern section against the mountain wall where the tribe''s cave was located. Instead, they began with the southernmost corner.
Once the corner was well-built, they could extend a wall to the north and another to the east.
"Thud, thud, thud."
Holding a stone, the burly Second Senior Brother effortlessly hammered a tree stump, more than a meter long and as thick as an arm, into the excavated foundation.
The wooden stump sank into the ground to about forty centimeters.
Without a hammer, using a stone to pound the wooden stump into the ground seemed moreborious. Han Cheng began to demonstrate his cleverness to speed up the process and ease the difficulty for everyone.
He first had someone find particrly sturdy wooden sticks, sharpening one end as much as possible for easy insertion into the soil.
These sticks, called drill-like wooden sticks, were also required to be thicker than those intended to be used as stakes.
They were ready to start after producing a batch of such drill-like wooden sticks.
Before nailing the wooden stakes into the excavated foundation, they used these drill-like sticks to pound at the designated locations. After reaching a certain depth, they wiggle the stick back and forth, pull it out, and then continue pounding. This was to prevent the stakes from being driven too deep and bing difficult to removeter.
They repeated this process until the approximately 35-centimeter mark on the drill-like stick matched the ground level. Only then was the job consideredplete when the stick was pulled out.
Because these wooden sticks used as drills were hard, had a sharp tip, and were rtively thin, nailing them into the ground was much easier than using the thicker arm-sized stakes.
After pulling out the drill, it left a hole in the ground. The person in charge of nailing the stakes, who was ready behind, picked up a stake and ced it in the hole. Then, using a stone, they pounded it down.
Since there was already a hole due to the drilling, this process was much morebor-saving. Moreover, because the original hole was narrow when the thicker stake was pounded down, there was no issue of it bing loose or unstable.
Chapter 56: Wooden planks, mix mud, and building the wall
Chapter 56: Wooden nks, mix mud, and building the wall
These stakes are driven into the ground about every half meter, and they are driven more densely at the corners of the wall.
This work continued for about eight days. After that, on the westernmost excavated foundation, there was a row of wooden stakes about thirty to forty centimeters above the ground.
It looks somewhat simr to the steel bars standing on foundations in future times.
The wooden stakes appear uneven in height, but there''s no other way. After all, they don''t have axes, saws, or machetes to cut these woods, and it''s already quite challenging to get pieces with somewhat suitable dimensions. Maintaining uniform dimensions is even more challenging.
However, the wooden stakes driven into the ground have a uniform standard. They must be at least forty centimeters long because Han Cheng and his underage students marked the bottom of these tree stakes at forty centimeters.
With the wooden stakes in ce, the next step is making wooden nks and stering the wall with y.
The underage people in the tribe have already collected the tree branches needed for weaving the wooden nks.
Since the tree branches needed for weaving the wooden nks don''t have to be too thick, they could break them off from fallen trees.
The weaving of wooden nks is rtively simple. It only requires arranging suitable and rtively straight tree branches on the ground and then weaving and securing them horizontally with flexible vines.
This is somewhat like weaving a bamboo mat.
Of course, the techniques are different, and these wooden nks are rougher than bamboo mats.
Among the adults in the tribe, the most skillful hands belong to the Lame because his legs are inconvenient, and he can''t go hunting or do heavy work like the others. So, unwilling to be idle, he devoted much effort to his hands.
To give a not-so-good analogy, this is simr to the fact that a blind person''s hearing and touch are often much stronger than average.
The weaving of wooden nks is an essential task for Lame.
Han Cheng hadn''t done this before but had seen it before and knew some general methods. After exining it to Lame, the two of them started to experiment.
The technology involved is notplicated. It took just one day, and there were already results.
However, this thing differs from weaving fish cages because the tree vines are much harder than ropes. Without a certain amount of strength, it would be challenging to weave them. At least Han Cheng can''t do it right now.
After figuring out the weaving method, Han Cheng called two good people with their hands to learn how to weave wooden nks from Lame.
Wooden nks, each three meters long and over half a meter wide, were erected on the foundation on both sides of the southern wall corner, facing each other.
In the middle of the two wooden nks, two tree stakes about half a meter long were propped up, with some uncleared branches on top.
To prevent the two wooden nks from merging, one at each end, a meter-long wooden nk was used to block it vertically. It was also tightly tied with vines. In this way, a cuboid model waspleted.
Next, they needed to pour the well-prepared mud into it.
There''s also a trick to mixing mud. Simple mud may not have enough viscosity for casting such walls. Therefore, when mixing mud, Han Cheng added some rope grass cut into half-meter lengths and some other tough grass that may not be as tough as rope grass but still had considerable toughness. He even sprinkled a handful of salt inside.
The role of rope grass in mud is simr to fine steel bars; it can better connect the mud. As for the salt
Han Cheng didn''t know what role it would y, but he remembered seeing people put it in when building a mud stove.
Since it''s put in, there must be a reason for it. Han Cheng values this wall very much. Salt is not particrly abundant for the current tribe, but building this wall is even more challenging.
Han Cheng didn''t hesitate to sprinkle salt into it to prevent any regrettable defects in something that took so much effort to create.
The wall pounding also relied on division ofbor and cooperation.
Some were responsible for carrying water, some for digging soil and y, some for bringing well-prepared y into the space surrounded by the wooden nks, and some for ttening the y. After umting a certain thickness, they began to use thick and slender wooden stakes to forcefully pound the y, making it more solid and cohesive.
Of course, the y couldn''t be too loose. They only needed to moisten the raised soil, mix it with grass and salt, and vigorously stir it. Afterward, they could fill the gaps between the wooden nks with animal skins and previously broken y pots.
"Bang, bang, bang."
Tamping the wet soil was an extremelyborious activity by strong adult men like the Elder and Second brothers.
The muscles on the Elder Senior Brother''s arm bulged and then suddenly stretched out, followed by a dull sound.
The muscles on his arm bulged again, and the wooden stake in his hand rose. A bowl-sized imprint appeared on the wet y.
This imprint was at least half a centimeter lower than in other ces.
Sweat slid off his body and fell to the ground, breaking into eight petals.
The aesthetic beauty ofbor and hardship interweaved, forming a picture called life.
There might be casual sess in this world, but such sess is really rare.
The vast majority of sess involves tremendous effort, experiencing great hardships and trials before bloominga flower watered with blood, sweat, and perhaps even tears.
This section of the wall, about nine meters long and half a meter high, was finally built. This wall also included a corner.
Han Cheng didn''t rush to have people dismantle the wooden nks but added anotheryer of wooden nks on top, following the previous procedure.
Because of the thirty-centimeter-deep foundation dug earlier, after three consecutiveyers of wooden nks, the height of this section of the wall above the ground was only about one meter and twenty centimeters.
This was as high as it could go this time; any higher would require scaffolding.
The Elder Senior Brother and the others cut off the vines with stone knives, tying the wooden nks. Then, they used a stick to pry a few times at the edge, and the wooden nks stuck to the mud wall fell off.
After seeing the wall, Han Cheng''s somewhat uneasy heart finally settled down. Although the wall''s surface was not entirely smooth, overall, it was very good, with no cracks or looseness.
Although it was made of mud, reaching half a meter in thickness, with the tough grass inside the soil and the forceful pounding by the eldest brother and others, it underwent a qualitative change.
After this tempering, it was no longer the loose lump of soil it used to be.
Imitating Han Cheng, the Elder Senior Brother extended his hand to touch and push against the mud wall.
Initially, he was still worried that he might knock down this thing made of mud, but he didn''t use too much force.
He just tentatively applied pressure. He gradually increased the force after seeing that the mud wall was fine.
Ultimately, the eldest brother''s face turned red, and his neck thickened, but he couldn''t do anything to the mud wall.
He looked at the mud wall, then at Han Cheng, his eyes bright. The wall that the shaman talked about did not disappoint.
Chapter 57: Walls without a center front door
Chapter 57: Walls without a center front door
Shaman stood on the side, watching as the leader, Elder Senior Brother, struggled with the wall. When he saw the strong Elder Senior Brother sweating but unable to progress against the newly constructed wall, a genuine smile appeared on Shaman''s face.
Although the wall is not yet high enough to deter wild beasts, it has already proven the truth of the divine child''s words. If they persist in building it, the wall will eventually bepleted.
He looked at this small section of the wall and then at the cleared foundations that had not yet been built, and the image described by the divine child appeared in his mind once again.
The sturdy wall stood here, creating a safe space. Outside the wall were various fierce beasts, while inside the wall, children yed peacefully.
Ferocious beasts outside listened to the sounds of joy andughter smelled the wafting aroma of meat, but could only leave reluctantly, unable to cross the wall.
A small wall separated the two worlds. One was dangerous, and the other was a warm andfortable home.
When Shaman first heard these words from Han Cheng, he was full of disbelief. Such a ce was something he didn''t dare to dream of. In his understanding, even the residence of the gods wouldn''t be much different.
He was even more worried, especially after the recent incident of the devil''s curse. If the ce where his tribe is located is cursed by the devil, how could the scenes described by the divine child happen?
But now, the appearance of the wall has wholly unraveled the knot in his heart, which had left him gloomy and worried for more than ten days.
All the tribe members were bustling about, building the wall diligently. The events about the devil''s curse recorded by Shaman in the past did not ur. Everyone was healthy and seemed to have more strength than before.
These trees, seemingly pushed down by the devil, were a blessing from the gods, just as the divine child had said.
Not to mention anything else, in the construction of the wall, these fallen trees yed a significant role.
Han Cheng looked at Shaman, who was smiling silently, and the corners of his mouth couldn''t help but curl up.
This old guy should be at ease now.
After confirming that the wall was effective, everyone became more energetic in their work.
They were naturally energetic.
At Han Cheng''s suggestion, the previous two meals a day had be three meals a day.
Although they mostly ate fish, whichcked the taste of meat, it was enough to make them happy.
After all, not long ago, they sometimes went hungry with only two meals a day.
Moreover, with salt, the fish meat now had vor, especially the fish soup made from the sun-dried salted fish at noon, which was particrly tasty.
After rolling in the soup, the wild grasses that the divine child called "vegetables" in the fish soup were highly refreshing to eat.
At first, many people were unwilling to eat them, thinking that only prey would eat grass, like the group of fearless deer at the Salt Mountain and the dozen or so rabbits that had developed in the cave.
However, after trying it once, they immediately fell in love with eating these wild grasses that the divine child had brought. They didn''t expect that these "vegetables" identified by the divine child, when boiled in the soup, would absorb the oil and saltiness, making them so delicious.
So much so that now, if there aren''t a few green vegetables floating in the pot, they feel that the soup and riceck some vor.
These wild vegetables, from being ignored initially, have be popr now.
Han Cheng found these two types of vegetables in his spare time. There are two kinds. One that looks very simr to a vegetable called "Wild Spinach" he had eaten in hister years, and another one that he has noparison for, but it tastes good.
Walking further into the distance, you can find quite a few.
For new vegetables, Han Cheng naturally wouldn''t be reckless and directly give them to the people in the tribe. He still needed to go through the process of tasting first.
After feeding the rabbits with these two types of vegetables separately for half a month, they did not have any problems and even produced a bunch of rabbit babies.
As for the food in the tribe, there was no need to worry. The heavy rain caused the small river to flood, and after the flood receded, more fish were in the river.
Eight fish traps submerged together, in addition to three meals a day, could also dry nearly a hundred pieces of fish every day.
Fish traps naturally had wear and tear, but with Lames skillful and enthusiastic fishing, there was no need to worry.
With him around, not only did the fish traps not decrease, but they even increased to twelve.
If it weren''t for Han Cheng saying they dont need so many fish traps, Lame even wanted to make another ten or eight and put them all in the small river to catch fish together.
A lot of effort was put into the foundation of the wall.
After digging the foundation and nailing the tree stumps, the speed immediately became apparent when the formal construction of the wall started.
Under the people''s hard work in the tribe, the wall changed its appearance every day.
After a month, to the west of the tribe, a tall wall made of y stood about two meters high.
This was the fruit of the people''s hard work in the tribe.
Looking at the wall standing there, blocking the line of sight, everyone felt an inexplicable sense of security.
After the first wall waspleted, Han Cheng deliberately gave everyone two days off, allowing them to rest for two days before building the wall to the south, facing the tribe cave.
This wall was very long, reaching five hundred meters, almost the length of the other two walls.
However, this wall would be built in two phases because a gate needed to be left on this wall.
The gate would be ced slightly to the west in the middle of the wall, with a width of two meters.
It''s not that Han Cheng didn''t want to make the gate wider, but the technology for making gates was not good at this time. If the gate were toorge, it would not be conducive to defense without a sturdy door.
As for why the main gate wasn''t in the center of the wall, there were some sayings about it.
Han Cheng had heard from the older generation that, since ancient times, only emperors walked through the main gate. Therefore, ordinary families couldn''t afford a main gate except for ces like the imperial pce and imperial city.
Han Cheng naturally didn''t believe these things, but when building it, he still made the gate slightly off-center, which was also a kind of nostalgia.
The first to be built was the two hundred meters west of the gate. Still following the old procedure, first, dig the foundation, then nail the wooden stakes into the ground. After nailing the stakes, start pounding the wall with wooden nks.
For the people in the tribe, all these steps had be familiar, and the speed of building was much faster than when building the first wall.
Of course, another reason was that this wall was the southernmost one, close to the small river, making it convenient to fetch water. Two more people could join the wall-building process.
In fact, at the beginning, more people were needed to fetch water, with a maximum of seven people.
And because of the long-term water fetching, the grass ropes woven from rope grass had rubbed their hands raw, bloody.
After seeing this, Han Cheng once again pped his forehead.
Chapter 58: Shoulder Pole, Door, and the Wagging Wolf Cub
Chapter 58: Shoulder Pole, Door, and the Wagging Wolf Cub
After Han Cheng pped his head, a new tool, the shoulder pole, appeared in the tribe.
For the Green Sparrow tribe, surrounded by trees lying on the ground, finding suitable wood for making shoulder poles was easy. A tree stick about one and a half meters long and the thickness of a forearm had notches carved at both ends with a stone knife to secure the ropes on the water cans, preventing them from falling. The middle section of the shoulder pole, about twenty centimeters long, was carefully smoothed to avoid difort on the shoulders while carrying water.
The people in the tribe were once again impressed by the ingenious ideas of their godson. The seemingly simple shoulder pole turned out to be surprisingly practical. Previously, carrying a single heavy water can felt burdensome, but now they can carry two cans and walk more than 1.5 km from the river to the wall without feeling tired.
Suddenly, thoughts of the "New Calcium Super Calcium High Calcium Tablets" advertisement came to mind: "As you age, you love the ease of the new calcium tablets. One tablet daily, five in one go, effortlessly climbing five floors!"
However, in the beginning, shoulders couldn''t bear the load, and they would be swollen after a day of carrying water. Yet, it became not an issue after continuing this for some time. Those ustomed to using the shoulder pole felt that the previous practice of carrying water directly with their hands was foolish.
Due to the need to leave a gate on this wall, the construction process differed from the previous one, especially at the location of the gate. Han Cheng brainstormed extensively to ensure the gate''s strength withoutpromising the overall solidity of the wall.
The solution was to build a one-meter square door pir directly at the gate''s location. The square pir connected to the wall on the west side, and on the north side of the pir, it extended an additional two and a half meters to form a right angle, providing mutual support between the two walls, making it much more robust than a single wall.
Moreover, after the wall''spletion, a roof could be added to the two-and-a-half meter walls on both sides of the gate, creating a room at the gate. This could protect the gate from wind and sun and provide a ce to store simple tools.
Especially during the hot summer days, opening the gate, squatting underneath it, feeling the cool breeze, and enjoying a meal was an incredibly satisfying experience.
The challenge was installing the door and making it sturdy, but Han Cheng also devised a solution. The key was in the one-meter square door pir.
During the construction of this door pir, at distances of thirty centimeters, one meter twenty centimeters, and two meters from the ground, Han Cheng inserted extremely hard wood with roots attached. These logs were about one meter twenty centimeters long and had a diameter roughly the size of a bowl.
The end with the root was driven into the door pir. After construction, it was impossible to pull them out from the outside. These three logs were used to secure the door. Once the door was constructed, it could be easily fixed onto these three logs. Additionally, the hidden mechanisms were all concealed inside. Once the door was locked from the inside, it appeared as two ordinary doors from the outside. To remove the door, one had to work from the inside, making it impossible from the outside.
Time quietly passed, and each day seemed to have no significant difference from the past. However, many things were quietly changing in this tranquility; some evenpleted the journey from birth to death.
The little wolf cub became more affectionate, trotting around Han Cheng all day.
It had grown quite a bit during this time, and the wolf''s characteristics were gradually bing evident. However, its personality hadn''t shown much yet.
Han Cheng waved a small piece of wood before Fujiang, then tossed it away.
Fujiang was the name Han Cheng gave to the little wolf cub, hoping for a good omen.
Without Han Cheng''smand, Fujiang turned and ran, swiftly reaching the fallen piece of wood, grabbing it in its mouth, and then scampering back to Han Cheng.
cing the wood in Han Cheng''s outstretched hand, Fujiang extended its tongue, looking at Han Cheng with anticipation, like a child eager for praise after doing something right.
Ignoring Fujiang, Han Cheng pretended to be angry and pointed at Fujiang''s tail.
Seeing this, Fujiang suddenly remembered something, and its expression changed, showing a frightened look.
Under Han Cheng''s gaze, its tail lifted slightly, then awkwardly swayed left and right, appearing quite clumsy.
Watching this creature trying to please him by peeking and wagging its tail, Han Cheng couldn''t help but burst intoughter.
Fujiang immediately stopped wagging its tail, and the pitiful expression vanished. Instead, it bounced and jumped around Han Cheng, looking at him with ttery.
Han Cheng leisurely pulled a small animal skin pouch from his pocket, took a piece of salted jerky, and stuffed it into Fujiang''s mouth.
People in the tribe, including Cheng, who had been bitten by the wolf before, had now epted Fujiang''s presence. They no longer red at Fujiang as they did before, with a desire to pounce on its ears.
Now, they were more than willing to y with this newpanion.
Inside the cave, mes rose, and therge pot simmered with hot steam, spreading a rich aroma.
Like the others, Fujiang squatted in front of Han Cheng, eagerly staring at the pot, waiting for the signal to start the meal.
Eating when hungry was always something to look forward to. However, Fujiang''s anticipation was longer than that of ordinary people.
After looking forward to the boiling pot, it still had to wait for Han Cheng.
Under Fujiang''s eager gaze, Han Cheng casually picked up a piece of green with chopsticks and ced it at his feet in Fujiang''s dedicated bowl.
Seeing the greens, Fujiang deted like a punctured ball, plopping down on the ground with a look of despair.
However, it asionally peeked at Han Cheng''s actions, revealing its true thoughts.
Han Cheng was ustomed to Fujiang''s yful antics. Without looking at Fujiang, he focused on eating his food, deliberately making loud smacking noises as if the meat in his bowl was exceptionally delicious.
After waiting for a while in this manner, Fujiang, realizing it was futile, reluctantly lowered its head to its bowl, disdainfully eating the greens. Then, it raised its head to look at Han Cheng.
Seeing Han Cheng gazing at its tail, Fujiang lifted its tail and vigorously wagged it a few times.
Han Cheng took a piece of cooked meat from his bowl and put it into Fujiang''s dish, reaching out to pat its head.
Fujiang, pretending to be angry, ate the meat while enjoying Han Cheng''s caresses, squinting its eyes contentedly, and its tail swayed left and right involuntarily.
Chapter 59: Party after the hard work
Chapter 59: Party after the hard work
That night, Cheng was bitten by a wolf, and after the Third Senior Brother drove the wolf away, the wolf visited the Green Sparrow tribe twice in the following days. However, due to everyone''s precautions, there were no casualties.
It wasn''t just one wolf that visited; it was several, forming a small wolf pack. However, since the fierce storm, these wolves have not appeared again.
Han Cheng spected they were probably scared away and migrated elsewhere by the violent storm.
The wolf cub, Fujiang, and her mother might have encountered some misfortune during the migration.
Regardless, Fujiang was abandoned by her tribe, which was good news for Han Cheng. Initially, he had worried that the wolf pack might return and take Fujiang away one day.
After this long period, he could finally let go of that concern.
As the weather gradually cooled, when the mountains were covered in red, and the forest disyed various colors, thest piece of the tribe''s wall was dismantled.
Looking at this small space enclosed by the sturdy wall, everyone in the tribe smiled sincerely. Some children even rolled on the ground in joy.
Fujiang, who had grown quite a bit, also hopped around randomly, wagging her tail behind her.
After Han Cheng''s diligent training over the past few months, Fujiang had fully mastered wagging her tail and gradually developed it instinctively.
This fellow hadpleted the first step of transforming from a wolf to a dogor rather, it could be said that it took a big step toward approaching the second-level divine beast, Erha (Husky).
Han Cheng directed Elder Senior Brothers to fix the two doors made of thicker wooden sticks onto the pre-prepared door axes and close them, sealing thest gap. This small space became the private domain of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Here, they could y freely without worrying about sudden wild animal attacks.
The tworge doors were crafted using the method of weaving wooden nks, stronger and sturdier than individual nks. To create these doors, Lame worked tirelessly for over a month.
From the start of construction topletion today, it took nearly five months to build the 1,100-meter-long wall.
During these five months, the people of the tribe, including these underage children, endured a lot of hardships.
But the rewards were also substantial. Besides this secure space, there was also the tempering of these underage individuals.
After months ofbor, these children appeared much steadier overall.
Even Han Cheng gained a lot.
After the doors were installed, a celebration began brewing in the tribe.
Fresh fish, dried salted fish, previously sun-dried salted meat stored as reserves, and a few pieces of smoked meat were taken out by Elder Senior Brother and ced on a wooden nk designated for food, stacked high.
A fire was kindled, and the pot used as a cauldron was ced over the fire, filled with almost half a pot of clean water, and the rest was the cleaned salted fish.
Cured salted and smoked meat were skewered on tree branches and roasted over the fire, emitting a delightful aroma.
The dancing mes illuminated faces that were either aged, resolute, or tender.
All these faces wore smiles emanating from the heart, a joy that seemed to contain something more than the previous smiles simply because there was food.
This celebration differed from the past. It took ce in the courtyard they had just built, called the yard by the divine child.
After months of continuous construction of the wall, most of the trees inside the courtyard were now lying on the ground with only thick trunks and somerge, unmanageable branches left.
They used thin tree sticks to push these trunks to the side, creating arge open space near the entrance of the cave.
The celebration took ce in this open space.
Tonight''s food was abundant enough for everyone to eat to their heart''s content. Even Fujiang, the half-grown wolf cub, was stuffed to the point of rolling her eyes.
The solemn Shaman danced and spoke a mixture of tribalnguage and Mandarin, then couldn''t stop grinning. In the end, heughed so hard that tears rolled down his cheeks.
Under the Shaman''s guidance, everyone rose simultaneously. Facing the grinning and groaning Fujiang, who was rubbing her belly, and Han Cheng, they respectfully called out "Divine Child." Then, cing their right hands on their left chests, they solemnly bowed.
The Milky Way was brilliant, and the night breeze gently touched the slightly cool air. Fireflies flew in from the river, seemingly wanting to join this delightful celebration.
This celebration was well-deserved for the people of the Green Sparrow tribe. After months of hard work, they had reason to celebrate with such a joyous event.
The sun, much gentler now, rose from the east, climbing to its zenith. The Green Sparrow tribe, once a bustlingmunity, was now still and quiet.
Most people were still asleep, but a few, having awakened, quietly came outside the cave. Basking in the warm sunlight, they contentedly admired the courtyard they had built with their own hands.
Once the tension in their bodies and minds rxed, fatigue surged like water,sting until the afternoon when the Green Sparrow tribe, with sleepy eyes, finally woke up.
After thepletion of the wall, the entire tribe rested for three days. On the fourth day, Elder Senior Brother and his team, armed with tools, went to pick fruits again.
After all, autumn was a season for storing food.
However,pared to the previous years of full dedication, this year''s Green Sparrow tribe seemed much more rxed.
Not to mention the fresh fish in the river, the tribe had plenty of preserved salted fish tost them a long time.
Still, Elder Senior Brother led the tribe members to the fruit orchard that had been upied by another tribest year.
Elder Senior Brother felt resentful about this orchard that they had harvested for many years being taken over by another tribe. This was not only about food but also about honor.
Even though he knew the chances of winning were not great, he still wanted to give it a try.
Of course, he didn''t mention this matter to Shaman and the divine child, only iming they were going to pick fruits elsewhere.
Han Cheng had heard a saying before, "When the wind walks, it leaves a line." This referred to the fact that the path affected by a strong wind onnd wasn''t particrly wide, generally within a few to a dozen miles.
The storm that the Green Sparrow tribe encountered a few months ago was simr.
The Green Sparrow tribe happened to be in the path of the storm, so the nearby damage was particrly severe, while areas farther away were not as affected.
The orchard would inevitably suffer some impact from that storm. Although the fruits were not as plentiful as in previous years, the ones still on the trees were enough for the Green Sparrow tribe.
Chapter 60: Battle at the Orchard
Chapter 60: Battle at the Orchard
The Autumn breeze is a magician; the vastnd is adorned with a colorful robe after it passes. The greenish fruits turn golden, some as red as fire, resembling young girls teased by the autumn wind.
The Elder Senior Brother climbed the tree skillfully, one hand holding onto the trunk, the other continuously picking and causing a shower of fruits to fall into the grass below.
The thick grass awaited gently to ensure the falling fruits were not harmed.
As the fruits fell, great joy filled those who picked them up. Even if a fruit hit someone, they still smiled and continued enthusiastically.
During the harvest, endless happiness was brought to the people.
The happiest ones were not the young adults like Zhuang and Tie Tou but the plump Second Senior Brother. Due to his body size, he couldn''t climb the tree to pick fruits. Instead, he could only pick them up from below into jars or wrapped in animal skins.
His joy came from scenes like a ripe fruit smacking his head. Instead of rubbing the slightly sore spot, he quickly caught the fruit and ate it in two or three bites.
After that, he would continue picking fruits into the jar, anticipating the next ripe fruit to hit him.
The jars and animal skin wraps were filled with fruits and carried by people with poles toward the tribe. Due to the distance from the tribe and concerns about potential dangers on the way back, half of the people needed to return together, ording to custom.
However, this time was different. Under themand of the Elder Senior Brother, after filling the jars and animal skin wraps, everyone would return together and thene back again.
People felt slightly puzzled by the Elder Senior Brother''s actions, but no one questioned him because he was the leader.
The Elder Senior Brother was wise, and he surely had a purpose for doing this.
His main goal ining today was not to pick fruits but to prepare for a fight against the tribe that raided their orchardst year.
For this reason, the Elder Senior Brother was full of energy.
Unfortunately, after arriving today, they did not see that tribe, and judging from the marks on the ground, this forest had not been picked yet.
However, the Elder Senior Brother did not rx because such an orchard was quite precious to the tribe. He believed that the detestable tribe woulde.
He did this today to prevent the tribe froming when their tribe was short-handed, avoiding a defeat.
This joint action could help prevent this.
The appearance of poles and y jars increased the amount of fruits transported by one person by more than twice. Even if everyone returned to transport fruits, it would dy fruit picking, but the efficiency was not much differentpared to previous years.
As the fruits inside the cave increased daily, the tribe the Elder Senior Brother had been waiting for did not appear. This made him unwilling.
Today was thest day of picking fruits this year. Because there were many salted fish and fresh fish that could be caught at any time in the tribe, they didn''t need to store too many fruits.
Standing on the tree, the Elder Senior Brother asionally looked around, hoping the tribe would arrive at thisst moment. Otherwise, he really wouldn''t have a chance to fight them.
"May the gods bless us."
The Elder Senior Brother exhaled and slid down from the tree in three or two steps, shouting for the others in the tribe to stop picking or gathering fruits and take their weapons. He had already picked up the tree stick lying on the ground.
Themotion here rmed a group of primitive people who had already reached the forest''s edge. They were originally walking casually, but upon hearing the noise, they became alert.
However, they were not afraid because of it.
The leading ck and robust leader said a few words to the people behind him, carrying animal skin wraps and baskets woven from grass. Then, he led the crowd towards this direction.
On this side, the Elder Senior Brother also led the people of the Green Sparrow tribe to walk towards them.
"These are ours, you go."
The two tribes stopped about three meters apart, and the Elder Senior Brother conveyed his meaning to the people on the opposite side through words and gestures.
The other side had already recognized the Elder Senior Brother and his group, considering they had beaten them twicest year.
"The orchard is ours."
The leader of the ck and robust tribe sneered at the words of the Elder Senior Brother, unreservedly counterattacking.
The ck and strong leader of the tribe did not care about the group of people in front of him. Moreover, he was somewhat angry because this area, which he already considered their tribe''s orchard, had been picked by these weak guys, taking away many fruits.
They even dared to touch the belongings of their Flying Snake tribe.
The ck and strong leader was very angry. After saying this, he threw the stick to the ground and rushed toward the Elder Senior Brother, who was about to say something more.
The rest of the people behind him also took action, throwing away their weapons, filled with a bit of anger and more excitement, rushing towards this tribe that they had beaten twice and still showed no remorse.
The Elder Senior Brother felt a bit embarrassed; he hadn''t finished speaking yet, and this damn guy rushed up. It was annoying.
He dropped his weapon and faced the leader of the ck and robust tribe.
The two collided without any fancy moves.
The ck and strong leader of the tribe looked much stronger than the Elder Senior Brother, and he didn''t put this seemingly powerless guy in front of him at all.
He hoped to knock down the Elder Senior Brother in one go and beat him up. He had previously won many people using this method, including the guy in front of him.
However, the result this time surprised him. After the two collided, the seemingly weaker guy did not fall.
Instead, he seized the opportunity to grip both of the leader''s arms with his hands, preparing to throw him to the ground.
This surprised him and brought a sense of shame. He couldn''t believe he couldn''t knock down this smaller guy in one go.
He exerted force with both hands, trying to throw the Elder Senior Brother to the ground, but instead, the Elder Senior Brother grabbed his waist.
As they struggled, the others also found their opponents, pairing off and grappling with each other.
The Green Sparrow tribe had one more person than the other side, and that person was Tie Tou.
He had no opponent and could only stand here staring.
Only when a woman from the Green Sparrow tribe was knocked down did he grit his teeth and rush towards the Flying Snake tribe man who was panting andughing.
After knocking down the person from the Green Sparrow tribe, the Flying Snake tribe man reached out to hit another person from the Green Sparrow tribe who was entangled with their tribe, disregarding any rules.
Tie Tou was especially angry when he saw this. Who fights like this?
So, while running, he straightened his chest, bent down, lowered his head, and fiercely collided with the waist of the guy in front of him.
Chapter 61: Battle of the orchard and eating salt
Chapter 61: Battle of the orchard and eating salt
"Ah, ow!"
A painful cry rang out. The Flying Snake tribe man from the Green Sparrow tribe was fiercely rammed in the waist by Iron Head, and he fell to the ground, clutching his waist.
After falling, the man wanted to get up and continue the fight. Iron Head ran over, straddled his stomach, and lowered his head abruptly, smashing it with the spirit of cracking a nut.
The collision of two heads produced a muffled bang. Iron Head''s forehead showed a small red mark, while the Flying Snake tribe man on the ground suffered. A visible lump quickly formed on his forehead, and he was in a sorry state.
Iron Head stood up from the man only after this, then looked at the crowd grappling with each other.
As long as he noticed any Flying Snake tribe member breaking the rules, he would run over unexpectedly, knocking them to the ground.
After a series of struggles, the physical strength of the burly Second Leader of the Flying Snake tribe rapidly declined. Although the Elder Senior Brother felt tired, his strength did not decrease much.
With the ebb and flow, the gap between the two gradually narrowed and widened again.
The leader of the Flying Snake tribe was getting more and more anxious. He didn''t expect this previously weak fellow, whom he could easily defeat, to be so troublesome.
It''s worth noting that, except for his Chief, no one in the tribe was his match. Could it be that this weakling could now contend with the Chief?
"Ha!"
Seizing an opportunity, the Elder Senior Brother shouted and exerted force, throwing the burly leader of the Flying Snake tribe to the ground.
Before the leader of the Flying Snake tribe could get up, the Elder Senior Brother pounced on him, pressing him down.
The Flying Snake tribe leader felt extremely humiliated. He tried to push the person off, wanting to flip the former subordinate who was pressing him. However, after the previous struggle, he had lost much of his strength. Now, the Elder Senior Brother firmly pressed him down, making it difficult for him to move.
After struggling in vain for a while, he could only ept the humiliating fact that he couldn''t overturn the person pressing him.
The fights between others also ended. The Flying Snake tribe won in five cases, but three of the victors went on to beat people from the Green Sparrow tribe, and Iron Head left them all with a lump on their heads.
Counting this, they only had two victories.
On the other hand, the Green Sparrow tribe won eighteen.
The one defeated by the second brother of the Flying Snake tribe was the most miserable, lying on the ground with his eyes rolling back.
"Orchard, it''s ours."
The victorious Elder Senior Brother suppressed his inner joy and reiterated this to the leader of the Flying Snake tribe, whom he had just pressed to the ground.
"Yours."
The burly leader of the Flying Snake tribe, feeling humiliated, had no choice but to ept this reality.
Only then did the Elder Senior Brother release the Flying Snake tribe leader. Others also let go of their opponents.
"You guys, leave."
The Elder Senior Brother pointed to the direction the Flying Snake tribe came from and said to the burly Flying Snake tribe leader.
With a look of frustration, the Flying Snake tribe leader nodded, indicating that he would leave.
But when he passed by the Elder Senior Brother, he suddenly stooped down and tried to grab the Elder Senior Brother''s waist, attempting to throw him to the ground.
Someone nearby eximed.
However, the leader of the Flying Snake tribe miscalcted this time.
The Elder Senior Brother knew the tribe''sck of discipline, so he had been on guard against their possible dirty tricks. As a result, he predicted urately.
The leader of the Flying Snake tribe didn''t manage to grab the Elder Senior Brother; instead, the Elder Senior Brother caught his arm.
After a brief struggle, the Flying Snake tribe leader, whose strength had greatly diminished, was ruthlessly thrown to the ground by the Elder Senior Brother. After several punches to his back, the Elder Senior Brother finally let him go after the Flying Snake tribe leader admitted defeat.
This time, the Elder Senior Brother didn''t need to say anything. The embarrassed and resentful Flying Snake tribe leader and his followers picked up their weapons and the items they brought to prepare for the fruit and left sneakily.
Finally, the triumphant Elder Senior Brother patted his chest vigorously to demonstrate his strength.
The rest of the people also cheered, excited for the return of the orchard to their tribe and the sess of revenge.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe, who stood at the edge of the orchard, paused for a moment, his expression bing even more unpleasant.
He nced at the cheering Green Sparrow tribe, snorted, and led the way, leaving.
The Elder Senior Brother and the others continued happily picking fruits.
However, after the joy of defeating the enemy gradually dissipated, a sense of confusion arose in his mind.
Not only he but also most people had this doubt. They didn''t understand why their strength had increased.
In the beginning, most of them were not as strong as the people of the Flying Snake tribe. However, they could gain the upper hand after a brief struggle and ultimately defeat the enemy.
They naturally didn''t know the role of long-term salt consumption.
After some thought, the Elder Senior Brother could only attribute it to the increased daily food intake, just like before.
Han Cheng and Shaman learned about their experiences today only after the Elder Senior Brother and the others returned.
In response, Shaman didn''t say much to the Elder Senior Brother. After all, the Elder Senior Brother, as the leader, took the lead when it came to external matters.
Especially today, they not only won but also regained the orchard.
Shaman didn''t speak, and naturally, Han Cheng wouldn''t either. Regarding the orchard being plundered, he had been holding back his anger.
During that winter, if the tribe hadn''t coincidentally encountered a river with plenty of fish, the consequences would have been unimaginable. There would have been instances of freezing and starving to death in the tribe.
Apart from not ming them, Han Cheng enthusiastically asked about the process of their fight.
He was quite curious about the battles between primitive tribes.
Iron Head, who had knocked down three people in a row today, became very excited. While patting his head, which had achieved great sess, he enthusiastically recounted his glorious achievements today.
Listening to it, Han Cheng wanted to smack him.
This guy has a one-track mind.
That being said, Han Cheng still approved this kind of fight because it resolved disputes without causing casualties within the tribe.
After hearing their question about the increased strength, Han Cheng smiled, took out the salt, and told them about the improvement brought about by long-term salt consumption.
Unintentionally, many people remembered this after he finished speaking. In the days that followed, they seized the opportunity to eat more salt and then, due to thirst, drank a lot of water.
Han Cheng only discovered this after several days. With a wry smile, he told them that the usual amount of salt was enough and excessive consumption could harm the body.
At first, some people were skeptical and continued to eat more salt secretly. Even if their mouths were salty, they persisted.
It wasn''t until more than a monthter when they found that their strength did not increase, and instead, because of drinking more water, they often had to relieve themselves, that the salt-eating uproar caused by Han Cheng''s words finally settled down.
Chapter 62: A feat across the ages
Chapter 62: A feat across the ages
Today is significant for Han Cheng and the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
Today, Han Cheng led them in a groundbreaking endeavor that spans eras.
Growing rapeseed.
Well, the specifics of this groundbreaking act may bring the sophistication down to earth, but Han Cheng did not exaggerate. It truly is a groundbreaking feat.
This marks the first step of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s transition from hunting and fishing to agriculture.
The people in the tribe working under his guidance are unaware of the significance of this event, but as a time traveler, Han Cheng is fully aware.
To the west of the tribe, about fifty meters from the western wall, a forest has faced a series of unfortunate events. First, Han Cheng led a group to peel off a section of the bark from their roots, leaving them waiting for death. Then, before they could diepletely, a great storm descended upon them.
This was a mercy, a swift end for these trees. After being knocked down by the storm, their corpses were mercilessly dismembered by the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe due to the construction of the wall. Now, their bodies were about to face the further torment of fire.
After several months, these fallen trees, aside from a few resilient ones that remained alive after falling, had shed all their leaves, exposing their skeletal bodies, somewhat resembling animal skeletons.
When constructing the wall and gathering wood, Han Cheng had a n in mind. He designated an area of about three to four acres on the fallen part of the forest, originally intended to be farnd.
He instructed the tribe''s people to collect wood from this area first during the wood collection process. Once the usable wood from this area was exhausted, they could use the wood from the courtyard.
Now, the benefits of this approach are bing apparent. The trees in this designated area were much sparser than in other ces. Han Cheng only needed to lead the tribe members in clearing the area, and then they could set fire to it.
However, Han Cheng felt somewhat distressed about burning so much wood. Theserge logs left in this area were the best building materials, but with the tribe''s current tools, there was no way to work with them.
So, these outstanding materials could only be used as or worse than firewood.
At least firewood could be used for cooking and fertilizing the fields. But these logs could only burn themselves to enrich the primitive fields.
Well, perhaps this is what they call being ahead of one''s time but not getting the recognition.
Han Cheng couldn''t bear to burn all of these logs. To avoid the risk of the fire spreading continuously, Han Cheng ordered people to clear a strip of about twenty meters wide around this four-acre area before igniting. Moreover, they gathered the wood that needed to be burned to fertilize the fields to the center as much as possible.
On this four-acrend, a thickyer of wood covered the ground, and on top of the wood, they piled leaves collected from the surroundings.
Han Cheng approached the dried leaves and took the burning wood from the Elder Senior Brother.
The scorching mes quickly warmed the dry leaves, and then they were utterly ignited, sinking into the fire.
When the extremely dry firewood encountered the fierce mes, the enthusiasm that erupted was enough to make people look sideways.
Because if you didn''t look sideways, your eyebrows and eyshes would be scorched.
Under the azure sky, a thick column of smoke rose, and from a distance, it seemed to be azy addition to the zing mes below.
Shaman, Elder Senior Brother, and others watched from afar as a vast sea of fire, feeling the scorching temperature, their eyes showing a hint of awe.
Han Cheng, on the other hand, was not afraid at all. Because this was not the modern era, he had no worries that someone would suddenlye over like a cat smelling blood, take him away in a car, and then fine him three thousand yuan and detain him for half a month.
Under the Green sky and white clouds, the column of smoke rose gently, bringing a sense of tranquility to this era amid the wilderness.
The heavens were kind to Han Cheng, the observer of celestial phenomena; there wasn''t a hint of wind throughout the day. This allowed Han Cheng, who had been prepared all day to extinguish the fire and swiftly flee with his people if necessary, to breathe a sigh of relief.
It wasn''t until evening approached that therge fire gradually extinguished, leaving only wisp-like green smoke rising slowly under the glow of the setting sun.
After confirming that the fire would not spread elsewhere, Han Cheng and the people from the tribe returned to the settlement.
The courtyard wall was now in ce but was slightly inconvenient. Previously, when returning to the cave, they could take the nearest route, but now it was different. They had to detour to the courtyard wall''s main gate to re-enter the yard.
The next day, Han Cheng once again led the people from the tribe and tools to the open space burned the day before.
Under Han Cheng''s demonstration, everyone spread the ashes from the burnt area over the ckened soil as evenly as possible.
Then, wielding the multifunctional weapons and tree sticks from the tribe, they began to dig the soil.
However, the wooden sticks used for digging now had some modificationspared to before. The end used for digging became tter, making it easier to prate the soil and lift more dirt.
As the soil was turned over, the ashes on the ground mixed with the soil, creating a tangled mess.
Because this was the tribe''s first piece ofnd untouched by cultivation, Han Cheng turned it over entirely before nting rapeseed.
Of course, this plowing couldn''t bepared to the future. A single plow in the present would take a long time, and the depth was far from what modern plowing achieved.
Currently, the depth of the plowing is about ten centimeters.
For the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who had rudimentary tools, this was already a considerable amount of work.
All the able-bodied people in the tribe worked together, and it took six days to turn over this four-acre piece ofnd.
Of course, with fewer fields to cultivate now, Han Cheng couldn''t afford to use such time-consuming methods if there were more fields. Without improved tools, he could only resort to extremely rudimentary sh-and-burn farming methods, and only a tiny amount ofnd could be cultivated meticulously.
After turning over thend, the next step was to witness Han Cheng''s performance.
He poured the rapeseed stored in the y jar into a y bowl, grabbed a handful of cool rapeseed, and began to scatter them into the ground.
This scattering wasn''t done by pouring the seeds all at once but by slightly opening the fingers, walking forward, and scattering them bit by bit.
Stepping on the soft soil mixed with grass ash, Han Cheng walked forward while scattering seeds.
In a trance, he saw an unforgettable scene. It was a warm spring day. His mother, barefoot, had a pot of fertilizer on her left side, resting against her waist. In her right hand, she grabbed fertilizer and scattered it forward as she walked. White fertilizer pearls fell to the ground.
Simrly, barefoot, his father, holding a plow in one hand and a whip with a red rope in the other, shouted at the two oxen to move forward.
Left behind was a piece of freshly turned, moist soil.
A small child sat on a mound of earth, in front of which was an aged aluminum kettle that could be ced on a coal stove to boil water. Next to the kettley a yellow dog, wagging its tail, happily snacking on peanuts from the child''s straw hat ced in itsp as a treat.
Chapter 63: Shaman who loves rabbits
Chapter 63: Shaman who loves rabbits
After sowing the seeds, several senior brothers following behind Han Cheng, as instructed by him, horizontally swung their sticks back and forth on the ground.
This approach helped breakrger clumps of soil and covered the rapeseeds that would otherwise be difficult to find once on the ground. Protecting them from birds and providing a favorable growing environment ensured their safety.
By midday, Han Cheng had scattered all the rapeseed into the ground.
There was no need to worry about the rapeseed being too dense. Freshly grown, bright green rapeseed is the best for cooking.
Observing the first farnd of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng smiled. Regardless of sess or failure, the seeds were nted, bringing hope.
In the courtyard, near the east side of the wall and far from the cave, the second structure outside the wall appeared in the tribe.
The first structure was the restroom.
The restroom was built in the southeast corner of the courtyard, away from the cave.
Establishing the restroom was crucial.
In the past, with trees surrounding the tribe, people could go to a scenic spot in a fixed forest area whenever needed. However, now that the nearby trees had fallen, and the Divine Child strongly disapproved of people exposing their buttocks while doing their business, the construction of the wall was halted for three days, and a structure that he referred to as a restroom was built.
The restroom was separated for males and females.
To amodate the tribe''s situation of having more females than males, the female restroom had seven pits, three more than the male restroom.
Behind the restroom, a circle was built around therge pit with stone bs and broken pottery pieces. This effectively prevented the most precious fertilizer for farmers, especially before the appearance of chemical fertilizers, from being wasted.
Although Han Cheng had writtenrge Chinese characters on the restroom wall, distinguishing between male and female restrooms, people asionally went to the wrong one.
After some contemtion, Han Cheng had someone nt a wooden stake over a meter long at the entrance of the male restroom. With this prominent distinction, the issue of entering the wrong restroom was finally resolved.
The second structure within the courtyard was not a house but a rabbit pen.
The two rabbits were very active and could produce a litter roughly every month.
At a minimum, the first litter had five rabbit kits, while the others had six or more. The most astonishing time reached eight kits.
Moreover, their offspring matured in just over two months. From the first litter of five kits, three were female. By around three months, they consecutively gave birth to litters. Up to now, these two rabbits, each producing three litters, had thirty-three kits. The other one, producing two litters, had a total of eleven.
Unfortunately, four rabbit kits among them did not survive.
In the third generation of rabbits, there were four females. Up to now, three of them had each produced two litters, and the remaining one, which initially produced one litter, now had arge belly again. It was estimated that she would give birth to another litter soon.
Three of the fourth generation of rabbits had also given birth to litters.
Indeed, it seemed that the descendants were endless.
After personally raising rabbits and witnessing their terrifying reproduction speed, Han Cheng finally understood why rabbits in Australia became a disaster.
This reproductive ability is a bit abnormal.
Within the tribe''s cave, the small space that Han Cheng initially created for them was no longer sufficient.
Moreover, since these creatures could eat and excrete, causing an unpleasant smell in the cave, Han Cheng continued to build a rabbit pen after constructing the restroom.
Given the rabbits'' tendency to dig, Han Cheng used stones and broken pieces of pottery to cover the ground of the rabbit pen during construction.
To prevent them from digging holes to escape, the wall, situated thirty centimeters above the ground, was lined with pottery fragments.
Around the rabbit pen, Han Cheng used adobe to build many rabbit burrows resembling caves, facilitating their reproduction.
Simultaneously, he used some branches, dry grass, and mud to construct a circr roof, preventing the rabbits from getting wet when it rained.
Currently, the tribe has nearly reached one hundred rabbits.
The shaman was dumbfounded. He never expected these initially inconspicuous creatures to grow to this scale in just half a year.
Feeding these rabbits was simple; they only needed the young members of the tribe to gather grass from around the tribe every day.
Day by day, the grass from outside turned into arge pile of walking food, and it was readily avable meat.
While delighted, Shaman was also somewhat regretful. He wondered why he hadn''t thought of such a simple thing before.
These rabbits didn''t require the adults to intervene; only the children from the tribe were enough to keep them alive.
If they had started raising rabbits earlier, the tribe would have suffered much less hunger and hardship.
Previously, he used to stay in the cave with the shaman, but now, whenever he had free time, he enjoyeding out into the courtyard. After walking around, he unconsciously approached the rabbit pen, stepped on the stones ced outside, and peered inside.
He could watch them for a long time, and while observing, he would asionally pick up some green grass from the pile next to the rabbit pen and toss it inside.
Watching the rabbits move their three-part mouths to eat the grass, Shaman felt happy.
Because the grass they were eating today would grow into meat in time.
Shaman liked rabbits, but he didn''t hold back when it came time to take action. Carrying the rabbits by their ears and using a small stick to deliver a swift blow behind their ears was something he did most skillfully.
The shaman liked rabbits not because they were cute but because they reproduced quickly, were easy to raise, and could provide the tribe with a significant source of meat.
Today, ten rabbits were caught by the shaman from the rabbit pen. He carried them by their ears and gave each one a swift blow, killing them instantly.
Afterward, a few tribe members with disabilities carried the rabbits, opened them up, salted them, strung them together in pairs, and hung them on the tree trunks in the courtyard that hadn''t been cleared yet. They were left to dry in thete autumn sun and eventually became dried rabbit meat.
ughtering the rabbits at this time was Han Cheng''s suggestion.
It wasn''t like inter times; without corn, wheat, or carrots to feed the rabbits, relying solely on dried grass in winter would cause these creatures to be very lean.
Moreover, the demand for hay in winter would be considerable with so many rabbits. Keeping them would be a burden, so it was better to ughter them now while they hadn''t lost their fat and cure the meat forter use.
Chapter 64: – Drying the grass and hunting in the woods
Chapter 64: ¨C Drying the grass and hunting in the woods
From over two months ago, the children of the tribe were tasked with harvesting green grass.
The children and the women in the tribe who didn''t go to pick fruits were involved in this task.
The harvesting of green grass had been going on for a while, but the amount harvested was not significant back then. It was enough to feed the rabbits and provide some for the deer near the salt mountain.
But things had changed. Since the Shaman issued themand over two months ago. They had to harvest at least twice as much green grass every daypared to before.
The excess green grass was spread out in therge courtyard of the tribe to dry. Once dried, it was collected and stacked together.
It wasn''t directly piled on the ground; thick logs were ced at the bottom, followed by ayer of branches and then anotheryer of dried grass that rabbits and deer didn''t prefer to eat. Only after that did they begin stacking the dried grass on top.
This method allowed for venttion, preventing the grass below from getting moldy or rotten.
Now, these dried grass stacks had grown into three substantial piles.
Han Cheng issued thismand with a purpose, aiming to prepare winter forage for the rabbits in the tribe and, of course, to bribe the group of deer near the salt mountain.
The autumn grass naturally withered and dried in the fields, and the taste was entirely different from the freshly harvested and dried grass.
Herbivores weed dried green grass.
Han Cheng had ordered preparations in advance to avoid going out in the severe cold of winter to collect hay for the rabbits.
The adults in the tribe weren''t idle either. After picking a certain amount of fruits, under Han Cheng''s guidance, they built a row of low mounds inside the wall, close to it.
The mounds pressed against the inner side of the wall were one meter wide, one meter two high, and two meters long.
Every two meters, they built one.
Because they didn''t use stakes and dug a shallow foundation, this task didn''t consume too much time for the tribe. In less than a month, it waspleted.
Han Cheng ordered the construction of these low mounds not as an unnecessary addition. This circle of low mounds had significant purposes.
First, it made the wall more robust and greatly enhanced the tribe''s defense capability.
Due to time constraints, the tribe''s wall was only built to a height of two meters. This height was suitable for defense against ordinary beasts, but it might be insufficient against other tribes or individuals skilled in climbing.
So, on the inner side of the wall, Han Cheng created thisyer of low mounds, acting as a kind of short wall.
With this one-meter-high mound as a foothold, the people in the tribe could see the situation outside clearly. In times of danger, they could also use stones and javelins and throw spears from an elevated position to defend the tribe.
Looking at these low mounds every two meters on the inner side and the stones, javelins, and other items ced on them, Han Cheng felt secure.
Regardless, defense issues had to be taken seriously.
After all, it was the primitive era, not when one could wander alone on the streets at one or two at night without any issues.
Afterpleting the construction of this circle of low walls, the Elder Senior Brother led the people from the tribe to go hunting. There was still a considerable amount of time left before the snowfall.
During this time, they could hunt and bring back some game.
Although the tribe now had fish traps and the technology to break the ice for fishing in winter, reducing the need to worry too much about food, the Elder Senior Brother still led a hunting expedition.
Their mouths had be somewhat picky due to the presence of the Divine Child. After eating many fish, they also wanted meat for their meals.
Moreover, this year was different from the past. In previous times, even if the weather got colder, they couldn''t store much meat for long. Now, with the method of curing and drying taught by the Divine Child, there was no need to worry about meat going bad.
In the woods where asional falling leaves drifted down, the Elder Senior Brother led ten adult men and ten adult women from the tribe, holding sharpened wooden sticks, stone spears, and stones for throwing, walking carefully. Hei Wa and Tie Tou were also among them.
They were searching for prey.
Today''s luck wasn''t too good. Half of the day had passed, and they had only caught a rabbit.
While feeling a bit down, a disturbance suddenly came from ahead. Before anyone could prepare, an adult wild boar rushed out from the woods.
This creature hadn''t expected so many people here and abruptly turned, running westward.
The Elder Senior Brother and others from the Green Sparrow Tribe were excited to see this and immediately prepared to chase, brandishing their weapons.
At this moment, moremotion emerged from the woods. A group of people, simrly carrying sticks and draped in animal skins, charged out, shouting and chasing after the direction where the wild boar fled.
They were the ones who discovered the wild boar.
The Elder Senior Brother, who had just felt pleased, immediately lost that feeling.
Like others in the tribe who wanted to chase after, he stopped in his tracks, standing in ce, looking enviously at the dozen or so people chasing the prey not far away.
The one at the front looked the strongest among the dozen or so people running past. He was the leader of this tribe.
Upon seeing this group of people standing outside the woods, he appeared vignt.
Although encounters between tribes during hunting usually didn''t involve fighting over preywhat one discovered belonged to themthis was just a general situation.
With the weather bing colder daily, it was a crucial time to store food for the winter. During this time, incidents of robbing prey were much moremon than at other times.
Moreover, the people from the tribe before them were more numerous than those in their tribe. Most importantly, their tribe had only discovered the wild boar, not captured it yet. In such a situation, the other party was likely topete for it. If such a thing happened, it would be quite troublesome.
He chased after the wild boar while asionally looking back at the group not far away.
Seeing that they were just watching without intending to pursue, he finally rxed.
He shouted something in their direction, leading the people of his tribe, and sped toward the direction the wild boar had run.
The Elder Senior Brother envied the good fortune of these people. In the glimpse just now, he had roughly identified this tribe. They had interacted with this tribe before but were limited to the annual joyful gathering.
They also survived in this territory, but it was not close to their Green Sparrow Tribe. It took more than a whole day of continuous travel to reach.
The Green Sparrow Tribe was friendly. Even before, the Elder Senior Brother wouldn''t havepeted for prey discovered by another tribe first. Now that there was no need to worry about food in the tribe, he wouldn''t do such things.
Standing here and watching the wild boar run off and the other tribe for a while, he also set out with the people of his tribe to find their own prey.
Chapter 65: Kill the Monster
Chapter 65: Kill the Monster
The previous tribe had already explored the western area, and the chances of finding prey were insignificant. So, the Elder Senior Brother led his people in the opposite direction of where the wild boar had fled.
After some searching, a fiery red fox was spotted by the tribe members.
The fox wasn''t immediately killed because its fur was too simr to the red leaves scattered on the ground, making it almost indistinguishable.
Ity still, and they couldn''t notice it at all.
If it weren''t for the stick swung by Tie Tou brushing against its nose, startling it, and making it jump up, the Elder Senior Brother and his group might have ignored it.
After five or six stones and spears missed, the Elder Senior Brother and his group joined the chase after the prey.
After a chase through the woods, the surroundings suddenly opened up.
The Elder Senior Brother''s expression changed.
What rmed him wasn''t the suddenly expanded field of view but the group of people outside the woods.
This wasn''t the most surprising part; what surprised him the most was that this group was from the tribe that had chased the wild boar from before them not long ago.
People from their tribe looked quite disheveled, with many having injuries, and two needed assistance to walk.
The Elder Senior Brother didn''t see the shadow of the wild boar among these people; it seemed to have escaped.
These people''s injuries were probably sustained while trying to catch the wild boar.
It was a pity, such a big pig.
The Elder Senior Brother, who was running after the fiery-red fox, thought with regret.
At the same time, he found it somewhat amusing. Just a short while ago, he and the others had envied them, but unexpectedly, they were now chasing prey from in front of them.
While thinking this way, the Elder Senior Brother didn''t let his guard down. He was also wary of these people who had just lost their prey, wondering if they wouldpete with their tribe for prey.
The Elder Senior Brother had experienced many things; he knew that not everyone would be friendly if you were friendly to them.
Like the previous wild boar, the red fox immediately changed direction upon noticing the group of people in front of it.
Behind it were the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe, including the Elder Senior Brother, brandishing sticks and stones.
The encounter between the two tribes was brief, and they quickly separated. With the Green Sparrow Tribe running, the distance between the two sides quickly widened.
Running and paying attention to the tribe''s movements behind him, the Elder Senior Brother, seeing that the other tribe had no intention of catching up, finally rxed. He then focused on chasing the fox, now crying out loudly.
Seizing the opportunity, the Elder Senior Brother''s powerful arm suddenly swung amid the chase, and a stone from his hand flew out.
The running fox was hit by the stone thrown by the Elder Senior Brother, emitting a series of miserable cries and flipping over on the ground.
The Elder Senior Brother and the other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe were delighted, rushing towards the fox at an elerated pace. However, this whimpering creature managed to climb back up from the ground.
Though it continued its whimpering run, it had inevitably been affected, and it wouldn''t take long before it was killed by the Elder Senior Brother and his group.
While chasing, the Elder Senior Brother, in a moment of distraction, turned his head, and his expression instantly turned cold.
Because the tribe they had encountered earlier was now running towards them from behind, swinging weapons and shouting.
Although the distance was too great, coupled with thenguage barrier between the tribes, the Elder Senior Brother didn''t know what they were shouting, but their intentions became clear to him instantly.
This is an attempt to snatch prey from our Green Sparrow Tribe.
The Elder Senior Brother felt somewhat angry but not afraid. If they wanted topete, then let''s fight first.
With this thought in mind, he ignored the unfriendly tribe behind them.
He decided to catch this fox first and then observe the reaction of the other tribe.
If they still wanted topete when the time came, there would be no choice but to fight.
After chasing forward for about a hundred meters, the Second Senior Brother, panting heavily, raised his hand, and a stone flew out, hitting the head of the limping fox running hard ahead.
The whimpering sounds from the fox''s mouth immediately stopped, and it somersaulted to the ground.
Then, it rolled down the slope.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe cheered and ran towards the fox rolling down the hill.
This fox now belonged to their Green Sparrow Tribe, and no one could take it away from them.
However, after running to the slope, the Elder Senior Brother and the others became somewhat stunned because there was another group of people underneath the somewhat lengthy slope.
Many of these people carried grass baskets or animal skin wraps containing fruits and other items besides these fruits.
For example, a wild boar, ced on a crossbar and carried by two people, and the robust leader of the group holding the lifeless fiery-red fox.
The second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe was very happy. He didn''t expect his luck to be so good today. First, a half-dead wild boar bumped into them, and not far away, a fox rolled down the slope, directlying to his feet. Their shaman didn''t say it wrong; they were a tribe favored by the gods.
The second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe ced the fiery red fox on his shoulder, not bothering to look at the people who appeared on the slope.
He didn''t care who had hunted this prey. This fox was in his hands, it belonged to their Flying Snake Tribe.
However, the next moment, he no longer thought so.
Because the person above spoke, "The prey, ours."
Although he couldn''t fully understand what the person above was saying, the second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe could understand the meaning of these words. After all, he had just experienced a simr situation not long ago.
"The prey is ours."
He replied with a mocking tone in their tribe''snguage.
Then, he stopped his steps to leave and looked up to see the group of people about to get beaten.
It was this look-up that changed his thoughts.
Because he had recognized the identity of the neers.
He remembered this group beating his tribe not long ago, especially their leader.
"The prey, ours."
The Elder Senior Brother also recognized the people from the Flying Snake Tribe, and his impression of them was equally profound.
Seeing this group of people holding the prey they had worked hard to catch, the Elder Senior Brother already had the idea of teaching them a lesson.
However, he suppressed this thought, realizing that if a fight broke out, someone would get hurt. As the tribe leader, he needed to consider the entire tribe and couldn''t act impulsively.
Considering these considerations, the Elder Senior Brother chose not to engage in a direct fight but stood there, attempting to resolve the situation throughnguage.
Chapter 66: Wild Boar! Yours!
Chapter 66: Wild Boar! Yours!
The second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe felt a strong surge of emotions. During this period, he had dreamed of having another fight with the person who had brought him great shame, pressing him to the ground and rubbing it in.
However, now that it had happened, he hesitated because the previous two encounters made him realize that he was no longer a match for this damn guy.
Even if he fought him again now, he would lose and get beaten.
In that case, as the defeated party, not only would he have to give all the food his tribe had caught to the other side, but his prestige within the tribe would also be affected.
Standing there, he pondered momentarily, deciding to step back and endure the anger.
This seemingly rough and impulsive guy was cautious, possibly rted to the snake totem of their tribe.
He took the fiery red fox off his shoulder, raised it towards the Elder Senior Brother on the slope, and then ced it on his feet.
"Let''s go back," he said in the tribe''snguage, leading the people of his tribe to walk along the edge of the slope towards the north.
"The wild boar stays," said the Elder Senior Brother, blocking their way as they descended from the slope, pointing to the wild boar carried by the Flying Snake Tribe.
Although the Elder Senior Brother was a person who followed the rules, he only followed the rules with those who did the same. For those who didn''t follow the rules, he wouldn''t insist on adhering to them and let the tribe endure in silence.
The anger of the second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe surged fiercely. He did not expect that this hateful guy in front of him would be so despicable.
He was the second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe!
Today, he had made a huge concession, yet this detestable guy still wouldn''t back down.
For him, this was a great humiliation.
Other than from his Chief, when had he suffered such humiliation?
He raised his arm, his gaze fixed on the Elder Senior Brother, who was also prepared for a fight.
"Drop the wild boar," he swung his arm fiercely and issued amand to the two people carrying the wild boar with a malicious tone.
Of course, he had to give such an order because there were more than a dozen people appearing on the slope.
These people were the ones who had been beaten badly by them not long ago and had the wild boar taken away.
Facing just this one tribe in front of him, he couldn''t win. If you added the tribe they had just stolen from, it would be difficult for the Flying Snake Tribe to leave unscathed.
After reluctantly putting down the prey, the second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe led his people with weapons in hand, circled the Green Sparrow Tribe with vignce, and headed north.
There was no half-joy as when they had picked up the fox.
The Elder Senior Brother, with his people, watched the departing Flying Snake Tribe with the same vignce.
He had to be cautious about this cunning and treacherous tribe.
The people of the Flying Snake Tribe left without resorting to despicable means.
The relieved Elder Senior Brother looked at the departing Flying Snake Tribe, then at the big wild boar and fiery red fox on the ground, feeling quite pleased.
This was not only because he sessfully defended the food of their tribe but also for an important reason. This incident would increase his prestige within the tribe and, at the same time, demonstrate the strength of their Green Sparrow Tribe to another tribe.
Standing on the slope, the leader of another tribe with a bloodstain on his face was indeed astonished by the scene before him.
He led his people to run behind and chase after, shouting to inform this nearby friendly tribe that there was a ferocious tribe ahead. They would ruthlessly snatch prey from other tribes, and this ferocious tribe had just taken the prey they had worked hard to catch.
He was worried that this friendly tribe might suffer the same fate as his tribe having their prey snatched away.
However, after rushing over in haste, the result he saw left him extremely surprised.
The ferocious tribe that had been extremely unreasonable towards his tribe, not waiting for him to say a few words directly attacking them and overturning them, unexpectedly didn''t act the same when facing this nearby friendly tribe. Not only that, they voluntarily ced the prey they had snatched on the ground and handed it over to this friendly tribe.
Facing his tribe, this extremely ferocious tribe, when encountering this friendly tribe near his own, actually behaved like this.
Could it be that his friendly neighbors possessed such formidable strength?
This made him feel incredulous.
Of course, seeing the ferocious tribe losing face was also quite satisfying to him. However, he had to be more careful in the future. In the vicinity of their tribe, a powerful tribe had appeared. Whether this tribe was friendly or ferocious, they needed to be vignt because, in some situations, friendly tribes could also turn ferocious.
Seeing the ferocious tribe leave the prey behind and disappear into the woods, the leader of this tribe, with a bloody mark on his face, looked back at the wild boar on the ground that they had put a lot of effort into catching, feeling a bit reluctant. Then, he led his people away.
Although the wild boar was initially caught by their tribe, it had been taken away by the ferocious tribe. Now, the nearby friendly tribe had taken it back from the ferocious tribe, making it belong to the friendly tribe, with no connection to their tribe anymore.
"Wait."
A voice came from behind, and the leader of this tribe stopped with some confusion, turning around to look at the friendly tribe, not knowing what they wanted to do.
His tribe currently had no prey; they only had some weapons. They didn''t have anything good to snatch. He wondered what they meant by calling out to him.
"This, yours," the Elder Senior Brother smiled, pointing to the fat adult wild boar on the ground and exining to the leader of the other tribe with gestures.
The Elder Senior Brother had a lot of experience and wisdom. After seeing the people from the Flying Snake Tribe, he understood why this nearby tribe was chasing them.
It wasn''t topete for prey; they wanted to inform them about the ferocious tribe.
The Elder Senior Brother was a rule-abiding person. When others showed kindness, he naturally reciprocated. Moreover, as someone who worked hard for the tribe''s food year-round, he understood the significance of such a wild boar for a tribe when the weather became colder daily.
Now that the Green Sparrow Tribe had enough food to alleviate hunger due to the presence of the divine child, he decided to return the wild boar to its original owners.
The leader of the tribe, with injuries on his face, obviously hadn''t expected that the leader of this friendly tribe would stop him just to give them the wild boar. He was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, gesturing and saying that the prey already belonged to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The Elder Senior Brother smiled and kicked the leg of the second disciple who was absent-mindedly drooling while looking at the wild boar. Then, the two of them carried the wild boar up the slope. They ced it before the injured leader and said, "You hunted it, so it''s yours."
The leader with injuries was moved by the sincerity before him. He had not expected this nearby tribe to be so friendly.
He admitted that in such a situation, he couldn''t be as magnanimous as the leader of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
He no longer refused and stepped forward, hugging the Elder Senior Brother. Then, he pressed his forehead against the Elder Senior Brother''s shoulder.
This was a way of expressing goodwill.
The Elder Senior Brother reciprocated the same way.
After exchanging a few words, the Elder Senior Brother led the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, carrying the fiery red fox, and left.
The leader with injuries looked back three times as he walked away.
He had secretly decided in his heart. When the weather warmed up the next year, the flowers bloomed, and it was time for this friendly tribe to hold a joyful gathering. He would bring some men from his tribe to attend.
Chapter 67: People! Enemies!
Chapter 67: People! Enemies!
The Elder Senior Brother and the grateful leader, carrying the wild boar, were unaware that the Flying Snake Tribe had not gone far from their sight.
After advancing a certain distance, the Flying Snake Tribe discreetly returned and hid in the overgrown grass and trees, keeping a watchful eye on the two tribes.
"You, go there."
"You, go here."
Like an icy snake concealed in the bushes, the leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, observing the two departing tribes from afar, had a cold expression.
He selected two individuals from each tribe who were best at disguising themselves, pointing toward the Green Sparrow Tribe for one pair and the other for the second pair, instructing them to track the tribes.
Meanwhile, he and his people searched for prey nearby, waiting for the four individuals sent to follow to return.
The Elder Senior Brother and his group managed to catch two mountain chickens. Initially, they intended to spare them, as instructed by the divine child. However, things went awry, and both chickens ended up dead one pierced through the chest by the Elder Senior Brother''s wooden spear and the other struck in the head by the second disciple''s stone.
This left the Elder Senior Brother feeling frustrated. The divine child had given this instruction long ago, and he still hadn''t brought back a live one.
Annoyed, the Elder Senior Brother pped the head of the dead mountain chicken pierced by his wooden spear.
They were returning to the tribe with the fox and the mountain chickens. Lame and his spouse stood on a low wall inside the courtyard. They smiled upon seeing the leader return with the tribe. The watchtower system, implemented on Han Cheng''s suggestion after the construction of the low wall, has been in ce since then.
The Lames wife opened the door for the Elder Senior Brother and his group. As Lame found it difficult to move up and down, he didn''te down from the low wall.
Suddenly, Lame''s gaze was drawn to a distant location where he noticed moving figures on the ground, about a mile away from the tribe, in the direction the tribes had left.
They wouldn''t have been able to see this far in the past. However, since arge storm had passed through, knocking down countless trees, the visibility in the tribe had significantly improved, especially now with Lame standing on a wall over a meter high.
Certain he didn''t see things, Lame observed two figures flickering on the ground. Although he couldn''t make out their features from this distance, he was sure they weren''t from their tribe because their tribe members wouldn''t need to hide.
"People, there are people, enemies!"
Pointing at the two figures steadily approaching, Lame shouted toward the iing Elder Senior Brother and his group.
The Elder Senior Brother hesitated for a moment, then quickly understood. He threw the hunted prey on the ground, exited the courtyard, and, along with the hunting team armed with weapons, rushed toward the direction pointed out by Lame.
Lame''s call rmed Shaman, who was feeding rabbits in the courtyard, and Han Cheng, standing nearby with Fujiang.
"Quick, close the main gate!"
"You two, get on the low wall. You two guard the main gate. You two, go to the back of this wall."
Upon hearing the shout from Lame, Han Cheng immediately made arrangements.
While getting as many people as possible to climb the low wall facing south and observe the enemy behind the wall, he also assigned two individuals to the back of the walls on the east and west sides. They climbed the low wall to check if any others wereing from those directions.
The two individuals from the Flying Snake Tribe stealthily approached one in front and one behind.
The one in front, bending down behind an inverted dead tree, straightened up halfway through and froze. This left the one behind from the Flying Snake Tribe annoyed, wanting to kick him. Standing straight like this would indeed expose them.
Just as he was about to speak up and tell the person to stop this foolish act, the person turned around and sprinted towards their direction.
"People! People! We''ve been spotted!"
He shouted while running, quickly passing the bewildered individual from the Flying Snake Tribe, who hadn''t grasped the situation yet.
His confusion was immediately cleared when he stood up and saw a group of people who were supposed to have entered the strange cave, wielding weapons and rushing towards them.
Disregarding the need to hide their presence, he started running, shouting. His speed was even faster than the first person.
Having experienced the brutality of this tribe, especially the one who fought without using hands, using something on his head, the person from the Flying Snake Tribe felt a headache remembering the scene where the guy smashed his head onto his own.
He couldn''t understand why their heads were so hard, almost like rocks.
The two individuals from the Flying Snake Tribe ran like the wind into the forest, hiding and dodging for four or five miles before escaping from that savage tribe.
By this time, the sky had gradually darkened.
They had gained a deeper understanding of the brutality of this tribe because they couldn''tprehend how they were still discovered despite hiding so well. They had done simr things multiple times before, even directly approaching the entrances of other tribes'' caves without being noticed.
But this time, even though they were far from this tribe, they were still discovered.
Fortunately, the two of them ran fast; otherwise, they might have be food today. After all, spying was a severe taboo to any tribe.
When the Elder Senior Brother and his group returned, the two individuals ran too quickly and hid too well, so they couldn''t catch them.
Facing this situation, Han Cheng wanted to say to Lame, "Couldn''t you wait until they were closer before shouting?"
Of course, Han Cheng didn''t say it out loud. He worried that if he did, Lame might remember his words and, when more enemies came next time, wait until they were right by the wall before shouting.
Due to this incident, the atmosphere in the tribe was somewhat tense that night.
"It must be them."
The Elder Senior Brother appeared somewhat angry.
Indeed, being followed to the front of the tribe and the tribe being spied upon was something anyone would find ufortable.
Chapter 68: Cold and sinister snake!
Chapter 68: Cold and sinister snake!
"Next time we encounter them, we must teach them a harsh lesson."
Elder Senior Brother pounded his chest forcefully.
Han Cheng restrained Elder Senior Brother''s frustration and anger.
From Elder Senior Brother''s ount and their previous encounter, it was evident that this tribe was notposed of benevolent individuals. After realizing they were no match for Elder Senior Brother and the others, they abandoned a confrontation, instead sending people to follow and locate their tribe secretly. This cunning strategy was unsettling, akin to a sudden cold attack by a hidden snake. The tribe, which Elder Senior Brother had not seen until the previous year, might have recently moved nearby, or a distant tribe could have ventured here for hunting.
Regardless, having such a tribe in the vicinity, especially one showing interest in them, was not pleasant for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng, the Shaman, and Elder Senior Brother, the three leaders of the Azure Sparrow Tribe, gathered after dinner to discuss and n a strategy for dealing with this situation.
They eventually came up with the following measures:
During sleep at night, securely fasten the outer gate and seal the cave entrance with stone bs.
Keep weapons within easy reach to ensure immediate defense in an emergency.
At least three people should go together when going out for any reason.
The night watchmen should consider the surroundings while tending to the fire.
Although there were rare cases of people venturing out at night during this era, let alone attacking tribes, precautions should still be taken.
When Elder Senior Brother and the others go out hunting during the day, they should carry enough weapons to guard against possible ambushes from this hostile tribe.
Six people should remain in the tribe to strengthen its defense during the day when Elder Senior Brother and the others are away, preventing any hostile tribe from taking advantage of their absence.
Designate at least one person to guard each of the three walls facing east, west, and south, paying attention to any potential intruders.
When going outside the walls for any other activities, be cautious. Run back inside the walls immediately in an emergency and seal the gate once everyone returns.
These strategies were discussed and practiced over the next few days. Simted scenarios were enacted to prepare for potential attacks. The exercise covered various situations, such as attacks from one side, attacks from three sides, dealing with many enemies, and handling fewer enemies.
By the end of the day, everyone had better understood how to respond in case of an enemy attack. On the third day, Elder Senior Brother, apanied by the tribal members armed with plenty of weapons, left the tribe to explore the direction where they encountered the Flying Snake Tribe before. The primary objective was to hunt and, more importantly, to see if they could find and confront the tribe that dared to spy on their settlement.
Of course, Elder Senior Brother did not encounter the Flying Snake Tribe''s second leader and the others, as they had returned to the west after receiving the reports from the four tracking individuals the day before. Given the vast distance between their tribes in an era with limited navigational aids, finding each other without specific directions was nearly impossible.
The key takeaway was that Elder Senior Brother adhered to avoiding staying outside overnight, which proved crucial for their safety.
With this condition in ce, the distance he could search to the west was unlikely to extend too far.
The second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe and his people rested in a cave the following day. They roasted food, and the cave was stocked with plenty of fruits and some meat they had hunted.
On the second day, he led his group to hide the cave entrance with branches and stones, carrying the prey they had captured earlier and continued heading west.
This cave was not the fundamental location of their Flying Snake Tribe; it served as a temporary base when expanding to the east. They had discovered and utilized this cave for only two years.
Due to therge and aggressive nature of the Flying Snake Tribe, gathering enough food was challenging if everyone stayed together. After all, thend''s capacity to sustain people was limited. Another crucial reason for separating the tribe members was to discover new tribes.
Finding new tribes was significant for the Flying Snake Tribe because it ensured they always had enough food. Consequently, nearby tribes near the Flying Snake Tribe had diminished. No tribe wanted a neighbor known for raiding. Some tribes moved voluntarily, while others were eradicated.
To maintain their tribe''s normal life, the shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe dispatched three teams from their main tribe, each going in different directions: east, south, and north. One team collected food while the other explored other tribes. If the food collected within the tribe was insufficient, they would resort to attacking the tribes they had discovered in times of scarcity.
Last year, the reason the second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe did not send people to track Elder Senior Brother and his group was because of the exceptionally dense forest with abundant fruit they found. However, this year, he suffered two defeats at the hands of this troublesome tribe, fueling his anger.
After several days of travel, the second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe returned to the main camp with his followers. The tribe''s shaman and the chief were somewhat dissatisfied with the early return, but the second leader exined.
He certainly wouldn''t mention the fact that they had taken two beatings and been discovered while tracking other tribes, putting their lives at risk. The Flying Snake Tribe valued strength, and admitting such encounters would not only garner any sympathy from the shaman and chief but might also lead to disdain. Revealing such vulnerability could even cost him his position as the second leader.
In his exnation, he changed the reason for his return to discovering two tribes, one particrly abundant in resources. With these two tribes, they wouldn''t have to worry about food this year. After stating this, he deliberately incited the chief to lead a raid on the prosperous tribe.
His persuasive skills were effective, and the chief was tempted. However, the n was not executed because the shaman disagreed. He believed autumn was the time to store food, and raiding other tribes should be thest resort to preserve their lives.
This left the Flying Snake Tribe''s second leader, eager for revenge, disappointed. However, even the chief had toply when the shaman spoke, and the second leader dared not say more. Simultaneously, he feared appearing too eager, worrying that the clever shaman might discern the truth behind the situation.
Chapter 69: Warmth in the Snow
Chapter 69: Warmth in the Snow
It''s snowing.
This year''s snowfall is much earlier than usual.
In previous years, an early heavy snowfall would have caused worry and sighs from the shaman and Elder Senior Brother. The earlier the snow came, the less time the tribe had to store food, resulting in a loss of time and provisions.
However, this year is entirely different. The arrival of heavy snow did not cause panic in the tribe because they had an abundance of food and firewood for warmth. Although the tribe''s caves were filled with the smell of dried fish, most people didn''t mind, and many even found it delicious, taking deep breaths whenever they could.
The sky was covered in thick gray clouds, casting dim light as snowkes fell. The ground, once covered in various colors such as yellow, now turned into a pristine whitendscape.
Snow covered the dried grass, mud, branches, stones, and even the sprouting lush green rapeseed nts. The children in the tribe were the happiest about the snowfall. In their lively age, they went wild with joy at the sight of snow, expressing their wee in their unique way.
When Stone stuffed a handful of pristine snow down Cheng''s cor, Cheng shivered from the cold, and a snowball fight ensued.
Initially, it was just Cheng and Stone chasing each other, but soon, more children joined in, turning it into arge-scale snowball battle.
Engaging in snowball fights significantly benefited the tribe''s children, helping them develop skills such as running, dodging, jumping, and throwing and fostering a spirit of teamwork and cooperation.
However, Han Cheng disdained participating in such activities. He preferred standing quietly outside the tribe''s cave entrance, watching the snowkes dance in the air and appreciating the silver-coveredndscape. His refined taste developed after participating enthusiastically in a snowball fightpetition, receiving a warm wee from the children in the tribe. Previouslycking such elegance, his interest became more sophisticated.
Fu Jiang was also excited, frolicking in the snow with the children, disying even more enthusiasm than them. Having fully grown, Fu Jiang stood over half a meter tall and, after Han Cheng''s careful training, showed signs of evolving into a second-tier divine beast, approaching the level of Erha.
Of course, not everyone enjoyed snowball fights. Han Shizi, afraid of being bullied by mischievous children, built two snow dogs at the tribe''s cave entrance with his hands reddened from the cold. This activity became popr in the tribe.
However, the boys did not maintain their enthusiasm for building snowmen for long. ustomed to their clumsy hands, the strange shapes they created often led to ridicule from the girls. Moreover, they found the activity less enjoyable than snowball fights.
Conversely, girls remained curious and maintained their enthusiasm for building various things with snow. Sisters like Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, in particr, enjoyed it tirelessly, even if their hands turned red from the cold.
They dared not y so freely in previous years, but this year was different. The three sturdy and robust walls provided them with enough safe space to y freely in this open area.
Not to mention during the day, behind the three walls, there was always a person standing guard for them.
Standing guard outside in the snow is a very arduous task. Even though they were wrapped in animal skins, wearing hats withrge ears made of animal skin, gloves on their hands, and socks on their feet, standing in the snow and wind for a long time was still intolerable. Therefore, Han Cheng had the three shifts take turns.
Moreover, before leaving and after returning, the person on guard duty could drink arge bowl of bone soup.
The shaman was wrapped in thick fur, roasting by the fire, watching the children ying happily in the snow through the opening. His face was filled with smiles.
This carefree life was something he had never dared to dream of before.
Divine Son, ah.
All these changes came from the Divine Son.
The arrival of the Divine Son brought about the current happy life in the tribe.
The shaman looked at Han Cheng ying with Fuzhao, his heart full of respect and gratitude.
For the Divine Son, he was certainly respectful.
He was also very grateful. If he hadn''t decided to bring back the Divine Son in the first ce, the Green Sparrow Tribe would still be living in dire straits. The current life, not to mention living it, wouldn''t even be considered.
Because of the rxed mood and the appearance of boiled meat, the shaman''s spirit was better than a year ago. It could be said that he was getting younger as he lived.
However, thinking about the conflict with the tribe that had spied on them, the shaman''s heart was clouded with a hint of worry.
Their current days would be toofortable if this incident had not happened.
But life is like this; there are rarely perfect times. Joy contains a hint of worry, and there is still joy in worry.
One thing leads to another, and theseyers of things make up life.
Although this matter was a shadow, the shaman did not worry excessively because they were well prepared. With the courtyard wall and someone specifically keeping watch, harming their tribe would not be easy.
And now it was snowing again. In this freezing weather, there was no deep-seated enmity between their tribe and the other tribe. Even if they had ns to attack their tribe, they probably wouldn''te in such a dangerous season.
Just because of this conflict, they wouldn''t go that far.
Salt Mountain. Han Cheng went there every three days. Each time he went, he didn''t go empty-handed. Besides breaking the ice to bring the deer delicious saltwater, he also brought a bundle of dried grass each time.
The deer lord was very satisfied with this.
Of course, Han Cheng never went alone. In addition to Elder Senior Brother and Iron Head and seven or eight others apanying him, there was also Fu Jiang.
Chapter 70: Bone shovel and pottery board
Chapter 70: Bone shovel and pottery board
The vast wilderness was covered with heavy snow, seemingly sealing everything off. The entire world appeared incredibly quiet.
After a year of busyness, people could finally take advantage of this rare opportunity to rest. However,pared to previous years when they would sleep extensively, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe seemed a bit busy this year.
Due to the daily consumption of salt and ample food supply, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe no longer faced the same struggles as in the past, when they would barely have enough to eat and would lose energy with the passing of winter, leading to excessive sleep.
Now, after the initial seven to eight days, their sleep duration gradually decreased. As the Divine Child, Han Cheng found them new tasks during their waking hours.
In addition to making gloves, socks, and hats, there was also the task of making tools for digging soil. A simple ttened wooden stick was not convenient for digging soil because itcked sharpness, wore out quickly, and the part used for digging could easily break due to excessive thinning. Moreover, the wooden stick was not wide enough, limiting the amount of soil dug up each time.
The Green Sparrow tribe needs soil for making pottery, building walls, and nting rapeseed, making it necessary to improve digging tools.
Han Cheng didn''t have any better solutions, so he had to rely on the wisdom of ancient people and make bone shovels.
With many bones collected from years of hunting, Han Cheng selected hard andrge pieces from these bones. He chose suitable ces, ground the edges thin on stones to make them as sharp as possible, and thenbined them with the wooden sticks previously used for digging. By binding them together, a bone shovel was created.
Describing the process might sound simple when spoken, but it was quite challenging in practice due to various factors.
Besides oveing other difficulties, connecting the bones with the wooden sticks proved to be headache-inducing.
Without nails and unlike modern shovels, where you could simply thread the wooden handle through a hole in the shovel head, connecting the bone to the wooden stick was not an easy task.
Thinking it over, Han Cheng could only resort to a simple method: drilling holes in the bone used as the shovel head.
The bone used to make the shovel head was roughly rectangr. The sharp edge was the rectangle''s width, and the wooden handle needed to be fixed from the side opposite it. The description may be inadequate, but it was a simple matter. You can imagine a shovel simr to a modern one, except the fixing method was more troublesome.
Four holes needed to be drilled, corresponding to each other in pairs.
The first pair was drilled in the middle and upper part of the shovel head, while the second was drilled in the upper part, about two centimeters from the edge.
Using straw to tie the shovel proved impractical since straw, while tough, was not wear-resistant and could easily break.
Han Cheng had people cut many one-centimeter-wide strips from small or damaged leather pieces to use as straps. The wooden handle was ced in the middle of the two pairs of bone holes when binding. The leather strips were threaded through the front of the bone, crisscrossed around the wooden handle, and then threaded back to the front from the holes on either side of the wooden handle. Repeating this process five times, the wooden handle would be wrapped with at least nineyers of leather strips. With these nineyers, the shovel would be much more resilient and less prone to breaking during soil excavation.
Drilling the lower pair of bone holes in the middle and slightly above helped prevent the bottom end of the wooden handle from hitting the ground during soil digging, enhancing the shovel''s usability.
Of course, to securely bind the bones and the wooden handle, besides these small tricks, another aspect is not to be overlooked. That is, on the wooden handle where the rope needs to be tied, a semi-circle of grooves that are not too deep should be carved in advance using a stone knife. This can catch the leather rope and reduce the possibility of loosening.
Moreover, some changes must be made at the bottom of the wooden handle, where it meets the bone.
This involves using a stone knife to tten this side as much as possible, ensuring arge contact area between the wood and the bone.
Firstly, this ensures a firmer connection between the two, and secondly, during soil excavation, due to the increased force area on the back of the bone,pared to a round wooden stick, it can withstand greater force. This means it is less likely to break at the joint between the bone and the wooden handle due to excessive force.
After numerous experiments andbining the knowledge of modern shovels, wooden shovels used in threshing fields, and ancient bone plows, Han Cheng summarized the experience and created the tool.
Threshing fields involve using a stone roller to press wheat straw after harvest, clearing away the straw, gathering the remaining wheat, and using a wooden shovel to toss the mixed wheat and chaff into the air. The wind blows away the chaff, leaving clean wheat and some unseparated wheat spikes on the ground.
Of course, this method is also suitable for soybeans, rapeseed, and the like.
When they were younger, they used this method to process wheat. As they grew older, they introduced threshing machines driven by electricity or machinery and,ter,bined harvesters.
With ack of metal tools, making bone shovels was not easy, and drilling holes in bones using sharp stones was particrly challenging, requiring significant effort.
This is why Han Cheng did not suggest making bone shovels earlier and only started the process after the winter snowfall when people had more free time.
While it''s true that sharpening the axe does not dy the cutting of firewood, it will undoubtedly dy the cutting if it takes too much time.
Especially when Han Cheng wanted to finish building the wall before the heavy snow fell.
As always, Shaman was eager to learn and valued knowledge. When people in the tribe were engaged in these activities, he watched from the sidelines, and after understanding, he recorded in the inner cave, as he had done in the past.
Now, the space inside the cave has be much smaller because Shaman has recorded too much.
He treasures these things and does not allow them to be ced outside the inner cave.
This situation led Han Cheng to improve the writing material for Shaman, recing the heavy stone tablets with fired y tablets. Otherwise, there would probably be very little space left in the inner cave.
Initially, Shaman was somewhat reluctant to record these valuable pieces of knowledge on y tablets. However, after using them twice, he found them so convenient that he immediately abandoned the habit of recording knowledge on stone tablets passed down from the previous shaman.
Chapter 71: The Terrified Primitive Women
Chapter 71: The Terrified Primitive Women
The courtyard wall still needs to be raised.
Han Cheng originally envisioned a wall that was 2.5 meters high, butter, due to the rush, the courtyard wall was lowered from 2.5 meters to 2 meters.
A 2-meter-high wall can block the majority of wild animals, but it''s somewhat challenging to stop people. Now, with the snowfall, the wall appears even lower.
Han Cheng had initially nned to raise the wall further after the New Year and the arrival of spring.
The original n was to increase it to the initially envisioned 2.5 meters, but now, due to the possibility of a hostile tribe, he felt that a 2.5-meter wall was still too low, and it might need to be raised to three meters or even higher.
After raising the wall, the construction of houses would need to be prioritized.
Now, with the increasing number of tools in the tribe, the space inside the cave is getting cramped. Additionally, living together makes the air less fresh.
Moreover, the primitive singing at night is too loud and persistent, causing Han Cheng to have trouble sleeping often.
When everyone was busy in the past, it wasn''t as bothersome. The heavybor left little energy for these recreational activities.
Due to food and salt shortages in previous winters, people were less concerned about such matters until spring approached.
However, the situation is different now. Abundant food and salt and a leisurely life allow them to expend much more energy. Anytime, anywhere, one can engage in these activities, resulting in many primitive tunes mixed, humming endlessly and significantly affecting sleep.
Especially Hei Wa and Zhuang, both young and energetic, recently married, and Zhuang has a deep voice, making their singing particrly disruptive.
If Han Cheng hadn''t been concerned about dying the tribe''s poption development n and worried that Hei Wa would never be happy again, he would have gone over and kicked them already.
It is precisely because of this that Han Cheng is eager to prioritize the construction of houses.
Raising the wall and building housesneither of these two tasks can bepleted quickly. Therefore, the main n for the next year in the Green Sparrow Tribe revolves around these two objectives.
As the saying goes, "One reaps what one sows." With Han Cheng''s waist soup secretly assisting, the men of the Green Sparrow Tribe worked exceptionally hard in cultivating thend this year. Diligent cultivation led to a bountiful harvest.
In the past year, the Green Sparrow Tribe weed eight newbornsthree boys and five girls.
Apart from one male infant who was weak from birth and died, the remaining seven infants all survived and were healthy.
While Han Cheng felt regret for the infant who didn''t make it, the shaman happily offered thanks to the heavens.
In the past, if half of the newborns could survive, it was considered good. This year, all seven newborns survived.
For Shaman and others in the tribe, it was a miracle and something worth celebrating.
This wasn''t a miracle but stemmed from some of the changes initiated by Han Cheng.
The story needs to start in the early summer of this year.
While the Elder Senior Brother and his team were hunting, a pregnant woman in the tribe gave birth.
As a modern man, Han Cheng naturally avoided such things. Being older and serving as a spiritual leader and a makeshift doctor, the Shaman had no reservations.
Almost all young people in the tribe were assisted by the Shaman during childbirth. He lived in the cave all year round and had experience.
Han Cheng returned from outside the cave only after hearing about the child''s birth. The joy of the tribe gaining a new member was quickly reced by astonishment, sorrow, and anger. It wasn''t just because of the strong smell of blood in the cave; the condition of the child was more crucial.
The newborn, covered in blood and sticky, was wrapped in an animal hide and then immediately breastfed by the mother.
However, the most critical issue was that the child''s umbilical cord was not tied, and it was almost ten centimeters long. The cut end of the umbilical cord looked uneven and was covered with dust.
Despite this, the Shaman stood by, gleefully watching the exposed little private part of the baby andughing, excited that the Green Sparrow Tribe had gained a new male.
Han Cheng was dumbfounded. Was this what they called childbirth?
Looking at the people alive in the tribe now, life must be tough.
Han Cheng couldn''t me the shaman because of his limited knowledge.
Shocked, infuriated, and indignant, Han Cheng stood there for a while, then turned and ordered an elderly tribesman to quickly bring half a pot of boiling water. Meanwhile, he hurried into the inner cave, took out the bone knife, and threw it into a y pot to boil.
The Shaman found Han Cheng''s actions somewhat strange and felt slightly distressed because the bone knife was the tribe''s only one. Boiling it directly into the pot like making bone soup wasn''t something to be unconcerned about.
Han Cheng didn''t have time to exin to the shaman. He swiftly instructed someone to bring arge y basin. After adding cold and hot water, stirring to test the temperature, he took the baby from the seemingly benevolent mother''s arms.
Han Cheng''s actions scared the new mother.
The Divine Child had ordered boiling water and took out a knife. Now, he was taking the baby from her arms. The process seemed familiar, as it was how they cooked meat daily in the tribe.
However, the Divine Child had high prestige in the tribe, and although she was worried, the new mother obediently handed her baby to him.
She stood up and followed Han Cheng closely, somewhat nervously, fearing he might do something to her newborn.
When she saw Han Cheng take the baby out of the animal hide and put it into the water-filled basin, the new mother couldn''t hold back any longer. Her motherly instincts made her forget everything else, and she reached out to take her child back.
In the sudden turn of events, Han Cheng, who had his child snatched away, looked at the crying baby and the new mother. He was surprised and confused.
He turned to see the boiling water in the y pot and the knife boiling in it and then looked at the basin filled with water at his feet. He understood what was going on and burst intoughter.
He understood why the mother was afraid. But the shaman was not pleased. After being stunned by the scene, he realized what was happening and reached out to strike the new mother.
In this tribe, no one could disrespect the Divine Child, including himself.
Chapter 72: Autumn is a season for harvesting children
Chapter 72: Autumn is a season for harvesting children
Han Cheng saw this and quickly stopped her. He didn''t feel offended.
It is often said that although women are weak, they are strong as mothers. The primitive woman just now acted out of great maternal love, and Han Cheng did not realize how much courage it took for her to take the baby away.
From this action, Han Cheng only saw the touching motherly love and didn''t care about anything else.
If this matter were to be carefully investigated, it would also be Han Cheng''s fault. He was impatient and wanted to handle the baby quickly. He forgot about everything else for a moment, leading to this misunderstanding.
The shaman, whom Han Cheng stopped, still looked at the primitive woman holding the baby with an air of indignation, but she no longer had the intention to resort to violence.
"Child, give it to me, bathe it, and prevent it from getting sick."
Han Cheng pointed to the water basin and then said to the primitive woman with a smile.
The primitive woman had calmed down a lot by now. She realized that her previous reaction was indeed too intense. From various signs, the Divine Child did not seem like someone who would eat her baby. However, the Divine Childs actions, resembling cooking soup, made her unable to help but act impulsively.
Now that she had calmed down a bit, she breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Han Cheng''s words.
But due to her motherly nature, she still hesitated to hand over the baby she had just given birth to. Upon seeing the Shaman ring at her, she hastened her pace.
Han Cheng took the baby, crying with clenched fists and squeezed eyes, and said to the nervous primitive woman with a smile, "Bath."
Then, with great care, he ced the slippery baby into the warm water. One hand supported the baby''s head, which could not yet be held up, and the other hand scooped up the warm water from the basin to clean the filth off the baby''s body.
Shaman watched from the side, feeling somewhat puzzled about what Han Cheng was doing. He had not received any inheritance about bathing newborns from the previous generation of shamans. However, he did catch the part about preventing illness from Han Cheng''s previous words.
After watching for a while, seeing Han Cheng struggling to bathe the baby alone, he squatted down and held the baby in his hands, letting Han Cheng do the cleaning.
The newborn baby looked wrinkled and somewhat like a little monkey, not appearing cute at all. Han Cheng initially thought it was because of the primitive people''s characteristics, butter, he realized that almost all newborns looked like this. They would be more attractive after a few days of breastfeeding or even a longer time.
However, the baby''s tender skin feltfortable to the touch.
Perhaps because the warm water resembled the amniotic fluid in the mother''s womb, the baby, who had been crying and clenching its small fists, stopped crying.
After cleaning the baby of the filth, Han Cheng reced the basin with half a basin of clean, warm water and focused on cleaning the umbilical cord roughly handled by the shaman. Then he tied a knot near the baby''s belly.
Of course, it wasn''t a butterfly knot.
While Han Cheng and the shaman were doing these things, the primitive woman had been watching by the side, wanting to intervene but not daring to.
"Cut it off," Han Cheng said, learning from his previous experience. To avoid misunderstandings and prevent the nervous primitive woman from getting tense again, he first pointed to the remaining piece of the umbilical cord and told her what he would do next. Then, using a pair of long chopsticks, he picked up a sterilized bone knife from a pottery jar once it was no longer too hot.
After ensuring it wouldn''t scald his hands, he took the knife and cut off the excess umbilical cord while holding it close to the knot.
Re-wrapping the newborn baby in a clean and dry animal hide, Han Cheng prepared to hand over the clean baby to the mother waiting nearby.
However, upon a second nce, he noticed that the baby''s mother was also in a mess. He instructed the old primitive man to boil more water. With the help of the other primitive women in the cave, they cleaned the mother''s body outside the cave before finally handing the baby over to the anxious mother.
Whether it was due to the robust constitution of primitive people or some other reason, the woman who had just given birth did not appear very weak. There was no sign of fatigue in her movements.
This made Han Cheng feel somewhat emotional.
It was precisely after experiencing this incident that Han Cheng, who had not thought about these issues before, formted some regtions.
For example, newborns should have their umbilical cords tied and cut off. They should be washed with warm water, and the bone knife used to cut the umbilical cord should be boiled in hot water first. Women who have given birth, if too dirty, should be cleaned slightly.
The postpartum confinement system was also established.
In the future, giving birth to a child is a significant event for women, and postpartum confinement is indispensable. Many problems could arise if not taken seriously during the confinement period.
Given the current situation in the tribe and considering that primitive women generally had a stronger physique, Han Cheng eventually set the postpartum confinement period to ten days.
Starting from the day of childbirth, each passing day would be marked on the nearby stone wall or other ces until ten marks were reached, signifying the end.
During these ten days, women didn''t need to engage in any activities; they just needed to care for their babies. Also, they should be provided with good food, especially plenty of meat soup.
Initially, the people were not ustomed to these new practices. Because they had never experienced such things before, and in times of severe food shortages, there were instances when women went out to search for food on the day they gave birth.
However, the Green Sparrow tribe no longer needed to worry about food shortages, and since these practices were established by the Divine Child (Han Cheng), they naturallyplied.
As with any repeated activity, it eventually became a habit.
After persevering for a long time, Shaman and the people in the tribe finally discovered the tremendous benefits brought about by these practices. While they were grateful for this and expressed sincere thanks to Han Cheng and the heavens, Han Cheng himself was also reflecting.
He wasn''t pondering over anything else but the toughness of primitive human life.
Modern families would severely criticize the methods he adopted for a woman in confinement. Yet here, it produced such significant effects.
This made Han Cheng marvel at the toughness of human life, as humanity managed to evolve from primitive times and achieve a magnificenteback, which was not without reason.
However, childbirth in primitive tribes could also be divided into batches. Taking the Green Sparrow tribe as an example, of the eight children born this year, six were born in the autumn.
This made Han Cheng feel that autumn was not only the season for harvesting food but also the season for harvesting children.
Yes, spring plows, autumn harvests; this saying is unquestionable.
Chapter 73: Poisonous snakes that do not hibernate
Chapter 73: Poisonous snakes that do not hibernate
The early snowfall had little impact on the Green Sparrow tribe. With sufficient food, they could leisurely view the world draped in silver.
Having consumed a lot of salted fish and meat, they could venture outside the walls, drill holes in the ice on the small river, and catch some fish to enjoy fresh fish.
In previous years, winter brought abundant fruits, both the most plentiful and the least popr, because they were not satisfying when hungry.
This year was different. Those who had eaten plenty of fish wanted to change their taste and consume more fruits.
At present, fruits in the Green Sparrow tribe were no longer considered a staple but a decoration after meals.
This demonstrated the tribe''s abundant food resources.
While the Green Sparrow tribe had no worries about food, the same could not be said for other tribes.
For other tribes, which had at least ten days less of stored food, the early snowfall was a disaster.
The Flying Snake tribe was currently facing a crisis of food scarcity.
The Flying Snake tribe was a medium torge-sized tribe with a poption of nearly three hundred. The number of adult males alone was as many as sixty-three.
This formidable force,prising mostly adult males, was nearly twice the number of adults in the Green Sparrow tribe.
If more females were included, the fighting force of the Flying Snake tribe could reach almost one hundred and sixty people.
In this era, at least in the vast region nearby, this was an intimidating and formidable force.
With more people, there was more strength, but while collecting abundant food, the daily food consumption was also substantial. Especially in the Flying Snake tribe, where the food consumption of the able-bodied warriors was not usually restrained, the consumption was astonishing.
The shaman of the Flying Snake tribe, seeing the decreasing food in the cave day by day, finally summoned the four leaders of the tribe to discuss the uing n of plunder.
This included selecting the targets for raids and the number of people going out for the raid.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe was very excited. When he learned from the shaman that this year''s heavy snowfall was much earlier than usual, he began to eagerly anticipate it.
Being intelligent, he naturally understood what the early snowfall meant for the tribe. Thinking about the tribe that had humiliated him several times, he couldn''t help but clench his fists, asionally emitting a burst of hissingughter like a venomous snake.
In his extreme anticipation, the shaman finally started summoning them. They were familiar with such matters as they had done it many times before, so there was no need for the shaman to exin much. They understood the implications.
What needed discussion now was which tribes to select as raiding targets.
The most powerful chief, who usually led most people to guard the main camp, did not speak much about going out to find other tribes. Hence, he didn''t have much say in this matter.
After the shaman finished speaking, the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe, who had been eagerly waiting, couldn''t wait any longer.
"There, there''s a tribe with a lot of food. Let''s raid them; it''ll be enough to eat."
He pointed toward the east and then enthusiastically rmended raiding the Green Sparrow tribe through abination of words and gestures.
This tribe was none other than the one with which they had a grudgethe Green Sparrow tribe.
The shaman and the leaders had heard about the Green Sparrow tribe from the second leader on multiple asions. They had early information about this tribe.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe described it as a prosperous tribe with plenty of food, and itsbat strength was not very high, making it an excellent target for raiding.
The reconnaissance team sent by the Flying Snake tribe had just arrived at the edge of the Green Sparrow tribe when they were discovered. For the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe, who was chasing after them like a rabbit scattered all over the mountains, the quantity of food in the Green Sparrow tribe was naturally unknown.
He said this to get the shaman and the leaders to agree to his n. He wanted to lead people to this detestable tribe, seize all their food, let them starve to death, or, during the food raid, kill them and plunder their people to eat or use as a reserve food source.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe was as dark and cunning as a snake. His words, intentional or not, now proved effective. After he stood up and mentioned the Green Sparrow tribe, the shaman and the chief agreed to his proposal.
This made the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe exceptionally excited.
Following him, the four leaders of the Flying Snake tribe also stood up, introducing the tribes they had discovered to everyone.
Thenguage they used for introductions was simr to that of the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe.
The third leader of the Flying Snake tribe did not speak because he had not discovered any tribes.
The speeches of the four leaders annoyed the second leader a bit because it might make the shaman and the big chief change their original decision.
After discussing for a while, the shaman and the big chief split into two groups. The most powerful chief and the weakest of the four leaders would lead their respective groups to raid the tribe mentioned by the four leaders.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe, along with the third leader, would lead their people to raid the tribe mentioned by the second leader, which was the Green Sparrow tribe.
The Flying Snake tribe had enough manpower. Leaving more than sixty adult females to defend the tribe, they split into two groups, and the number of people on each route still reached a terrifying fifty.
The four leaders of the Flying Snake tribe, divided into two groups, led the tribe''s adults towards the north and east, starting their raiding activities.
The shaman stayed behind with the remaining people to guard their main camp and protect the tribe''s underage individuals.
The people who left the tribe did not bring much food because, during the exploration and food collection process, several teams, like the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe, left enough food at suitable locations along the way.
This approach was reasonable.
When they went out to gather and hunt previously, the distance from the tribe''s main camp was too far. Transporting food back to the camp midway was not efficient.
Therefore, finding a nearby ce as a temporary gathering point and food storage was essential.
After collecting enough food, they would transport it from these temporary storage points to the tribe''s main camp.
However, they wouldn''t transport everything but leave a considerable portion.
This served as the tribe''s reserve food.
If the tribecked only a small amount of food, the shaman would send people to bring back the stored food, resolving the tribe''s food shortage.
If the food deficit was significant, as it was now, the stored food could well support the raiding teams.
This back-and-forth approach saved a lot of effort and aplished many tasks.
These were the wisdom and practices the Flying Snake tribe had summarized and passed down over many years of development.
Chapter 74: Three tribes
Chapter 74: Three tribes
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe held a spear in his hand, and behind him, a grass-made backpack carried several pieces of stone. The stones were for striking enemies, and the backpack was for storing the plundered food.
Behind him were forty-nine people, all dressed simrly. The difference was that some of them had stones and food in their backpacks for consumption on the way.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe was very excited. He could finally seek revenge and wipe away the past shame.
The determination for revenge made him indifferent to the umted snow beneath his feet and the bone-piercing cold. He turned to look at the forty-nine people behind him, exuding strong confidence. Among the people he led were thirty-five strong men and fourteen women.
These fourteen women were carefully selected, and theirbat strength was not inferior to ordinary men. Among these men were also the three leaders of the tribe, slightly inferior only when it came tobat power.
With these people, that ursed tribe could only await death. He had already decided that after killing and eating the person who had humiliated him multiple times, he would leave his two leg bones, grind them into bone clubs, and use them for hunting.
The yellow sun shone on the mountains and forests, its brilliance somewhat dazzling. The ck trees and white snow reflected each other, forming a ck-and-white world. A group of people with a strong sense of aggression walked between this ck-and-white world, approaching the innocent tribe and leaving footprints on the snow.
The entrance to the temporary gathering point of the Flying Snake tribe was opened. After several days of traveling, they arrived here, lit fires for warmth, took out the previously stored food, and began to eat.
One person from the Flying Snake tribe was missing. This person, who had fallen behind on the way, was bitten in the throat by a leopard hidden in the trees.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe was exceptionally generous tonight. Not only did he light four fires in the cave for everyone to keep warm, but he also brought out the food left there before, allowing everyone to eat to their heart''s content.
Traveling in the snow caused injuries to many people; they were not only exhausted but also suffered frostbite on their feet and other ces. Additionally, due to the sun these past two days, many people''s eyes were damaged to varying degrees, with redness and tears.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe wished to kill the people of that detestable tribe immediately and plunder their food. However, considering the current condition of the people he led, for safety''s sake, he decided to rest here for three days before attacking the ursed tribe.
He was a rtively patient person.
Three dayster, after having a hearty meal, the people of the Flying Snake tribe, led by the two individuals who had previously surveyed the Green Sparrow tribe, continued toward the Green Sparrow tribe.
Cold and danger couldn''t extinguish their enthusiasm.
The Green Sparrow tribe was as peaceful as usual. Due to the sun today, many people walked out of the cave and basked in the sun against the stone walls outside.
The umted snow in this area had been cleared away due to the snowman-building trend in the tribe. Afterying some soft straw on it, sitting here and basking in the sun was pleasant and leisurely.
Although the air was still cold, in the wind-protected areas, the sunlight felt warm.
Some women sat here twisting grass ropes, making gloves and leather hats, and some men made bone shovels.
The Shamany beside the rabbit pen, smiling and looking at the rabbits. From time to time, he put some dried grass into it. He looked kind and benevolent.
The children were running and ying. Some were on the snow, using branches to write "Tadpoles Finding Mother," and the monkey fishing for the moon that the Divine Child had taughtter.
Stone was more mischievous than ordinary children. He pulled out his little bird and used warm urine to draw a familiar frog on the snow.
After finishing, he couldn''t help but stand there and admire his masterpiece, indulging in his creation. It wasn''t until Han Cheng threw a snowball at him that he ran away, feeling embarrassed.
The people enjoying life were unaware that a massive crisis was approaching them due to the previous conflict.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe has already arrived within five miles of the Green Sparrow tribe, and this distance is still shrinking.
If we rewind time and go to a ce that takes more than a whole day to reach from the Green Sparrow tribe.
The tribe that once interacted with Elder Senior Brother in autumn and epted a wild boar gifted by Elder Senior Brother is now in crisis.
For convenience of reference and because they formed a bond with the Green Sparrow tribe due to a wild boar, let''s call this tribe the Pig Tribe.
The food crisis in the Pig Tribe is also severe, catching them off guard due to the early arrival of heavy snow.
Although they have been careful to save food, it is still not enough to eat. The Pig Tribe is now firmly shrouded in a crisis of shortage.
The chief of the Pig Tribe went out to hunt many times, but the harvest was disappointing, and what they obtained was not enough to feed the tribe.
Furthermore, an adult male had his foot pierced by a sharp tree stump while hunting. This made the already limited workforce of the Pig Tribe even more difficult.
The chief of the Pig Tribe is at a loss. Besides desperately hunting, he can''t think of any other way to solve the dilemma. However, winter prey is not easy toe by.
A while ago, as he looked at the pig skull with teeth marks left after being burned by the fire, an idea suddenly popped into the chief''s mind.
This wild boar was given to them by that friendly neighboring tribe. Without this wild boar, the food crisis in their tribe would havee even earlier.
Seeing the pig''s skull, he remembered the friendly neighboring tribe and the idea that emerged was to borrow food.
This idea had been in his mind for two days. However, every time it surfaced, he would quickly suppress it. He knew that at this time, no tribe would have much food. The friendly neighboring tribe would return the wild boar to their tribe in autumn and now was not the time.
What prompted him to take this step and try it was the death of the oldest elder in the tribest night.
He had already be skin and bones, and in his dying moments, he left a will, saying that the chief should distribute his flesh for everyone to eat. This way, the tribe might be able to get through this difficult time.
The chief of the Pig Tribe, with eleven people still capable of fighting, left. The remaining food was divided into two portions, with the smaller portion taken with them and therger portion left in the tribe for the elderly, weak, women, and children.
On their way to the friendly neighboring tribe, they might catch some prey.
The chief of the Pig Tribe told the people remaining in the cave that the friendly neighboring tribe was wealthy. They should wait patiently, and he would surely bring back enough food for everyone from there.
This was, of course, an encouraging statement. Even the chief of the Pig Tribe had no idea whether he could borrow food. This action was just a desperate attempt in the face of hopelessness.
Amid the expectant gazes of the people, the chief of the Pig Tribe blocked the cave and set out with a group of people, walking on the umted snow toward the friendly neighboring tribe.
Chapter 75: The Cunning Green Sparrow tribe
Chapter 75: The Cunning Green Sparrow tribe
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe, along with the people, treaded on the umted snow. Under the guidance of the two individuals from before, they arrived at the west side of the Green Sparrow tribe. Hiding behind the trees, they observed this cursed tribe from a distance.
From the mouths of the two pursued individuals from before, he already knew that this tribe was different from others, and now, seeing it for himself, it was indeed the case.
Firstly, there was this vast open space covered in pristine white snow.
If this open space were filled with dense trees like other areas, they could easily rely on the trees for cover, quietly approach this cursed tribe, and thenunch a sudden attack, swiftly resolving the situation. In the past, they had killed many people from other tribes using this tactic and then plundered their food.
But now, this method is no longer feasible. This vast open space wouldpletely expose them in broad daylight.
Secondly, there was a peculiar dwelling ce for this tribe.
They lived in open-air caves that didn''t even shield them from the snow. Weren''t they bothered by the cold?
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe found this very strange, and along with the strangeness and confusion came a kind of sinister thought from the depths of his heart.
It''s perfect this way. Living in caves that don''t shield them from rain and snow, these damned people will surely freeze stiff. When the timees, I can easily kill them, plunder their food, and take them away as additional provisions.
Thinking this way, he unconsciously brought his somewhat stiffened hands to his mouth and exhaled warm air.
Considering that the two scouts from thest confrontation were discovered from a distance, the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe didn''t act hastily this time.
Instead, he and his people lurked here, quietly observing.
Now, the reason had been founda vast open space.
After a while, the second reason was also discoveredthe people standing on top of the peculiar caves in this tribe.
Due to the distance, the people from the Green Sparrow tribe, who were previously wrapped in thick fur with fur hats, stood still and weren''t visible. The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe initially thought that it was just a part of this cursed tribe''s peculiar cave. It wasn''t until people from the Green Sparrow tribe inside began changing shifts that he realized it was a person.
Discovering this, the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe first celebrated his caution, then began cursing the cunning and deceitful nature of this damned tribe. In such freezing weather, they stationed people outside to guard the tribe.
Hidden in this spot, observing, he found it impossible to silently approach this tribe in such circumstances.
After contemting, he quietly retreated and led his people deeper into the forest.
Of course, he wasn''t going to return empty-handed. Instead, after walking a distance into the depths of the forest and confirming that they wouldn''t be discovered by the people standing in the caves, he began circling the Green Sparrow tribe.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe was a person with a blend of brutality and forbearance. He didn''t believe that the surroundings of this damned tribe were all open ground. Leading his people in a circle, he wanted to find a ce with trees tounch an attack.
His feet were numb, and the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe, who emitted white smoke from the heat on his head, looked at the vast open ground covered in white snow before him, feeling so frustrated that he almost spat blood.
Devious.
It was truly too devious.
He had attacked at least five or six tribes before but had never seen one that cleared the surrounding trees like this.
This damned tribe was truly too devious.
There are three sides of open ground and a steep mountain in the back. In such heavy snow, the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe didn''t dare to climb such a mountain with his people.
He looked at the people around him, equally tired, and then at the open ground ahead, along with the peculiar caves guarded by some individuals. He decided not to endure it any longer.
Turning his head, he spoke a few words in thenguage of their tribe to the people behind him. His followers tightened their grip on their weapons and emerged from the dense forest, elerating towards the Green Sparrow tribe.
Their charge wasn''t chaotic; instead, they formed groups of four or five, each charging together.
The division ofbor among the five people was clear. A stronger and sturdier one carried a basket on his back filled with stones intended for the other four. The remaining four held stone axes, stone spears, wooden spears, and a stone.
Throwing stones or other objects was an excellent way to harm the enemy without long-range weapons.
If the battles in the autumn were somewhat rule-bound due to food scarcity, the Flying Snake tribe, who had now spat out the poisoned beliefs, hadpletely transformed into venomous snakes. They were now single-mindedly focused on attacking and robbing other tribes for food, showing no mercy.
Their so-called food raid wasn''t just about taking away the stored food from other tribes. In the severe food shortage within their tribe, people from other tribes were also seen as potential food sources in their eyes.
"#%&$%%$!"
Excited by the bloodlust, the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe, along with the third leader, charged at the rear of the tribe. One hand carried a stone spear, while the other held a stone, shouting to encourage the running people ahead.
At this point, he didn''t have to worry too much because the people standing on the peculiar wall had already spotted their traces and loudly shouted.
The one shouting was Sandy, the Third Senior Brother, who had just finished his watch shift with the Second Senior brother.
In truth, he didn''t care much about standing guard because he believed that in this weather, no one woulde to harm the tribe. Furthermore, despite some conflicts with the previous tribe, they hadn''t been major, and he didn''t think someone would dare toe and confront them head-on.
After all, they were the victors in the previous skirmish.
He didn''t think the tribe they had defeated, the one that dared not even move and immediately abandoned their prey in the previous encounter, dared toe and trouble their tribe.
However, this matter was strongly advocated by the Divine Child and was supported by the Shaman and the leader. He naturally wouldn''t say much about it and never neglected his duty of standing guard, but he always harbored some doubts in his mind.
However, when he saw this group suddenly emerge from the eastern forest and run towards the tribe, any skepticism vanished.
"Enemies, there are so many enemies!"
After a moment of stupefaction, he immediately turned his head and shouted to alert the people busy in the courtyard.
With his shout, the tranquility and peace within the courtyard were immediately shattered.
Chapter 76: Had never met such a shameless, despicable, and cunning tribe
Chapter 76: Had never met such a shameless, despicable, and cunning tribe
Elder Senior Brother threw away the bone shovel he was working on and picked up a stone from the ground, shouting to the others, "Hurry, get up on the low wall!"
As he shouted, he ran towards the eastern wall.
Even without hismand, the people in the tribe, who had practiced this numerous times before, abandoned their tasks upon hearing the Third Senior Brothers call. They rushed towards the eastern wall, and those close by or agile enough had already climbed the low wall.
Apart from the initial day when they had practiced this five times, they had conducted several more drills.
The tribe''s young children rushed into the caves, and women carrying infants in their arms hurriedly ced their children inside the caves, ignoring the crying babies. Then, they swiftly ran out again, climbing onto the low wall.
This was agreed upon during the previous drills. Due to the shortage of manpower in the tribe, Han Cheng insisted that everyone with some ability should participate when enemies attacked.
The previous drills yed a significant role. At least, when suddenly hearing of an enemy attack, although the people were panicked, they generally knew what they should do.
However, there were also oversights. Not knowing if enemies were outside the other two walls, everyone rushed towards the east wall, neglecting the west and front-facing south walls.
Fortunately, the people responsible for vignce behind those two walls raised a tree stick tied with animal skin, which could be called a g.
This had been stipted by Han Cheng earlierraising a g represented that there were no enemies on that side.
However, those responsible for vignce on both sides of the wall did not leave. They stood there, paying extra attention to any movement in the direction they were guarding against. This was to prevent enemies from sneaking up from behind while the Green Sparrow tribe was engaged with the attackers on the east wall.
Adult men and women from the tribe rushed to the east wall, climbed onto the low wall, and prepared to throw sharpened wooden spears.
When Han Cheng arrived, only ten adult males were in the tribe, not counting the elderly Shaman. Among them, some had leg injuries. Ironhead and Hei Wa had also be adults, meaning there were twelve adult males. Including adult females and the newly-adult strong youths, there were twenty-nine.
Excluding the one person standing behind each of the west and south walls, as well as a plump woman, thirty-eight adults were participating in the defense against the attackers at the east wall.
Han Cheng, Shaman, and the capable underage individuals did not return to the caves. They were scattered along the edge of the low wall, responsible for passing weapons like stone spears, wooden spears, and stones to the adults fighting on the low wall. This would speed up the throwing pace of the people on the wall and maximize the elimination of enemies before they reached the inner wall.
The battle did not immediately begin. ording to the charging speed of the Flying Snake tribe, the confrontation between the two sides should have started before all the Green Sparrow tribe members were in ce. However, reality proved otherwise.
Due to the thick umted snow, running in the snow naturally slowed their speed.
Another crucial reason was that the seemingly smooth, snow-covered ground was not even. Under the snowy fallen trees from the summer storms that the Green Sparrow tribe hadn''t had time to clear.
So, the members of the Flying Snake tribe, running and howling as they charged toward the Green Sparrow tribe, were in for a tough time.
"St!"
After the leader of the Flying Snake tribe shouted encouragement, the man at the forefront, a robust individual running frantically and pounding his chest to disy strength, tripped over the tree trunks hidden beneath the snow. Without stumbling, he tumbled headfirst into a snow pit, throwing himself into a sorry state, and even the weapon he held in his other hand flew out.
He wasn''t the only one facing this predicament. Shortly after him, six or seven more individuals followed in his footsteps, with varying degrees of severity.
The most unfortunate was a guy carrying stones as mobile ammunition. Not only did he twist his foot, resulting in a broken bone, but he also suffered a head injury from the rolling stones in his backpack.
The initially organized Flying Snake tribe became chaotic due to this unexpected factor, even before reaching a distance from which they could attack the Green Sparrow tribe.
Moreover, the speed of their running charge also slowed down.
The guy from the Flying Snake tribe who fell first, a hot-tempered individual, got up immediately after his heavy fall. Taking a few steps, he bent down to retrieve the thrown weapon from the snow pit and resumed running frantically. However, he stumbled again and fell into another snow pit after running less than five meters.
His face and legs were scratched by branches hidden in the snow pit, blood flowing. The fall left him dazed.
After such an experience, the guy''s fiery temper was extinguished. He no longer dared to run with the same fervor as before.
The excitement mixed with malice and pleasure filled the heart of the leader of the Flying Snake tribe as he saw his men charge toward the Green Sparrow tribe. He seemed to have already envisioned a scene where the people of this ursed tribe were ughtered, blood flowing, and the trembling women carrying crying children, driven by him, migrated to the Flying Snake tribe with the looted food.
He had led his people to conquer more than six tribes, and no tribe had survived their attacks. This ursed tribe would be no exception.
Even if they lived in peculiar caves and had detected their movements in advance, this oue would not change.
At most, they would only survive a few moments longer.
However, the chaotic scene of people falling one after another shattered the beautiful dream he had envisioned.
After clearly seeing what was revealed beneath the umted snow, the leader of the Flying Snake tribe, infuriated and astonished, couldn''t help but curse repeatedly.
They were too cunningabsurdly cunning.
He had attacked many tribes before and had never seen a tribe as shamelessly and treacherously clever as this one. They were even more cunning than his Flying Snake tribe.
Not only was the leader of the Flying Snake tribe shocked and angered by this unexpected turn of events, but even the Green Sparrow tribe, the attacked party, was also dumbfounded.
Elder Senior Brother stood with his people on the low wall, exposing almost half of his body outside. Like the others, he held a well-sharpened wooden spear or a stone spear with a sharp stone tied to the front end. They were prepared to counterattack when the attacking tribe entered the effective attack range. However, before these aggressively approaching people arrived, such a scene urred.
Even though it was wartime, many people still turned their heads quickly, looking at the Divine Child, who, like the other underage individuals, stood on the edge of the low wall, ready to pass weapons. There was a quick and reverent nce at the priest.
The Divine Child was right. The storm that had changed the world''s color before was not a devil''s curse, as the Divine Child mentioned. Instead, it was a blessing from the gods.
The gods not only bestowed abundant fuel and building materials upon their tribe but also helped their tribe defend against invading enemies.
This
All of this was because of the presence of the Divine Child.
Chapter 77: Two lines
Chapter 77: Two lines
Han Cheng, holding a spear ready to pass it up, found it strange. He couldn''t understand why, at this critical moment, these guys weren''t preparing for the battle properly. He wondered what they were thinking when they kept ncing back at him.
"I''m not a woman, and I don''t have flowers on my face. What''s there to look at?"
He was just a supporting role in this battle, and they were the main characters. He couldn''tprehend why the main characters continuously checked out the supporting cast.
"Focus on facing the enemy," he shouted.
The charging speed of the Flying Snake tribe had already slowed down significantly. After consecutive falls, no one dared to run and charge rapidly in the snow-covered terrain filled with obstacles.
Approaching the peculiar cave at a speed barely faster than walking, many individuals showed hesitation in their eyes.
Although their eyes were ufortable, they were not blind. They saw the people standing in a row in the peculiar cave, holding spears and preparing to counterattack.
Under such circumstances, it would be strange if they dared to fearlessly charge forward.
"#$%#^&"
The enraged leader of the Flying Snake tribe shouted again, urging everyone to move forward.
Human lives were only valuable to the shaman. In his view, they were not that precious. At least, between dead people and wiping out this ursed tribe, he would choose thetter without hesitation.
Considering the current situation, it was no longer suitable to continue attacking the Green Sparrow tribe. However, the leader of the Flying Snake tribe was unwilling. He harbored a deep hatred for this tribe that had insulted him multiple times. He had endured for a long time, secretly done many things, and now, it was finally time to start. He couldn''t bear to give up now.
He would rather lose more people than give up on capturing this ursed tribe.
Of course, he and the third leader were hanging at the back.
After all, it was a bloody battle now, where people would die, unlike the previous fights where they just dropped their weapons.
Within the Flying Snake tribe, the hierarchy was strict, especially during battles. It was forbidden to disobey the leader''s wishes. Any attempt to escape or hesitate would face severe punishment.
Although many people in the Flying Snake tribe had lost their will to fight, they reluctantly charged forward after hearing the urging from the leaders, picking up the pacepared to their previous sluggishness but still significantly slower than usual.
As the enemies approached, some of them began throwing stones at the people of the Green Sparrow tribe on the wall and the low wall behind the enclosure.
However, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe did not panic because these invaders had not yet reached the line covered by the umted snow.
This line was drawn by the Second Senior Brother, the best thrower in the tribe, based on the farthest distance a spear could be thrown. The attackers, who used stones and wereing from t ground, didn''t have the strength to throw stones to where they were.
Sure enough, the stones thrown by the Flying Snake tribe traced a parab in the air,nding about seven or eight meters short of the wall, creating holes in the snow.
Elder Senior Brother recognized the Flying Snake tribe''s second leader falling behind. Even though the opponent was now covered in thick animal skin, Elder Senior Brother quickly identified him. Like the Flying Snake tribe''s second leader, Elder Senior Brother had a vivid memory of the guy who had robbed their tribe''s orchard and had beaten him twice in a row.
It was this ursed tribe.
Elder Senior Brother was even more infuriated than before. This was a ssic case of being bullied to the extreme.
Although angry, Elder Senior Brother did not throw his spear because these invaders had not crossed the second line covered by the umted snow.
The line was covered by umted snow, so they naturally couldn''t see it. However, the Divine Child had instructed people to nt thick tree branches along that line, spaced approximately every five meters. With these clear markers as references, they could easily discern the line.
This line differed from the previous one. The previous line could be considered the tribe''s safety line. Before the enemy crossed that line, in an era reliant on throwing weapons, those on the walls were generally safe.
The second line was closer to the wall, within throwing range for over three-thirds of the tribe on the low wall.
With these two lines and multiple prior drills, people, although nervous facing the enemy, could remain rtivelyposed. At the very least, they could keep their cool, unlike the people from the Flying Snake tribe, who started throwing stones from a distance, wasting their limited resources for throwing.
Five people had already crossed that line, but Elder Senior Brother hadn''t thrown his spear yet. He was waiting for more people to cross the line, and for those who did, to get closer to the wall. This way, throwing would be more effective.
Nine people had crossed that line now.
Senior Brother no longer hesitated and angrily shouted, "Throw!"
As the word left his mouth, he swung his arm forcefully, and his spear traced an arc through the air, heading toward the oing enemies.
Prepared individuals, upon hearing Senior Brother''smand and seeing the spear fly, also threw their spears.
Then, without looking at the results, they reached out to receive more spears handed to them by those assisting from behind and threw them again at the approaching enemies.
Elder Senior Brother''s loud roar was also heard by the people from the Flying Snake tribe. They instinctively felt danger approaching and unconsciously elerated their pace, though not too fast, as they still needed to watch for obstacles in the snowy ground.
Someone raised their arm, exerted all their strength, and fiercely hurled the stone in their hand toward the Green Sparrow tribe. However, even the strongest among them could only throw the stone about one or two meters away from the wall.
At this moment, thirty-eight spears traced arcs in the air, descending upon them.
Because it was a projectile rather than a direct aim at individuals, the uracy of these thrown spears was insufficient. However, at this moment, the goal was long-range impact rather than precision.
The harvest was still significant. In the first round of projectiles, four out of the nine people who crossed the line were hit.
Among the two who died on the spot, one was at the forefront, closer to the wall, and initially lucky enough to evade two spears. However, he couldn''t dodge the third one, which descended rapidly with gravity, piercing through his chest and abdomen, pinning him to the ground.
The other was at the farthest back. This guy died more straightforwardly, directly impaled through the chest by a spear, dying on the spot.
This spear was thrown by the Second Senior Brother.
Despite being cumbersome and having limited mobility, the Second Senior Brother was second only to Elder Senior Brother, surpassing even the him in the Green Sparrow tribe. Apart from his strength, his crucial advantagey in his throwing skills.
Not only could he throw far, but his uracy was also exceptional. Even Elder Senior Brother couldn''t match him in this regard.
Chapter 78: Defeat and stabbing the bodies
Chapter 78: Defeat and stabbing the bodies
The dead were already gone, the injured wailed in the snow nests, and those uninjured continued charging forward.
The Flying Snake tribe members were ustomed to the bloody deeds of killing and arson in the harsh winter. The deaths of theirrades and the spreading scent of fresh blood did startle them, but alongside the shock, a bloodthirsty intent surged within them.
They howled, running fiercely toward the Green Sparrow tribe, no longer caring if they might stumble. Along the way, they would viciously hurl the stones in their hands towards the Flying Snake tribe.
However, in the current situation, they rarely caused harm to the Green Sparrow tribe. The Green Sparrow tribe had the advantage of higher ground, using spears that could be thrown farther than stones. Moreover, a massive two-meter-high earthen wall was in front, blocking the stones. Even if a few powerful individuals from the Flying Snake tribe ran in front with remarkable strength, they only managed to hit the wall with the stones in their hands.
After the first round of spears fell, a second round followed closely, then a third, and a fourth.
Under these rounds of spear attacks, the second senior brother had made three moves in total. Each time, a member of the Flying Snake tribe was pierced through the chest and fell in the snowy field, emitting hot, steaming blood, staining the pristine white snow.
Under the sessive strikes of the Green Sparrow tribe''s spears, the chaotic Flying Snake tribe became even more disordered. The number of casualties skyrocketed, with more than ten dead and even more injured.
After the first round of spears fell, the initially bloodthirsty Flying Snake tribe was indeed stirred up by the fresh blood. However, as the spears continued to rain down, harvesting the lives of theirrades, their boiling blood quickly cooled and transformed into deep-seated fear.
Once a tribe that had conquered many others, they were genuinely frightened.
The continuously falling spears, the tribe members dropping dead with their bodies pierced, or the wailing screams after being injuredall of this shook their souls, intensifying the fear within them.
Finally, the fear in their hearts overwhelmed the dread of strict regtions. Those who had nearly exhausted their supply of stones, driven by an unknown force, turned and fled one after another, forgetting about the rest.
However, leaving their backs to the Green Sparrow tribe was a more dangerous move.
Facing the enemy head-on, they could still dodge the falling spears or retaliate by throwing stones.
Now that they turned to run, they abandoned resistance and couldn''t see the spears falling. The Green Sparrow tribe members could attack without any concerns.
As the members of the Flying Snake tribe fled, some fell, either dead or severely wounded.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe looked at the fleeing people, both surprised and enraged. However, he had also observed the overall situation. In such circumstances, they couldn''t possibly win. Lingering in the battle would only lead to greater casualties.
He viciously shouted angrily at the Green Sparrow tribe members behind the wall, then turned and ran back.
Because he was at the back, he didn''t have to worry about anyone from that tribe throwing spears at him.
Charging into danger during an assault and quickly escaping during a retreat was probably why many generals liked to stand at the rear of the formation, waving their hands and shouting, "Charge!"
Third Senior Brother, caught up in the thrill of killing, wanted to climb the wall to pursue the fleeing enemies. He was pulled back by his side''s Elder Senior Brother, who scolded him, stopping him.
It was a rule established by Han Cheng, Wu, and the Elder Senior Brother that they shouldn''t climb over the wall to chase during the enemy''s retreat. After all, the current Green Sparrow tribe had few members, and each one was a precious asset. Han Cheng wouldn''t allow them to be easily sacrificed.
The wall provided them with the most favorable protection. After leaving the protection of the wall, incidents of being ambushed could easily ur during pursuit.
Of course, it wasn''t that they couldn''t pursue at any time, but it required confirmation that the enemy was genuinely in retreat. Their numbers far exceeded the enemy''s. There were no ambushes, among other conditions.
The degree of this decision was under the control of Elder Senior Brother, who stood on top of the wall, facing the war directly.
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe did not rx their vignce because the Flying Snake tribe fled. Under the leadership of the Senior Brother, they still stood on the low wall, holding stones and spears for throwing. They watched from a distance as the enemies left and disappeared into the woods.
After waiting for a while, confirming that these people had indeed left and wouldn''t return, the Elder Senior Brother ordered Third Senior Brother toe down from the wall. He led fifteen people to open the gate and move to the east side of the wall to clean up the battlefield.
He and the remaining people stood behind the wall, watching attentively outside to prevent potential dangers.
Several older underage individuals were not idle either. Following Han Cheng''smand, they assisted a woman who had been hit by a stone thrown by the Flying Snake tribe and fallen from the low wall into the cave.
In the recent battle, the Green Sparrow tribe did not emerge unscathed. Three people were hit by stones thrown by the Flying Snake tribe. The most severely injured was this woman.
Not only did blood flow from above her left shoulder where the stone hit, but when she fell from the wall, she alsonded on a stone, injuring her spine.
Fortunately, the damage was mitigated due to the thick snow on the ground. Otherwise, her situation could have been much worse.
Two other individuals were also injuredone with a broken head and another hit in the chest by a stone. Due to the protection of their clothes, thetter only suffered discoloration and swelling on the chest, without any bleeding or skin damage.
Third Senior Brother, leading the group, held spears and ruthlessly stabbed each fallen member of the Flying Snake tribe in the chest.
Han Cheng proposed this measure earlier to prevent enemies from feigning death, thus escaping death orunching surprise attacks.
Surprisingly, people were pretending to be dead in the snow nests.
One woman had her leg pierced by a spear falling from the sky. Realizing that her leg was likely useless, she promptlyy down in the snow, pretending to be dead. She intended to deceive this terrifying tribe, waiting for them to leave so she could crawl away slowly.
However, to her horror, these people did not immediately leave after defeating them. Instead, they stabbed each fallen body with a spear.
The sound of spears prating flesh terrified her, and she no longer dared to continue ying dead because, this time, it could be real.
She crawled out of the snow nest, continuously bowing to the Green Sparrow tribe members not far away who were stabbing the bodies. She spoke fearfully and urgently, uttering words they couldn''t understand.
The third Senior Brother and the other Green Sparrow tribe members were surprised to see a person suddenly appear there. They were taken aback, and then they surrounded the woman with spears.
Third Senior Brother, holding a spear, approached with a cold and indifferent expression.
Chapter 79: Female slaves
Chapter 79: Female ves
The woman trembled in fear, desperately bowing and babbling incoherent pleas for mercy.
However, it was of no avail.
This was not the time forpeting over prey in the fall; it was a brutal war where both sides discarded weapons and engaged in a deadly fight. When the Flying Snake tribe attacked the Green Sparrow tribe''s settlement, it destined the war to be a bloody and fatal conflict.
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe had no sympathy orpassion for these ruthless enemies attacking their tribe. Compassion was reserved for the friendly, not the enemy. For enemies, there was only indifference and ughter.
Third Senior Brother walked through the snow and approached. He looked at the woman with a cold gaze, raising the spear in his hand. He wouldn''t show mercy just because she was a woman; she was an enemy, and enemies must be killed.
"Wait a moment."
A voice sounded from behindit was the Divine Child.
Third Senior Brother halted the spear he was about to thrust, and the coldness and murderous intent in his eyes dissipated. He turned to look at Han Cheng, switching the bloodied spear to his left hand, moving it aside, and cing his bloodied right hand on his chest, respectfully bowing to Han Cheng.
Upon seeing the Divine Child, the others also paid their respects.
Han Cheng had a grass rope in his hand, tied around the neck of the Flying Snake tribe''s warrior. Whether ufortable with the restraint or provoked by the pervasive smell of blood, the warrior asionally swung its head, attempting to break free.
It only calmed down somewhat when Han Cheng pped its head.
Under the intense threat of impending death, even a foolish person would be clever.
The terrified woman, like someone seeing thest straw for survival, begged Han Cheng while continuously bowing to him differently.
Even when her head hit the tree trunk hidden in the snow multiple times, she didn''t stop for a moment. The hard trunk broke her skin, leaving blood all over her forehead.
Han Cheng waved his hand, signaling everyone to stop the ritual greetings. After a while, he focused on the woman and said, "Leave her."
Hearing Han Cheng''s words, the crowd was somewhat surprised. After all, this woman was from the hostile tribe that had just attacked their settlement. Why spare an enemy who had fought against them?
The Divine child was truly too kind.
Han Cheng was not kind, and while he had a soft side, he wasn''t a pushover. He spared the woman because the tribe was short-handed, and keeping her could be useful as a female servant in the future.
Oh, don''t get it wrong. This female servant is not what you''re thinking.
Although Third Senior Brother and the others were somewhat unwilling, they dared not disobey the Divine Childs words. After leaving the woman, they continued stabbing other bodies, gathering around those who were injured and wailing further away.
There was no need to worry about Han Cheng''s safety. Elder Senior Brother assigned four people to guard him when he came out.
The woman who narrowly escaped death under the rain of spears bowed to Han Cheng twice, copsing to the ground as if all her strength had been drained. She gasped heavily, casting a gaze filled with gratitude, awe, and fear toward Han Cheng.
Han Cheng ordered the two people behind him to lift the woman from the ground. Meanwhile, he led the giant beast, Fu Jiang, to a corner and picked up a straw basket used by the Flying Snake tribe to carry stones. He held it in his hand, inspecting it repeatedly.
Han Cheng felt a mix of happiness and regret. He was happy that he discovered a good object for carrying soil and fruits but regretfully forgot about the existence of such a useful thing as a straw basket.
To be fair, it wasn''t entirely his fault. It was due to the era he was born into. When he was born, the country of the future had already started its reform and opening up, rapidly advancing and modernizing in various aspects of life. Many things from his childhood were unique to that disappearing era.
As he grew older, these things were left behind in his childhood, never to return.
Due to the passage of time, many memories have be somewhat blurry. They only became clear when triggered by certain events, breaking through the fog of forgotten memories.
There were not only the women but also six others who couldn''t escape due to severe injuries. Besides the woman, there were six others who failed to keep up with the fleeing group due to their critical conditions.
Among these six people, four were men, and two were women.
Two of the men were severely wounded, barely clinging to life.
The remaining two men, with rtively less severe injuries, had initially intended to resist. However, upon seeing that the woman was not killed, they immediately discarded the stones or wooden sticks in their hands. Mimicking the woman, they knelt in the snow, repeatedly bowing their heads, praying for forgiveness and preservation of their lives.
ording to Third Senior Brother and the others'' initial thoughts, these injured enemies who couldn''t escape, regardless of whether they begged for mercy or not, would be pierced through the heart with two spears. However, they couldn''t do that due to the Divine Childs decision to spare the woman. Instead, they roughly dragged them together.
Han Cheng shifted his gaze away from the crudely crafted straw basket in his hand, looking into the distance at the chaotic ground and the injured members of the Flying Snake tribe piled together. Hemanded his bodyguards, "Kill the men, spare the women, and take them back to the tribe."
Han Cheng also had the idea of keeping these men as ves. However, after considering it, he gave up on that idea. The current Green Sparrow tribe was too small and not formidable enough. If these men were kept, they might easily unite and rebel. Once that happened, the damage to the Green Sparrow tribe would be too significant.
Therefore, Han Cheng had no choice but to order their execution, sparing only the women.
Without men to rely on, these women, who were originally in a subordinate position, would be more easily controlled.
Developing ves was not a historical regression but a necessary step under the current conditions. In this era, the appearance of ves was, in fact, a significant advancement.
As for Han Cheng, although he had a soft side, he wasn''t a bleeding heart. He wouldn''t feel any pity for enemies who came to attack them, intending to kill and plunder food.
Third Senior Brothers mood was somewhat low. He wanted to kill these damn enemies. For him, the best ending for these invaders was to be killed. However, now that the Shaman prohibited killing, he could only re at these damned people without taking action.
Ironhead approached and ryed Han Cheng''s instructions to him.
Sand Junior Brother showed a pleased expression, looked at Han Cheng in the rear, and received a nod from him.
Third Senior Brother grinned, raised his hand without hesitation, and stabbed the spear into the chest of the man who had just breathed a sigh of relief.
The man screamed in agony, his body arched, hands tightly gripping the spear. He looked at Third Senior Brother with a mix of anger and fear.
Unmoved, Third Senior Brother stepped on the man''s abdomen, firmly held the spear, pulled it out with force, and a stream of hot blood spurted out, sttering him all over the face.
The message Ironhead had conveyed just now was heard by the other members of the Green Sparrow tribe as well. The other injured men from the Flying Snake tribe, shocked and frightened, attempted to resist, only to be ruthlessly stabbed to death.
The two women who had fainted in fear had their legs dragged through the snow into the Green Sparrow tribe''s territory.
Chapter 80: Cruel Medical Skills – Learning While in Battle
Chapter 80: Cruel Medical Skills ¨C Learning While in Battle
Han Cheng walked back, holding a basket in one hand and leading Fu Jiang with the other, leaving behind the area stained red with blood.
It was essential to tie Fu Jiang with a rope. Regardless of how well-tamed Fu Jiang was, it was still a wolf, not a dog. Now, it was well-trained, and it should never be allowed to touch human blood.
More people came out from the walls to clean the battlefield. They first collected the spears that had performed well and brought them back inside the walls, ready for future use.
Damaged spears were not discarded. Many could be repaired and used again with a little effort, much easier than making new ones.
Afterpleting these tasks, the next step was handling the corpses.
Handling corpses was necessary. The intense smell of blood would attractrge carnivorous animals. Han Cheng didn''t want the area outside the tribe to be a hunting ground for beasts that would lurk around.
During the icy and snowy weather, burying bodies deep in the ground was impossible. Using snow to cover them was a method, but it wasn''t foolproof.
Firstly, snow couldn''tpletely mask all odors. It was easy for beasts toe and dig up the bodies. Secondly, it was only a temporary solution.
Snow would eventually melt. Once the weather warmed up, the issue of dealing with the bodies would resurface.
If burying was not an option, then burning was the only choice.
Luckily, the tribe now had plenty of firewood.
Under Han Cheng''s arrangement, everyone brought a lot of dry firewood to a ce about a mile from the tribe. On top of the firewood, they piled even more dry wood pulled from snowdrifts.
When the woodpile was thick enough and had a sufficientlyrge area, everyone ced the bodies of the Flying Snake Tribe left here on top of it.
There were a total of seventeen bodies. Adding the three injured women dragged into the tribe, the Flying Snake Tribe had suffered a loss of twenty people in this battle, almost half of their original number.
The fire ignited, emitting smoke and reflecting off the surrounding snow, engulfing the bodies piled on the woodpile.
The snow stained with blood was equally noticeable. The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe covered it with a thickyer ofpacted snow.
Han Cheng was treating the injuries of the three injured women. Under the current conditions, the medical methods were equally rough and gruesome.
First, Han Cheng used a 3-centimeter-wide strip of animal skin to tightly bind above the woman''s leg, where the spear had pierced. Then, he had two women from the tribee over to hold down the woman''s leg firmly. Next, he called a man with strong arms, asking him to grip the spear with both hands and forcefully pull it out.
Under the intense pain, the woman screamed miserably, abruptly sitting up from the ground. Both people continued to hold her down.
However, she quickly quieted down.
Because the severe pain had caused her to faint.
The woman''s leg was almost crippled because, after pulling out the spear, a small piece of blood-stained bone came out from inside.
Han Cheng used warm water, prepared in advance, to clean the wound, removing any stone or wood fragments that might be present.
During this process, her wound kept bleeding. If Han Cheng hadn''t used a strip of animal skin to tightly bind her leg to the side closer to her heart in advance, the bleeding might have been even more severe.
At this time, without any cloth avable, there was no good way to stop the bleeding. Han Cheng could only grab some ash and sprinkle it on her wound.
In the beginning, when ash fell there, it was washed away by the blood. With more ash, it gradually covered the wound.
Dry ash fell on top, quickly bing wet. Later, it slowed down.
After putting arge amount of ash on both sides of her wounds, Han Cheng wrapped them with animal skin to bandage them.
The treatment for the other two was simr. However, one of them wasn''t treated by Han Cheng but by Shaman and another woman from the tribe.
The chances of this woman surviving were slim because she wasn''t injured in her limbs but in her abdomen.
Part of her intestines hade out.
Shaman shook his head immediately, indicating that this woman was beyond saving. However, Han Cheng was unwilling to give up.
Having experienced a future where even organs could be transnted, Han Cheng didn''t believe that protruding intestines meant certain death.
Of course, in these extremely primitive conditions and dealing with Han Cheng, who only had basic first aid knowledge and could barely be considered a half-baked doctor, whether this woman could survive was uncertain.
The reason Han Cheng was unwilling to give up wasn''t just that. If this woman could be saved, it would be more significant than the one with the injured leg. Another reason was to gain practical experience, umte knowledge, and improve his medical skills.
It might sound cruel, but in a world where the outeryers of morous appearances were stripped away, the true nature revealed itself, and it was usually more brutal than not.
Han Cheng cleaned the woman''s exposed intestines with warm water. After cleaning the wound, he carefully ced them back inside, then used strips of animal skin to wrap them, not only to stop the bleeding but also to prevent her intestines from spilling out of her belly.
Han Cheng could only do so much. He couldn''t sew up her wounds in an era without even needles.
The rest was left to fate.
As the three people were carefully carried into the cave at Han Cheng''smand and ced as close to the fire as possible, an unpleasant smell of burning flesh drifted in from outside.
Han Cheng knew the source of this smell.
Three flowers bloomed, each showing a different side.
The second and third leaders of the Flying Snake Tribe, together with the remaining defeated people, hastily fled towards the distance. They ran while constantly looking back, fearing the cursed and cunning tribe might take advantage of the situation and pursue them.
In this process, many people were tripped by branches and logs buried under the snow. However, they didn''t dare to slow down. They immediately climbed up from the snow and continued to run forward desperately, regretting that they were born with only two legs.
It wasn''t until they ran deep into the woods, far away from the terrifying tribe, that the second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, who had somewhat calmed down, stopped panting.
Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, he looked at the miserable and greatly reduced number of tribal members, and his heart was as gloomy as his expression.
Including him, only twenty-seven people had gathered at this time.
Except for the twenty people who permanently stayed in the Green Sparrow Tribe, the remaining three, due to injuries, were left far behind when everyone else fled for their lives.
In this season, without food and with injuries, once separated from the main force, the only path awaiting them was death.
Chapter 81: Joyful Meng Er
Chapter 81: Joyful Meng Er
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe looked back at the direction of that tribe with incredulity, fear, resentment, and cunning.
He had never experienced such a defeat before. He couldn''t understand how this damn tribe could defeat the warriors of their Flying Snake tribe and cause such significant casualties.
He hade with many strong individuals this time, and he had never considered the possibility of failure because he didn''t think this tribe could withstand the fury of their Flying Snake tribe.
However, the result was just that.
Now, besides harboring hatred for this damn tribe, he also felt anxious about his fate. Not only did he suffer a defeat, but he also lost so many people. When he returned, the Shaman and the Chief would surely not forgive him.
Aftering to his senses from these two incidents, the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe realized an even more urgent and harsh reality: they had no food.
When they set off from the temporary assembly point toe to the Green Sparrow tribe, they never thought they would fail. To reduce the burden and carry more stones, they only brought the food they had when they left.
Now, in the aftermath of the battle and the subsequent hasty escape, the issue of food immediately became a sword hanging over their heads.
The earlier long-range attack and subsequentrge-scale battle and defeat had depleted their physical strength.
They didn''t feel it during the frantic escape, but now that they were safe and stopped, everyone felt tired and hungry.
Due to the previous exertion, coupled with the pervasive cold after the dissipation of body heat, they couldn''t stop shivering.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe realized the seriousness of the situation. If they didn''t take action, more people in the team would suffer losses, and even he might die.
But at this time, where could they go to find food? If food were so easy to find, their tribe wouldn''t have traveled so far to plunder.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe is now in a difficult situation. Having suffered defeat and a series of misfortunes, he feels anxious about his fate.
"Er!"
Meng Er is a member of the Flying Snake tribe. During the escape, he was scratched on the leg by a spear thrown by the Green Sparrow tribe.
However, he persisted in escaping from there.
But the leg injury ultimately affected his speed. In the subsequent chaotic escape, he was gradually left behind.
People abandoned by the tribe in the middle of winter are exceptionally miserable. They either die from freezing and hunger or be food for wild beasts.
Fearful, Meng Er endured the pain, dragging his injured leg, desperately calling and trying to catch up from behind. However, no one paid attention to him. Everyone was running for their lives.
As he watched the tribe gradually move away, despair filled Meng Er''s chest.
He followed the footprints left by his fellow tribesmen on the snowy ground, desperately chasing from behind.
Just when he was about to give up, he saw some tribe members resting in the woods ahead. After surviving the disaster, a strong sense of joy filled Meng Er''s chest.
Tears blurred his eyes as he shouted joyfully and waved his hands when he saw the tribe appear again. Then, dragging his injured leg, he ran ahead at a slightly faster speed than before, limping. He was worried that the tribe would leave him behind again.
However, this worry quickly disappeared because, upon hearing his shouts, several people from the tribe rushed towards him.
From a distance, he had already recognized that the one running at the forefront was the second leader.
Tears of excitement streamed down even more.
He was originally one of the hunters following the second leader, and there was a time when he risked his life to fend off a fierce beast for the second leader. If it weren''t for his self-sacrifice, the second leader would have been bitten to death by a fierce leopard.
Since then, the second leader had treated him slightly better than the others.
He had not made a mistake back then. He saved the second leader, who had not forgotten him.
Upon discovering that he had caught up from behind, the second leader came forward. At this moment, he must not have thought that he could catch up and must have been delighted by his arrival.
Meng Er''s emotions surged, and intense joy filled his chest.
He elerated, enduring the pain, limping faster toward the front. He yelled loudly, and when he approached the second leader, he joyfully opened his arms, wanting to embrace the several tribesmen who came to greet him, expressing the joy of a reunion after a disaster.
The second leader also came forward to meet him, but what awaited him was not a sturdy embrace but a spear tied with a sharp stone.
Intense pain, mixed with bone-prating cold, spread from his abdomen throughout his body.
This sudden turn of events left Meng Erpletely bewildered. He forgot to scream.
He looked down in astonishment, watching the spear he had crafted for the second leader.
This spear had pierced the bodies of many prey in the past. He never expected that it would now enter his abdomen.
Fresh blood slid down the spear shaft, emitting steam resembling a winding crimson snake.
He stood still on the spot, then raised his head nkly, looking towards the familiar and friendly second leader.
""
He questioned in a choked voice.
The answer to him was another forceful thrust from the second leader of the Flying Snake tribe.
The spearpletely pierced his body, and blood dripped down from the sharp tip like broken beads, sttering on the pure white snow, a bit ringly red.
Blood also spurted from Meng Er''s mouth. He stared wide-eyed and mumbled unclear shouts, reaching to grab the person holding the spear. However, his body had run out of strength.
The second leader forcefully pulled the spear, dodging to the side simultaneously. Otherwise, blood would stter on him, and he would have to expend effort to remove the blood. Without doing so, it would easily attract wild beasts while moving through the wilderness.
Meng Ery on the snow, feeling light and floating. His vision gradually blurred, and he felt as if someone was biting his body.
At this moment, he remembered that when the tribe fell into aplete food crisis, they needed to kill the most useless person to eat and relieve hunger.
And himself, with a leg injury, had be the most useless person in the team.
When they heard his calls, they hurriedly weed him not as apanion but as food.
The second leader of the Flying Snake tribe lifted his face buried in Meng Er''s wound, his teeth stained with bright red blood, looking terrifying.
He drank a mouthful of warm blood, then tore off several bites of the most tender meat from Meng Er''s body. He felt considerably warmer after that.
Chewing on raw meat, he stood up, and the next to be eaten was the third leader.
Chapter 82: Three tribes 2
Chapter 82: Three tribes 2
After the three leaders of the Flying Snake Tribe had their fill, the rest of the people began to gather around the deceased Meng Er, and even a shove urred among them to get to the warm meat sooner.
Cannibalism wasn''t considered horrifying in the Flying Snake Tribe. In their tribe, when someone died, the body was shared among the people instead of burial, no different from consuming game meat.
During severe food shortages, or when the loot from raiding other tribes was insufficient, the weaker members of the tribe would be killed and eaten. Typically, the elderly were the first to be killed, followed by those with mobility issues due to injuries, and then women. From weakest to strongest, the sequence continued.
This was also why, when attacking and plundering other tribes, they killed the men but looted the women and children from the tribes.
After everyone had eaten, Meng Er, who came to deliver the meat, was too gruesome to watch.
The two leaders of the Flying Snake Tribe instructed people to remove the bones without meat from Meng Er''s body, discard the internal organs, and then have two people carry him away to continue their journey.
This was their reserved food, something they could continue to eat when hungry again.
Having experienced a significant defeat, they didn''t leave immediately but headed towards the main camp of their tribe.
Having lost so many people and gained nothing, the two leaders of the Flying Snake Tribe didn''t dare to imagine what fate awaited them when they returned in such circumstances.
One of the two men who had gone to track the Pig Tribe previously was lost in the battle, and the other survived.
After returning to the meeting point where they had encountered the Green Sparrow Tribe and the Pig Tribe simultaneously in autumn, the remaining members of the Flying Snake Tribe, under themand of the two leaders, followed the person who had previously scouted the path to the Pig Tribe, walking on the snow-covered ground.
The leader of the Pig Tribe, apanied by his people, trudgedboriously through the snowyndscape. Theck of food in their bellies and the long-distance journey through the icy terrain made them all appear miserable.
Even the strongest leader was weakened, relying solely on sheer willpower.
Cut by the wind, their exposed skin showed small cracks that oozed blood.
Starvation and bone-chilling cold made their movements stiff and sluggish, aptly described as a difficult journey.
The leader of the Pig Tribe used his spear as a makeshift crutch, panting heavily. He forced himself to turn around and encourage the others in the tribe.
Then, he led the way forward.
Now, reaching the nearby friendly tribe had be their only hope.
In their current state, the leader of the Pig Tribe didn''t even have the luxury to worry about whether this friendly neighbor would lend them food.
Reaching this friendly tribe had be their obsession.
Closer.
Even closer.
The familiar yet unfamiliar river and stone bridge appeared before them.
However
The sight that greeted the leader of the Pig Tribe next left himpletely stunned.
In the leader of the Pig Tribe''s memory, there was a stretch of woods by the river. After passing through the forest, the destination of their journey awaitedthe friendly neighboring tribe.
However, there was no forest to be seen, only a vast expanse of pure white snow stretching out as far as the eye could see.
At the end of this silver-white in stood a not-too-high brownish mountain wall.
The leader of the Pig Tribe was dumbfounded, his eyes filled with confusion.
He looked down at the frozen river and nced at the nearby stone bridge. These matched his memories, but what was on the other side of the river waspletely different from what he remembered.
Full of doubt, he felt that he might have gone to the wrong ce.
He carefully considered the route andpared it to the one he had taken before, but it was the same. There was no mistake.
The leader of the Pig Tribe stood there for a while, then led his people onto thisnd entirely different from his memory.
Whether he was mistaken or not, the leader of the Pig Tribe had to bring his people closer to find out. After all, this was their only hope.
On top of a short wall, Tie Tou, wrapped in animal skins and wearing gloves and a fur hat, stood meticulously watching the movements outside the courtyard.
Yesterday''s battle had taught everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe a harsh lesson.
They couldn''t imagine what the scene in their tribe would have been like if those brutal enemies had not been discovered in advance but had silently crossed the wall.
No one dared to underestimate the importance of standing guard and keeping watch. When it was their turn to stand guard, they were fully alert, paying attention to any movement outside.
"Hmm."
Tie Tou, stationed behind the southern wall, narrowed his eyes and stared toward the direction of the river.
Soon, he confirmed it wasn''t a mirage; people were approaching from that direction.
These people walked on the snow-covered ground without any cover, approaching leisurely. There were quite a few; Tie Tou nced roughly and estimated at least ten.
That damn tribe just wouldn''t give up. They were defeated by their tribe yesterday, and today, they came back again.
"Enemy! We have enemies!"
Tie Tou turned and shouted towards the inside of the tribe. At the same time, he pulled off his gloves, grabbed the two wooden pieces ced on the wall, made into a makeshift pper, and started banging them together.
He struck so hard that his hands were numb from the vibrations.
This pper was used for alerting andmunication. In the absence of bronze gongs, Han Cheng had to make do with this.
Tie Tous shouting, like a huge stone thrown into ake, instantly broke the tranquility of the Green Sparrow Tribe, creating ripples ofmotion.
Upon hearing Tie Tou''s warning, the people behind the other two walls immediately checked their respective areas carefully. After confirming there were no enemies, they quickly lifted one of the two animal skin gs ced beside them and, at the same time, shouted towards the bustling courtyard, "No enemies!"
Raising an animal skin g was to prevent their voices from being drowned out by the chaos, providing a clear indication.
One animal skin g meant no enemies, while two animal skin gs meant there were enemies. It was a simple code that was easy to remember.
Having just experienced a major battle yesterday, the nerves of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s people hadn''tpletely calmed down. Upon hearing Tie Tous warning, they immediately began to act.
This time, they didn''t make the mistake of neglecting the other two walls. While running toward the southern wall, they also turned their heads to observe the movements behind the walls to the left and right. After seeing gs raised on the eastern and western walls, they boldly ran toward the southern wall without worry.
Chapter 83: Raise your hands
Chapter 83: Raise your hands
Han Cheng, who was feeding a bowl of soup to the woman with a broken belly, was surprised to hear themotion.
That tribe must be desperate. They lost so many lives in yesterday''s battle, yet they came back today.
Could it be, as described in novels, that after being defeated, the survivors, especially the older ones, brought reinforcements for revenge?
While thinking about this, he didn''t dare to be negligent. He put down the pottery bowl in his hand, shouted twice into the cave, and then rushed outside.
Fu Jiang also ran. It had grown quite a bit, and with its four legs, it was much faster than Han Cheng.
However, Fu Jiang was considerate. To not make its master, who could only walk on two legs, feel inferior, it didn''tpletely unleash its speed but kept pace with Han Cheng.
People had already climbed onto the short walls. Each wall had stone spears, stones, and other weapons, making it convenient for people inside the tribe to pick them up and fight back at any time.
Because stone spears had a longer range and more killing power than stones, they were generally used first in battle. After exhausting the stone spears, they would resort to using stones.
Of course, these stone spears were not entirely made of stone; they had wooden shafts with sharp stones attached to the heads.
The Elder Senior Brother held a stone spear and stood on the short wall, revealing half of his body, squinting his eyes as he looked towards the direction of the river. There was indeed a group of people over there. They had crossed the river and covered about a quarter of the distance from the river to the wall.
Perhaps they had noticed themotion in their tribe. Those people stopped and stayed in ce, noting any closer.
The Elder Senior Brother was puzzled. His confusion stemmed from the fact that there were too few enemies this time.
It wasn''t due to arrogance but a deduction based on facts.
Yesterday, fifty people came to attack their tribe and were defeated, leaving in a sorry state. That damn tribe wanted to attack them again, and the number of people involved should be no less than yesterday.
However, now, only twelve people appeared in front of their tribe.
It was unrealistic to think they could attack their tribe with such few people.
The leader of the Pig Tribe also saw themotion in the Green Sparrow Tribe. He looked at the many people who appeared in a short time behind that strangely shaped mountain wall and felt amazed by the strength of the tribe in front of him. He was also surprised by their quick reaction.
However, after this surprise, what he felt more was joy. His joy came from realizing he hadn''t made a mistake finding the right ce.
After a short pause, the leader of the Pig Tribe signaled the weak and frightened people behind him to continue walking towards that strange mountain wall.
The Elder Senior Brother squinted his eyes even more. Inside, there was a cold and stern expression.
He didn''t expect that knowing they had been discovered and their tribe was ready for an attack, the other party would still approach. This was truly reckless.
The leader of the Pig Tribe knew that this friendly tribe mistook them for a vicious tribeing to plunder. To avoid misunderstandings, when they were more than four hundred meters away from the strange mountain wall and the people holding weapons behind it, he got the rest of his tribe to stop.
He walked forward without a stone spear to express his goodwill.
The Green Sparrow Tribe, prepared for battle, had already sensed his goodwill. The Elder Senior brother ordered the people on the short walls not to attack, to let this persone closer and see what these people wanted today.
"%^%$%^."
Pig Tribe''s leader, standing about a hundred meters from the Green Sparrow Tribe, raised his hands to indicate that he had nothing with him. Then, in his tribe''snguage, he sincerely greeted the tribe before him.
Well, the act of raising hands to indicate surrender or something simr had started to appear in ancient times.
The Elder Senior Brother opened his squinted eyes. He had already recognized the neer, although the person looked disheveled.
"What are you here for?" He put down the spear in his hand, using the tribe''snguage instead of the divinenguage, apanied by gestures.
The leader of the Pig Tribe, attracted by the Elder Senior Brother''s voice, looked towards him. Due to the hat on the Elder Senior Brother''s head, he didn''t recognize him.
"I''vee to borrow some food."
For the sake of readability, this is the author''s trantion of the dialogue in various tribalnguages.
Although the leader of the Pig Tribe did not recognize the Elder Senior Brother due to his disheveled appearance, he answered loudly and used gestures as he approached. He still did not recognize the Elder Senior Brother, when he got closer.
"Why are you here?"
The Elder Senior Brother saw the leader of the Pig Tribe didn''t recognize him. He thought about it and removed the hat on his head. It was then the leader of the Pig Tribe recognized him.
A joyful expression appeared on his face when he saw a familiar face. They continued the conversation in smoothernguage.
Due to the limited interactions between tribes, theirnguages were not mutually understandable. As a tribe leader with more contact with surrounding tribes, the leader of the Pig Tribe knew a bit more than an average person.
However, even so, after a lively and long exchange, the Elder Senior Brother understood the purpose of their visit.
In the past, the Elder Senior brother would have tly refused because food was extremely precious for the tribe in the winter.
However, things were different now. They had abundant food, and hunger was not a concern.
Yet, the Elder Senior Brother did not immediately agree. After another round of conversation, he told the leader of the Pig Tribe that he couldn''t make the decision alone. He needed to discuss it with the Shaman and Divine Child. The leader was asked to wait outside.
The leader of the Pig Tribe naturally agreed. He was already happy that this friendly neighboring tribe didn''t immediately reject him.
He had interacted with this friendly neighboring tribe before and knew that, besides the leader, they also had a shaman, a wise person in the tribe. Unlike him, the tribe leader couldn''t have absolute authority in his tribe.
Although curious about the appearance of a new figure they called the "divine child," the leader of the Pig Tribe didn''t dwell on it. Right now, he was most eager for food.
"Food?" Han Cheng repeated this word after hearing about the situation from the Elder Senior brother. He looked thoughtful.
Chapter 84: The tribe that came to them
Chapter 84: The tribe that came to them
Shaman looked somewhat displeased, wanting Elder Senior Brother to reject the tribe directly. Shaman, who used to worry about food shortage, was still meticulous about food matters. He insisted on sending them away, stating they didn''t have much food either.
Despite feeling some sympathy for the miserable-looking tribe, Elder Senior Brother shared the same view as the shaman when it came to food. However, before he could leave to reject the leader of the pig tribe on the wall, Han Cheng called him to a stop.
As Elder Senior Brother waited with the shaman, they both looked toward the Divine Child to see what he had to say.
"We will lend them some food," Han Cheng said slowly, looking at the shaman and Elder Senior Brother.
Why? the food-conscious Shaman asked surprisingly. He didn''t understand why the Divine Child would suddenly say this, feeling slightly shocked by his unexpected decision.
Han Cheng had a reason for his actions. The issue of insufficient poption had always constrained the tribe''s development. Even yesterday, he had left the wounded prisoners alive, intending to use them as ves in the tribe.
Now that a tribe hade knocking at their door, he immediately linked it to the tribe''s development. For him, exchanging the surplus fish in the tribe for an increase in poption was a highly cost-effective move. If he missed this opportunity, it would be embarrassing for him, a representative of the countless transmigrators.
Han Cheng exined his reasoning with a smile, and Shaman and Elder Senior Brother became excited. They cared deeply about the tribe''s development but had never thought about swallowing and merging with other tribes.
Realizing that they could use this method to rapidly increase the tribe''s poption, they became extremely enthusiastic.
Even Shaman, though he felt a bit sorry about the food that would be taken away, approved the Divine Child''s decision. However, he quickly raised a serious issue: What if the other tribe had food but didn''te? As a leader, Elder Senior Brother, who understood the leader''s mindset, knew that no leader would willingly give up their tribe to merge with another.
What the Shaman considered was highly likely to happen, and Han Cheng had already considered it. He wouldn''t be foolish enough to give the other tribe enough food to survive the harsh winter at once.
He nned to lend them only enough food for five or six days. After showing them the prosperity of their tribe and letting them taste the sweetness, Han Cheng intends to reveal his intentions gradually.
He didn''t believe that, in such a harsh season, the other tribe would not obedientlyply when their survival depended on him holding the food in his hands.
After exining his n to Shaman and Elder Senior Brother, they looked at Han Cheng with admiration.
"You, lead them in. We can lend you food," Elder Senior Brother announced to the leader of the pig tribe, who was anxiously waiting.
Upon hearing Elder Senior Brother''s words, the leader of the pig tribe was momentarily stunned. His visit had been a decision made in desperation, and even he felt that borrowing food was unlikely to work. However, now he heard the news he least expected but most desired from the friendly tribe''s leader. No wonder he was momentarily dumbfounded.
After a brief moment of confusion, a kind of ecstasy surged in his heart. Grateful and somewhat flustered, he bowed to Elder Senior Brother, then shouted excitedly towards his waiting tribesmen, filled with joy.
The eleven members of the pig tribe stood at a distance, looking at their leader negotiating with this mighty tribe. They heard their leader''s shouts at this moment, and each felt overjoyed. Their leader hadn''t lied to them; this neighboring tribe was genuinely friendly and willing to lend them food at this critical time.
Without feeling tired, they rushed towards their leader. Under Elder Senior Brother''s request, the pig tribe members discarded all the weapons they carried ten meters away from the wall.
Only after seeing themply did Elder Senior Brother allow the gate to be opened, letting the members of the pig tribe in.
Elder Senior Brother was a wise person. He warmly gave the leader of the pig tribe a big hug, then got straight to the point. "You didn''t have food. Why didn''t youe earlier?" He reproached the pig tribe leader, looking at the eleven miserable-looking individuals with a touch of pity.
Of course, Elder Senior Brother felt sorry. After Han Cheng''s persuasion, he already regarded the pig tribe as their own, and now, seeing them in this state, it would be strange not to feel sorry. After all, in the future, these people would be part of their tribe.
The pig tribe leader observed the transformed Blue Sparrow tribe with curiosity. Elder Senior Brother approached Han Cheng and the shaman to pay their respects.
Being very sycophantic, Fu Jiang stood beside Han Cheng, wagging its tail from time to time. Together with the other members of the Blue Sparrow tribe, they all observed the pitiful dozen or so individuals from the pig tribe.
Coming to seek help naturally required a humble demeanor. The pig tribe leader knew about the Shaman but was unaware of what kind of creature the Divine Child was.
However, based on the respectful tone of this robust leader''s introduction and the fact that he ranked the Divine Child above the shaman, he knew that this Divine Child was not simple.
With a stiff face frozen by the cold, he forced a smile. Following Elder Senior Brother''s guidance, he was about to pay his respects when suddenly, he noticed a sturdy wolf staring straight at him with its eyes wide open.
Chapter 85: The Granny Liu from the primitive era enters the Grand View Garden
Chapter 85: The Granny Liu from the primitive era enters the Grand View Garden
The leader of the pig tribe was suddenly startled, reaching out to grab a weapon. However, his weapon had already been thrown outside before entering the door, and he found himself empty-handed.
Without his weapon, the leader of the pig tribe dared not move recklessly. He stood at a distance, slightly bent over, body tense, eyes fixed on the powerful wolf in a confrontation, not daring to rx.
Suddenly encountering such a strong wolf at close range, the intense danger made the leader of the pig tribe forget to consider why this wolf appeared in the Green Sparrow Tribe and why it stood with their people.
For a moment, he focused on the wolf without allowing any distractions. The others behind the leader of the pig tribe also tensed their nerves. However, along with the tense nerves, a thought lingered in their minds: wolf meat is delicious.
Han Cheng, Shaman, and the Eldest Senior Brother were left a bit dumbfounded by the leader of the pig tribe''s reaction. The way the other tribe greeted them was quite unusual.
When they noticed the leader''s gaze on Fu Jiang, and Fu Jiang staring back, Han Cheng finally realized what was happening. "Go y somewhere else," he said, pushing Fu Jiang''s head to the side.
Fu Jiang, who was ring aggressively moments ago, immediately changed. It retracted its previous posture, wagging its tail, rubbing its smooth fur against Han Cheng, and even showing a ttering expression. It became very submissive.
The leader of the pig tribe watched all this in disbelief. He had not expected such a fierce wolf to be so obedient to the Divine Child. The Elder Senior Brother exined with a smile that Fu Jiang is a domesticated wolf and won''t bite people, reassuring the leader.
The leader of the pig tribe was still somewhat shocked, not only surprised that this neighboring friendly tribe had a new Divine Child who could subdue a fierce wolf, but also astonished by the Divine Child''s age.
Initially, when he first heard the introduction from the Elder Senior Brother, he thought that this so-called Divine Child, more noble than the Shaman, would be at least an adult, if not older than the Shaman. Never did he expect this supposed Divine Child to be a child.
As a tribe leader, he understood how difficult it was to gain status within a tribe. To see an underage person holding such a high position in this tribe was truly surprising.
While still wary of the fierce wolf, the leader of the pig tribe also ced his hand on his chest and saluted Han Cheng respectfully.
Han Cheng nodded with a smile, giving a response. Then, the leader of the pig tribe saluted Shaman, standing on the side. Following Han Cheng''s lead, Shaman also nodded in acknowledgment.
After a brief meeting, the transcendent Han Cheng and Shaman returned to their cave together. The Elder Senior Brother received the leader of the pig tribe.
The leader of the pig tribe, walking alongside the Elder Senior Brother, looked around and became more astonished as he saw the wide, safe space and the peculiar animal hides worn on their hands and heads.
His eyes widened, especially when he saw the dried fish ced in front of the cave on numerous wooden racks. He had not expected that this nearby friendly tribe was truly so wealthy.
As the leader of the pig tribe looked at these food supplies, secretly swallowing saliva, he couldn''t help but think how great it would be if his tribe could have so much food.
The leader of the pig tribe was already astonished, and the other members were in even worse condition. They had to forcefully restrain themselves from rushing forward to grab and devour those dried fish.
The leader of the pig tribe forced himself to look away from the dried fish because he knew that these belonged to the other tribe, and the friendly tribe wouldn''t lend them these fish. The meat itself was precious, especially in winter. If they could borrow some fruits from this tribe to alleviate their hunger, it would already be quite good. As for fish, he dared not have any extravagant hopes.
The shock of the leader of the pig tribe did not end there. After following the Elder Senior Brother into the cave, the wealth of this friendly neighboring tribe once again refreshed his understanding.
Various pieces of meat,rge and small, hung on the cave walls in an area near the cave entrance. The sight of these meats made the other members of the pig tribe salivate.
Seeing where the Elder Senior Brother took them to eat fish, the leader''s eyes immediately widened, feeling dizzy.
"Oh heavens, where did this nearby friendly tribe get so much fish?"
No wonder he was astonished. Since the invention of the fish traps in early summer, fishing has be an extremely simple and easy task for the Green Sparrow Tribe. They continued to make salted fish from early summer until deep autumn. The quantity of salted fish they could store was unimaginable. Moreover, they didn''t rely solely on salted fish; they asionally broke the ice and caught fresh fish to eat. Thus, the consumption of salted fish was not as high.
This is precisely why the leader of the pig tribe and his people were so shocked.
The Elder Senior Brother took out a sufficient amount of salted fish, ced them by the fire, and had a few people roast them for the pig tribe members.
If it weren''t for fear of beingughed at, the pig tribe members would have just directly grabbed the raw salted fish to eat.
Now, they could only stare fixedly at the roasted fish, smell the tantalizing aroma, drool, and eagerly wait for the friendly tribe to hand the food to them.
While roasting the salted fish, the Elder Senior Brother had people set up another fire nearby, cing arge y pot over it, adding water, and putting a few smaller pieces of salted fish to boil.
The leader of the pig tribe didn''t know what this strange thing was that could hold water and be ced on the fire. He also didn''t understand why the leader of this friendly tribe didn''t put the tempting salted fish directly on the fire but instead ced them inside this peculiar item.
He was somewhat puzzled but didn''t delve deeper into it because he was too preupied. All his thoughts were captivated by the fish he was currently roasting.
Chapter 86: In the primitive era, Granny Liu enters the Grand View Garden 2
Chapter 86: In the primitive era, Granny Liu enters the Grand View Garden 2
The leader of the Pig Tribe, despite reminding himself more than once to be mindful of his eating manners to avoid ridicule, found his mouth disobeying. As he took a bite, arge gap appeared in the fish.
The freshly roasted fish was hot and still had bones, but these were not concerns at the moment. He blew on it, and his mouth moved rapidly. Arge mouthful of fish meat had already been swallowed in a moment.
As for the fish bones, none were seen spat out; they were all crushed and swallowed with gusto.
Immediately after swallowing a mouthful of fish, he couldn''t wait to take the second bite.
The other six members of the Pig Tribe, who got a share of the fish, ate just like their leader. While they might not match their leader in a fight, they were no lesspetitive when it came to eating fish.
The remaining five who didn''t get any fish stared at theirpanions enjoying the feast with watery mouths, longing to snatch some from their mouths.
With just a few bites, the leader of the Pig Tribe had finished an entire fish. He didn''t even spare the fish head; he crunched it all up.
After finishing these, he felt embarrassed and smiled at the Elder Senior Brother.
The Elder Senior Brother didn''t have any mocking intentions. He had experienced the feeling of hunger and knew what it was like. He picked up a fish that had just been roasted and hadn''t been taken down from the tree, handing it to the leader of the Pig Tribe with a friendly smile. "Eat."
The people of the Pig Tribe hadn''t felt such joy for a long time.
Due to the early arrival of heavy snow this year, their tribe had implemented a policy of conserving food from the beginning of the snowfall. In other words, they hadn''t had a full meal since the snow started.
Now,ing to this neighboring friendly tribe, the wealth and friendliness of the other side shocked and moved them.
Because they had put themselves in the shoes of the other tribe, even if it were them with so much fish, if a nearby tribe came to borrow food, they would at most offer them some cold and barely satisfying fruits, not delicious fish.
Little did they know that, due to the abundance of meat and the scarcity of autumn harvest, the so-called lowest-grade fruits, in their eyes, had be more popr than meat in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
In this situation, the Green Sparrow Tribe naturally couldn''t use fruits to treat them.
"Eat."
The salty fish soup in the pot was ready. The Elder Senior Brother brought a bowl and scooped up a bowl of steaming salty fish soup, including half a fish, for the leader of the Pig Tribe.
The leader of the Pig Tribe took the bowl and chopsticks he had never seen before, looked at the steaming soup and fish in the bowl, and then at the two sticks in his hand. He, who had never encountered these things, felt at a loss for how to start.
Seeing the leader of the Pig Tribe in confusion, the Elder Senior Brother felt an air of superiority in his heart.
In addition to the warmth when drinking the fish soup in winter, his mind had another important intention. He wanted to subtly show off some fresh things in their Green Sparrow Tribe in this way.
Seeing the leader of the Pig Tribe and others, who held the bowl and chopsticks, looked at each other without knowing how to start, the Elder Senior Brother, holding a bowl, also picked up a bowl of fish soup. He took two chopsticks and skillfully picked up a piece of fish from the soup, put it in his mouth, and then brought his mouth to the edge of the bowl to savor the soup.
Upon seeing this, the people of the Pig Tribe suddenly realize how the unfamiliar food was eaten. The two short sticks were not so easily mastered by them, who had never touched them.
Sweating profusely, they struggled for a long time without much sess. In the end, they had no choice but to hold the bowl, bring it to the edge, and slurp the soup before eating the meat.
The leader of the Pig Tribe, thinking that the hot water might not taste good, took a sip after trying it and immediately showed an expression of enjoyment on his face.
This was not only because the hot water was surprisingly delicious but also because, with one sip, the warmth extended from the mouth to the stomach, dispelling much of his body''s coldness.
He hastened the pace of slurping the soup. After downing a bowl of steaming fish soup, the leader of the Pig Tribe''s forehead was covered in sweat, and his whole body felt warm andfortable.
He had never felt this kind of warmth radiating from deep within his body since the beginning of winter.
The two small wooden sticks in his hands were really hard to use. Watching the people in the tribe still using their hands to scoop and eat the fish, he also abandoned the chopsticks and joined the hands-on approach.
After being full and satisfied, a long-lost sense offort spread throughout his body, making the leader of the Pig Tribe feelzy, with a desire to sleep.
Thinking of the people in the tribe eagerly awaiting their return with food, the leader of the Pig Tribe was suddenly shocked, and the fatigue that had just surfaced on his body disappeared without a trace.
He quickly put down the bowl, stood up, and talked to the Elder Senior Brother about borrowing food to take back.
The Elder Senior Brother suggested they rest here a bit longer before returning.
The leader of the Pig Tribe shook his head repeatedly.
Thinking of the people in the tribe waiting eagerly for them, he had no intention of resting anymore.
Seeing this, the Elder Senior Brother no longer insisted. Together with the Third Elder Brother, they took out some salted fish and wrapped them in the animal skins brought by the Pig Tribe.
Seeing that their animal skin wraps weren''t suitable for carrying fish, they strung the salted fish into a bundle with grass ropes.
Looking at the pile of salted fish on the ground, the leader of the Pig Tribe was deeply moved. He hugged the Elder Senior Brother tightly and pressed his forehead against the Elder Senior Brother''s shoulder, expressing his goodwill very dignifiedly.
After the embrace, guided by the Elder Senior Brother, he bid farewell to the Divine Child Han Cheng and Shaman, who had be cold and aloof but who had been secretly observing everything in the inner cave. The leader of the Pig Tribe expressed his gratitude in a series of iprehensible words that Han Cheng couldn''t understand.
The leader of the Pig Tribe, with the people of the Pig Tribe, left. They came here hungry but left with round bellies and a full load.
The leader of the Pig Tribe also coveted the thing that could make hot soup in this friendly tribe. If they had such a thing, they would be much warmer.
But he didn''t dare to ask.
The people of the Pig Tribe felt a bit reluctant to leave here. After all, here, they could eat delicious food, which they could eat until they were full.
But they still left because this wasn''t their tribe, and there were many fellow tribesmen waiting for them to bring back food to their tribe.
Chapter 87: Icy Despair
Chapter 87: Icy Despair
Unseen by the chief of the Pig Tribe, immediately after he left with the tribe, carrying food from the nearby friendly tribe, the two conmen, Divine Child Han Cheng and Shaman, who had been pretending to be in the inner cave, immediately came out.
They came to the gate of the wall and looked at the backs of the Pig Tribe people leaving with food, their eyes gleaming with cunning.
The chief of the Pig Tribe, leading the people, trudged through the snow, already panting heavily but unwilling to stop and rest.
Thinking about the crisis in the tribe, they had no intention of taking a break.
The snowy weather demanded a lot from the avable food. The snow made travel difficult, consuming a lot of energy, and the cold weather increased the demand for calories.
After walking and traversing the wilderness in the cold night, the fish they filled up from the friendly tribe the day before had long been digested.
The chief of the Pig Tribe thought for a moment, then took six salted fish from the fish string carried by the tribe members, split them in half, and distributed one half to each person.
Carrying the food on his back, the chief felt happy. Not only were they about to return to their tribe, but they had also found two frozenrge chickens in the snowy wilderness, a cause for great joy in a tribe where food was scarce.
Now, the tworge chickens were held in his hands.
He looked at the two chickens in his hands and the salted fish carried by others on their backs from the nearby friendly tribe. The chief of the Pig Tribe couldn''t help but smile with satisfaction.
He hadn''t disappointed them. Just as he had promised when he left, he brought back food, saving some food that couldst several days.
He could imagine the joy of the people in the tribe when they saw this food.
Thinking about how the people in the tribe would greedily eat the food he brought back, the chief felt a deep sense of satisfaction. The frozen smile on his face became even more pronounced.
"%^$&$&!"
He turned his head and shouted to the excited people behind him, speeding up towards the direction of their tribe.
Seeing the open entrance of the tribe from a distance, the chief''s heart felt a bit heavy. He didn''t think of the worst but assumed that the people who stayed in the cave had gone out to look for food.
He increased his pace, heading towards the cave, eager to discover what had happened in the tribe.
He saw many scattered footprints extending and winding towards the west about a hundred meters from the cave.
These footprints included those going out from the tribe and thoseing from outside towards the cave.
The chief of the Pig Tribe stood here, looking at the multitude of chaotic footprints, and the smile on his face disappeared.
He stood here for a while, then gripped the spear in his hand, shouted to the others who sensed something was wrong, and rushed towards the cave.
Arriving at the cave, he saw the messy scene. The bustling cave of the past was now deste. Therge cave was empty except for the recently returned chief and his party.
The ground was a mess, the once-never-extinguished fire pits had cooled, and the cold ashes were scattered around.
On the icy floor, there were several dark imprints, the blood that had flowed out and solidified.
Amidst the cold ashes and the dark bloodstains, there were some ring white bones, bones that had been gnawed clean."
Bones, the chief of the Pig Tribe, had seen many, but these bones made him tremble because they were human bones.
The once lively and bustling cave, now empty, stood silent. The people who had returned with joy after borrowing food, staring at this strange and cold scene, felt as if lightning struck them.
"^%$&$&$!"
The trembling chief of the Pig Tribe suddenly shouted, holding a short spear, and turned to run out of the cave.
The remaining eleven people followed their leader.
The chief of the Pig Tribe, shaking all over, ran madly along the traces left on the snowy ground, his eyes already bloodshot.
The morning had dimmed even more, and the rising cold wind caused the snowkes to fall, making a rustling sound as theynded. Before long, these snowkes turned into a fluttering flurry of snow.
The umting snowkes gradually covered all traces.
The chief, who still couldn''t see the footprints, stubbornly chased forward until all traces disappeared.
Looking around, besides the standing trees, everything else was a vast expanse of white. Thend seemed particrly vast and open at this moment.
""
Amidst the vast snowfield came a hoarse and mournful cry, like a wild beast losing its cub and wailing in sorrow.
In the boundless snow, the twelve people of the Pig Tribe appeared particrly small.
These events happening far away were unknown to the Green Sparrow Tribe, who, as usual, lived their lives.
Outside, the snow was flying; inside the cave, the fire sparkled, orange firelight, white steam, radiant smiles, and peaceful conversations, isting the harshness outside, adding a touch of warmth to this cold and cruel winter.
Han Cheng held a bowl to his mouth, drinking soup. The now grown-up Fu Jiang looked at the bowl in Han Cheng''s hand, eager with a wagging tail, hoping to get food from his master.
Han Cheng didn''t disappoint him. A piece of meat-covered bone was scooped out from his bowl, blown with cool air, and thrown towards Fu Jiang, whose eyes never left the meat.
Under Han Cheng''s diligent teaching, Fu Jiang had already developed excellent skills. Before the meat and bone touched the ground, he intercepted it mid-air and then squatted to enjoy it.
People inside the tribe, each holding arge bowl, squatted on the ground to enjoy the hot soup. Ever since the invention of boiled meat by Han Cheng, this way of eating has be popr in the Green Sparrow Tribe. Especially in the current weather, drinking two bowls of hot soup warmed the body, and people couldn''t be morefortable.
In the innermost part of the cave, farthest from the fire pit and closer to the entrance, there were three women, two sitting on the ground and one lying down.
Whether sitting or lying down, their eyes were unusually focused, staring at the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe enjoying their meal.
Chapter 88: The Enchanting Ru Hua.
Chapter 88: The Enchanting Ru Hua.
These three individuals are the captives of the Green Sparrow tribe, destined to be ves in the future.
Whether it''s the robust physique of primitive humans or the aura of the time traveler Han Cheng, these three people are surprisingly unharmed and in good spirits.
The woman whose intestines fell out and were put back by Han Cheng is still alive despite asional abdominal pain. She remains cheerful.
In her tribe, a woman with severe injuries would be considered doomed. Before she dies on her own, someone would kill her and distribute her flesh to the people in the tribe.
Simr to the other two, when this powerful and ferocious tribe brought them back, they were mentally prepared for death. They did not believe that this brutal tribe would spare them; instead, they thought that these people intended to keep them captive until there was a shortage of food, at which point they would be killed and eaten.
Fearful and uneasy, they huddled together, expecting the worst. However, much to their surprise, death did note. Instead, the fierce people of this tribe removed the weapons stuck in them, treated their wounds, and showed unexpected kindness.
Despite this, they didn''t believe the tribe would spare them. Instead, they thought these people were nning to keep them captive and eat them when food was scarce, simr to what their tribe did with captives from other tribes.
In their extreme panic, they cautiously huddled together. When the woman saw a child-like figure from the tribe approaching with something she had never seen before, she was so terrified that she fainted on the spot, clutching her chest with both hands.
Holding a bowl of hot meat soup, Han Cheng looked at this scene with a mind full of confusion.
"I''m still a child. How can they see me like this?"
The imaginative thoughts of this primitive woman were a bit too rich. Even if they wanted something to happen, he wouldn''t agree.
Firstly, his weapon had not matured, and secondly, he couldn''t bring himself to do such a thing to this woman with her distinguished status in the tribe.
Due to this not-so-beautiful misunderstanding, Han Cheng bestowed upon her the name "Ru Hua."
Regarding this, Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, Xing, and several girls from the tribe were a bit dissatisfied. They felt that such a beautiful name should only be given to them.
So, after discussing it quietly, they all went to find Han Cheng together, wanting him to give this beautiful name to one of them.
After understanding their intentions, Han Cheng almost sprayed out the hot water he was drinking.
"They''re even fighting over this name."
After some persuasion, Han Cheng finally dispelled their thoughts.
Ru Hua now knows that she misunderstood the Divine Child that day.
The Divine Child wasn''t nning to cut her up and eat her. Instead, he wanted to feed her delicious meat soup.
This novel and exotic food she had never seen before. However, after tasting it, she was deeply fascinated. The other two captives felt the same after three days of adaptation. They were no longer as fearful as before. Besides knowing they would not be killed, another important reason was that they were morefortable than their original tribe.
As women, their status in the Flying Snake tribe was not high. Once winter came, their only food source would be fruits.
In the tribe, the stored meat is a privilege for the Shaman, Chief, and strong men, and it has nothing to do with them. Unlike here, they not only get to eat three meals a day, but each meal consists of meat, and this meat is tastier than any they have ever had before.
At first, they couldn''t believe it. They couldn''t fathom that this tribe would be willing to use such high-quality food for defeated captives. Itpletely overturned their understanding. Such a thing would never happen in their tribe.
It is precisely because of these actions that they feel regret. They regret listening to their tribe leader and attacking this kind of tribe. This tribe is genuinely kind. Just yesterday, they witnessed how warmly this tribe treated a destitute tribe that hade seeking help.
Not only did they give them delicious meat, but they also gifted them a lot of tasty food to take back to their tribe.
The women from the Green Sparrow tribe did not eat specially prepared food. They ate leftovers from the Green Sparrow tribe. However, for these primitive women, it was an unimaginable delicacy.
Finally, everyone in the Green Sparrow tribe had eaten their fill. Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and Xing, assigned tasks by Han Cheng, took the remaining salty fish soup and shredded meat from the big pot and served it inrge bowls, offering them to the three women.
Although some were unwilling, it was arranged by the Divine Child, and they allplied.
The person taking care of Ru Hua had the most challenging task. Because Ru Hua''s stomach was injured, she couldn''t sit up until it healedpletely. Otherwise, there was a risk of her intestines falling out again. So, during meals, someone else had to feed her.
Nobody was willing to take on this task, especially the three underage primitive girls who harbored envy towards this woman for having such an admired name.
Therefore, they divided the tasks, with each of the three girls taking turns each day for the three meals.
Finally, when the three women waiting for food got their turn, they ate greedily. They didn''t even leave any small fish bones behind; everything was chewed into bits and swallowed. They would have surely licked them clean if it weren''t for the rebuke for licking the bowls.
After eating, the three women huddled together, savoring the delicious salty fish soup. They watched the tribe members, who had finished their dinner, grooming each other''s hair in the light of the fire or making things they had never seen before. A sense of tranquility gradually emerged in their hearts.
This was an atmosphere they had never felt in their original Flying Snake tribe a yearning andforting ambiance.
Chapter 89: The howling wolf and the deer who refused to eat
Chapter 89: The howling wolf and the deer who refused to eat
The final meal for the three women, including Ru Hua, was deliberately arranged by Han Cheng.
Although there was no opposition within the tribe to assisting these three individuals, Han Cheng knew that some people felt ufortable. To avoid affecting the internal unity of the tribe and to manage the emotions of the tribe members, he made deliberate distinctions in subtle aspects such as meals.
By elevating the status of the original Green Sparrow tribe members while lowering that of the neers, a sense of bnce was maintained among the Green Sparrow tribe members.
Apart from meals, other aspects, like sleeping farthest from the fire and closest to the cave entrance, were also considered.
The heavy snowfall that began in the morning had stopped by evening, and now the sky was clear. A bright crescent moon hung in the pristine night sky, radiating a special brightness and tranquility.
Han Cheng, with a hat, gloves, and a fiery red fox fur scarf around his neck, stood in the snowy area outside the cave, quietly watching the moonlitndscape. A sense of indescribable peace enveloped his heart.
Because of the thick snow covering the ground and the crescent moon hanging in the night sky, the night appeared exceptionally bright.
From where Han Cheng stood, he could see the farthest wall and the people standing behind it, sculpted like figures responsible for guarding.
In the night, they appeared dark and blurry, like a curtain separating the distant horizon.
The sudden attack from the Flying Snake tribe two days ago had sounded the rm for the Green Sparrow tribe. While they repelled the attack, no one dared to be certain that the tribe wouldn''t return. To ensure the safety of the tribe members, an emergency meeting was convened by the three leaders of the Green Sparrow tribe.
The oue of the meeting was a change in the guard system from daytime to around the clock. Even at night, someone had to be stationed behind the wall.
"Howl."
On this tranquil and beautiful night, humans and wolves were affected. Following Han Cheng, Fu Jiang seemed to have sensed something from the night and howled towards the moon, expressing profound emotions with a mournful and distant voice.
However, its expression of emotion was not smooth. It was forcefully interrupted when it hadn''t finished half of its howl.
A small hand patted its head, stopping all the remaining sounds. Only Han Cheng dared to treat Fu Jiang, a wolf, in such a manner.
He turned to look at Fu Jiang, who looked quite aggrieved. Fu Jiang wondered what sin it hadmitted to end with such a master.
"Bark, bark, bark."
Under the bright moonlight and in the quiet night, Han Cheng, against his will, spoke the foreignnguage he didn''t want to use.
Han Cheng''s heart was also very tired. He hade to the primitive society, taught the tribe to speak Mandarin, and now, against all odds, he had to teach a wolf to bark like a dog.
It was simply unreasonable.
Fu Jiang regretted it now. Why did it howl unnecessarily?
Upon hearing these sybles from its master''s mouth, the fur on Fu Jiang''s body stood on end.
It cautiously nced at its master, then turned around and ran away.
Even a wolf needs some face. Han Cheng, who could speak even thenguage of dogs, grabbed Fu Jiang''s ear, staring at it angrily.
Fu Jiang looked dejected, hanging its head in dismay.
"Bark, bark, bark," Han Cheng watched as it opened its mouth again.
Unable to run away and with no way out, Fu Jiang, who had no choice, reluctantly gave a wolfish kiss.
"Woo, woo, woo," teaching a wolf to bark like a dog was indeed too difficult.
Even though the fur on Fu Jiang''s body was standing on end, the emitted howling sounds were only slightly simr.
For Han Cheng, this was already quite satisfactory.
Teaching Fu Jiang a foreignnguage had been a whimsical decision on his part. After persisting for a while, the fact that Fu Jiang could produce such wolfish sounds exceeded Han Cheng''s expectations.
"Bark, bark, bark," "Woo, woo, woo," "Bark, bark, bark," "Woo, woo, woo."
In the courtyard of the Green Sparrow tribe, a magical scene unfolded a person and a wolf engaging in a conversation using thenguage of dogs, a conversation whose meaning neither of them understood.
The human became more excited while the wolf grew more ufortable as they continued. The forced howls became more and more like the sobbing of an aggrieved maid.
It was simply insane. Who would torment a wolf like this?
After the conversation, Han Cheng released Fu Jiang''s ear. Feeling like it had received a reprieve, Fu Jiang promptly turned around and darted back into the cave. At this point, it only wanted to escape its terrifying master as far as possible.
Han Cheng rubbed his mouth. Damn, he shouldn''t have let it get this far. If Fu Jiang wasn''t properly taught, he might be unable to revert it.
The heavy snow covered the mountains and forests, affecting not only the primitive people whocked food but also the animals.
Carnivores were in a slightly better situation as the heavy snow wouldn''t conceal their food or meat. However, herbivores were suffering.
Salt Mountain.
The proud deer lord used its slender hooves to dig through a thickyer of snow, revealing some snow-covered dried grass.
It stretched its head, curled the grass with its tongue, bit down with its teeth, and with a tug, the frozen old grass fell into its mouth.
The taste of the grass was terribleit was icy, hard, and challenging to chew. After a turn in the deer lord''s mouth, it was spat out in disdain.
The disdainful deer lord snorted loudly, lifted its head, and looked southward. It was quiet there, and there was nothing to be seen. After looking for a while, the disappointed deer could only lower its head again to eat the rejected hard grass.
In the past, the deer lord used to eat such grass happily, but this year was different.
Since the beginning of winter, those two-legged creatures with short legs often brought it delicious sun-dried green grass. Unconsciously, for more than a month, the deer lord''s mouth had be ustomed to it.
Eating the grass from the snow-covered ground felt hard to swallow, even for the deer lord that had grown ustomed to the sun-dried grass with a hint of sunshine.
It nibbled on the grass on the ground, appearing somewhat absent-minded.
Suddenly, its long ears turned half a circle, facing southward, and its head lifted.
On the snowy field to the south, a group of two-legged creatures appeared, with the one often bullied by it at the forefront. In the arms of the little two-legged creature was the sun-dried green grass that haunted its dreams.
I hadn''t eaten it for two days.
Even the proud deer lord became a little spoiled. It happily snorted and, lifting its slender legs, quickly ran towards the little two-legged creature.
Chapter 90: The enticed deer
Chapter 90: The enticed deer
Han Cheng watched the Deer Lordrun towards him, a mischievous grin on his face. It was finally time for the harvest after expending so much effort and with the snow aiding him.
The Deer Lordarrived before Han Cheng, annoyed at this disobedient two-legged creature. It nced at the small bipedal creature with a hint of reproach, then obediently nudged its face against the empty hoof the little bipedal creature extended. Without hesitation, it moved its mouth to the other hoof where the green grass was held and started eating.
The proud Deer Lordwagged its tail happily as the delicious grass entered its mouth, feeling no shame in trading its face for the treat.
The other deers followed suit, approaching the humans and using their faces against the offered empty hooves, then eagerly eating the grass.
Yes, they had started the habit of "showing their faces" to eat.
The old Deer Lordfelt a bit dissatisfied because today, despite the little bipedal creature bringing lots of grass, it wasn''t eager to share. It barely took a few bites before backing away.
"You touched my face, but you won''t give me grass now?" thought the Deer Load. "Where can one get such an easy and free meal? Do they think you can touch my face so easily?"
The proud Deer Lordkept up, unwilling to let go of the little bipedal creature who had touched its face but didn''t want to share the grass.
The rest of the group had received Han Cheng''s instructions beforehand. They followed his lead, taking the grass and gradually moving away, enticing the deer to leave the salt mountain and head toward their vige.
Months of feeding had already familiarized the deer with the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. They were not cautious or rmed toward Han Cheng and hispanions.
Coupled with the heavy snow closing off ess to adequate food like grass and leaves, the deer were not getting enough to eat. The tempting offer of their favorite grass naturally led them to follow Han Cheng and the others.
Han Cheng had set his sights on these deer from the first time he saw them. After months of preparation, he was finally taking action.
"Self-made hay and salt water don''tpare to this," thought Han Cheng, the time-traveling individual now ying the role of the tribe''s Divine Child.
"These deer must be brought back." Now that the Green Sparrow Tribe had a wall around their territory, there was enough space for these deer.
Han Cheng felt somewhat uneasy about leaving the deer outside the vige. If these clueless creatures encountered another tribe and were identally harmed them, he, who considered the deer his tribe''s private property, would be distraught.
Given the deer''s tame nature, confronting another tribe would certainly result in injury.
As they moved on, the proud Deer Lordsuddenly stopped in his tracks,pletely engrossed in reiming what he considered rightfully earned. His joyful tail ceased its swaying.
The Deer Lordgazed at the unfamiliar mountain wall before him and the little bipedal creature standing at the opening, swinging the dried grass gently. There was something off about the situation.
Seeing them stopping at their doorstep and showing reluctance to proceed, Han Cheng wasn''t worried. He had prepared something special to ensure the deer were fully convinced to follow them. Now, it was time to use his trump card.
Reaching for the animal skin pouch hanging at his waist, Han Cheng opened it and retrieved something green and oily.
Yes, it was rapeseed.
Rapeseed was easy to cultivate, especially its sprouts. During autumn, Han Cheng had scattered the seeds around, and after a short time in the fertile, damp soil, they had sprouted and turned into lush, green nts.
Han Cheng went to great lengths to ensure the sess of his n. Before setting off, he hade to the rapeseed field, dug through the snow covering it, and plucked a fair amount, stashing it in his pouch.
Han Cheng waved the green rapeseed before the old Deer Load, bringing it close to the stag''s nose for a sniff. The hesitant Deer Loads eyes immediately lit up.
Its mouth opened, and its pink tongue rolled out, ready to curl into its mouth. Han Cheng naturally wouldn''t let it seed.
Prepared in advance, he dodged, avoiding the Deer Loads tongue, then quickly moved a few steps back.
The appearance of the rapeseed made the old Deer Lordforget everything else. Watching the rapeseed, which was about to fly into its mouth, it immediately stepped forward,pletely unaware of what this step meant for itself.
Since the lead Deer Lordhad gone in, the younger ones following behind felt no fear. They had always followed the lead Deer Loads actions.
Shaman came out of the cave. Even before, he knew that the Divine Child and the others had found a group of deer near the salt mountain. The Divine Child intended to domesticate them and make them the exclusive property of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Shaman also wanted to go along after learning that Han Cheng would act against the deer today. However, there was too much snow on the road, so venturing out in such weather was inconvenient at his age. Han Cheng persuaded him to stay behind.
Once Han Cheng and the others left, Shaman began praying to the tribal spirits at the totem pole, hoping for their protection on the Divine Child''s journey.
Having experienced the benefits of animal husbandry through the rabbits, the Shaman, who cared deeply about the sessful integration of the deer into their tribe, prayed earnestly.
But simultaneously, he couldn''t help feeling a bit anxious. After all, what the Divine Child was going for this time wererge deer, not small creatures like rabbits.
Before starting his prayer, Shaman had entrusted the young Cheng to convey any news promptly. Hearing Cheng joyfully run in and announce that the Divine Child was returning with many deer, Shaman, who usually wouldn''t allow interruptions during prayers, immediately concluded his one-sided conversation with the spirits and rushed outside with the help of Cheng.
Shaman''s joy was evident in seeing the deers in the courtyard. He grinned, showing a mouth with half its teeth missing, andughed happily.
After a fewughs, he suddenly remembered that suchughter might startle the deer. He quickly closed his mouth and gestured for others not to move. He didn''t want to disturb the deer that now belonged to their tribe.
When he saw Hei Wa silently close and secure the gate, Shaman grinned again without making a sound. Laughing silently, he walked toward the deer enclosure, where Han Cheng had led most of the deer that had been constructed some time ago. The shaman''s expression was benevolent.
Chapter 91: construction of the deer enclosure
Chapter 91: construction of the deer enclosure
The deer enclosure is now ready and is adjacent to the rabbit enclosure.
It is a fence-style construction, which is not very challenging for the Green Sparrow Tribe, as they already have experience building walls.
Here''s how the construction of the deer enclosure took ce:
The shape of the deer enclosure was outlined at the selected location, forming a rectangr enclosure with dimensions of 50 meters in length and 30 meters in width, totaling an area of 1500 square meters.
Considering the twenty-two deer, theirrge size, and the need for potential expansion, Han Cheng deliberately made the deer enclosurerge.
The tribe members cleared snow from the chosen area. A fire was lit on the ground to soften the frozen soil before digging.
Bone shovels, more efficient than the previous t wooden sticks, were used for digging.
Using feet to press down one side of the shovel significantly increased digging speed.
Large and deep pits were dug at each side''s four corners and the middle for stability. Large pirs with a diameter exceeding fifteen centimeters were nted in the deepest pit.
Smaller wrist-thick pirs were nted between therge pirs for additional support. The gaps between the pirs were filled with woven branches.
Large pirs were cut and prepared during an earlier fire. Therge pirs were ced, and rocks were added at the base for stability.
Smaller pirs were efficiently nted between therge pirs. The gaps were filled with woven branches.
Completing the deer enclosure marks a significant achievement for the Green Sparrow Tribe, providing a secure and spacious environment for the deer.
In Han Cheng''s hometown, this technique is called "Biao" or "Bie.
The method uses rtively thin and flexible branches to weave through the vertical pirs, alternating left and right. Oncepleted, the entire deer enclosure bes a solid structure.
The woven height, using thin branches, is approximately 1.2 meters. Above this, there is a gap of about 40 centimeters. After the gap, another 30 centimeters of height is again woven with thinner branches. This design ensures both light pration and material efficiency and does notpromise the enclosure''s solidity.
Around the deer enclosure, Han Cheng dug a drainage ditch. The ground inside the enclosure was covered with a thickyer of wood ash mixed with dry grass and crushed leaves, showing great attention to detail.
Due to recent disturbances from the Flying Snake Tribe, certain elements of the deer enclosure were notpleted, such as the missing roof and the mud ster on both sides of the 1.2-meter-high fence envisioned by Han Cheng. These will be addressed in theing days.
The Deer Lord, with a crisp and delicious oilseed rape in its mouth, quickly consumed it. Without Han Cheng''s intervention, it voluntarily buried half of its head into the animal skin bag held by Han Cheng, using its tongue to scoop out a mouthful before pulling its head out to savor the rare delicacy.
Following their leader, the rest of the deer entered this entirely unfamiliar space. However, these deer were used to them and showed no unease. Following Han Cheng''s instructions, Hei Wa and others brought a lot of dried grass and prepared wooden nks, treating the deer hospitably. As a result, the deer became more rxed.
Their mouths moved swiftly, asionally swaying their small tails, showing a carefree demeanor. Watching this scene, Shaman couldn''t help but grin widely. Especially when a recently born fawn, after eating a few oilseeds from his hand and licking his hand with its tender tongue, Shaman was even more delighted.
He gently stroked the head of the little deer and looked at the group of deer peacefully grazing. The inner joy was indescribable, and his admiration for Han Cheng knew no bounds.
A Divine Child, without resorting to violence, brought back such arge group of live deer to the tribe. Catching them would be extremely difficult, even for the tribe''s adults. Yet, the Divine Child, still a youngster, brought back so many live deers. Once tamed, their tribe would have a deer poption simr to rabbitstruly a miracle.
Chapter 92: deer lost in joy
Chapter 92: deer lost in joy
After eating a dense meal, the Deer Lord felt a bit thirsty. Without waiting for its signal, the clever attendant brought a small tub. The tub contained warm water with sprinkled salt, and the Deer Lord lowered its head to drink,pping up the water eagerly. After finishing, it licked the saltwater from its mouth, nced satisfied at the attendant scratching an itch on its side, and let out a content snort.
Since the onset of winter, the Deer Lord had never felt sofortable. Today, not only did it eat a lot of delicious dried grass and some small rapeseed, but it also drank warm water with salt. It feltpletely at ease.
The attendant had never let it eat so well in the past, but today, it finally had a satisfying meal.
After being well-fed and hydrated, drowsiness set in. This phenomenon wasn''t exclusive to humans; even deer experienced it. Moreover, there was a perceptive littlepanion scratching its itches.
The Deer Lord closed its eyes and enjoyed the top-notch massage. Then, swaying on its long legs, it walked to a thick and soft patch of grass,y down, and soon drifted into a nap.
The other deer had also eaten their fill. Seeing the leader showing no intention to leave and the ground being so dry and soft, they, too, started lying down one after another.
Some followed the leader''s lead and took a nap. Some with high spiritsy on the ground looking around, observing this strange butfortable ce.
Some lowered their heads yfully, using their mouths to bite the dry grass lying in front of them.
Most of them began ruminating, regurgitating the previously ingested food through muscle contractions in the esophagus, then chewing it thoroughly before swallowing it again. This resulted in some white foam appearing around their mouths, a process called "regurgitating foam" in Han Cheng''s hometown.
As the deer rested, the little fawn pranced around the spacious enclosure, swaying back and forth and asionally tapping its hooves, expressing its joyful mood. When it got tired of ying, it walked to its mother''s side,y down with its backside facing her head, stretched its neck, and pulled out a red teat with its mouth. It then happily enjoyed its meal.
After a while, if the milk flow seemed slow, it used its mouth to push against the teat, causing a more vigorous flow.
The younger members of the tribe, like Shi Tou, watched attentively from the side. Seeing the little fawn enjoying its meal so much, they couldn''t help but reveal some envy in their eyes.
When they saw the deer satisfied, Han Cheng gestured to the people from the tribe to leave the enclosure quietly and then closed the woven door with rattan.
Until now, these deer truly belonged to the Green Sparrow tribe.
The shaman was reluctant to return to the cave. After leaving the enclosure, hey beside it, peering through the gap, unable to get enough of watching the deer. The shaman and others were reluctant to leave, forming a row of people squatting with their buttocks raised outside the deer enclosure.
After a short rest, the Deer Lord opened its eyes, nced at the two-legged creatures, and arrogantly lifted its head. Then, it regurgitated a lump of the delicious food it had eaten earlier and leisurely chewed on it.
Staying there for a while, Han Cheng''s feet began to numb from the cold. Shaman, however, still refused to return. Han Cheng had to persuade him back.
After warming up by the fire in the cave and having a bowl of hot tea, Shaman couldn''t resist going out again to check on the deer.
Watching Shaman walk out, Han Cheng smiled helplessly. After finishing his half bowl of hot water and spending some time by the fire, he went outside.
It was necessary to guard the deer enclosure at this time, as these wild deer, suddenly confined, would surely feel ufortable.
Han Cheng stood on a rock, looked into the deer enclosure for a while, and seeing the deer appearing somewhat uneasypared to before, he called a few people to join him and went out of the gate towards the rapeseed field.
Fu Jiang, running at the front, left plum blossom-like patterns on the snowy ground.
Following behind were Xing and Cheng, siblings carrying grass basketsone each, left behind by the Flying Snake Tribe a few days ago.
The cold seemed to freeze all vitality, and the rapeseed, covered in thick snow, had stopped growing. Whatever size it was before the snowfall, it remained almost the same.
Han Cheng, following his memories from his previous life, pulled the rapeseed. He tried to maintain a three-centimeter gap between each rapeseed. While pulling, he aimed to leave therger ones and remove the smaller ones.
After a demonstration from Han Cheng, Xing and Chen started imitating him, pulling rapeseed themselves. After not filling even two baskets, they stopped and covered the rapeseed again with the snow they had previously removed.
The snow was very cold for humans, but it was like afortable quilt for the rapeseed. With this snow covering, they could better survive the harsh winter. Unfortunately, the rapeseed inside the baskets didn''t fare as well. In their sleep, they lost their lives.
Looking at the not-yet-filled baskets of rapeseed, Han Cheng felt somewhat distressed. Damn it, he and the others barely ate any, and now all these are going to the deer!
Seeing the Deer Lord, well-fed and well-rested, appearing a bit restless, it wanted to wander elsewhere but was stopped by something unknown in this enclosure, preventing it from leaving.
It extended its head through a gap, but due to its antlers, it almost couldn''t pull it back. This made it even more eager to leave this ce.
Seeing the Deer Lord''s restlessness, Han Cheng instructed someone to open the enclosure gate. Tie Tou, Hei Wa, and others who often apanied him to the salt mountain walked in.
After they walked in, the gate was closed.
Seeing this two-legged creature, the Deer Lord''s restless heart immediately calmed down.
Moreover, seeing the green and oily rapeseed in the hands of this two-legged creature, the Deer Lord immediately forgot about wanting to leave.
It approached, starting to eat happily.
For the Deer Lord, there was nothing that a rapeseed meal couldn''t solve. If there was, then have another meal.
After eating some rapeseed and receiving a massage from this two-legged creature, the Deer Lord''s mood became extremely cheerful again.
Fu Jiang, seeing Han Cheng only serving this grass-eating fellow, felt reluctant and jealous. Lowering its head, it bit onto Han Cheng''s fur boots, raising its buttocks, and forcefully pulled Han Cheng outside.
It was only when Han Cheng, both crying andughing, had to use his other hand to rub Fu''s head and scratch it that Fu gradually stopped being angry. Later, ity on the ground, showing its belly to let Han Cheng scratch it happily.
Chapter 93: Weaving wooden walls, erecting crossbeams, binding rafters, and weaving fences.
Chapter 93: Weaving wooden walls, erecting crossbeams, binding rafters, and weaving fences.
Due to the arrival of these deer, the Green Sparrow Tribe was filled with joy, but along with the joy, there was also some concern in the hearts of the three leaders of the Green Sparrow Tribe: Han Cheng, Shaman, and the Eldest Senior Brother.
This concern stemmed from the Pig Tribe. It had been ten days since the visit of the Pig Tribe, and Shaman, who was highly concerned about this matter, had marked ten lines on a y tablet to keep track of time.
The food provided by the Eldest Senior Brother wouldst them five or six days at most. ording to calctions, the Pig Tribe should have arrived at least three days ago. However, as of now, Han Cheng and the others haven''t seen any sign of the Pig Tribe.
This made those who were eager to integrate the Pig Tribe into the Green Sparrow Tribe feel anxious. They wondered if the Pig Tribe had found prey or secured food from other tribes.
The possibilities were numerous, and all Han Cheng and the others could do was anxiously wait.
As for checking on the Pig Tribe, they decided against it. Spending the night outdoors, especially in winter, was dangerous. Not many tribes were willing to stay overnight outdoors unless necessary.
While waiting for the Pig Tribe, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t remain idle. They had their tasks, led by the Han Cheng, to continue building the deer pen.
Han Cheng initially considered covering the entire deer pen with a roof. However, after careful consideration, he abandoned this idea due to poor lighting and the work required.
After much thought, Han Cheng decided on apromise: covering one-fifth of the deer pen with a roof and leaving the rest open.
This way, when the weather was good, the deer could bask in the sun and roam freely in the open area. On bad weather days, they could seek shelter under the roof, providing a dry ce even during rain or snow.
The construction process wasn''t too difficult. They started by drawing a north-south straight line ten meters east of the deer pen''s east end. This line would serve as the dividing wall, splitting the deer pen into two parts.
Once the line was drawn, they dug pits along it at one-meter intervals, nting thick posts. These posts were thicker, about the size of a bowl rim.
These posts were higher than the elevated areas at the edges by over a meter. This height difference created a slope for better drainage when constructing the roof.
After the posts were erected, they began weaving with branches. However, this weaving was taller than the previous ones, reaching from the ground to the top.
This kind of weaving was deemed necessary since this was intended to create a wall that could shelter from wind and rain. However, the weaving this time wasn''t as dense as before, aster on, Han Cheng nned to apply mud on both sides of the fence. Therefore, there was no need for it to be as tightly woven.
Of course, not all gaps between the posts needed branch weaving. If they did that, there would be no way in or out. At the southern end, Han Cheng deliberately left three openings for the deer to move between the two areas.
They began weaving with branches for the top part of these openings, starting from a height of 1.6 meters above the ground.
A horizontal post, which could be called a beam, wasid at the top of this row of posts. This was done to make the structure more robust between the posts and also prepare for theter cement of rafters.
Because they didn''t have screws shaped like the letter "" (gng), fixing the wooden beams was a bit tricky. They could only use tough vines to tie and fasten them as securely as possible.
For the Green Sparrow Tribe, this was already considered high-altitude work.
However, under Han Cheng''s guidance during the enclosure wall construction, they erected many stands made of wood for stepping. Han Cheng was naturally unwilling to destroy these stands, so they came in handy now.
This wall on the west side, let''s call it a wall, was ten meters away from the one previously built on the east side. The span was toorge, making it difficult to put rafters when building the roof.
One reason was the difficulty of finding suitable and long enough branches for rafters, and the other reason was that the gap was toorge, making it less stable. After building the roof, it could easily copse due to therge opening. That is, the roof was prone to copsing.
So, Han Cheng nted two rows of additional posts inside and erected another horizontal beam on each. This way, these two horizontal beams divided the original ten-meter gap, creating three spans of over three meters each.
Of course, the posts supporting these two beams didn''t need to be as closely spaced as before. They were erected at intervals of three meters, forming a north-south line.
The wall on the easternmost edge of the deer pen also had a horizontal beam installed.
After these four beams were set up, they began tying rafters between the four beams.
In the standard sense, rafters were made by cutting wood into boards.
This way, it was lighter, saved wood, and because the specifications were the same, it looked more beautiful.
At this point, the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t have this capability. However, thanks to an ample supply of wood and Han Cheng''s arrangements, the people in the tribe made many tree branches as thick as a baby''s arm. They then tied these branches to the horizontal beams every thirty centimeters, from top to bottom.
Considering that it would wet the mud wall when it rained at an angle, Han Cheng deliberately made the ends of the rafters extend thirty centimeters outward during the tying process.
This way, when the roof was builtter, it could prevent rainwater from hitting the wall and provide some cover during nting rain.
After tying the rafters, the next step was to make something called "" (zhzi), which they called it in Han Cheng''s hometown in his future life. He didn''t know the official name.
The specific method was to first lift a round log with a diameter of five centimeters and a length exceeding four meters. Then, tie a tree branch, as thick as a little finger and longer than two meters, to the round log.
Three ropes were tied to the tree branch, each at the ends and the middle.
There was a certain technique for tying the ropes. The ces where the ropes were tied needed to be tied with two at once.
Making "" required a lot of ropes, so the extra ropes were wound around appropriately sized stones. Leaving about half a meter for future use, the remaining length was wound around once and tied to the stone to prevent it from loosening.
When the half-meter rope was used up, it was untied, and it was released for further use.
The stones with ropes, one on the left and one on the right were hung on either side of the suspended round log.
Then, a tree branch as thin as a little finger or thinner was added to the first tree branch. The positions of the six ropes hanging stones were exchanged in sequence. This meant shifting the original left to the right, the right to the left of the horizontal beam. This way, the tree branch was bound.
Another tree branch was then ced, and this process was repeated. When enough tree branches were added, the "" was formed.
Chapter 94: Spindle
Chapter 94: Spindle
The underage members of the tribe do the collection of tree branches because the tree branches are rtively thin and be brittle in winter. They are fully capable of handling these tasks.
Of course, during these activities, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe do not rx their defense. There are always individuals stationed behind the three-sided walls to stand guard and raise the rm immediately in case of any threat.
As for the weaving of fences, under Han Cheng''s arrangement, the first skilled craftsman in the tribe, who was limping, took the lead. The other two individuals, not in the best health but skilled in handicrafts, follow him, learning and working simultaneously.
When the beams are firmly fixed, they have already woven sixrge bundles of fences.
In the future, due to the difficulty in finding thin wooden strips, the construction of fences will mostly utilize materials like hemp stalks, sorghum stalks, or reed stalks. However, in Han Cheng''s primitive society, they didn''tck tree branches, so they naturally used these more robust and durable materials.
Even if Han Cheng wanted to use hemp, sorghum stalks, or corn stalks (referred to as sorghum in their region, and corn is called "yushu" there), he wouldn''t find them now.
Weaving fences requires a significant amount of rope, and even with the contribution of the two injured female captives, they still fall short of what''s needed. This leads to the senior brothers and others working tirelessly for most of the day, needing to spin more ropes in the evening.
Faced with the difficulty the tribe experiences due to a shortage of ropes, Han Cheng is at a loss until he remembers his mother making ropes using a small tool called a "spindle" or "whorl" back in his childhood. This tool proves to be a great solution.
This requires a small tool known as a "spindle" or "whorl," called "" (xin tul) in Han Cheng''s hometown.
The spindle is easy to make, with a bottom diameter of about three centimeters and a height of three centimeters, resembling a cone, simr to the shape of a steamed bun.
In the center of this cone, a hole passes through from top to bottom, designed for threading a wooden stick.
When using the spindle to twist the rope, one end of the rope to be twisted is tied to the wooden stick. One hand holds the rope, and the other holds the spindle. The spindle handle is quickly twisted on the leg, and then it''s left hanging.
The spindle, suspended by the twisted rope, rotates rapidly due to inertia.
The rope attached to it is twisted along, gaining tension very quickly. Expressing this in a formalnguage is challenging, so we''ll use our terms.
The well-tensioned yarn is wound around the spindle''s handle. After securing it slightly, ensuring that the well-tensioned yarn won''te loose, they repeat the previous actions.
Upon recalling this technique, Han Cheng immediately had Hei Wa, who enjoys pottery, dig up some y outside. He then used hot water and mud to begin making spindles.
Making spindles is remarkably simplepared to the previous manufacturing of bowls, pots, and jars.
A well-formed ball of y is shaped into a cone. Then, a tree stick with a diameter of half a centimeter pokes a hole straight up and down from the tip of the cone. This is all it takes.
The spindle is ced next to the fire pit, burning continuously for months. After being thrown into the fire for about four or five hours, it is removed, requiring no kiln firing.
Hei Wa is quite distressed about spinning ropes in the evening because it significantly affects his time for enjoyment and rxation.
Upon hearing that the Divine Child is preparing to create a tool to improve the efficiency of spinning ropes, which is made of pottery, Hei Wa, who has already be the number one person in pottery in the Green Sparrow tribe, immediately became excited.
He is ready to make a big move and wants to show off his practiced pottery skills to the people in the tribe, especially to the Divine Child.
However, the tool mentioned by the Divine Child turns out to be an extremely crude thing.
This leaves him quite depressed. Making this thing doesn''t require any skills; some kids in the tribe could easily do it.
Hei Wa was born in a primitive age and hasn''t watched "Charlotte''s Troubles." If he had, he would undoubtedly understand the feelings of the taxi driver in the movie.
Crude it may be, but it is surprisingly handy for spinning ropes after threading it onto a tree stick.
After learning to use this handy tool, people who frequently spin ropes immediately fell in love with it. Even Hei Wa, who was previously quite frustrated, started to enjoy it.
Because of the invention and use of the new tool created by the Divine Child, the efficiency of spinning ropes has been greatly improved. Hei Wa no longer needs to spin ropes in the evening, allowing him ample time for rxation.
It would be strange if he didn''t like the spindle with this development.
Of course, the threads twisted by the spindle are not considered ropes. To turn them into ropes, another step is needed. The twisted threads around the spindle''s handle must be unwound in circles. Then, aligning the two ends, pulling them straight, and releasing the handle, the tension in the threads will cause them to intertwine, forming a rope.
Generally, the greater the thread tension, the denser and stronger the resulting rope.
However, using the threads directly is sufficient when weaving fences, eliminating a step and saving half of the rope material.
The three female captives, who had been curious about Han Cheng, finally understood why this Divine Child, who is young, could hold such a high position in the tribe after witnessing this process.
Such a person would receive respect even in their original tribe.
Compared to the wise Shaman in their original tribe, this Divine Child is far superior.
After the fences are done, the next step is to spread them out on the roof that already has a frame and then secure them.
The specific requirement is to cover the entire roof with ayer of fences.
Once this is done, the next step is to apply mud. After mixing the mud well, spread it evenly over the fences. Following this procedure, anotheryer of tall, slender, and sturdy grass isid on top. The roof is then considered well-constructed.
Of course, the grass used for this purpose should be glossy and slender on the stalks. Glossy stalks can withstand wind, sun, and rain.
Tall and slender grass is suitable for roofing, and it strongly resists rain because it is fine and dense.
As for why ayer of mud is first applied to the fences beforeying the grass, that is easily exined.
Firstly, theyer of mud connects all the fences on the entire roof, increasing its thickness and making it sturdy enough to withstand strong winds.
Secondly, thisyer of mud on the roof, even if leaks in the grass covering, can slow down the speed of rainwater entering the house.
Thirdly, thisyer of mud can reduce the likelihood of fences being damaged by insects, extending the roof''s lifespan.
Lastly, it acts as a binder between the fences and the finalyer of grass.
After thousands or even more years of umted wisdom, many ancient practices have their reasons for each step, such as constructing a grass-roofed house.
Han Cheng is now grateful for his upbringing. If he had been born in a world of concrete and steel in his previous life, just building a house would have involved many detours, unlike the straightforward process he follows now.
Chapter 95: The Articulate Eldest Senior Brother
Chapter 95: The Articte Eldest Senior Brother
The construction of the roof for the deer pen in the Green Sparrow tribe came to a temporary halt after the fences wereid and secured. This pause was due to the ongoing winter, preventing the next steps of digging soil and spreading mud on top of the fences.
The challenges include difficulties digging the frozen ground, inconvenient water collection, and the crucial issue of the mud freezing in the cold weather. Once mud freezes, its density and solidity are significantlypromised.
The Deer Lord has be ustomed to this easy life of being fed without effort. Its days are now carefree, enjoying dried green grass offered by the two-legged creatures whenever it feels hungry. If it gets tired of vegetables, it indulges in a few bites of crisp rapeseed greens and drinks warm, non-iced saltwater.
After eating and drinking satisfactorily, it strolls in its deer pen, elegantly unting its long legs. Sometimes, it engages with the female deer under itsmand if in the mood.
Most of the time, however, it observes the busy two-legged creatures from one side of the deer pen, much like it did back at the salt mountain when observing them from a distance.
Every day, without worrying about food and sleeping on clean and dry ground without the fear of predators, the deer have be increasingly content with thisfortable life.
The ongoingpetition between Fu Jiang and the Deer Lord has not ceased; the two fellows now mutually dislike each other. The Deer Lord thinks Fu Jiang, who constantly tags along with the little two-legged creature,cks dignity in his actions. Fu Jiang expresses full disdain for this deer, confined in the deer pen and shamelessly relying on its looks to freeload.
So, when these twoe together, they exchange a few moves.
The Deer Lord, grateful for the little two-legged creature serving its meals daily, doesnt go all out against this undignified wolf-legged creature and stops short each time.
As Fu Jiang approaches resembling a dog, a saying evolves from the Deer Lords behavior: When beating a dog, one must consider its owner.
Simrly, Fu Jiang has no respect for this deer that constantlypetes for attention, clearly relies on its looks for a free meal, and shamelessly acts proud. Without this deer, Fu Jiang believes the tribe would have feasted on deer meat long ago.
The people from the Pig tribe finally arrived after twenty-three days since theirst departure.
When they arrived, the people from the Green Sparrow tribe wereying fences on top of the deer pen.
The scene of the two tribes meeting again was as follows:
At that time, the sun hung in the sky without any warmth, seeming like it could fall asleep at any moment. The wax-yellow faces and listless spirits strongly suggested that it hadnt done anything good the previous night.
The Eldest Senior Brother, standing on the frame and securing a piece of fence to the beam with a rope, habitually turned his head to look across the small river.
He hadnt expected any changes on the other side of the river, which had remained the same every time he looked. However, this time, he noticed some ck dots, which turned out to be people.
The Eldest Senior Brother was excited. The people from the other tribe had finally arrived.
Although, in terms of numbers, these people would unlikely threaten the Green Sparrow tribe, and it was mostly confirmed that they were from the Pig tribeing to borrow food. Still, for the sake of the tribes safety, the Eldest Senior Brother shouted the news of outsiders arrival, prompting the people in the tribe to take their positions and prepare for defense.
I forgot to mention earlier that he discovered the neers first because he stood on the frame, significantly higher than the people standing behind the south wall.
The news of the potential Pig tribe visitors quickly reached Han Cheng and Shaman. Both came out and waited not far from the entrance.
The leader of the Pig tribe looked extremely worn out, leading the remaining nine members through the snowy winds, resembling zombies as they moved forward.
The abduction of all ages in the tribe by another tribe, turning them into food, dealt a severe blow to the leader. When he returned to the empty tribe from the vast mountains, he became despondent. The mood in the tribe was low as they relied on borrowed food from nearby friendly tribes to get by.
They stopped going out to search for food and instead armed themselves with spears and stones, guarding the entrance and waiting for the tribe that had inflicted great trauma upon them to return. They were ready to risk their lives in a fight for revenge and to rescue some of their kidnapped people.
However, after days of waiting, they saw no sign of outsiders, except for a few birds foraging in the snow. Faced with food scarcity again, and with one woman in the tribe dying from hunger and disease, the leader had to set aside his vendetta and consider the survival of the remaining living members.
The harsh winter outside showed no signs of relenting, making hunting in such weather yield minimal results. After much thought, they concluded that their only option was to once again visit the friendly neighboring tribe.
The leader of the Pig tribe was reluctant to take this path, feeling indebted to the friendly tribe for the boar in autumn and the lifesaving food they had received. He had initially vowed to repay the favor, but with the tribe suffering heavy losses, he believed he had lost that ability.
The journey was not without challenges. A fierce leopard attacked a man at the rear of their group. When they realized and shouted for help, the man was already dragged up a tree by the leopard, its jaws mped around his neck.
The leader of the Pig tribe, appearing somewhat awkward, approached the Eldest Senior Brother formunication. He felt ashamed to ask for food again.
Having had the experience of their previous visit and the presence of a powerful figure in the Green Sparrow tribe who suspected the Pig tribes ulterior motives, the Pig tribe members were quickly ushered inside the gates and within the walls.
As in their previous encounter, the leader first embraced the Eldest Senior Brother, who was also a leader and rubbed his forehead against his shoulder.
He then proceeded to greet the Shaman and the Divine Child of the friendly tribe.
Han Cheng and the shaman maintained their aloof and dignified demeanor. After acknowledging the greeting from the Pig tribe leader, they went into the cave, leaving the reception of the Pig tribe to the Eldest Senior Brother.
Having conspired more than ten times on how to gradually conquer these tribes together, Han Cheng, Shaman, and the Eldest Senior Brother were not anxious.
After Han Cheng and Shaman left, due to the casual actions of the Eldest Senior Brother, the leader of the Pig tribe saw arge group of deer in the strange cave that he had never seen before.
Chapter 96: The Articulate Eldest Senior Brother
Chapter 96: The Articte Eldest Senior Brother
Even though immersed in the sorrow of numerous people being abducted from the tribe, the leader of the Pig Tribe widened his eyes upon seeing such arge group of deer.
The shock in his heart was indescribable.
He took two quick steps and leaned over an opening in the deer pen, excited and incredulous as he looked at therge group of deer. Then, he looked at the Eldest Senior Brother who came with him, unable to conceal the astonishment in his heart.
"%&%^*%^"
Excited, the Leader of the Pig Tribe asked Senior Brother about the situation with these deer. He desperately wanted to know how this tribe could have so many deer. Although he knew asking wasn''t appropriate, he couldn''t help himself.
The leader of the Pig Tribe had now been so overwhelmed by these deer and the magic of this friendly tribe that he had forgotten his grief.
It''s worth noting that not much time had passed since hisst visit.
Moreover, during this period, it was winter, which was unfavorable for hunting. Yet, this friendly tribe managed to capture such arge group of deer quickly, and these deer were all alive, seemingly unharmed. For him, it was like a miraculous existence.
Tormented by food shortages, he couldn''t help but be excited upon seeing this. He urgently wanted to know the secret behind this.
Eldest Senior Brother was quite pleased with the chief''s reaction. This kind of genuine shock from others was more gratifying to him than countless words of praise. Evenpared to the fierce tribe that had previously invaded, this reaction was three times better.
He looked at the deer that had earned face for the Green Sparrow Tribe and then at the chief of the Pig Tribe. With a solemn expression, he began to exin and gesture to the Pig Tribe leader.
The leader of the Pig Tribe attentively listened to Eldest Senior Brother convey meaning, gradually widening his mouth in amazement.
As time passed, his expression became more solemn, and he cast a somewhat awed nce at the sky and the entrance of the friendly tribe''s cave. Just now, the Divine Child of this friendly tribe had entered there.
The message conveyed by the Eldest Senior Brother was simple: their tribe was blessed by the gods.
In the past, life in their tribe was tough, but the gods sent the Divine child, delivering divine instructions to help them solve problems like food shortages.
These deer were also the work of the Divine Child.
Eldest Senior Brother spoke some of the words Han Cheng and the shaman taught, but most were his genuine sentiments.
Although he had never seen the gods, he firmly believed that the Divine Child was a true divine figure. In Eldest Senior Brother''s eyes, only the Divine Child could achieve what he brought to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The chief, who had always toiled for the Green Sparrow Tribe, usually didn''t talk much. He had never shared these thoughts with others. Today, with the arrival of the leader of the Pig Tribe, perhaps witnessing the dismal state of the Pig Tribe or due to some other influence, Eldest Senior Brother had poured out these long-buried sentiments.
Only now did the leader, the Pig Tribe, truly understand why this seemingly young shaman held such a high position in the friendly tribe.
A person like this, if appearing in his tribe, would undoubtedly elevate them highly.
If the leader of the Pig Tribe knew that the person he wanted to elevate was currently in deep conversation with the shaman inside the tribe''s cave, secretly discussing the absorption of their Pig Tribe, he might not have had such thoughts yet.
After witnessing the prosperity and strength of the neighboring friendly tribe, the leader of the Pig Tribe couldn''t shake off the heavy feeling in his heart.
Both tribes weremunities, so why couldn''t his tribe receive the blessings of the gods, and why had no divine child descended upon them?
Without delving into much detail, the mere presence of this group of deer could alleviate many hardships in his tribe.
Following the sessive profound impacts on the Pig Tribe''s leader by Eldest Senior Brother, he didn''t linger outside. He knew that what the people of the Pig Tribe needed most at the moment was a delicious meal.
After a feast, the people of the Pig Tribefortably gathered around the bonfire, relishing the happiness of being full and the warmth of the mes. None of them wanted to leave.
They didn''t wish to return to their deste tribe, endure pervasive cold and hunger, and worry about the unknown hostile tribe that might attack them one day, killing and consuming them as food.
If there were still many women and children in the tribe who needed them to bring back food, their thoughts might not be as intense. However, now, there were only them left in the tribe.
While they entertained such thoughts, the leader of the Pig Tribe didn''t share the same sentiment. Regardless, his tribe still had ten peoplefour females and six males, all adults. As long as they endured this winter, with their efforts, the tribe would surely endure.
With the help of these four women, they should be able to create many lives.
Borrowing food again made it difficult for the leader of the Pig Tribe to speak, but for the tribe''s sake, he had to let go of many things.
Summoning his courage, he was about to speak.
However
He hesitated and didn''t open his mouth because, before he could speak, Eldest Senior Brother had already suggested that the people of the Pig Tribee and stay in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The conveyed message displeased the leader of the Pig Tribe. After all, few tribal leaders were willing to give up their tribe, even though his tribe was currently in dire straits.
Almost without much consideration, he promptly shook his head, rejecting Eldest Senior Brother''s proposal.
Senior Brother pointed to therge quantity of salted fish in the tribe and some salted meat hanging on the walls, along with fish caught a few days ago. "We have plenty of food. It can ensure all of you are well-fed. Our resources will be yours."
He gestured towards therge vat used to cook the salted fish soup. "You can have this too. What''s ours is yours."
Some of the people of the Pig Tribe who understood Eldest Senior Brother''s words had a gleam in their eyes, looking at their leader expectantly. They hoped their leader would heed the advice of the wealthy and friendly tribal leader, persuading them to stay.
However, the result was disappointing. The leader of the Pig Tribe, despite being tempted by the abundant food and understanding Senior Brother''s words, remained unmoved. Between food and the survival of the tribe, he chose the tribe.
Expressing gratitude for Eldest Senior Brother''s goodwill, he shook his head again, declining Senior Brother''s proposal.
The leader of the Pig Tribe had already sensed that this friendly tribe might not lend food to his tribe again. Despite this, he summoned his courage and spoke about borrowing food, assuring they wouldpensate with even more food when the time came.
Chapter 97: The power of revenge
Chapter 97: The power of revenge
Eldest Senior Brother would naturally refuse, even if the Leader of the Pig Tribe promised to repay tenfold. For the Green Sparrow Tribe, which currently had abundant food, the allure was not in the provisions but in gaining the Pig Tribe as new members.
After numerous unsessful negotiations with the Eldest Senior Brother, the Leader of the Pig Tribe had no choice but to leave with the remaining nine disappointed individuals.
The disappointment of the Pig Tribe people did not stem from the friendly tribe''s refusal to lend food but from their leader''s adamant rejection of the friendly tribe leader''s proposal. They couldn''t understand why the Leader would act this way.
This tribe had more than enough delicious food to enjoy by staying, eliminating any worries about hunger. Such good fortune was rare, but the Leader insisted on returning to their empty cave, enduring hunger and deprivation.
The Leader noticed the sentiments of the people in his tribe, intensifying his internal conflict.
The following dialogue is a trantion by the author, proficient in thenguages of various primitive tribes, based on the words and gestures of both parties. Please don''t scrutinize too much; it''s all for the sake of storytelling.
"You have no food; people will die," Eldest Senior Brother said, grabbing the Leader of the Pig Tribe and continuing to convey his goodwill.
"If you settle here, there will be food, and your tribe, including the children and women, cane. Let them eat their fill."
Hearing the Eldest Senior Brother mention the women and children in the tribe, the Leader of the Pig Tribe became even more silent.
After a moment of silence, he shook his head again.
Thinking that the Leader was again rejecting his proposal, Eldest Senior Brother was about to continue persuading when the Leader spoke up.
He looked somewhat sorrowful. "Gone, all gone. They''re all gone."
The Leader''s words shocked the Eldest Senior Brother. All the women and children gonehad they starved to death?
Recalling the amount of food he had provided themst time and considering the time it took for them to arrive, Eldest Senior Brother found it highly likely.
At this moment, his heart ached no less than that of the Leader of the Pig Tribe. These deceased individuals were supposed to be members of their Green Sparrow Tribe. How much poption had they lost in an instant?
"Why are they gone?" Eldest Senior Brother asked, disying wisdom. Even though he knew that it was highly likely the Pig Tribe members had starved to death, at this critical moment of bargaining with the Leader using food, he couldn''t explicitly say it.
Eldest Senior Brother hesitated to say it, fearing it might provoke resentment from the Pig Tribe and backfire. They had just lost many people due to starvation, and using food as leverage in negotiations could be easily misinterpreted.
Although the Leader of the Pig Tribe initially didn''t want to delve into these details, considering the inquirer was the Leader of the friendly tribe, he decided to exin.
"The vicious tribe took them away. When we brought back the food, they were all gaken away as food," the Leader of the Pig Tribe spoke with anger, regret, and sorrow, almost shedding tears.
Eldest Senior Brother, upon hearing this unexpected revtion, was shocked. He had not anticipated that the vicious tribe had also attacked the Pig Tribe.
"The vicious tribeour tribe encountered them too, just the day before you arrived," the Eldest Senior Brother informed the Leader, specifying that it was the same tribe they encountered during the hunt but with more people this time.
The Leader of the Pig Tribe became visibly agitated. "It''s them. It must be them," he said with a tone filled with hatred.
However, he soon felt puzzled by Eldest Senior Brother''s ount. ording to the story, with so many people attacking, the Green Sparrow Tribe should have struggled to defend itself. Even if they managed to repel the vicious tribe, the damage should have been substantial.
But the Leader remembered that when he arrived the next day, there were no signs of an attack on the Green Sparrow Tribe.
His gaze shifted to the peculiar walls of the cave, and he noticed the weapons and people standing behind them. Putting the pieces together, he understood how the Green Sparrow Tribe had achieved this.
Regretting his oversight, the Leader of the Pig Tribe wanted to hit himself on the head. "They leave these," Eldest Senior Brother exined.
Leading the Pig Tribe Leader outside the walls, Eldest Senior Brother took him to the east side near the forest. In a snowy mound, he revealed the aftermath of burning the Flying Snake Tribe corpses.
The Leader of the Pig Tribe stared at the bones in silence, then suddenly erupted. He fiercely beat the bones in the ashes with the wooden spear in his hand, a mix of exhaustion and anger evident. After a while, he stopped, unsatisfied, and with one more thrust, he sent a Flying Snake Tribe skull flying into the snowy field.
Breathing heavily, red-eyed, and serious, the Leader said to the Eldest Senior Brother, "Our tribe will join you. When you encounter that tribe again, help us defeat them."
Faced with this unexpected turn of events, Eldest Senior Brother had no reason to refuse. "The vicious tribe is ourmon enemy. By joining us, we be one tribe. We will strike them ruthlessly."
The Eldest Senior Brother made a promise to the Leader of the Pig Tribe. Then, in a gesture of camaraderie, he embraced the Leader, pressing foreheads against each other.
The Leader of the Pig Tribe reciprocated.
Under the leadership of the Pig Tribe Leader, all members of the Pig Tribe, along with the four primitive women, vigorously beat the remains of the vicious tribe with sticks, then relieved themselves. Finally, they followed Eldest Senior Brother toward the walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Chapter 98: The Unrestrained Eldest Senior Brother
Chapter 98: The Unrestrained Eldest Senior Brother
Upon learning that the Pig Tribe had been reduced to just a few members, with the rest abducted by the Snake Tribe to serve as food, Han Cheng was shocked and heartbroken.
Don''t be curious about how Han Cheng knew the names of these two tribes; it was information provided by the author.
Cannibalism, especially for someone like him, a time traveler from a future era, was undeniably too brutal. While studying history, he hade across instances of people resorting to cannibalism during tough times, such as in ancient military campaigns where extreme shortages of provisions led to the consumption of human flesh.
These historical ounts, although cruel, were recorded in books andcked the immediate impact of the current situation. Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel apprehensive, realizing that if his tribe hadn''t repelled the evil tribe earlier, his people might have faced a simr fate. His slender and tender body would undoubtedly have met a gruesome end, possibly even fried in oil if it were avable in this era.
Although he felt heartache over the unexpected reduction in the tribe''s poption, Han Cheng had initially envisioned a significant leap forward for his tribe. However, the reality was now a tribe of merely ten members. Despite his disappointment, he recognized the silver lining; the Pig Tribe, having suffered a major blow, was now unburdened by the elderly, young, or infirm, making it easier for the remaining adults to assimte into the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Unlike the previous encounters, where the leaders of the Green Sparrow Tribe appeared aloof, they now warmly weed the addition of the Pig Tribe. Han Cheng and the Shaman expressed great enthusiasm for their new members.
After the Leader of the Pig Tribe agreed to join the Green Sparrow Tribe, he, along with Han Cheng and Shaman, exchanged a different form of greeting a gesture of cing their hands over their left chests, a sign of respect reserved for esteemed members of the same tribe.
Under Han Cheng''s suggestion, ongoing tasks like building deer pens were temporarily halted as members of the Green Sparrow Tribe came to the cave to greet their new allies. Despite the Pig Tribe''s initial difort and feelings of inferiority due to poverty, Han Cheng recognized that time and interaction would gradually ovee these barriers.
Observing the situation, Han Cheng understood that such awkwardness was inevitable but would diminish with prolonged interaction. Recognizing the potential for expedited integration, Han Cheng proposed a feast as the primary means of bringing the tribes together.
Under his guidance, a single campfire quickly multiplied into five, with three fires used to cook delicious salted fish soup and the other two for roasting salted meat and fresh fish. The transformation turned the gathering into a lively celebration, as the tribespeople, despite their initial awkwardness, foundmon ground over the hearty banquet.
Drawing from his future knowledge, Han Cheng orchestrated a grand feast, acknowledging the power of shared meals in fostering camaraderie. The aroma of cooking food filled the air, and the tribespeople, despite their initial awkwardness, gradually foundmon ground over the hearty banquet. The feast not only served as a bridge between the two tribes but also marked the beginning of a new chapter, uniting them against amon enemy andying the foundation for a stronger, more resilientmunity.
Initially, the people of the Pig Tribe were reserved and couldn''t loosen up, but as the feasting progressed, they gradually became bold.
Some clever ones even took the initiative to engage in conversations with the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Although their dialogue involved a mix ofmonnguage and the Pig Tribe''snguage, apanied by animated gestures that seemed more like arguing thanmunicating, it was undeniable that their interaction was very enjoyable, as evidenced by the hearty smiles on their faces.
The Eldest Senior Brother, excited by the sudden addition of ten adults to the tribe, demonstrated extraordinary enthusiasm. With arge bowl of fish soup held in one hand, he squatted on the ground, alternating between shoveling food into his mouth and conversing with the Pig Tribe''s Leader.
In moments of excitement, people tend to be unrestrained, and the current Leader, the Eldest Senior Brother, was exceptionally generous. Upon learning that the Pig Tribe Leader''s spouse had been abducted and none were left behind, he boldly summoned one of his spouses, handing her over to the Pig Tribe Leader to serve as hispanion.
This surprising move left Han Cheng momentarily stunned, observing from a distance.
After the conclusion of the feast, the rtionship between the two tribes deepened significantly.
At Han Cheng''s signal, Eldest Senior Brother generously distributed ten pairs of gloves, socks, and rudimentary hats to the Pig Tribe members. Enduring hunger, cold, and the hardships of a long journey in icy terrain, the Pig Tribe had developed varying degrees of frostbite on their hands, feet, faces, and even ears. These items proved to be essential for their well-being.
During earlier interactions, several members of the Pig Tribe had sensed the benefits of such items from their friendly Green Sparrow counterparts. They had admired these warm, convenient, and aesthetically pleasing items. Still, they refrained from expressing their desires due to their neer status and the presumed value of such items in the friendly tribe.
Under the orders of the benevolent Divine Child, they received these precious items from the friendly tribe''s Leader, evoking heartfelt gratitude. Much like the Green Sparrow Tribe members who had received gloves and socks earlier, they delicately and curiously touched these newfound treasures, finding it hard to believe such valuable items truly belonged to them.
The Leader of the Pig Tribe also adorned himself with a hat and gloves. Watching his people, now well-fed and adorned with these novel and warm items, brimming with smiles, he felt a mix of satisfaction, mncholy, and regret.
He was content that his people could find sce here, mncholic as it seemed that his Pig Tribe was truly on the verge of disappearing and regretful that he hadn''t brought his tribe earlier. Seeing the reactions of the Green Sparrow Tribe members, he realized the severe losses his tribe had suffered.
This kind of life is indeed living.
If the Leader of the Pig Tribe initially agreed to join the Green Sparrow Tribe this afternoon mainly because they defeated the evil tribe that caused them immense pain, seeking revenge with the support of the Green Sparrow Tribe, now he had developed a sense of belonging to this friendly and prosperous tribe. After all, this ce provided a peaceful life for the people suffering so much.
Chapter 99: experiencing both pain and joy
Chapter 99: experiencing both pain and joy
The former members of the Pig Tribe, now experiencing a mix of pain and joy, had their fill and received gloves, socks, and other items. Led by the shaman, they, along with the Green Sparrow Tribe, conducted a ceremony to worship the tribal deity of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Before the totem pole, mes roared as the shaman, adorned with a feathered headdress and holding a bone staff, solemnly performed a ritual with movements known only to him, reciting words iprehensible to others.
Sacrifices were significant, especially for the Pig Tribe, which had never conducted such rituals before, making everything more mysterious and awe-inspiring. Like the Green Sparrow Tribe members, they stood there, full of reverence, participating in the solemn ceremony.
After an extendedmunication with the tribal god in his way, the Shaman stopped and, turning around, pointed his bone staff toward the Pig Tribe members. The Pig Tribe leader, who had received instructions earlier, approached with visible excitement, standing before the zing bonfire. He gazed with awe at the totem pole, whose reflections seemed uncertain in the firelight, and at the shaman standing not far from the totem pole alongside the tribal God.
The other nine Pig Tribe members followed their leader, maintaining the same posture.
After their approach, the shaman began to dance, swirling around them three times. He gently tapped each of them with his bone staff on the head.
Then, he walked to the front of the group, ced the right hand holding the bone staff over his left chest, and called "Divine God" while respectfully bowing to the totem pole.
The rest of the people followed suit, mimicking his gestures and chanting "Divine God" with reverence.
If, in the past, the ritual would have concluded at this point, now there was an additional step.
The shaman straightened up, turned to face another direction, and respectfully bowed to Han Cheng, saying, "Divine Child."
Even Shaman didn''t notice that when he called the Divine Child, his voice carried more respect than when he called the Divine God. This might be rted to the fact that he had never sessfullymunicated with the tribal god. At the same time, Divine Child was a genuine and impactful presence, bringing positive changes to their tribe.
"Divine Child."
Following Shaman, the others also bowed respectfully to Han Cheng, their voices praising " Divine Child " louder than when they called Divine God.
Han Cheng could now ept everything calmly, maintaining aposed and sacred expression. However, he still found it somewhat peculiar, as these moments reminded him of the temple statues.
After the conclusion of the ritual, the Pig Tribe officially became members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, marking the extinction of the Pig Tribe.
Following the ceremony, arrangements were made for sleeping arrangements. To help the former Pig Tribe members integrate better into the Green Sparrow Tribe, breaking their inherent rtionships, under Han Cheng''s guidance, the Eldest Senior Brother did not directly allocate arge area for them to live together. Instead, he dispersed them among the original Green Sparrow Tribe members.
The leader of the former Pig Tribe needed a name. Considering the tragic history of the Pig Tribe, Han Cheng chose "Shang" as the leader''s name.
With this, the adult poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe made a significant leap. For instance, the number of adult males, including the Lame, increased from twelve to eighteen with the addition of the six Pig Tribe members, a one-third increase.
Adding the three women captured from the Flying Snake Tribe, the Green Sparrow Tribe now has seven more females.
With seven newborns included, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s poption increased by a remarkable twenty in just one year. This was a poption growth that the Green Sparrow Tribe wouldn''t achieve in a decade under normal circumstances because, along with births, deaths would also ur simultaneously.
However, in the past year, there were no casualties within the tribe. The primary reason for this was the abundance of food in the tribe, coupled with the introduction of salt and the consumption of nutritious and easily digestible meat soup instead of roasted meat.
The most significant beneficiaries of the meat soup were the elderly and numerous children. Compared to adults, their digestive systems were not as robust, and drinking meat soup benefited their gastrointestinal health.
Another reason was the reduction in hunting activities within the tribe. Hunting has always been dangerous, with the rtionship between the hunter and the prey changing instantly. With less hunting, the likelihood of encountering danger naturally decreased.
Of course, other factors such as drinking hot water, regr bathing, flea prevention, proper waste disposal, gloves, and hats also yed a role in reducing casualties within the tribe.
For the Green Sparrow Tribe, this was indeed a wee change, especially for Han Cheng, who had long wanted to increase the tribe''s poption. He couldn''t help but lie on his bed, grinning widely.
Fu Jiang couldn''t understand what his master was doing. After tilting his head for a while, he imitated his master''s expression and began grinning,paring whose teeth were whiter.
The members of the former Pig Tribe were particrly curious about everything in their new tribe.
For example, in the morning, everyone would use cups with frog or tadpole illustrations to fetch water from the ditches on both sides, using tree sticks bitten open to dip into white salt for brushing.
There were designated locations when they needed to relieve themselves, and men and women had separate facilities. In their original tribe, they never had to go through such trouble.
However, what made them most ufortable was the two small wooden sticks called "chopsticks" used for eating while drinking delicious meat soup. The members of the former Pig Tribe had a hard time with them.
When they visited as guests, they could grab the food without anyone minding. But now, as members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, whoever grabbed the food would receive a tap on the head from the revered Divine Child, using a wooden strip called a "ruler."
Although it didn''t hurt, being watched by so many people made it somewhat embarrassing. Moreover, Divine Child had issued an order: until they learned to use chopsticks, their daily meals would consist only of meat soup. Only after learning could they enjoy roasted meat without using chopsticks.
Under strict management, the former Pig Tribe members gradually learned to use chopsticks. They initially thought using chopsticks was challenging enough. Still, when Divine Child began instructing them to learn thenguage of the gods every day, they realized that using chopsticks was much easier inparison.
Chapter 100: Allocating spouses, grass baskets, and wooden baskets
Chapter 100: Allocating spouses, grass baskets, and wooden baskets
Teaching the original members of the Pig Tribe the lifestyle of the Green Sparrow Tribe and instructing them in speaking Mandarin is a very necessary matter.
Firstly, these new habits are rtively healthier and more beneficial for thempared to their original lifestyle. Secondly, it helps them truly integrate into the Green Sparrow Tribe.
When teaching the original Pig Tribe members Mandarin, Han Cheng didn''t intervene. Instead, he delegated the task to Shi Tou.
Among the group of children taught by Han Cheng, Shi Tou had the highest talent innguage and writing. So far, he had fully mastered themon Chinese characters, and his Mandarin was incredibly fluent.
Teaching the three captive primitive women Mandarin was also part of the n. Due to the winter season and the toughness of primitive people, these three women survived their injuries.
Among them, Ru Hua, who had her abdomen shed open by a stone spear, had recovered the fastest. At this point, she looked no different from a regr person.
The other two women, who suffered leg injuries, were having a tougher time. Their bones were damaged to varying degrees, and although the injuries were not fatal, recovery would be difficult. Moreover, even if they fully recovered, some disabilities would likely remain, affecting their ability to walk.
Because the injuries were sustained on their left and right legs respectively, Han Cheng nicknamed them Left Lame and Right Lame.
Including Left Lame, Right Lame, and the previously Lame, the Green Sparrow Tribe now had threeme members.
Originally, Han Cheng had considered treating these three as female ves for the tribe. However, as time passed, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe became less hostile towards them, and the three women also gradually adapted to life in the tribe.
With the arrival of the new members from the Pig Tribe and considering the gender imbnce in the tribe, Han Cheng decided to abolish the ve status of these three women. Instead, Left Lame was assigned as a partner to one of the men from the original Pig Tribe, Right Lame to another, and Ru Hua was given to Tie Tou, who had been without a wife until now.
Han Cheng thought Ru Hua was not attractive. However, in Tie Tou''s and the rest''s eyes, she was a beauty. Hei Wa took away the beautiful Zhuang, and Tie Tou was sore about it. So, the beautiful Ru Hua was a good match for Tie Tou.
Moreover, Hua was not much older than Tie Tou. Due to her injuries and extended travel in the snow, Hua appeared extremely haggard and worn. However, after nearly a month of recuperation in the Green Sparrow Tribe, enjoying delicious food and drink every day, she had be radiant and healthy.
Despite confirming their partner status, Han Cheng didn''t let them live together immediately. The reason was that Hua''s abdominal wound had not fully healed, and if they couldn''t resist the temptation of the primitive tunes at night and join the nightly singing, things could go wrong, especially if it led to the reopening of Hua''s wound.
The people of the original Pig Tribe, weakened by hunger and the long journey in the icy wilderness, were given three days to rest by Han Cheng before joining the winterbor of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Since they hadn''t fully recovered and were unfamiliar with many aspects of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng didn''t initially assign them heavy tasks. Instead, they worked with the tribe''s underage members outside the tribe''s walls, collecting branches to weave materials for hurdles.
Shang, the leader of the original Pig Tribe, now called Shang, noticed the tribe''s prosperity wasn''t without reason. While he and his people were sleeping in the tribe during the cold winter days, the tribe members were still working.
Now ustomed to his changed status, Shang found his spirits remarkably uplifted in this tribe full of vitality. However, he also had concernsnot for himself but for the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
The addition of their ten people significantly elerated the consumption of food stored by the Green Sparrow Tribe. Furthermore, the Green Sparrow Tribe had three meals a day, reducing their food resources even faster.
Shang was particrly concerned about the food situation as a former leader who had experienced the fear of starvation. Watching the daily decrease in food supplies, especially with the ongoing cold winter, Shang hesitated for a long time before finally expressing his worries to the Eldest Senior Brother.
To Shang''s surprise, the Eldest Senior Brother, who didn''t seem foolish, not only showed no concern upon hearing his words but burst intoughter.
Shang was puzzled by this.
It wasn''t until that afternoon when the hurdles on the top of the deer enclosure were allpleted four days ahead of schedule, that the Eldest Senior Brother, leading a group of people with baskets, arrived at the frozen stream. After breaking the thick ice, Shang was shocked and understood where the tribe''s confidence came from.
Due to the sudden addition of ten adultborers, the hurdles on the deer enclosure werepleted earlier than expected. With the arrival of spring, there would be a significant amount of digging to improve the deer enclosure''s canopy, raise the walls, and build houses. Therefore, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t rest for too long and continued intermittently making bone shovels.
Tie Tu did not participate in making bone shovels. Not because he looked down on this task due to his superior craftsmanship but because he was studying and learning to weave baskets. The samples he used were the few left behind by the Flying Snake Tribe.
Baskets of flexible twigs were much lighter and less prone to breakage than y pots or animal skin bags. Moreover, baskets were much more useful for carrying fish and fruit and lifting soil. Tie Tou was particrly dedicated to this craft due to his elevated status in the tribe, achieved through his excellent craftsmanship.
Initially, when Han Cheng saw the baskets, he wanted Tie Tou to weave not baskets butrger baskets made of pliable wooden strips.
In Han Cheng''s old hometown, in the modern world, such baskets woven from wooden strips were called "luo tou,"rge-sized basketsrger than luo tou were called "cao luo" (straw basket).
The reason Han Cheng temporarily changed his mind, abandoning the more sturdy, durable, and useful wooden baskets for the lighter, more fragile straw baskets, had a simple exnation. During winter, tree branches be brittle, making them suitable for making hurdles but unsuitable for weaving basketsthey would break easily during the process.
Therefore, for now, they could only attempt to make straw baskets. Once spring arrived and the tree branches gradually softened, they would start weaving wooden baskets.
Chapter 101: The Bamboo Craftsman and the Hand-Operated Drill
Chapter 101: The Bamboo Craftsman and the Hand-Operated Drill
The experience of digging deep holes to nt wooden posts allowed Eldest Senior Brother and others to personally experience the usefulness of bone shovels.
Everyone was quite enthusiastic when the Divine Child mentioned starting the production of bone shovels. Despite their high spirits, the efficiency of bone shovel production did not improve much. The main issue wasn''t the selection and grinding of bones; instead, it was the drilling of holes for threading and securing ropes in the bone shovel.
The current method for drilling holes involved selecting hard rocks, striking them to extract suitable thin pieces, and then processing these into rudimentary stone drills. These stone drills were used by hand to drill holes in the robust bone pieces.
Due to the extreme hardness of the bone pieces and theck of sharpness in the stone drills, the process of drilling holes was slow andborious. After extended periods of drilling, the fingers holding the stone drill would be sore, and wrists would tire, even for strong individuals like Eldest Senior Brother, Second Brother, and Shang, the leader of the Original Pig Tribe. They all had to take breaks intermittently.
Facing this situation, Han Cheng was also at a loss, unable toe up with a solution to the current predicament.
It was only when he suddenly remembered a small incident from his childhood. Bamboo craftsmen visited the vige to create bamboo beds, tables, chairs, and other items. This memory unlocked the solution to their current problem.
Bamboo craftsmen were artisans who specialized in crafting various tools from bamboo, simr to carpenters, stonemasons, cksmiths, and potters.
At that time, Han Cheng, like the other children in the vige, was very curious about the process and often stood by, observing how they transformed bamboo into various exquisite and practical tools.
Among all these activities, Han Cheng was particrly intrigued by the tools the bamboo craftsmen used for drilling holes in bamboo.
Despite being a simple piece of equipment, the bamboo craftsmen used a half-cut bamboo piece, a long iron rod with one end sharpened and the other in a loop. Combining these elements created a hand-operated drill that could be rapidly rotated by pressing down on the bamboo.
Han Cheng vividly remembered the scene of the bamboo craftsmen using this simple hand-operated drill to bore holes in bamboo.
Upon recalling this incident, Han Cheng, ted, immediately started working on creating a primitive hand-operated drill. Since no iron rod was avable, he used a sturdy wooden stick as a substitute.
Han Cheng found a robust stick, about the thickness of an adult''s little finger and approximately 40 centimeters long. He cleared any small branches from one end and then used a simple stone knife from the tribe to split it open about 2-3 centimeters along its diameter.
This distance wasn''t fixed but had to be determined based on the thickness and length of the upper part of the stone drill. The thicker and longer the upper part of the stone drill, the longer the split needed to be, and vice versa.
After splitting one end of the stick, the next step was to insert the upper part of the previously held stone drill into the opened section. After adjusting its position, the upper part was securely tied using rope grass. Then, a groove about 2-3 millimeters deep was carved into the top end of the stick using the stone knife.
It''s important to note that this step differs from the previous one. Instead of splitting the stick from the middle, a groove was carved to prevent it from splitting. Thispleted the construction of the stone drill, where the drill shaft was made of wood, and the drill head was the original stone drill.
Afterpleting these steps, another stick, approximately 30 centimeters long and 4 centimeters in diameter, was chosen and split in the middle. This wasn''t difficultjust ce the stick vertically on the ground, press the stone knife''s edge against the top end''s middle, and use another stick to strike the back of the stone knife.
The split wooden stick generally won''t veer off course as long as the stone knife doesn''t tilt.
Using a wooden stick to strike the stone knife during the process is to avoid damaging the stone knife, as a collision between hard stones can cause damage. Using multiple soft wooden sticks for striking prevents such incidents.
After splitting the wood and thinning the ends with the stone knife, making it easier to grip, small grooves were carved at both ends for securing ropester.
Once these steps werepleted, a roughly one-meter-long rope was selected and twisted from three strands of rope grass. The middle of the rope was inserted into the groove at the head of the previously made drill, and then the rope was wound around the drill two turns in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, securing the rope on the upper part of the drill.
Then, the prepared wooden piece was ced on the ground, pressed firmly with the foot, and the drill head was positioned in the center of the wood. One end of the rope was pulled outward while holding the other end, causing the drill to rotate rapidly due to inertia.
After pulling the rope and stopping the drill''s rotation, inertia caused the rope to wind in the opposite direction, ready for the next rotation. By repeatedly pulling the rope, the drill continued to rotate, creating a magical sight of drilling holes in the wooden board without manual twisting.
This scene amazed the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and they stopped their activities to gather and marvel at the miraculous demonstration. While the elderly members of the tribe were moreposed due to their familiarity with the Divine Child''s abilities, those who had joined from the Original Pig Tribe less than a month ago widened their eyes in astonishment, expressing admiration for the his cleverness.
Using hands to pull the rope can indeed drill into objects, but drawbacks exist. The drill is prone to instability during drilling due to applied force, leading to holes that may deviate. Additionally, pulling the rope for an extended period can cause finger pain.
To address these issues, Han Cheng introduced the wooden piece. He removed the rope from the drill, passed the drill through the hole in the wooden board, ced the board about one-third down the drill, and then secured the two ends with a rope. The middle of the rope remained in the groove at the upper part of the drill.
After fixing it in ce, a fully functional hand-operated drill was created. Simr to the previous manual pulling method, the drill was turned twice, and then the drill head was pressed against the desired drilling location. Gripping both ends of the wooden piece, the rope wound around the drill would loosen, causing the drill to rotate.
In this way, a genuine hand-operated drill emerged. Although the drill head and drill were quite rudimentary, there was no denying that it was a traditional hand-operated drill.
Chapter 102: The Old and weak won against the Young and strong; The Next Shaman
Chapter 102: The Old and weak won against the Young and strong; The Next Shaman
Chirp chirp.
Chirp chirp.
Chirp chirp.
Shaman sat on a rock, bringing his legs together and lightly cing both feet on a well-polished bone to keep it from moving.
His hands gripped the ends of a hand-pressed drill on a wooden board, pressing down, lifting, pressing down again, and lifting. With his movements, the stone drill fixed on the drilling rod would rotate rapidly.
Then came the sound of "chirp chirp."
Underneath the stone drill, where the bone needed drilling, bone shavings were already umting, surrounding the stone drill.
While Shaman used the hand-pressed drill to bore holes, the strongest Elder Senior Brother crouched nearby. In one hand, he held a bone b simr in thickness to the one under Shaman''s feet; in the other, he held a stone drill, drilling away with all his might.
At first, relying on youthful strength, the Elder Senior Brother drilled faster than Shaman.
However, this high speed couldn''t be sustained for too long. In less than two minutes, he had to slow down due to fatigue.
On the other hand, Shaman, the elderly man, maintained a calm and steady pace, pressing down on the wooden board with each deliberate motion.
"Kacha."
A subtle sound of something breaking came from the bone b under Shaman''s foot, and at the same time, the rotating hand-pressed drill got stuck.
This was the signal that the bone b had been drilled through.
Carefully, Shaman retracted the hand-pressed drill and picked up the bone b to examine it. A hole, rough on the outside and fine on the inside, appeared on the bone b.
Shaman only needed to use a stone drill bit to smoothen the edges, and the hole in the bone would be finished.
After Shaman, with a slightly red face, put away the hand-pressed drill, the sweaty Elder Senior Brother also stopped his actions. He put down the stone drill and the bone, flexing his wrists and fingers, which had be sore and achy from drilling.
Shaman took the bone b the Elder Senior Brother had put down, and the hole on it was only about one-third of the thickness of the bone.
This drillingpetition ended with Shaman, the elderly and frail, prevailing over the young and strong Elder Senior Brother.
Moreover, Shaman, who had drilled one hole, could continue at the previous speed, while the Elder Senior Brother, without a break, would drill more slowly.
Withoutparison, there is no harm, and it cannot reflect the difference between the primitive drilling method and the new hand-pressed drill created by Han Cheng.
At the current speed, one person using the hand-pressed drill could easily drill six or seven bone holes daily.
This means the drilling speed must be increased by at least three times. Indeed, it is necessary to develop new tools.
Having personally experienced the benefits of the hand-pressed drill, Shaman held one in his hand and another bone piece with a drilled hole, offering a respectful salute to Han Cheng and praising, "Divine Child."
Others who witnessed the wonders of the hand-pressed drill followed Shaman''s lead, saluting the divine child and shouting with respect and excitement, "Divine Child."
Bowing and saluting the divine child had be a norm in the Green Sparrow tribe whenever something miraculous happened.
Shaman conducted another ritual, and the items used for the ceremony were the hand-pressed drill recently created by Han Cheng and the bone piece with a hole drilled using the same tool.
Before the arrival of the divine child, the Green Sparrow tribe rarely held rituals. Conducting three or four rituals from one spring to another was considered good enough. However, since the divine child arrived, the Shaman''s frequency of conducting rituals began to increase rapidly.
Recording things was both a painful and joyful process for Shaman. Sometimes, he felt that frequent rituals might displease the heavenly gods. However, the magical creations of the divine child were too remarkable not to share with the gods. Thus, Shaman felt uneasy if he kept things from the gods.
By now, every time Han Cheng created something new, Shaman had to go through this conflicted mental process.
After the ritual, the manufacturing of the hand-pressed drill began on arge scale.
The production of the hand-pressed drill was notplicated. Han Cheng had previously made it in the presence of Lame and Hei Wa, and they had memorized the process. With their assistance, the Green Sparrow tribe had five additional hand-pressed drills in less than two days.
Children in the tribe were more interested in the newly created hand-pressed drills than the adults. They always sought the opportunity to experience firsthand the magical things created by the divine child, much like how Han Cheng had eagerly observed the bamboo craftsman in the past.
The introduction of the hand-pressed drill significantly increased bone shovel production speed. In just six or seven days, the Green Sparrow tribe had an additional fifteen or sixteen bone shovels.
Currently, the tribe''s inventory of bone shovels has reached thirty-four.
Even though there would be a considerable amount of earthwork after spring, thirty-four bone shovels could not be used simultaneously. Han Cheng made so many to be prepared for various scenarios.
After all, the method of making bone shovels was primitive, and despite Han Cheng''s careful consideration, they could not be as durable as modern iron shovels. Breakage during earthwork was inevitable.
With spare bone shovels, shovel damage would not affect the progress. The damaged shovels could be repaired during non-working hours.
Of course, the uses of the hand-pressed drill were not limited to making bone shovels. In the future, it will find applications in many other creations.
After a period of use, Han Cheng addressed issues that arose during the application and improved the hand-pressed drill.
The improvement involved the rope.
Though the rope woven from grass was strong, it was not abrasion-resistant. In continuous use, the grass rope tended to break. Han Cheng''s improvement was to rece the grass-woven rope with one twisted from leather strips.
After the ritual, the people in the tribe were busy making hand-pressed drills, and Shaman wasted no time recording all these developments on the y tablet in his cave.
Besides Han Cheng and the Elder Senior Brother, one more person could enter the inner cave: the underage Shi Tou.
Due to the multitude of miraculous creations by the divine child, even with a more usable y tablet, the Shaman could not keep up with the pace. After some contemtion, he chose Stone, who had the bestmand of the divine script andnguage in the tribe, as his sessor.
This decision would help reduce Shaman''s workload and, secondly, considering Shaman''s age, it was time to start grooming a sessor.
In the beginning, Shaman considered Han Cheng his sessor, envisioning him as the great and honorable shaman of the Green Sparrow tribe. However, these thoughts disappearedst winter when Han Cheng broke the ice and caught fish.
Chapter 103: The God’s secret
Chapter 103: The God¡¯s secret
The Shi Tou was very distressed. Since being chosen by the shaman as the sessor and being groomed to be the next shaman, his distress began.
In fact, in the past, he had admired the shaman greatly. The shaman didn''t need to go hunting or engage in otherbor. When in a good mood, he could write and draw on the Shi Tou bs inside the cave,municate with the gods a few times a year with the tribe''s people, and have more than enough good food.
Even the chief had to stand behind the shaman when receiving food.
However, after being chosen by the shaman and starting his training, he realized that things were far from as simple as he had thought.
His distress didn''te from helping the shaman record significant events in the tribe on y tablets. As the one in the tribe who mastered the divine script the best, aside from the divine child, he was very willing to use thenguage of the gods to record various things created by the divine child. It was a kind of enjoyment for him.
His distress came from the words that the shaman mastered, passed down from the previous shaman, and those created by the shaman himself, as well as the various iprehensible ritualnguages and actions.
For the Shi Tou, who loved words, recognizing these symbols was already very ufortable. However, the shaman demanded recognition and the ability to write.
For the Shi Tou, this was the most painful thing.
He had already noticed that the shaman was unsure about the meanings of some of these symbols. But seeing the shaman''s serious expression, the Shi Tou had to suppress his desire to ask about it.
Thenguages that the Shi Tou had never fully understood during the shaman''s rituals were still unclear to him even when the shaman personally taught him. He didn''t know what the shaman was teaching him meant.
When he asked the shaman, he refused to tell him, only insisting that he firmly remember. The shaman said that he couldmunicate with the gods once he firmly mastered these things.
Shi Tou had a strong yearning and fondness for the gods. This yearning and fondness did note from the shaman''s rituals but from the divine child, who was only slightly older than him.
The Shi Tou had witnessed all the magical things the divine child could do, and he longed to be as intelligent as the divine child, doing many things for the tribe and gaining the respect of the people.
So, after hearing the shaman say that mastering these things couldmunicate with the gods, the Shi Tou became excited and moved.
Even though he couldn''t understand the meaning of what the shaman taught, and these words were extremely confusing, he still forcibly memorized them and quickly mastered them.
The speed was so fast that even the shaman teaching him was somewhat surprised. After the surprise came joy. He was delighted that he hadn''t made a mistake; there was indeed a sessor to the shaman in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
He was delighted, but the Shi Tou was not. This was because he had firmly memorized the words taught by the shaman formunicating with the gods, yet he had never seen the gods and heard them speak to him.
He expressed his distress to the shaman, and although the shaman felt something unusual, he earnestly told the Shi Tou that this was just the beginning of his learning, and he hadn''tpletely mastered everything yet.
When the Shi Tou asked if the shaman had evermunicated with the gods, the shaman confirmed it with a very affirmative tone.
While the Shi Tou was distressed and troubled by the gods'' apparent indifference to him, the shaman''s heart was not calm.
Because he seemed to have discovered some secrets about the gods.
His past self was so simr to the Shi Tou, and the answers he gave to the previous shaman were simr to those he gave to the Shi Tou.
The shaman confirmed that he had never sessfullymunicated with the gods in his long career of serving them. He had never received any instructions from the gods, let alone seen them.
If he could say this to the Shi Tou, would the previous shaman have said the same to his predecessor?
The shaman didn''t dare to think further. This matter was a very troublesome one for him.
However, when the shaman saw the divine child, all doubts and hesitations disappeared from his mind.
If there were no gods, how could there be the various miracles disyed by the divine child? Only the gods could create such things.
Finally, the Shi Tou had had enough of the ancient words passed down by the shamans of previous generations.
Summoning courage, he suggested to the shaman to re-record everything recorded by the previous shamans in simple and understandable divine script.
After some contemtion, the shaman agreed to Shi Tou''s proposal. Aside from worrying that the Shi Tou would be too busy and keep asking him about what constituted sessfully mastering the method tomunicate with the gods, the shaman also felt that the previousplicated and iprehensible words were tooplexpared to the simplicity of the divine script.
The Shi Tou hadn''t guessed wrong. There were things depicted on those ancient Shi Tou bs that even the shaman couldn''t be sure about.
So, he agreed to Shi Tou''s proposal.
In the past, even if the shaman had the idea of re-writing what the previous shamans had left behind using the simple divine script, he wouldn''t have had the ability to do so. Just recording the innovations of the divine child had already overwhelmed him.
But now, with the Shi Tou being someone better at understanding thenguage and script of the gods than himself, the shaman didn''t have to worry about this problem.
Han Cheng only learned about this after they started working on it for a while.
He naturally supported this obvious progress.
However, Shi Tou was ufortable because he still had to master thoseplex and iprehensible words.
He got beaten, not because he always wanted to ask the shaman how tomunicate with the gods, and not by the shaman or anyone in the tribe.
He was beaten by the deer inside the deer pen.
In his leisure time, following the shaman''s learning, the Shi Tou, who would often go to the deer pen to watch the fawns nursing, finally couldn''t resist the temptation of therge, long, soft, and delicious-looking things.
After befriending the mother deer and finding a moment when no one was around, the Shi Tou finally indulged in the long-desired delicacy.
Before he coulde back to his senses from the warm touch and some fragrant aroma, the fawn, angered by someone stealing its meal, butted him on the buttocks and sent him tumbling into the mud.
Chapter 104: The Thief Who Stole Milk
Chapter 104: The Thief Who Stole Milk
Shi Tou is now somewhat afraid of meeting the most respected Divine Child.
This is obvious because anyone who secretly eats deer milk, got caught by a fawn, hastily escapes from the deer pen, and then realizes that the person they respect the most is standing outside, struggling to hold backughter with a red faceno one wants to meet that person for a short period.
After Han Chengughed, he felt a sudden inspiration in his mind.
In the modern world, the ones who drink the most milk are not calves but humans. So, he wondered if he could replicate this and make the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe drink the most deer milk rather than the fawns.
If sessful, it would be a tremendous benefit, especially for the children and the elderly in the tribe.
After thinking about this, Han Cheng joined the ranks of the improper behavior toward the old Deer Lord''s wife.
Of course, he wouldn''t do it like that guy Shi Tou, whoid on the ground to suck the teat with his mouth. Han Cheng came prepared with a bowl.
The old Deer Lord was generous and didn''t mind that the creature that often showed filial piety to him was now milking its wife. It had plenty of wives, and besides, it didn''t touch that area. To enjoy more delicious baby mustard greens, the old deer even managed to chase away the fawn that was eyeing the opportunity toe and feed.
Worried that the naive little one woulde over to cause trouble, the old Deer Lord watched intently.
Its attitude was surprisingly consistent with that rowdy Fu Jiang, who was always fighting.
This moved Han Cheng quite a bit.
Imitating the way the fawn sucked milk, he pressed his hand upwards and then squeezed it downwards. The milky-white, warm deer milk flowed into therge bowl in his hands.
Han Cheng did not expect that this seemingly not-so-big female deer would have such a good yield. No wonder it could raise the little fawn so well, even in the harsh winter.
Indeed, deer can''t be judged by their appearance, and the cup can''t determine the milk quality.
Just like some women he had encountered in theter part of his life, appearing delicate and small, but in reality
Uh, the narrative went off track.
Han Cheng had misunderstood the old Deer Lord. It chased away the fawn not out of understanding but to seize the opportunity for a share of the milk.
Han Cheng felt helpless about the old Deer Lord''s shamelessness. This female deer is your wife. You can drink whenever you want.
I''ve worked hard to squeeze out a bit of milk, and you still want to snatch it from me?
Why can''t you understand such a simple thing?
Han Cheng avoided the hand holding the bowl and pushed the old Deer Lord, who was trying to nuzzle in, with all his might.
Later, unable to resist, he poured a little into the pottery basin used to fetch water for the deer.
With its head stretched out, the old Deer Lord quickly licked it clean. Soon after eating, it raised its upper lip, revealing a row of yellow teeth, and extended its neck, looking extremely lewd. Seeing this, Han Cheng wanted to kick it with his foot.
After feeding the Deer Lord, the fawn on the side wagged its tail, looking at its caretaker. Han Cheng also had to pour some into the basin for it.
Fu Jiang, who ate with great enthusiasm, licked it clean and, looking at Han Cheng, seemed to want a few more bites.
Worried that the fawn wouldn''t have enough to eat, Han Cheng didn''t squeeze too much. After feeding the deer and then the half-wolf, half-dog Fu Jiang, there wasn''t much left in the bowl. He wouldn''t get to taste it if he fed Fu Jiang more.
He refused the gluttonous Fu Jiang, brought the bowl to his mouth, tasted little with his mouth, felt the warmth, and tasted a slightly fishy vor. After the fishy taste, there was a hint of a fragrant aftertaste.
It''s not as delicious as the pure cow''s milk he drank in hister life.
This might be because it wasn''t heated.
Holding the bowl, Han Cheng left the deer pen with Fu Jiang, paying no attention to the dazed Old Deer, who still hadn''t recovered after having his wife''s milk for the first time.
After seeing the milk thief leave, the aggrieved fawn returned to its mother without saying a word and immediately grabbed its food bowl with its mouth.
The mother deer turned her head, extended her tongue, and licked the fawn''s body, consoling the emotionally wounded child.
Han Cheng found a small y pot, poured the remaining deer milk into it, and ced it on the fire.
Soon, the deer milk began to boil, and a milky aroma wafted from it.
As the deer milk boiled, a thinyer of solid appeared on the topthis was cream.
Since there wasn''t much deer milk, Han Cheng didn''t dare to heat it for too long. Seeing it was about right, he used a mp made of vine to take the y pot off the fire.
Then, he used a piece of peeled animal hides, specifically used to prevent burns, as a pad on the y pot. Han Cheng poured the steaming deer milk into a bowl.
After blowing on it to cool it slightly, he brought the bowl to his mouth, took a sip, and a strong, somewhat milk fragrance filled his mouth.
The gamely taste was much stronger than that ofter-life pure cow''s milk, but it was already much better than drinking raw deer milk. The thinyer of cream made it especially delicious.
Han Cheng only drank two sips with little deer milk left, leaving about half. He resisted the urge to continue drinking and carried the remaining portion into the inner cave to give it to the shaman.
When Shi Tou saw Han Chenging in, his heart pounded like a fawn''s. He quickly lowered his head and shifted to the side, pretending to be earnestly recording things, trying to conceal his embarrassment.
It wasn''t until Han Cheng reached out and patted his head that he felt more at ease.
"What''s this?"
Shaman, still maintaining his inquisitive and studious spirit, asked as he saw Han Cheng bringing in something he had never seen before, without directly drinking it.
"Deer milk."
Han Cheng exined to the shaman using both words and gestures. After the shaman understood, he urged him to drink quickly. Otherwise, it would not taste good after it cooled down.
Following Han Cheng''s advice, the shaman took a sip. After careful tasting, he didn''t find it particrly delicious. At least, it wasn''t as tasty as the meat and fish soups seasoned with salt.
Shi Tou, who had been paying attention to Han Cheng''s words, couldn''t help feeling embarrassed after understanding what the Divine Child was making. If it weren''t for Han Cheng calling him, he could have buried his head in his crotch and squatted on the ground for a while.
"You try it, it''s delicious."
Han Cheng handed the bowl to Shi Tou, smiling.
The young minds of teenagers are the most sensitive andplex. Although Shi Tou was a primitive man, he also understood embarrassment.
For Shi Tou, who was the best at learning Chinese characters and Chinesenguage, Han Cheng valued him greatly. He didn''t want him to be shadowed by this incident.
Shi Tou took the bowl with a red face and drank the remaining portion in one go.
With the bowl still pressed against his face, tasting the fragrant deer milk, his eyes seemed moist.
Chapter 105: A Year Past. It’s Spring again
Chapter 105: A Year Past. It¡¯s Spring again
The little fawn was hurt because ever since its food bowl was stolen, a person, a wolf, and another deer came to share its milk daily.
It wants to stop these milk thieves, but unfortunately, its father doesn''t help but also assists the two-legged creature in driving it away, making it unable toe over and facilitating the two-legged creature in stealing its milk.
Looking at its old man who, after taking a mouthful of milk, curls up its upper lip, revealing a row of front teeth and a sly expression, the little deer strongly suspects he was truly his biological parent.
Since the day it discovered deer milk, Han Chenges over every day to milk some.
Following the usual routine, first, he gives some to the Deer Lord and Fu Jiang and then takes the rest back to the tribe, boils it, and divides it into three portions.
Han Cheng''s portion is about the same as Shaman''s, and Shi Tous portion was the smallest, just a little less than half a bowl. However, he is exceptionally happy because even the chief doesn''t have a share of this deer milk.
Considering the growth of the little deer, Han Cheng doesn''t milk much, just about half a bowl every day.
Eating less milk doesn''t affect the little deer much since it can already eat grass and doesn''t rely solely on milk for survival.
The mother deer, who''s being milked, doesn''t feel owed either. After each milking, Han Cheng feeds her a few cleaned rapeseed nts. These rapeseed nts used to be almost exclusive to the Deer Lord.
Under Han Cheng''s management, the situation regarding deer milk has be a win-win for everyone.
Of course, this ignores the pitiful little deer.
Because the production of deer milk is very low, currently, in the Green Sparrow Tribe, only Han Cheng, the Divine Child, Shaman, and Shi Tou, the next shaman, can drink deer milk.
No one feels that there is anything wrong with this.
After all, deer are not cows. Once the little deer grows to a certain age, the milk will gradually disappear, and it''s impossible to have a stable milk supply.
To ensure a continuous supply of milk, when Han Cheng feeds the Deer Lord, he asionally advises it. He tells it not to wander around and to favor his harem more, so that everyone, including itself, can have enough milk.
However, this guy doesn''t listen. No matter what Han Cheng says, it remains unmoved. If his legs weren''t short, Han Cheng would kick its butt.
Days pass by, and the snow and ice begin to melt as the weather gets warmer. When the rapeseed nts on the west side of the wall emerge from under the snow, stretching and yawning as if waking up, turning from yellow to a greenish color, spring truly arrives.
With the arrival of spring, many things that were thought of but couldn''t be done before can now finally be started.
After Shaman leads everyone in worshiping the gods and standing beside the Divine Child, with a shout from the Eldest Senior Brother, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, holding tools made during the winter, begin digging and gathering mud.
At Han Cheng''s suggestion, the first task is not to raise the height of the wall but to cover the unfinished deer canopy with mud.
This is because, with the arrival of spring, there will be more rain. Completing the roof of the deer enclosure allows the deer to have shelter from wind and rain, but it will also reduce the chances of the wooden beams andttice on top being damaged by rain, reducing the likelihood of decay.
The people from the original Pig Tribe, after spending half a winter together, havepletely integrated into the Green Sparrow Tribe.
They are very curious about the work that is about to begin.
The Eldest Senior Brother ced the bone shovel on the ground, held the handle of the bone spade with both hands, lifted his right foot, and stepped forcefully to the right side of the bone spade, and the sharp bone spade drilled into the damp soil.
He gripped the handle of the bone spade and pulled it back slightly, lifting arge chunk of soil from the ground.
The others were also engaged in their respective tasks.
Since the people from the original Pig Tribe had never used such tools or engaged in suchbor, they appeared unfamiliar with tasks like digging, carrying water, or mixing mud.
However, that was not a problem; these tasks were not tooplicated. With a few more days of practice, they would be proficient.
Considering the tribe''s defense, before starting the excavation, Han Cheng drew two lines parallel to the east side wall of the tribe, fifteen meters away from the wall. Three meters apart, these two lines were designated for digging and carrying mud.
His idea was simpleto create a protective ditch on the east side of the wall.
Whether smearing mud on thettice, raising the wall, or building houses, arge amount of soil would be needed. Doing it this way would kill two birds with one stone.
At first, the Eldest Senior Brother and others didn''t understand the Divine Child''s arrangement.
This was mainly because the deer enclosure was built inside the wall, but the Divine Child had them dig and carry mud outside it.
The ces for digging and carrying mud were far from the main gate of the wall, facing each other across the wall. Even with a carrying pole, transporting mud into the wall would require much effort.
However, their confusion quickly disappeared.
This was because Han Cheng had people wrap two ropes around the leather bags used to carry mud or fruits.
At each end of the rope, tie them to adjacent corners, and a makeshift basket would be ready.
When using it, spread the basket on the ground, shovel the well-mixed mud onto the leather bag, pull the two ropes together, and carry it with one hand.
This was much more efficient and easier than wrapping it in a leather bag. Initially, Han Cheng had considered using straw baskets, but they were not sturdy enough. They worked well for carrying dry soil but were prone to damage when carrying mud.
Also, therge space inside the straw baskets made it hard to load much. This made it too strenuous to carry.
A durable and wear-resistant leather bag was more convenient.
Of course, having only a leather bag didn''t solve the problem of long-distance transportation. This required the use of another toolropes with hooks.
Nowadays, ropes were not scarce in the Green Sparrow Tribe because, with the existence of spinning tops, they could manufacture ropes much faster.
At this point, they had umted quite a few unused ropes. Just tie a wooden hook to one end of the rope, and the tool is ready.
With these two tools, the person responsible for transporting soil outside only needed to lift the soil to the edge of the wall and hook the two ropes of the leather bag with the hanging hook.
The person standing on the inner side of the low wall would handle the rest.
Chapter 106: Plastering the Mud Roof and Stone Sickle
Chapter 106: stering the Mud Roof and Stone Sickle
Shang stood on the low wall inside the wall, holding the rope in his hands.
Seeing someone below hanging a bag of mud on the hook at the end of the rope, he began to pull the rope.
There is a knot on the rope about every half meter to increase friction so that the person pulling the mud does not get blisters from pulling too long and to save a lot of effort.
Shang was originally strong, and staying in the Green Sparrow tribe for half a winter, with good food and drink, made him even stronger.
He exerted a little force on the hand holding the rope, and the bag of mud lifted off the ground. After a few pulls with alternating hands, the bag of mud rose to the top of the wall.
Shang raised his right hand, holding the rope, and the entire bag of mud passed over the wall.
He didn''t let go but maintained this position, turned around, and bent over to ce the bag of mud on the ground.
Without waiting for someone else to take it, Shang loosened the rope, and the hook came off the strap made of rope on the bag, then gently lifted the hook back.
Simrly, he didn''t need to pay attention to the bag of mud left below. Someone would take it to the edge of the deer circle and hand it over to the person on top of the deer circle who was stering mud on the fence.
Shang turned around and hung the empty rope on the outside of the wall again.
The person who brought the mud here had not yet arrived, so he could take this opportunity to look around.
Standing on this low wall, the view was broad. Because there were no trees blocking, Shang could see the riverbank at a nce.
At the river, there were a few small figures moving around.
Shang knew that there were several underage people in the tribe gathering food for the tribe.
At first, Shang was really surprised.
ording to his thoughts, after the arrival of spring, the most urgent thing for the tribe to do was to go out hunting.
After a winter of consumption, the food stored in the tribe was not much.
Moreover, when he was leading the people in their tribe, he had always led them to do so.
However, the decision made by this tribe surprised him greatly.
The Divine Son and others did not rush to go hunting. Instead, they gathered many people in the tribe to start building the unnecessary roof of the deer circle.
As for getting food, it was handed over to several underage people in the tribe.
These underage people did not carry harpoons but instead brought several things he had never seen before to the river.
They used these to catch fish.
Shang waspletely baffled.
Just as he began worrying about the possibility of going hungry tonight, one of the underage people who had gone to the river returned.
Behind him, he carried a fish basket with several fish inside.
Shang was extremely shocked. He thought that fishing in the winter was already very fast, but he did not expect that the speed of fishing would be even faster after melting the ice and snow.
Even now, Shang still finds this incredible.
To know, in their original tribe, it required the collective effort of all adults to obtain enough food, and even then, they would asionally go hungry.
In this tribe, the most important task of obtaining food is surprisingly not carried out by the most robust adults. However, it is delegated to several underage individuals who, in their original tribe, would still be in a state of dependency.
As for the strongest adults, they are engaged in tasks unrted to obtaining food.
The key is that the food these underage individuals obtain is more than enough for the people in the tribe.
Shang didn''t know how to express his feelings.
When he learned that the Divine Child taught all of this, he admired that underage person even more.
"Pat, pat."
On the roof, the Eldest Senior Brother and other disciples were smearing the well-prepared mud on the fence.
ording to the Divine Childs instructions, eachyer of mud should be about the depth of their finger.
After smearing eachyer, they would pick up a stick about three meters long and about four centimeters in diameter, split in the middle, and hold one end each to rub back and forth on the freshly smeared mud. This was to make the smeared mud smooth.
Working on the top of the deer shed required extra attention because of the risk of falling.
So, the people on top were quite agile, and following the Divine Childs instructions, they tried to walk on the wooden beams as much as possible. Even if there were no wooden beams, they would step on the rafters, not just the fence.
Although the area of the deer shed''s roof was not small, thebor force of the Green Sparrow tribe had also increased by nearly one-third, and the tools for digging had greatly improved. Therefore, smearing mud on the fence was not a slow process.
It waspleted in six days.
Afterpletion, Han Cheng allocated half of the workforce to go out and find grass that could be used to cover the roof.
For the Green Sparrow tribe, obtaining this kind of grass was not too difficult because many of these grew on the mountain where they built their caves.
The mountain where the Green Sparrow tribe''s caves were located had many stones and little soil.
With little soil, the likelihood of tall trees growing on top was not great. Therefore, the vegetation on top was dominated by low shrubs, and this hardy grass was simr to theter-termed thatch, which Han Cheng now officially called.
Most grass would deteriorate after a severe winter, but thatch would not because it was inherently tough. Moreover, the stems had a thin, shinyyer outside, significantly reducing the erosion by rain.
Of course, to be more specific, it would be better to use thatch harvested and stored in autumn if making a roof. However, for the current Green Sparrow tribe, it was evident that this condition could not be met.
Plus, this was for the deer shed roof, not for humans, so they could make do with it.
Harvesting thatch by hand alone would be veryborious, and hands would hurt if done for a long time.
With little sess after half a day''s effort from the people, Han Cheng, as their Divine Child, once again disyed his intelligence. Thus, the stone sickle was born.
The making of a stone sickle is notplicated. It only requires a thin stone knife, a stick with a diameter of about three centimeters and a length between fifteen to thirty centimeters, and a piece of rope.
During the making, the thicker end of the wooden stick is split along a crack about three to four centimeters wide, and then one end of the stone knife is horizontally wedged into the crack.
The side that is rtively thin and has a de faces downward, while the angle between the stone sickle and the wooden stick is about seventy degrees.
After adjusting the position, it is firmly tied with a rope, and a stone sickle is made.
Of course, such a stone sickle is much heavier than ater iron sickle and can be more tiring, but it is far more convenient andbor-saving than using hands to break them.
Chapter 107: The Highly Motivated Tie Tou
Chapter 107: The Highly Motivated Tie Tou
"Stab, stab!"
Tie Tou''s left hand grabbed the upper part of the thatch, and the stone sickle in his right hand followed suit.
The de of the stone sickle hooked onto the base of the thatch, and with the force of his right hand, he pulled it back, cutting the thatch with the stone sickle.
The cut thatch didn''t scatter on the ground but was held in his left hand.
After cutting these thatches, Tie Tou did not stop; instead, he swung his left hand, holding the thatch, in a small half-circle in front of him. He controlled some of the original thatch with his thumb and forefinger, leaving the other three fingers to grab new thatch, and the stone sickle in his right hand moved ordingly.
This motion repeated until the thatch in his left hand was about to slip away. Only then did Tie Tou stop and ce arge bunch of thatch not far from the growing pile.
Underneath the thatch pile, there was a rope woven with grass. When the thatch pile reached a certain quantity, it would be tied up and transported to the tribe.
Compared to other thatches, this pile appeared much neater and tidier, not rough and messy like the others. This was Tie Tou''s masterpiece.
Tie Tou now worked with great enthusiasm, not only because he used the newly made tool, the stone sickle, provided by the Divine Child most efficiently for harvesting thatches, but also because not far away, Ru Hua was bundling the thatches that had been piled up and transporting them back to the tribe.
After a long recuperation, Ru Hua''s stomach hadpletely recovered. After a check-up by the Divine Child ten days ago, he agreed to let them live together.
The activities carried out by the adults in the tribe at night, humming tunes, often left Tie Tou sleepless for half the night, who had reached adulthood but didn''t have a spouse. Now that he had a partner, it was only natural to stride into the realm of adulthood.
Unfortunately, Tie Tou only had a general idea about this matter. Although he was anxious, he couldn''t figure out how to approach it.
Fortunately, Ru Hua was experienced. She gently supported him with her hand, then turned around, giving his buttocks a slight push, and the door to a new world opened.
At that moment, Tie Tou, who had never thought about flying, felt like a bird soaring in the sky. All his impatience disappeared, leaving only a wonderful feeling he had never experienced before.
When he returned to his senses from this wonderful feeling, he found Hei Wa, who was resting nearby, smiling at him under the not-so-bright firelight.
It was a strange smile that Tie Tou didn''t understand its meaning.
However, his confusion didn''tst long. After smiling at him again, Hei Wa patted Zhuang beside him.
The Zhuang stood up, knelt on the ground like Ru Hua, and then Hei Wa wriggled.
After a while, the Zhuangs deep voice began to hum a rough song.
Looking at Hei Wa, who was wriggling and smiling at him, Tie Tou, who had never thought about such matters, suddenly understood Hei Wa''s meaning quickly.
Tie Tou''s face suddenly became hot for no apparent reason, and he felt ufortable. The one who rescued him from this situation was Hua.
This considerate primitive woman once again led Tie Tou, whose self-esteem was hurt, to explore a new world.
And soon, he started humming a song too.
The song made Tie Tou feel spirited, and he raised his head that had been lowered. Learning from Hei Wa, he vigorously wriggled, turning his head to counter-attack Hei Wa with a smile.
From that night on, every night, the two couplespeted like singing a duet, each voice louder than the other, like ughtering pigs.
Until Han Cheng, unable to bear it any longer, came out of the inner cave, kicked their buttocks, and after two kicks, the primitivepetition came to a halt.
When Tie Tou and the others were harvesting thatch on the mountain and transporting it back, the other Senior Disciples did not idle.
They were still working with y near the deer pen, but this time, instead of pasting y on the top of the deer pen''s fence, they were pasting it underneath the roof onto the woven wooden fence.
This was quite different from pasting on the roof.
Firstly, the y applied was thicker, at least five centimeters. Secondly, the roof''s fence was only pasted on top, while here, both inside and outside, needed to be covered.
The Eldest Senior Brother, who had transformed from an excellent hunter into an excellent mud worker, lifted a lump of well-mixed y from his leather bag, kneaded it in his hands into a roughly ten-centimeter-long, five-centimeter-wide, and five-centimeter-high y strip. Then, he forcefully stacked it on the lower mud wall.
He pressed it firmly against the inner wooden wall to make it stick more securely.
Han Cheng watched and reached out to press on the already-hardened y. After shaking it a few times, he felt satisfied.
First, they wove wooden walls with wooden poles and sticks, then thickly pasted ayer of y on both sides,pletely sealing the wooden walls in mud. This method indeed worked well for making mud walls.
Moreover, because these wooden stakes and bars acted as the skeleton inside, such walls were even sturdier than simple mud walls.
After covering all the wooden walls of the deer pen with y and cing thest step ofying thatch on the top, aplete house was built.
This way, Deer Lord and his harem could stay inside when the weather was cold and rainy. When the weather cleared, and the temperature rose, they could move to arger deer pen without a covered roof for venttion and sunbathing.
After collecting sufficient thatch, under Han Cheng''smand and guidance, the Eldest Senior Disciple, Shang, and others began toy thatch on the y-covered roof.
The thatch had to be thicker to withstand years of wind and rain better.
Moreover, whenying thatch, they needed toy it row by row horizontally.
After finishing one row at the bottom, some y needed to be pressed on the top to fix them in ce.
Then, they couldy the next row on top.
The upper row had to cover the part where the lower row was pressed with y, leaving no trace.
This way, row by row, they covered the topmostyer, and the entire roof became a unified structure.
Han Cheng had a solution to secure the topmostyer of thatch. They used ropes to tie them to the lower fence and ced two wooden bars horizontally on top, pressing stones. This way, there was no need to worry even in strong winds.
The deer pen, which had been under construction since winter, was finally officiallypleted.
Chapter 108: From Deer Pen to Houses
Chapter 108: From Deer Pen to Houses
The collection of thatch and the roofing proved quite a troublesome task, taking nearly twenty days toplete.
During this period, the Eldest Senior Brother and others found time to ster one side of the mud wall. The remaining three sides of the mud wall werepleted four days after the roof was built, with the help of many hands.
The thatch on the roof emitted a golden glow under the warm spring sunshine.
The newly stered mud walls were sturdy and gave a sense of security. Because there were many holes left in the mud walls at a height of one meter and three to four, the interior of the deer pen had good lighting.
Especially after lighting several fires continuously for more than two days inside to dry the mud, Han Cheng had the impulse to drive the deer into the caves and let the people in the tribe live inside the deer pen.
Han Cheng''s decision to build the deer pen this way had its considerations. Firstly, such a deer pen was not easy to damage. Once the effort was put in at the beginning and the construction waspleted, there was no need to worry much. Secondly, he attached great importance to this group of deer and wanted to provide them with a good living environment. Thirdly, he wanted to practice during the construction of the deer pen and gain some experience for the houses he would start buildingter this year.
Afterpleting the deer pen, Han Cheng was more excited and looked forward to the houses he would buildter this year.
If it weren''t for the fact that raising the height of the fence was more critical than building houses, Han Cheng would have started building houses immediately afterpleting the deer pen.
Perhaps the heavens wanted to test whether this cave built with mud and vegetation could withstand its power. On the third day after thepletion of the deer pen, it started to drizzle.
Upon discovering the rain, Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, and others looked at the deer pen they had worked hard to build with some concern. They had experienced taking shelter under trees and knew that tree leaves could not cover all the rain, especially since the top of the deer pen, built under the guidance of the Divine Child and covered with thatch, would also leak. Thus, they expressed great concern.
Han Cheng, however, was confident in the thatched roof. In hister years, he had spent time in thatched houses. Well-constructed thatched houses could withstand heavy summer rains and were not prone to the pitiful scene of leaks in bed during continuous rain showers, not to mention the current light spring rain.
People always tend to value what they have put a lot of effort into obtaining, and primitive people were no exception.
Seeing everyone''s concern, Han Cheng momentarily called some people who wanted to go over, running to the deer pen together in the rain.
The deer weren''t stupid. Initially, when the deer pen was built, Deer Lord and his harem refused to enter this strange-looking cave. Now, with the rain, they went in without any invitation and even stayed inside, making it impossible to drive them out.
The young deer had grown quite a bit, but upon seeing Han Cheng, it couldn''t help but approach its mother. It had a deep memory of this little two-legged creature that alwayspeted with him for milk.
Han Cheng wasn''t in the mood topete for milk with the young deer now because he had already squeezed it once that morning.
Spring rain could be quite cold, so Han Cheng had people light many fires inside the deer pen for warmth. The roof was nearly one meter and seven centimeters above the ground at its lowest point, and the surrounding walls were all mud, so there was no need to worry about the fire igniting the house.
The fire was lit, but Han Cheng didn''t go to warm himself. Instead, he walked slowly inside the deer pen, looking up to check for any signs of leakage from the rain.
As he expected, the woodenttice on the roof inside the pen was dry, showing no signs of leakage. Rainwater falling on the thatched roof slid down along the rows of straw to the ground.
Deer Lord, who hoped for milk-sharing opportunities, approached when he saw Han Cheng. But Han Cheng didn''t go over. Deer Lord, feeling disappointed, walked over, lowered its head, and gently bit the animal hide wrapped around Han Cheng, pulling it towards its mate, who was nursing a fawn.
Understanding Deer Lords intention, Han Cheng couldn''t help but cry andugh. He raised both hands, indicating that he didn''t have a bowl. Deer Lord, feeling disappointed, walked away, not bothering Han Cheng.
Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, and others also arrived. They followed Han Cheng''s example, walking around inside the deer pen and seeing no raining in, and they became extremely happy. This meant that their efforts were not in vain.
Shaman, unlike the others, after a brief moment of joy, looked around the unique cave with a thoughtful expression in his eyes. He thought of the cave where they had lived for generations.
At the top of their cave, there were several irregr holes. Shaman didn''t know if their ancestors dug these holes or if they existed naturally. However, he knew that these holes were crucial.
Not only did these holes allow the pungent smoke released during the fire burning to escape, but they also let in light from the outside, preventing the cave from bing too dark.
These holes were significant for the tribe, but they also brought troubles. Every time it rained, water would leak into the cave through these holes, even if they covered them with stone bs.
Before the arrival of the Divine Child, all they could do was carve small channels in the cave to let the dripping rainwater flow out. Still, there were many ces in the tribe that would get wet, making it ufortable.
After the Divine Child arrived and created pottery, they used water tanks and y pots to collect rainwater during rain. Although this improved the situationpared to before, it was still troublesome.
Moreover, the cave''s lighting became particrly dim when the few natural skylights were covered.
Now, the Divine Child had created a cave that didn''t leak rain, had good lighting, and, although intended for deer, could also be used by humans.
It must be said that Shaman was indeed the wise man of the tribe. While others were simply happy that their efforts had not been in vain, he had already connected it to the current situation of their tribe.
Han Cheng hadn''t mentioned this idea of making the tribe abandon the caves they had lived in for generations and move into houses, yet. Shaman, however, had already taken the initiative to bring it up.
In the evening, Shaman exined his thoughts to Han Cheng, who was surprised by Shamans intelligence and forward-thinking.
Han Cheng had originally thought that convincing the tribe to leave their caves and move into new houses would require some persuasion and maybe even the involvement of his Divine Child identity and god. However, before he could say anything, Shaman had already brought up the matter voluntarily.
Han Cheng had nned to inform Shaman about this soon, but now that Shaman had brought it up, he naturally went ahead and exined it.
Upon learning that the living conditions in the new houses would be even better than those in the deer pen, Shaman''s face showed a genuine smile.
Chapter 109: Let the Deers out to pasture
Chapter 109: Let the Deers out to pasture
The matter of raising the height of the wall was not as fast as imagined. This was not only because increasing the height required scaffolding, mud pulling, and a series of other tasks but also due to a major reasonthe group of deer.
When the poption was small, it was inconvenient to do anything, even raising deer.
If it was just one or two, feeding them posed no major problem for the Green Sparrow Tribe. However, now there were more than twenty.
Not to mention other things, just the daily fodder consumption was not a small amount. It required at least seven people to harvest grass for them every day to fill the stomachs of these big eaters.
And it had to be a diligent task.
For the current Green Sparrow Tribe, this was undoubtedly a significant burden.
Even though, under Han Cheng''s orders, the Eldest Senior Brother and others used small rapeseeds to lure an old deer out and secretly killed it for meat, the pressure on the tribe to provide grass for the deer did not decrease.
Moreover, after the lethargic rabbits from the winter started getting excited in spring due to increased activity, each one opened their appetite. With the continuous birth of rabbit offspring, the demand for grass also increased.
This further increased the burden on the people in the tribe.
After the grass near the tribe was harvested, they had to go to more distant ces if they wanted to harvest an equivalent amount of grass again.
This meant more effort and a significant increase in encountering dangerous situations.
Han Cheng was also helpless about this matter. He didn''t expect that what was originally a very good thing for the tribe would turn out like this.
Regarding letting them roam freely, he had considered it, but he had been hesitating all along. He had worked hard to coax and deceive the deer back to the tribe. Moreover, the deer pen was built better than where the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe lived. If he released them now, they would gallop away without looking back, leaving behind an empty deer pen, and Han Cheng couldn''t find a reasonable exnation for it.
After careful consideration, Han Cheng ultimately chose to yield to reality and decided to release the deer.
However, he took apromise approach. He tied ropes around the deer.
Initially, they were tied around their necks, but Han Cheng quickly changed this practice because it was prone to loosening, which could result in the rope falling off. If tied too tightly, it could affect the deer''s breathing.
The deer looked discontentedly at Han Cheng, and Han Cheng looked back at it.
It looked at Han Cheng''s hand holding the rope, and Han Cheng looked at its nostrils.
The puzzled deer was infuriated by the attempt of this small two-legged creature to try and bind it. It extended its tongue to lick its nostrils. Perhaps finding the taste unpleasant, it angrily sneezed twice and shook its head.
After thinking about it, Han Cheng decided not to touch the deer''s nose.
Apart from the small gap between its two nostrils being too small for a nose ring, another important reason was that piercing the nostrils would be too painful.
After such a long interaction, Han Cheng developed feelings for this spiritually sensitive deer. He didn''t want to treat it with such cruel methods.
After much thought, he could only approach it from the top of its head.
Rather than directly using a rope to make a loop around the deer''s head, which could easily cause bloodstains on its face, considering that the deer also relied on its appearance for food, Han Cheng opted for a method known as a "mp board" in his hometown in his previous life.
This thing was originally designed for cattle.
As the young calves grew, a mp board would be used to tether them to prevent them from going to the fields and eating crops.
As for nose rings, usually, only cattle that were certain to stay and be trained as plow oxen would be pierced with them. Calves sold for meat typically wouldn''t wear nose rings.
Making such a mp board was quite simple. You just needed to split a wooden stick about twelve to thirteen centimeters long and two to three centimeters in diameter in the middle. Then, drill a hole at each end with a hand drill to thread a rope through.
When using it, the two wooden pieces would be threaded with a rope and then ced on the deer''s faceone on the left and one on the right. Once secured, another long rope would tie around the mp board.
As long as you pulled on the rope, the deer would follow you.
This way, various drawbacks could be avoided while ensuring control over the deer. It also prevented them from getting hurt and protected their beautiful appearance.
Once again deceived by Han Cheng with his wife''s milk, the Deer Lord would asionally shake its head, lower it, and twist its buttocks to scratch its face with its hind hooves, trying to get rid of this troublesome thing.
Unfortunately, its hooves were only split into two parts and couldn''t move freely. The deer couldn''t remove the thing Han Cheng tied.
The deer looked at Han Cheng resentfully, constantly rubbing its face against Han Cheng''s hand, wanting him to remove this ufortable thing. But Han Cheng hardened his heart in the end and didn''t untie it.
After about two days, the deer gradually adapted to this contraption.
Han Cheng, Tie Tou, and a few others released the deer.
Only Deer Lord was tied. It was the leader of the deer herd, and as long as it was controlled, the rest of the deer would follow.
Han Cheng realized he was wrong. He shouldn''t havee out to release the deer. Damn, this was not releasing the deer; it was the deer releasing him!
It was pure revenge.
Gasping for breath, Han Cheng, whose feet were dragged by Deer Lord, wanted to burst into curses.
Deer Lord was in a great mood. First, it finally got to leave the deer pen where it had lived for half the winter and run freely outside, breathing freely. Second, it could finally retaliate against this annoying two-legged creature.
The deer lowered its head and took a few bites of juicy grass, then turned to look at the breathless two-legged creature holding the rope. Its tail swayed, and it elegantly ran away with its long legs.
Han Cheng couldn''t stop it and was dragged along again.
Fu Jiang, the silly dog, thought they were just ying andpletely ignored Han Cheng''s requests to stop Deer Lord. It ran around, frolicking joyfully from all sides, infuriating Han Cheng to the point of wanting to eat dog meat for dinner.
After running for a while, Deer Lord stopped, wagged its tail, and leisurely ate grass. Its mood was as pleasant as can be.
It now thought having a rope tied to its head was not bad. At the very least, using it to walk the two-legged creature was quite enjoyable.
Chapter 110: Let the Deers out to pasture 2
Chapter 110: Let the Deers out to pasture 2
Watching the setting sun casting a nting glow as the evening approached, the Deer Lord, having indulged in a belly full of delicious grass, called out a couple of times to the deer herd behind him. Then, he turned and walked towards the direction of the tribe.
Han Cheng, who had already exhausted most of his strength after half a day, was being led towards the tribe by the Deer Lord, tethered by the rope on his head.
Oh, the shame! What a disgrace!
As a transcendent being destined to be the protagonist, Han Cheng was being walked like a dog by a deer.
Han Cheng once again felt like he was tarnishing the reputation of the greatmunity of transcendent individuals.
The Deer Lord, in high spirits, walked at the forefront with an elegant posture, disying themanding presence of the leader of the deer herd.
"Yo! Yo!"
Turning his head towards the exhausted two-legged creature trailing behind, the Deer Lord called out twice, urging him to walk faster and not dawdle behind. How could he not even know to hurry back to the dwelling ce before it got dark?
Han Cheng, feeling exhausted and powerless, was speechless.
Han Cheng gave up on releasing the deer. After being dragged around like a dog for three consecutive days by this damn deer, Han Cheng, who was infuriated and ashamed, stopped mentioning the idea of releasing the deer.
Of course, besides being infuriated and ashamed, there was another reasonthis damn deer had a better sense of time than Han Cheng.
As soon as it was time, it would lead the deer herd, pulling Han Cheng and Fu Jiang, the crazy dog, towards the tribe.
Upon returning, when it encountered the closed gate of the deer pen, it would use its head to push it open. Then, it would walk in with the demeanor of a returning general, strutting in gracefully.
Afterward, it would lower its mouth into a row of water basins filled with salted water and drink.
If it found the basin empty, this fellow would lift its head, discontentedly calling outside, urging the person responsible for caring for them to quickly add water.
This damn deer truly saw itself as a lord.
After three such asions, Han Cheng gave up on releasing the deer, as these creatures didn''t care whether they were released.
Moreover, because humans had only two short legs, they couldn''t outrun these creatures in case of danger outside.
In the morning, with the sun rising for quite some time, Han Cheng estimated that the dew on the grass leaves had already dried up. He opened the deer pen.
Thinking that this two-legged creature would release it again, the Deer Lord appeared somewhat excited, even more joyous than when he was drinking his wife''s milk.
Of course, Han Cheng didn''t want to torment himself again. He took the hanging rope and coiled it around the base of the deer''s antlers, securing it tightly to ensure it wouldn''te loose.
Since it was coiled around the lowest part of the antlers, it wouldn''t hinder the Deer Lord from using its antlers for defense, scratching, and various other activities.
The Deer Lord realized that the two-legged creature wasn''t nning to let it roam freely today. Feeling unhappy, the leader signaled Han Cheng to walk alongside by pushing the antlers with the coiled rope towards him, suggesting that he should follow with the rope and enjoy the sunny spring day.
It wasn''t until Han Cheng infuriated and pped its belly several times that the Deer Lord led its harem, offspring, and descendants, reluctantly leaving the tribe''s main gate and walking into the distance.
asionally, it would turn its head to look at Han Cheng, showing a reluctant expression that made Han Cheng sniffle.
Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother watched the deer leave like this and felt a deep reluctance.
They worried the deer wouldn''t return after leaving without someone watching them.
"Divine Child, I''ll go and follow them," said Eldest Senior Brother.
"Don''t worry. They will return," Han Cheng said decisively.
Regarding releasing the deer and ending up being led by them instead, Han Cheng had issued strict orders for Tie Tou and the others to keep it confidential. The shaman and Eldest Senior Brother were unaware of what their Divine Child had truly experienced. They believed the deer returned because their Divine Child and the others apanied them.
Now that the Divine Child had spoken this way, they didnt persist and continued raising the enclosure walls.
At the same time, two people were sent outside the enclosure to harvest green grass near the tribe.
Part of the harvested green grass was used to feed the rabbits, while the rest was dried and stored as emergency food.
This task was mainly entrusted to Tie Tou and his partner, Ru Hua.
The appearance of the stone sickle and Ru Hua''s cooperation at night made Tie Tou confident. Initially, Han Cheng didn''t want to assign this task to Tie Tou and Ru Hua since they were adults who could do more important things. Harvesting green grass could be done by some of the underage members of the tribe, such as Xing, Cheng, Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and others.
However, Tie Tou had developed a sense of aplishment using the stone sickle to cut thatch, and he always wanted to cut something whenever he had spare time. After learning about this, Han Cheng assigned him to harvest green grass with Ru Hua.
Their interest truly was a powerful thing. As a pair, Tie Tou and Ru Hua harvested more green grass in a day than the group of underage individuals did in two days.
Moreover, Tie Tou was always in a cheerful mood.
Of course, he was cheerful because he also did some other private things with Flower while working in the vast fields harvesting green grass.
There were only the two of them, so there was no need to worry about being kicked in the buttocks by the Divine Child while they were in the middle of enjoying themselves. They could indulge freely.
After the group of underage individuals finished harvesting green grass, Han Cheng assigned them to collect wooden sticks.
He nned to wait until he had some free time to study the vine baskets with Lame and try to make them.
Spring had arrived, and everything was reviving. The vine branches had be soft and pliable, no longer as brittle as in winter, making them suitable for weaving vine baskets.
Of course, they were collecting old vine branches from the previous year, not the tender shoots of the current year.
Left Lame and Right Lame, who were originally supposed to be female ves, had now officially joined the Green Sparrow Tribe. They were not idle either.
The injuries on their legs had mostly healed, but they were left with disabilities.
Considering that they couldn''t handle heavy work, Han Cheng assigned them the task of gutting and cleaning the fish caught by the underage individuals who often fished by the river.
Under the hands-on guidance of these underage individuals, they learned simple tasks, even mastering the art of pickling salted fish.
They were very happy, not only because the tribe epted them but also because they genuinely enjoyed this work.
Dealing with food all day, such tasks were never enough for them.
As for the fishy smell, they did not even consider it. When they smelled it, all they could sense was the deliciousness.
Chapter 111: Waiting for the Deer Herd
Chapter 111: Waiting for the Deer Herd
Before Han Cheng came, arranging tasks for the people within the tribe was the responsibility of the Eldest Senior Brother, the leader.
At that time, things were rtively simple. It was mostly about assigning a few people to catch fish, others to apany him for hunting, and some responsible for food preparation.
These tasks were mostly rted to food, and the Eldest Senior Brother, who was already ustomed to them, handled them effortlessly.
However, as Han Cheng grew within the tribe, bringing various novel things, especially with the appearance of fish traps that sessfully resolved the persistent food issue, the Eldest Senior Brother found it challenging to adapt to the multitude of new responsibilities.
Because the things Han Cheng introduced werepletely unfamiliar to him, he had no idea how to organize them.
Unbeknownst to him, the authority for personnel changes within the Green Sparrow Tribe gradually fell into Han Cheng''s hands.
The Eldest Senior Brother harbored no dissatisfaction because he was oblivious to this development. He saw a flourishing tribe under the guidance of the Divine Child.
Even Han Cheng himself only recently discovered this situation.
The tribe''s wise Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, who served as the leader, had no objections. Han Cheng naturally didn''t make a fuss about it.
These matters were not subject to concession.
In other words, Han Cheng''s position was irreceable. Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother refused even if he wanted to yield.
Without realizing it, he had be the foremost figure in the tribe, a fact that made a certain Divine Child look at the setting sun with a somewhat exasperated feeling.
Today, Shaman seemed somewhat restless. In the past, at this time, he would either be teaching the intricate sacrificialnguage to Shi Tou in the inner cave, tranting ancient inscriptions on the tribe''s tablets, or happily crouching beside the rabbit enclosure, contemting how many rabbits would appear in autumn, how many he could kill, and how many he could keep.
But today, he couldn''t engage in any of these usual activities. He feltcking.
Making mistakes in teaching Shi Tou, consecutive errors in inscribing on the y tablets, and identally tossing a stone instead of grass when feeding the rabbits after almost hitting a rabbit kit, he lost interest in his tasks.
Shaman left the tribe''s main gate, stood there, and gazed in the direction the deer herd had departed.
Seeing the emptiness, with no trace of the deer herd, the emptiness in his heart became even more profound.
So much delicious meat. If it didn''t return, it would be such a pity.
After observing for a while, Shaman returned, nced at the Divine Child, who was daydreaming in the courtyard, and thought for a moment. He walked outside the main gate again to look around. After a while, there was still no sign of the deer.
Turning back to look at the Divine Child, he found him casually ying with Fu Jiang, showing no concern about the significant event.
Shaman finally couldn''t contain himself.
"Divine Child, the deer still haven''t returned."
He walked to Han Cheng''s side, looking visibly worried as he spoke to Han Cheng. At the same time, he couldn''t help but nce outside the main gate.
Han Cheng looked at the sun still hanging in the west. That fellow should be happily grazing and wouldn''t return so early.
Shaman was getting anxious.
Han Cheng didn''t want the old man to worry too much. He had always respected this man, his savior.
Initially, he was grateful for saving his life. After spending time together, he admired the man''s dedication to the tribe. Eventually, emotions developed.
"It''s still early. The deer are grazing; they''lle back soon."
Han Cheng pointed to the sun hanging in the western sky, exining to Shaman.
Shaman felt somewhat reassured. After saying a few words to Han Cheng, he returned to the main gate to keep watch.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but secretly rejoice. Shaman used to be a calm person, and now he was stirred up by him.
The setting sun gradually descended, the daylight fading. Han Cheng started to feel uncertain.
He looked at the dimming sky and then into the empty distance. Some impatience crept in.
Why hasn''t the silly deer returned when it''s almost dark?
It''s such a big deer; can''t it be more reliable?
When he was following it, it had a strong sense of time. Just one day without him, and it didn''t know the way home?
An anxious Han Cheng scolded in his mind like an old woman.
Could it be that everything this guy did before was just an act to deceive himself?
Was he waiting for an opportunity like today to escape?
Suddenly, this thought surfaced in Han Cheng''s mind, making him uneasy. However, he shook his head to dismiss it. Deer Lord was intelligent, but not to the extent of scheming.
Perhaps they encountered some danger in the wild, dying their return.
Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, Tie Tou, who had recently developed a bond with the deer, and Shi Tou, who could enjoy deer milk daily as a novice shaman, all expressed their intentions to go out and search for the deer.
However, unlike others, Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, after careful consideration, abandoned the idea and rejected Tie Tou and the others'' proposal.
Indeed, going out was not feasible. Aside from the dangers in the wilderness at night, just the vast expanse ofnd was enough to cause headaches.
Although Han Cheng was concerned about the deer, he strongly agreed with the decisions made by the Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother.
The deer was important for the tribe, but not to the extent that people should take such great risks to find them.
Moreover, Han Cheng couldn''t shake the feeling that this group of deer wouldn''t just leave without a word.
As the skypletely darkened, the normally bustling Green Sparrow Tribe appeared exceptionally deserted today. Everyone had no appetite for food; their thoughts were all with the missing deer.
Of course, except for Han Cheng and a few others, most people were thinking about losing arge amount of meat.
The moon grew brighter, and the stars seemed more dazzling. In the surroundings of the Green Sparrow Tribe, insect chirping echoed. The quiet night made people unusually restless.
"Let''s go back and have dinner. Don''t worry about this for now," Han Cheng ordered the crowd after looking around.
"Rustle."
A faint sound approached the Green Sparrow Tribe. Following the noise, there was a vague shadow, unclear.
People were delighted, and the first thought that came to their minds was that the deer had finally returned.
Han Cheng felt the same, and he even wanted to go and see them.
"They''ve came back. Close the gate!"
The Eldest Senior Brother suddenly shouted.
Chapter 112: The truth that makes one want to kick the author in the face
Chapter 112: The truth that makes one want to kick the author in the face
Eldest Senior Brother''s sudden shout made Han Cheng startle, thinking that a wild animal or some other threat might be approaching.
Considering his life as more important than anything else, Han Cheng didn''t hesitate and returned to the tribe. The rest of the people also hastily turned back to the tribe.
Fortunately, they were all at the gate of the wall, so it only took a few steps to get inside, following the sudden shout from the Eldest Senior Brother. Despite the confusion, they all managed to return within a short time.
"Bang!"
The two doors of the tribe were swiftly closed and secured. Han Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Peeking through the crack of the door, he inquired of Eldest Senior Brother, who had already gathered people on the low wall, about what he had found. The answer was that he hadn''t seen anything but felt a possible threat, so he called everyone in and secured the defense.
Han Cheng was surprised, then had to acknowledge Eldest Senior Brothers alertness.
While everyone else assumed it might be the return of the deer and ignored other possibilities, Eldest Senior Brother considered other potential threats, likely because of his extensive experience leading hunting parties.
In an era teeming with fierce beasts, not being vignt could lead to disastrous consequences for their tribe.
"Rustling" sounds drew closer.
Han Cheng also climbed up the low wall. With his current height, standing on the wall allowed him to see beyond it. As the rustling approached, a shadow emerged from the blur.
In the hazy moonlight, Han Cheng could discern their outlines. Even though he saw only the silhouette, he recognized thembesides the unsettling Deer Lord, who else would it be?
"Yo, yo."
Seeing the bipedal creatures lining up on the wall to wee their return, the Deer Lord appeared pleased. It inspected the troops'' and gave a couple of hearty calls, a familiar sound that made Han Cheng want to kick it in frustration.
Confirming it was them and not some other wild beasts, the people in the tribe rxed their guard, opening the gates and allowing the deer toe back.
The Deer Lord hadn''t seen Han Cheng all day and seemed anxious. It walked over to him, sticking itsrge tongue to lick Han Cheng''s face. Salty but not unpleasant.
As it prepared for a second lick, Han Chengughed and scolded it, pushing its head away.
The return of the deer rxed the tense atmosphere in the tribe, quickly turning from initial nervousness to a joyous reunion, akin to the feeling when, during Han Cheng''s childhood, their family calf went missing for more than a day and was finally found inside the sweet potato pit.
The Eldest Senior Brother arranged for someone to prepare food in the cave and then, together with Han Cheng, Shaman, and a few others, headed to the deer enclosure.
Tasks like arranging food were usually the Eldest Senior Brother''s domain, and Han Cheng didn''t usually interfere.
Inside the deer enclosure, a fire was lit, casting its glow over the Deer Lord and others as they dunked their heads into a water trough, drinking deeply as if they''d been thirsty all day.
After drinking, the Deer Lord called out to Han Cheng again.
Seeing the Deer Lord in a disheveled state and its ttened stomach, recalling its hurried drinking earlier, Han Cheng understood what it needed. He turned to Tie Tou and Ru Hua and instructed them to bring all the fresh grass harvested today to feed the deer.
He counted the number of deer while Deer Lord and most others looked disheveled. Han Cheng thought wild animals might have attacked them.
Luckily, none of the deer were missing, including the now grown-up fawn that was still nursing. All twenty-one were ounted for. This greatly relieved Han Cheng.
After confirming no casualties among the deer, Han Cheng instructed the Eldest Senior Brother and others to check if any of them were injured. The result was that most of them only had messy fur, appearing exhausted and bedraggled but without any injuries.
Watching the hungry deer happily munching on the grass brought by Tie Tou and Ru Hua, Han Cheng fell into contemtion. He couldn''t understand what these deer had experienced throughout the day.
Judging by their appearance, it seemed they hadn''t eaten or drunk water all day and had engaged in extensive physical activity, as if they had been running for a long time or even fighting.
From this perspective, they should have encountered a fierce pursuit or attack by wild beasts. However, seeing the old deer that had been lured out and secretly ughtered by the Eldest Senior Brother, and now seeing this young fawn, still energetic and eagerly nursing, Han Cheng had to doubt this assumption.
After all, this little one had be the most vulnerable individual in the entire deer herd after the old deer was deceitfully led away and killed by Eldest Senior Brother.
This young fawn should have suffered the most significant injuries if they had truly faced a wild beast''s pursuit. Yet, now the entire herd seemed lively, with the fawn disying exceptional vitality.
These anomalies left Han Cheng, who prided himself on having the most functional brain in this era, puzzled.
"What exactly did you go through today?" he asked, turning to Deer Lord.
Disdainful of the question, the Deer Lord didn''t bother to answer. It continued to eat the grass with gusto.
The question of what the deer had experienced troubled Han Cheng for most of the night until he fell asleep.
The truth of the matter was as follows:
Spring had arrived, and with it, the awakening of all things frozen by the cold. Having stored energy throughout the winter, the Deer Lord was no exception.
For the past few days, it had been upied with wrestling ropes and enjoying the delight of taking the bipedal creatures for a walk. It was so engrossed in these activities that it forgot about something important.
Only today, with the absence of the bipedal creatures, did the Deer Lord suddenly feel like it was missing something. It looked around and saw a group of does casting pitiful, mncholic looks at it.
This gaze was unbearable for any male, let alone the usually haughty Deer Lord.
Seeing those gazes, the Deer Lord, with its male pride, stopped eating grass. It decided to defend its dignity with practical actions.
A fierce battle ensued a 1vs18 struggle. After three rounds of intensebat against the does, the Deer Lord realized it was gettingte. Using this as an excuse, it voluntarily ended this brutal one-against-many fight.
Normally, with the Deer Lord''s strong legs, it wouldn''t have returned sote. However, this battle took a toll on its stamina, and even with four legs, it was a bit shaky while walking.
This incident was not discovered until the next day when Han Cheng, still worried, followed behind with weapons, and the wall construction stopped.
Knowing the truth, Han Cheng felt an intense urge to go over and kick this uncontroble deer twice.
Damn it, you''re out there enjoying yourself, carefree and content, while making everyone worry at home. It''s truly inhumane.
Chapter 113: The upcoming joyful gathering
Chapter 113: The uing joyful gathering
I am a Primitive Man
After no longer worrying about those troublesome deer, the speed of raising the walls also increased.
The method of raising the walls was the same as before, using the cobbing method.
The lower part of these walls was builtst autumn, and after experiencing a cold winter, the earth walls had already dried thoroughly. Han Cheng also had to put some thought into it to ensure a solid connection between the newly added height and the existing part.
Concerning raising the walls, Han Cheng had nned for it even before the walls were sessfully built. Therefore, during the construction, preparations were made in advance.
The gaps resembling the teeth of a lucky beast left on the top of the walls would y a significant role in stabilizing the structure when raising the walls. After being raised, the new walls would interlock with the old walls like teeth, making it much more solid than directly adding height on a t surface.
The interlocking of newly raised and old walls could roughly be described as having canine teeth ovepping.
Han Cheng used a little trick to solidify the walls further into one entity: he sprinkled some water on the top of the section to be raised.
Water could dampen the loose soil, allowing the new mud to bond better with the old, dry mud.
Apart from that, this year''s wall construction was more nnedpared to the previous year.
This nning mainly referred to the systematic digging of the earth.
Last year, when digging the earth for the walls, they only took soil from the surroundings. This year''s raising of the walls was significantly different.
Due to the impact of the tribe''s previous attacks, with the consideration of strengthening the tribe''s defense capabilities, Han Cheng had the idea of digging a defensive moat.
In fact, during the soil excavation for stering the deer pen, efforts had already been made in this direction.
The wattle walls required a considerable amount of soil. Now, about twelve meters away from the outer edge of the raised wall, a three-meter-wide and over half-a-meter-deep trench appeared.
With the progress of future tasks, such as building houses and raising the inner side of the walls, this trench would undoubtedly be deeper. When the time came, they could fill it with water, and those troublemakers wouldn''t dare to harbor any ill intentions toward the tribe.
The speed of raising the walls wasn''t slow, mainly because the Green Sparrow Tribe suddenly gained thirteen more adults.
Of course, the appearance of bone shovels, rope hooks, and ash pouches also yed a crucial role.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were enthusiastic about raising the walls because they had already experienced the benefits of the walls. Especially during the tribe''s defense battlest winter. If it weren''t for the Divine Child leading everyone to prepare the walls in advance, their tribe would have been in real danger.
The Pig Tribe, which came to seek refuge with them, was the best testimony.
If there were no walls, their fate could very well be simr to that of the Pig Tribe.
The people of the Pig Tribe, especially their former leader, had not forgotten the tragic fate of their tribe. After joining the Green Sparrow Tribe for a long time, he had long understood the role of the walls, especially in the detailed ount of their effectiveness during wars against evil tribes.
Shang, who had been holding back a strong urge, put extra effort into building the walls. When Han Cheng looked at the wall to the west, which had been raised to three and a half meters, his sense of security increased significantly. If that unknown tribe dared to attack their tribe again this year, they would surely suffer even more casualties.
After the wall to the west waspletely raised, the construction of the walls came to a halt again.
This time, the pause in progress wasn''t due to the deer herd being troublesome again. Instead, the tribe was about to host a grand celebration called the "Happiness Festival."
When Han Cheng first heard about this from the Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, like others, he was utterly confused.
Others didn''t jump to conclusions, and the Happiness Festival was a joyful event.
Han Cheng, however, didn''t expect such activities in these tribes. His confusion didn''t stem from the potential suggestive nature of the Happiness Festival he had seen enough of such things in the past year. Instead, he was amazed at the primitive people''s ingenuity.
As a neer, Han Cheng knew the dangers of close-rtive marriages. Still, he hadn''t expected this issue to be discovered long before now, and solutions had been proposed.
Suppressing his surprise, Han Cheng asked the Shaman why they were doing this.
The Shaman said it would allow the tribe to have more children.
As for the deeper reasons, he didn''t know.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel a myriad of emotions. The fact that humans could struggle out of such difficult environments and move toward glory wasn''t without reason. It was like the saying, "Eating pa without reading ba." Comparing it to the current so-called Happiness Festival, they might not fully understand its significance, but they were still moving along the right path.
Aftering to his senses from this annual Happiness Festival held after a year, Han Cheng quickly had other thoughts.
Han Cheng learned that four tribes, together with the Green Sparrow Tribe, woulde to participate in this grand event.
Originally, there should have been five tribesing, but the Pig Tribe had already merged into the Green Sparrow Tribe. Therefore, the visiting tribes had been reduced to four.
Having tasted the sweetness of absorbing the Pig Tribe and greatly increasing the strength of his tribe, Han Cheng, upon hearing about these tribes'' existence, found it strange not to have other thoughts.
Of course, this needed to be done step by step. What Han Cheng needed to do now was to nt a wedge in the hearts of those who came from the participating tribes of the Green Sparrow Tribe and achieve something significant through small actions.
The wedge insertion shouldn''t cause too muchmotion and could be easily aplished.
"Divine Child, they will bring food; why do we also need to"
Regarding food, Shaman remained as frugal as ever. When he heard Han Cheng say they should provide food to the visitors attending the Happiness Festival, Shaman seemed a bit reluctant and asked about it.
Han Cheng didn''t see any problem with the Shaman''s stinginess about food. It was just like families in the future; not only did they need to earn money, but they also needed to spend it wisely.
Han Cheng began to exin the rationale to Shaman. As the conversation progressed, he even brought up the Pig Tribe as evidence. Of course, the people of the Pig Tribe were busy building walls outside and couldn''t hear Han Cheng''s conversation with Shaman.
Even if they heard, based on their limited understanding of the basguage they were learning, they couldn''tprehend Han Cheng and the Shaman''s conversation.
Drawn in by Han Cheng''s enticing words, Shaman, who had been reluctant about the food, no longer cared about it. In the dimly lit inner cave, his eyes seemed to glow a bit, apparently still immersed in the beautiful things Han Cheng had mentioned, not yet snapping back to reality.
Chapter 114: The first to arrive is the Green Tribe.
Chapter 114: The first to arrive is the Green Tribe.
The wall construction has halted, and the tribe considers the uing Happiness Festival a major affair, making concessions for other matters. Under Han Cheng''s initiative, ten people are assigned to fish in the small river, utilizing twenty fish traps. As the twenty fish traps are submerged, the quantity of captured fish begins to surge. A multitude of fish is spread out on the open ground by the river, and the number of fish continues to increase.
Several factors drive Han Cheng''s arrangement. Firstly, with the arrival of the Happiness Festival and the subsequent increase in poption, a substantial amount of food needs to be consumed. Secondly, the visual impact of arge quantity of food is intended to impress those attending the Happiness Festival. Thirdly, he has personal motives.
The sess and prosperity of the Green Sparrow Tribe owe much to the fish traps. These small fish traps resolved the food issue, allowing the Green Sparrow Tribe to free up resources for other activities. Compared to other tribes, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s biggest advantage is not the wall, the spinning tops, or the bone shovels, but rather an abundance of food.
Han Cheng is aware that constructing fish traps is not overly difficult. However, if other tribes witness the efficient method of obtaining food, they might be inclined to learn and replicate it. This would diminish the advantage maintained by the Green Sparrow Tribe. To counter this, Han Cheng decides to capture a sufficient quantity of fish beforehand and abstain from fishing when representatives from other tribes arrive for the Happiness Festival.
Keeping fish trapping confidential within the Green Sparrow Tribe is rtively easy due to the limited contact between tribes and theck of amonnguage. The deer are no longer released and are kept in the deer pen to showcase the tribe''s prosperity.
A group also goes to the Salt Mountain with baskets on their backs. After mining salt, they transport it back to the riverbank for salt production, as a significant amount of salt is needed to mass-produce salted fish.
Although the Green Sparrow Tribe hasn''t officially informed the other tribes about the joyous event, the confidence disyed by the tribe members, including Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, suggests they do not doubt the other tribes''pliance with the agreement.
Han Cheng is curious about coordinating such an event in a time without calendars ormunication devices. After pondering for a while, he asks Shaman for an exnation.
Upon learning about Han Cheng''s inquiry, Shaman was delighted as it had been a while since Han Cheng sought his answers. He leads Han Cheng out of the tribe, and after a short walk, they stop in front of a clump of green grass.
Upon the green grass, flower buds of joyous blooms were growing, waiting to unfurl. As Shaman pointed out the significance of this particr grass, Han Cheng disyed a look of sudden realization, praising the primitive wisdom of the people. This flowering grass,monly found in the vicinity of these tribes, was crucial due to its early blooming, ensuring that children born during this period would coincide with the abundant autumn season, increasing their chances of survival.
As a result, these tribes agreed to travel to the hosting tribe when this specific grass started to bloom. After each joyous event concluded, the hosting responsibilities would shift to the next tribe. This spontaneous gathering urred with each blossoming of the joyous grass. After marveling at the primitive wisdom, this grass, regarded as a token, gained a more morous name Joyous Grass.
As preparations for the uing joyous event were underway in the Sparrow Tribe, Joyous Flowers began to bloom. These flowers were a faint purple color, small in size, about the size of a fingernail, but emitted a rich and fragrant aroma.
When the purple brilliance of Joyous Grass flowers spread across the area, the Green Sparrow Tribe weed the first group of visitors for the year. These visitors were peculiar, not due to their animal skins, but because of their unique decorations.
The Green Sparrow Tribe favored wearing feathers on their heads, a practice understandable as most bird feathers were quite colorful and enhanced their appearance. However, the visitors from the other tribe had a more distinctive adornment they wore green grass on their heads.
While Han Cheng could understand a few pieces or a small patch of grass, these people had inserted a considerable amount. The leader, in particr, adorned a full head of grass. Initially, catching a glimpse, Han Cheng thought he had encountered an elf with green hair.
In this tribe, the more powerful a person, the more grass they adorned on their heads. Amused by this, Han Chengter referred to this tribe as the Green Tribe, especially considering the subsequent events.
When the leader of the Green Tribe arrived at the Green Sparrow Tribe''s camp with his people, he reacted simrly to the leader of the Pig Tribe initially puzzled by the transformed appearance of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Only after encountering Eldest Senior Brother did he confirm he was in the right ce.
The leader of the Green Tribe shared a deep bond with the Eldest Senior Brother, and their joyful reunion involved a bear hug followed by pressing foreheads together to express their happiness at meeting again.
Curious about the drastically changed appearance of the Sparrow Tribe, the leader of the Green Tribe looked around. His eyes widened as he saw the deer grazing in the deer pen. Pointing at the deer, he eximed in surprise, expressing his astonishment.
Before he could recover from the shock of the deer, he noticed arge amount of salted fish brought by the Green Sparrow Tribe members from the riverbank to the courtyard. This left him thoroughly dazed, so when Eldest Senior Brother led him to greet Shaman and Han Cheng, he failed to notice that the tribe had gained a new figure a higher-ranking Divine Child than Shaman.
Even the other members of the Green Tribe were simrly stunned, staring at the abundance of food before them. They couldn''tprehend why, despite being tribes, there was such a stark difference in their conditions.
Chapter 115: Smile
Chapter 115: Smile
After witnessing the astonishing food of the Green Sparrow Tribe, the leader of the Green Tribe felt quite disappointed. He had believed that the lush green grass of his tribe would be enough to impress others. However,pared to the abundant food of the Green Sparrow Tribe, it seemed insignificant.
The impact of this disappointment was severe, so much so that the leader of the Green Tribe forgot about the purpose of their visit, which was to participate in the festive gathering.
It wasn''t until Eldest Senior Brother, along with six men and twelve women from his tribe, including himself, approached and initiated a conversation that he remembered the purpose of their visit.
In the past, upon seeing the women of the Green Sparrow Tribe, especially the spouse of Eldest Senior Brother, who had a particrly attractive figure, he would have been excited and shared a knowing smile with Eldest Senior Brother.
However, things were different this year. With the previous disappointment, he found it challenging to muster enthusiasm.
There were five men from the Green Tribe but an impressive fifteen women. ording to their criteria, this was taking advantage of the situation. The idea was not about how many seeds were scattered but how many seeds were harvested. After all, the seeds scattered by others belonged to them, and only the seeds harvested from their fields were truly theirs.
Eldest Senior Brother showed great generosity in this matter. As the Green Sparrow Tribe could be considered the host of this festive gathering, with three more tribes to arriveter, the women of the Green Sparrow Tribe had enough opportunities to obtain seeds.
Another reason was that their tribe had absorbed the former Pig Tribe, adding six adult men. With these reinforcements, the Green Sparrow Tribe could handle the women from the Green Tribe.
Of course, to ensure the tribe retained a certain level ofbat strength and to wee the arrival of theter tribes in a rtively spirited state, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t send everyone. Many seed candidates were still kept behind, including the young and strong Tie Tou and Hei Wa, as well as some members from the former Pig Tribe.
The festive gathering turned out differently than Han Cheng had imagined. He originally thought that the official proceedings would start only when all the tribes had arrived, but it was a direct process. There wasn''t even a trace of formalities; they went straight to the point.
Like selecting food, the pairing of individuals at this festive gathering was prioritized based on strength.
As the organizer of this festive gathering and the leader of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Eldest Senior Brother was naturally the first to choose women from the other tribes.
For the Eldest Senior Brother, this was a familiar process. He approached the Green Tribe''s camp hesitantly and selected two women.
The method of selection was simple. He took two bird feathers from the ones inserted into his head and ced them on the heads of two women from the Green Tribe.
In most tribes, women were generally in subordinate positions. They didn''t have the right to choose a partner actively, but they still had the opportunity to refuse if they didn''t like the man who chose them.
Refusing was straightforward: they had to remove the items the man ced on their heads or bodies.
Then, they would fight with the man.
If they won, they could reject the man. If they lost
Hehehe, things might turn violent.
Of course, situations could arise where two men were interested in the same woman. For instance, if the Eldest Senior Brother fancied these two women and inserted his bird feathers on their heads, the Second Senior Brother might also be interested. In that case, the Second Senior Brother would have to remove the feathers from his head and ce them on the heads of the same women.
Following the selection process, the next step was for Eldest Senior Brother to fight to determine the ownership of the two women he had chosen. This process bore simrities to thepetition for mating rights among male animals.
However, such a thing rarely happened among men from the same tribe. Firstly, they knew each other''s strengths. Secondly, there were plenty of women to go around, so there was no need for such drastic measures.
No one was challenging their authority, especially for leaders like Eldest Senior Brother.
Eldest Senior Brother was quite fond of these two women from the Green Tribe. They had engaged in deep conversations during previous festive gatherings. This wasn''t only because of their robust appearances but also because they were the spouses of the Green Tribe''s leader.
Like the Eldest Senior Brother''s preference for choosing the Green Tribe leader''s spouses, the leader of the Green Tribe also liked selecting the Eldest Senior Brother''s spouses. At every festive gathering, they mutually choose partners, creating an unspoken understanding between them.
However, the Green Tribe leader still had his schemes. He would bring out two spouses, ensuring that after the selection process, he would harvest morend with excellent seeds than the Eldest Senior Brother.
After the Eldest Senior Brother made his choices, instead of the Second Senior Brother, the Green Tribe leader was the next to pick. Like Eldest Senior Brother, he approached one of his particrly well-endowed spouses, inserted his green grass into her hair, and made his selection.
After Eldest Senior Brother had chosen the two spouses from the Green Tribe leader, he didn''t immediately leave. He waited until the Green Tribe leaderpleted his selection. After exchanging a smile, the two leaders left with their chosen women.
However,pared to the heartwarming smiles of previous years, the Green Tribe leader''s smile this year seemed somewhat absent-minded.
After the leaders made their selections, it was the Second Senior Brother''s turn to choose. He also picked two women.
However, his selection process was not smooth. After he made his choices, one of the Green Tribe women removed the feather Second Brother had ced on her head.
This wasn''t unusual for the Second Senior Brother, who often faced such situations. The main reason, as he understood it, was that these women were worried his big belly would crush them.
The Second Senior Brother felt helpless about this ignorance. Who said he had to crush them with his weight?
His solution was simple: he didn''t say a word and directly engaged in a fight with the woman who resisted him.
Ranked second in overallbat strength within the Green Sparrow Tribe, Second Senior Brother''s prowess wasn''t just talk. Despite hisrge belly, he was a rtively agile fat man, especially in short bursts where he disyed remarkable explosiveness.
The woman from the Green Tribe who resisted him was swiftly defeated, and after winning the fight, the Second Senior Brother left with the two Green Tribe women.
Next, a man from the Green Tribe came forward to choose a woman from the Green Sparrow Tribe who had participated in this grand daylight festive gathering. Therge-scale happiness celebration had quickly entered its main event, apanied by primitive melodies.
Chapter 116: Melancholic Han Cheng
Chapter 116: Mncholic Han Cheng
Han Cheng sat at the cave entrance, leisurely watching the people gathered in groups in the courtyard, bursting with enthusiasm in broad daylight. asionally, he would take a sip of hot water and almostment on what was done well or interestingly. It''s not that there was tea; it''s just a habit here to refer to hot water as tea, so that''s how I wrote it.
In his previous life, he had seen many adult films from Japan, experiencing all sorts of scenarios, even watching that record-breaking scene involving five hundred people simultaneously. Having weathered storms, he could remain indifferent and unperturbed in the face of the current small-scale event. This was nothing to him.
Of course, part of the reason for his calm demeanor was that he had transmigrated into a younger body, not yet developed to that age. Even if he wanted to do something, he was physically incapable.
Certainly, he wouldn''t say such things to Tie Tou and others standing not far away, watching the scene in the courtyard with flushed faces and thick necks.
Shang did not participate this time, not because he didn''t want to, but because he was tasked by Eldest Senior Brother to wait it out. Three more tribes were yet to arrive, and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had to conserve their strength.
Of course, this was also a method for the Eldest Senior Brother to establish authority.
After all, the former leader of the Pig Tribe, Shang, was strong. Even though he couldn''t beat the Eldest Senior Brother, he remained a formidable opponent.
The Eldest Senior Brother was convinced and admired Divine Child, never thinking too much. After all, the two were not on the same level.
But for Shang, who had served as the leader of the Pig Tribe for a long time, Eldest Senior Brother didn''t have the same broad-mindedness. He would intentionally or unintentionally do something in that regard, although it wasn''t excessive.
Shang stood on the low wall, trying to look into the distance to shift his attention. However, those seemingly magical tunes kept drilling into his ears.
Looking at his raised leather skirt, Shang couldn''t help but touch it. He was looking forward to the arrival of the remaining tribes.
Under Han Cheng''s arrangement, some nonbatants from the Green Sparrow Tribe began to carryrge pots for boiling soup, and then, near the cave in the courtyard, they made fires to simmer salty fish soup.
Damn it, these guys are having fun. Not only do they enjoy themselves, but we also have to serve them food and drinks.
Taking advantage of others'' inattention, Han Cheng secretly pulled down his leather pants and looked at his little brother quietly sitting inside. He felt mncholy in his heart. Looking up at these robust primitive women, his mncholy increased slightly.
With increased physical activity, people are more prone to hunger. Today, the movement of these people was significant, and naturally, they became hungry quickly.
Initially, they were immersed in another world, automatically blocking out these disturbances.
However, when the rich aroma spread throughout the courtyard, these guys were quickly distracted.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were rtively better off because the tribe had plenty of food. There were no restrictions on eating during meals, and they could eat to their heart''s content. However, there was one thingthey absolutely could not waste food.
No one was willing to waste food.
It was different for the people of the Green Tribe. They came from afar, were already tired, and the amount of food they brought for these days was limited. To stay longer here and bring back more seeds, the leader of the Green Tribe imposed food restrictions on the tribe''s people.
Originally, the leader of the Green Tribe nned to distribute food to the people when it was almost dark. However, with the Green Sparrow Tribe doing this, his stomach started rumbling.
He endured for a while but couldn''t hold back anymore. He hurriedly finished his task andined that the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t consider the hungry ones. With their abundant food, they shouldn''t have made such a big fuss about being unable to eat like this. How can we, who have less food, endure it?
At this moment, the spirited Eldest Senior Brother arrived with the equally spirited Green Tribe leader and his two spouses.
Seeing the Green Tribe leader getting food, the Eldest Senior Brother waved to him.
The leader of the Green Tribe was initially puzzled, but when he understood the Eldest Senior Brother''s meaning, he immediately became somewhat delighted.
"He shouted and began to gather people from the tribe to eat food. The leader of the Green Tribe was naturally delighted because this way, they would have plenty of food left, and smelling the rich aroma, he had long wanted to taste this wonderful food.
The leader of the Green Tribe couldn''t describe the taste of this delicious food. It''s not that he hasn''t eaten it, but he can''t find words to capture the sensation of eating something unprecedented but so delicious that it''s irresistible.
"Tsk, tsk."
The leader of the Green Tribe didn''t want to waste any food. After finishing the food served in the bowls that the Green Sparrow Tribe called "bowls," which were made in an unknown manner, he began to suck on each of his fingers that had soaked in the juice.
There were also others from the Green Tribe licking the bowls.
Han Cheng watched this scene in silence for a while. Damn, these bowls are now unusable. Let''s use them exclusively for entertaining guests in the future.
Especially witnessing the leader of the Green Tribe sucking on his fingers, Han Cheng''s expression became even moreplex.
Because these guys are different from the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Under Han Cheng''s guidance, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had long developed the habit of washing their hands before meals. The people of the Green Tribe, however, did not do so.
If it were normal, it would be fine, but the problem was that these guys hadn''t done anything good today. Their hands could have touched anything, making it difficult to imagine. And now, they were not using chopsticks, directly reaching in to grab the food.
Han Cheng shuddered.
The leader of the Green Tribe didn''t know what Han Cheng was thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn''t care. This was how they usually did things, and they didn''t see anything wrong with it.
The leader of the Green Tribe felt like he was about to be stuffed to death, but looking at the still-steaming, plentiful food, he couldn''t help but drool.
After the meal, the battle was far less intense than before. The main reason was the people of the Green Tribe. They were almost unable to move and had no interest in doing these things.
Inside the deer enclosure, the Deer Lord, whose fur seemed dim, leisurely ate a few mouthfuls of grass. Looking at those two-legged creatures lying motionless on the ground in the distance, a hint of contempt shed in its eyes.
After eating the grass, it arrogantly raised its head, and then, stepping on its slender legs, it came behind a female deer and stood upright.
Chapter 117: Outstanding Donkey Tribe
Chapter 117: Outstanding Donkey Tribe
The sky turned dark, and the people from the Green Tribe didn''t leave. Typically, the celebration wouldst for several days before dispersing. Considering the leader of the Green Tribe''s tendency to take advantage of situations, they were in no hurry to leave early and potentially lose out.
The caves of the Green Sparrow Tribe were not allocated for them to stay; instead, they were arranged in the courtyard. This treatment,pared to the previous celebration, was much better. After all, the tribes that hosted celebrations before didn''t even have courtyards.
The Green Sparrow Tribe still had people keeping watch behind the three walls during the night.
People inside the caves were sleeping in batches tonight. Weapons were ced within easy reach. Even though there had never been any opportunistic attacks during the celebrations, caution was necessary, as food could be a tempting target.
The night passed without any incidents, and on the second day, two more tribes arrived.
Like the Green Tribe before them, they were bewildered by the transformed appearance of the Green Tribe and the abundance of food within the tribe. The unfamiliarity overwhelmed them.
They also showed great enthusiasm when facing the delicious salted fish soup, which they had never tasted before. Simultaneously, they expressed gratitude for the generous act of providing meals in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng, once again, gave names to these newly arrived tribes. The first one was called the Sheep Tribe, as most people in this tribe were dressed in sheepskin.
As for naming the other tribe the Donkey Tribe, it was not because they were all d in donkey hides but because the people in this tribe had a darkerplexion.
If it were solely based on this aspect, it wouldn''t have much to do with calling them the Donkey Tribe. However, when you add another factor, you''ll understand why the name fits so well.
Looking at the burly men of the Donkey Tribe, Han Cheng discreetlypared them with his modest size, and a sense of inferiority arose.
This psychological impact was even more significant than that of the Green Tribe leader, who confidently wore a mboyant green hat yesterday but waster overwhelmed by the abundance of food in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Under the deep-seated emotional turmoil caused by Han Cheng, giving them an appropriate name became a challenging task.
The Donkey Tribe was different from other tribes. Generally, tribal leaders had fought to the top, but in the Donkey Tribe, the leader had grown into the position.
This wasn''t a baseless im by Han Cheng; it was a conclusion he reached after discovering the order in which the Donkey Tribe selected females based on the size of a certain part of the male anatomy. Moreover, the leader''s size was nearly twice asrge as thest male selected.
Thest tribe to arrive on the third day was named the Bone Tribe by Han Cheng.
This designation was due to the numerous bones adorned by the people of this tribe. Han Cheng could understand using bones as decorations. In this era, bones were frequently encountered, and they possessed aesthetic appeal, were easy to process, and had sticitypared to stones.
Moreover, the quantity of bones could reflect a tribe''s hunting prowess. In this era, which primarily focused on fishing, hunting, and gathering, the strength of a tribe''s hunting abilities often symbolized its prosperity.
For instance, the Bone Tribe that arrivedst had a substantial number of peopletwenty-five in totalthe most among all the visiting tribes.
The celebration continued with the arrival of several tribes. As the Green Sparrow Tribe''s selected contestants, like Tie Tou and Hei Wa, took the stage, the previous participants began to withdraw. Following Han Cheng''s instructions, only one-third of the adults from the Green Sparrow Tribe participated in the celebration each day, while the rest strengthened their vignce.
Initially, Han Cheng hadn''t considered this issue, and by the time he realized it, these people had already entered the protective walls. This left him regretful, and he vowed not to ce them inside the walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe during future celebrations.
Fortunately, it wasn''t the winter season when food was extremely scarce, so people were less likely to take risks for food. These visiting tribes were generally peaceful, without a history of attacking other tribes. During the celebration, no major incidents urred.
This eased Han Cheng''s slightly raised concerns.
A few dayster, these visiting tribes began to leave, with the Sheep Tribe being the first to depart, followed by the Green Tribe as thest to leave.
The main reason for the Green Tribe''s dyed departure was the leader''s penchant for taking advantage. By leavingte, they could enjoy more of the delicious food provided by the Green Sparrow Tribe, save their own tribe''s food, and take back more seeds.
Upon departure, each visiting tribe received gifts from the Green Sparrow Tribe. These gifts were consumables like dried fish. While the tribes desired more than just dried fish, they covetedrge vessels for cooking delicious food and bowls for holding it.
Han Cheng decided not to give them pottery items because, unlike dried fish, pottery could be reused. The Green Sparrow Tribe considered it a rare generosity to provide them with food during the celebration.
Thinking about the numerous foods consumed by these visitors in the past few days, Shaman couldn''t help but curse these shameless individuals. Despite being full, they woulde to the edge of the pot, asking the Green Sparrow Tribe members responsible for serving food to fill up half a bowl and then slowly consume it, seemingly unafraid of overeating.
Given the choice between pottery and dried fish, Shaman would choose pottery. Pottery had be quitemon in the Green Sparrow Tribe and could be easily produced when needed.
Although Shaman felt a bit reluctant due to this decision made by the "Divine Child," he wouldn''t oppose it. Shaman, once the Green Sparrow Tribe''s primary sage, had lost confidence in his wisdom since the appearance of the "Divine Child" and chose not to dwell on such matters.
As for the pottery, Han Cheng had other arrangements.
Chapter 118: Primitive Trade
Chapter 118: Primitive Trade
Under Han Cheng''s deliberate arrangement, the Green Sparrow Tribe significantly impacted the tribes that came this time.
Their biggest impression of the Green Sparrow Tribe was affluence and generosity. Besides, the delicious food left asting impression.
The astonishing herds of deer and fish might evoke envy, but these required skills to obtain. However, the irresistibly delicious food was a different story.
Although this way of eating was novel, it was easy to learn. All they needed to do was add water to the things the Green Sparrow Tribe called "pots" or "jars" and cook them over the fire.
During the leisure time of the festive gathering, the leaders of these tribes exchanged thoughts on this matter with the Eldest Senior Brother.
The Eldest Senior Brother responded that he couldn''t decide on this matter. He needed to consult the Shaman and the Divine Child.
Regarding this, the leaders of these tribes felt sympathetic towards the Eldest Senior Brother. In their tribes, there was no Shaman, let alone a Divine Child. In their tribes, what they said was what it was. Unlike the Eldest Senior Brother, who, despite being a leader, couldn''t decide many things.
However, when they learned that the Green Sparrow Tribe could live so well, all thanks to the Divine Child, their sympathy immediately became envy.
Han Cheng was not surprised after hearing the Eldest Senior Brother''s words. The reason he made a big show of providing these people with food was not just to showcase the affluence of the Green Sparrow Tribe and make them desire such a lifestyle but also to use pottery to exchange goods with them.
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s main food source is fish, supplemented by wild vegetables. Due to most people being engaged in construction, hunting activities were rare, so there was little game meat.
Han Cheng wanted to take this opportunity to let the surrounding tribes witness the benefits of pottery. By greatly increasing the value of pottery, he could then use it to exchange for some food.
After more than a year of continuous development, coupled with the extraordinary talent of Hei Wa in pottery making, the pottery-making technology of the Green Sparrow Tribe had grown considerably.
For the current Green Sparrow Tribe, making pottery was not difficult. Compared to hunting, making pottery was much more stable and secure.
Han Cheng believed that it was very feasible to use this kind of pottery in exchange for food from other tribes.
He told the Eldest Senior Brother about this idea and asked him to convey it to the tribes'' leaders who wanted pottery.
The leader of the Green Tribe was the cleverest. After hearing the Eldest Senior Brother''s words, he immediately took out half of the food they had brought this time. Then, he hurriedly came to therge pot used for cooking, ced the food there, and gestured that he wanted that.
This food was originally prepared to be eaten this time. Due to the Green Sparrow Tribe''s management of meals, it had been saved. Now, using this food to exchange for the Green Sparrow Tribe''s pottery, especially thergest pot, was shameless.
Having witnessed the shamelessness of the Green Tribe''s leader, the Eldest Senior Brother took action. He took a medium-sized pottery bowl from the side and ced it next to the food brought out by the leader of the Green Tribe, indicating that this food could only be exchanged for such a bowl.
Ignoring the ck ash outside the pottery bowl, the leader of the Green Tribe, who clung to therge pot and refused to let go, saw the Eldest Senior Brother''s actions, and his smiling face immediately froze.
He began to bargain with the Eldest Senior Brother.
The Eldest Senior Brother was also a person who had seen big scenes and had received instructions from the Divine Child. Naturally, he started bargaining without showing any weakness.
After a round of bargaining, the leader of the Green Tribe took out the remaining half of the food, piled it up here, and then patted therge pot.
Eldest Senior Brother continued shaking his head. He took away the medium-sized pottery bowl and picked up arge pottery bowl, cing it over the food brought out by the leader of the Green Tribe. This indicated that the food could only be exchanged for thisrge-sized bowl.
After a primitive round of bargaining, the leader of the Green Tribe had to ept the price set by the Eldest Senior Brother.
They exchanged the food for arge pottery bowl.
With this precedent, the leaders of the other tribes also began to take out three-quarters of their food to exchange with the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The leaders of the Donkey Tribe and Sheep Tribe brought rtively less food, exchanging it for a medium-sized bowl.
The people from the Bone Tribe brought more food due to theirrger numbers, so they exchanged three-quarters of their food for a small pottery jar.
The Shaman looked at the pile of food obtained through exchanging three bowls and a small jar, and his eyes widened in astonishment. He didn''t expect that thesemon pottery items in their tribe could be exchanged for so much food.
Han Cheng wasn''t particrly surprised by this. After all, among these tribes, pottery was exclusive to the Green Sparrow Tribe. Although these people might have been indifferent to pottery without understanding its enormous utility, once they experienced its benefits firsthand, it became challenging for them to refuse.
Han Cheng naturally understood the immense benefits of monopolizing a business in the modern world.
Of course, considering the free meals provided during this festive gathering and the gift of salted fish, the Green Sparrow Tribe incurred significant losses. However, when considering other aspects, the gains were immense. As the pottery trade unfolded, the food spent during this event could be quickly recovered.
They probably thought free meals were always this delicious.
A certain Divine Child stood proudly at the entrance of the Green Sparrow Tribe, watching the departing tribes with the joy of a cat that sessfully stole a fish.
A sense of satisfaction from bullying primitive people rose and lingered in his mind.
However, his appearance, covered in animal skins, lowered the impressiveness of the scene by several levels.
Apart from these two matters, another thing surprised these leaders.
The chief of the Pig Tribe led the people of the Pig Tribe to join the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After learning why the Pig Tribe joined the Green Sparrow Tribe, these leaders fell somewhat silent.
This silence was more about worrying that a powerful and evil tribe had appeared nearby and being thankful that such a tribe had not attacked their tribes. Only a small part of it was sympathy for the fate of the Pig Tribe.
After returning to their senses from this annoying matter, these leaders gradually discovered that the neighboring tribe before them had be unexpectedly powerful.
Their strength was not originally the strongest among the nearby tribes; the Bone Tribe held that position.
However, after absorbing ten people, including the chief, from the Pig Tribe, the number of adults in the Green Sparrow Tribe was now approaching that of the originally most powerful Bone Tribe.
In this era, without dazzling magic and qi, without firearms, the number of adults often represented the strength of a tribe.
Especially after learning that the Green Sparrow Tribe had repelled the evil tribe, their astonishment grew even more.
Because, from the Eldest Senior Brother''s mouth, they learned about the strength of that evil tribe.
With such formidable power, the tribe before them should be difficult to resist.
However, after the Eldest Senior Brother led them out of the tribe and went east to see the numerous bones that hadn''t beenpletely burned even after the raging fire, their suspicions immediately vanished.
Chapter 119: Low wall and Wooden ladder
Chapter 119: Low wall and Woodendder
The happiness celebration this time can be said to have been very sessful. It not only allowed the surrounding tribes to witness the prosperity of the Green Sparrow Tribe but also, in a casual manner, made them realize the strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe, showcasing its soft and hard power.
Furthermore, it opened the door to primitive trade, which will benefit the Green Sparrow Tribe in the future.
The women of the Green Sparrow Tribe are also quitepetitive, leaving behind many seeds. The next step is to see whosend is good and can take root and sprout.
In this era, primitive people do not have the concept of future cuckoldry, and things that seem uneptable to future generations are quitemonce now.
However, this is limited to these few days. Once the celebration is over, such incidents will not be forgiven.
This is also why, after Tie Tou failed in the struggle with Hei Wa, he only listened to the uplifting tunes at night and couldn''t sleep, without taking any desperate actions.
As a neer, Han Cheng is deeply worried about this. His concern is that it will be difficult for him to find a wife.
Damn, this matter is quite unfortunate. In the future, there''s no money when you need money, no status when you need status, and now his status is exceptionally high. Yet, he encountered such a situation. Han Cheng couldn''t help but shed bitter tears.
The tribes that came to participate in the happiness celebration at the Green Tribe seemed extremely reluctant to leave. The wonderful life of these past few days left a profound impression on them. They didn''t expect that life could be lived in such afortable way.
The experiences in the Green Sparrow Tribe during these days seemed to have opened a window for them, showing them another world.
Not only ordinary people but even the leaders of several tribes were envious.
The happiness celebration has ended, but the Green Sparrow Tribe did not immediately return to normalcy.
The main reason is that the men of the Green Sparrow Tribe are too kind-hearted and eager to help others. To help increase the poption of other tribes, each one is willing to use all their strength.
Deer Lord also appeared listless. He showed off his prowess, kept his harem in check, and showed these short-legged creatures what to do. It has been busy for him.
To the point that now, even his fur has dimmed. When he sees a young female deer approaching, he quickly moves to the side.
After a rest of three full days, the Green Sparrow Tribe finally regained its vitality.
Arge number of people continued to work on the walls.
However, after increasing the height of the western wall, instead of raising the southern wall next, they raised the low wall behind the western wall.
Because after the wall was raised to three and a half meters, the low wall behind it seemed too short. Standing behind, one couldn''t see the outside scene at all.
To reduce the workload, Han Cheng only had people connect the original low wall and then raise it, reaching a height of about two meters and six.
ording to the height of the people in the Green Sparrow Tribe, standing on the low wall with a difference of ny centimeters, they could expose their chest and upper part.
This way, it could protect the people behind the wall from harm to the greatest extent during a counterattack, and it wouldn''t affect the ability of the Green Sparrow Tribe people to counterattack due to the wall being too high.
However, in doing so, the original low wall has be a high wall. It is impossible to climb up without the help of other tools.
Some clever people in the Green Sparrow Tribe began considering how to solve this problem.
These people include the Shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, and Shi Tou, who has be an apprentice to the Shaman.
The wall is very high, but they can reach the top with the low wall.
Now that the low wall has be higher, can''t they just build a shorter wall next to it while leaning on the higher low wall?
With reference to the two previous walls, as long as they are willing to use their brains for the Divine Child and others, thinking of such a solution is not particrly difficult; after all, they are not very primitive people.
Just when they thought they had figured it out and were secretly pleased with themselves for guessing the next move of the Divine Child, the Divine Childs actions surprised them.
Afterpleting the construction of the low wall, the Divine Child did not instruct people to build a shorter wall next to it, as they had expected. Instead, he had them continue to raise the wall on the south side, where the gate was located.
The Shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, and Stone looked at each other in confusion. After removing the frame and seeing the now unclimbable higher low wall, they were puzzled and couldn''t understand the Divine Child''s behavior.
Han Cheng certainly wouldn''t build another shorter wall next to the low wall until people could climb to the highest wall.
Doing so would require building at least three low walls, which was toobor-intensive and unnecessary.
For him, solving this problem was not difficult. All he needed to do was make somedders.
For the Green Sparrow Tribe, which had plenty of wood, makingdders wasn''t too challenging.
Han Cheng, apanied by Lame and Hei Wa, found some tree trunks with a diameter roughly the size of a bowl, straight and long. They burned them to cut them into roughly 2.8 meters long pieces, which were brought back to the tribe for future use.
Then, they cut some tree segments with diameters ranging from the thickness of an arm to around 1.7 meters in length. The next step was to manufacture thedders.
Han Cheng selected two tree trunks of simr thickness and had Lame and Heiwa pick them out from the wood pile. They were ced opposite each other.
These two trunks were not parallel; the distance between them wasrge at one end and small at the other. Therger end was the base of the trunk, and the smaller end was the thinner part.
The bottom width reached 80 centimeters, while the top width was only 50 centimeters.
After cing the two trunks, the next step was to tie crossbars onto the two trunks.
Lame, who often did weaving work, was skilled at this. After Han Cheng demonstrated, they were quickly and securely tied every 30 centimeters.
Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, who had been pondering how to climb the low wall, were now paying close attention to Han Cheng''s actions because they wanted to see what the Divine Child intended to do.
At first, they were confused by Han Cheng''s decision to build adder. It wasn''t until the crossbars started getting tied that the Shaman showed a thoughtful expression.
When Han Cheng had people carry the finished woodendder and lean it against the first section of the low wall, the shaman''s eyes gleamed. At this point, he fully understood Han Cheng''s method.
As Han Cheng climbed thedder onto the low wall, the Eldest Senior Brother and Shi Tou revealed an enlightened expression.
Standing below the wall, they looked up at the Divine Child standing on the low wall and the thing leaning against it that they didn''t know what to call. Once again, they were deeply impressed by the Divine Child''s wisdom.
Chapter 120: Chisel and Auger
Chapter 120: Chisel and Auger
After the sess of the first example, the subsequentdder manufacturing became increasingly easy.
Considering the speed at which people in the tribe could climb the wall in case of an enemy attack, Han Cheng felt it was necessary to produce moredders.
So, within two days, fivedders were ced behind the newly raised low wall on the west side of the tribe.
Traditionaldders inter times, such as wooden or bamboodders, were not made this way. The main difference was in the instation of the rungs.
Inter times, wooden and bamboodders had holes drilled into two posts, and the rungs were inserted into these holes. Thedders made by Han Cheng, being crude, were notparable in terms of aesthetics or stability.
Considering that woodendders were prone to damage from exposure to the elements, especially the deterioration of the ropes binding the rungs, Han Cheng wanted to create traditional woodendders after making the makeshift woodendders.
Making traditional woodendders posed a challenge that needed to be ovee drilling holes in wood. Inter times, drilling holes was rtively easy due to the avability of sharp tools designed for the purpose.
Now, facing this technical challenge without suitable tools, Han Cheng could only furrow his brow and ponder.
Recalling the previously sessful hand drill, after several attempts, he had to shake his head and abandon this method. The hand drill could be used for smaller holes, but manual drilling was ineffective when the required holes were toorge.
This couldn''t be solved by just using arger drill bit.
Stone was valuable, especially for primitive people and Han Cheng, who couldn''t smelt metals like copper and iron. After the failure of manual drilling, Han Cheng turned his attention to stones.
Since stones could be used to make stone knives and axes, there was no reason they couldn''t be used to make stone chisels.
Without further ado, Han Cheng instructed the people in the tribe to use the hard stones used for making stone knives, following his requirements to craft stone chisels.
The shape of the stone chisel was simple a round or t elongated stone pir with one end chipped away little by little to create a rough edge. Afterward, it was ced on arge stone while sprinkling water and grinding.
Sprinkling water during the grinding process had its reasons. The most crucial aspect was not dust control or cooling; water helped wash away the ground stone debris, maintaining the friction of the stone used as a whetstone.
The production of stone tools was a time-consuming task. The skilled hands made the stone chisel of someone in the tribe who excelled at crafting stone tools, taking three days toplete.
This person, known as "Mu Tou (Wood)" in the tribe, was not the wood you''d find in a forest. He was a grown-up man from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Originally living in the Green Sparrow Tribe before the people from the Pig Tribe joined, hisbat strength in the Green Sparrow Tribe ranked around fifth to seventh ce.
He was called "Mu Tou" because he didn''t talk much, and his appearance always gave off a wooden feeling.
Although seemingly wooden, when it came to crafting stone tools, Mu Tou''s skills were undoubtedly among the best in the Green Sparrow Tribe, as was the case with those whoter joined from the Pig Tribe.
This might be rted to his reserved personality, as crafting stone tools required patience for continuous grinding.
Therefore, everyone has their shining points. Feeling inferior everywhere is often due to only seeing the brilliance in others and not finding something suitable to showcase one''s strengths.
Things are not absolute and can be transformed in specific situations.
Just like Mu Tou, who couldn''t make a deal to save his life but excelled when it came to stone tools.
Han Cheng knocked for a while, then set down the stone chisel and the wooden stick in his hand, giving his tired hands a stretch and sighing.
The stone chisel wasn''t cutting it; it wasn''t sharp enough. It was okay at the beginning, but as the depth of the hole increased, the efficiency started to drop rapidly.
This whole thing left Han Cheng feeling frustrated. He just wanted to make some holes in the wood. Why was it so difficult?
Seeing Han Cheng drop the stone chisel, Mu Tou frowned. He looked worried, thinking that the Shaman was dissatisfied with the tool he had crafted. Without saying a word, he picked up the discarded stone chisel and continued to grind it against a stone.
Observing Mu Tou earnestly sharpening the stone chisel, Han Cheng felt a warmth in his heart but sighed inwardly. Stones, no matter how well polished, couldn''tpare to steel.
Of course, except for a diamond that could bankrupt a person with just one purchase.
Han Cheng watched as Mu Tou contemted and worked on the stone chisel. Despite eventually carving out a hole, it wasn''t what he wanted. It took too long, and ropes would be more efficient for a makeshiftdder.
As dusk fell, the Green Sparrow Tribe, tired from a day''s work, settled into a quiet night. The soft sound of snoring apanied the tranquil night, and the flickering light from a small fire cast shadows on the cave walls, making them appear unusually tall.
Han Cheng turned over, lying on his side, gazing into the cave that was now blurry, quiet, and different from the daytime.
His turning motion woke Fu Jiang, who was sleeping at his feet. Fu Jiang lifted his head, looked around cautiously, saw nothing unusual, then lowered his head, burying his nose under his tail, continuing his sweet dreams.
An idea suddenly appeared in Han Cheng''s mind, bringing joy and dispelling all the frustration. He became fully awake.
Fire.
He looked at the flickering me, his eyes focused.
Fire and water are the two most versatile elements. How could he forget?
The idea of using fire to create the holes he needed lingered in his mind, keeping him awake untilte at night.
Early the next morning, Han Cheng got up, exercised after washing up, and resumed his grand n to create the holes he needed.
Han Cheng was determined to see those holes created. It wasn''t just for thedder; it was also aboutying the groundwork for future endeavors, much like what he did with the hand drill.
In ancient times, when iron nails were not widespread, carpenters and craftsmen used the method of "" (mao, tenon joint) when connecting various tools and objects.
This seemingly inconspicuous hole held significant meaning in manufacturing tools and utensils.
Chapter 121: artificial respiration and Bone sucking Manic
Chapter 121: artificial respiration and Bone sucking Manic
The tribe had already started preparing food, and Han Cheng scooped up some charcoal from the burning fire with a broken y pot.
After some thought, he asked Lame, who hade over, to bring some dry branches and join him.
Arriving at the tree trunk where holes were drilled yesterday, he ced the charcoal from the pottery piece on the ground and used the dry branches brought by Lame to create a fire.
After the mes burned for a while, he used two wooden sticks to pick up a properly sized charcoal and ced it in the hole he had drilled in the tree trunk yesterday.
Once the charcoal left the fire pit, the mes immediately shrank, emitting a greenish smoke and giving the illusion of imminent extinction.
Having dealt with fire frequently over the past year, Han Cheng wouldn''t let it die out like this. He took a deep breath, puckered his lips, and started giving artificial respiration to the piece of charcoal in the wooden hole.
Of course, not the mouth-to-mouth kind; otherwise, Han Cheng''s lips would be ready to eat like sausages after a series of actions.
"Hoo."
Han Cheng squatted down, bowed his head, and blew the ethereal breath towards the charcoal in the wooden hole.
The charcoal, already turning ck, received Han Cheng''s divine breath, and many areas immediately turned red, regaining vitality.
It seemed that artificial respiration was indeed an essential skill for daily life. It could not only be used to save drowning girls but also sessfully rescue dying embers.
Revived by Han Cheng''s divine breath, the charcoal began to glow and radiate heat.
Its emotions were so intense that the wooden sticks beside it began to burst out fiery emotions.
Han Cheng was tearful watching the mortise gradually deepen and expand under the burning charcoal.
He had to cry. Damn, this stubborn tree trunk was too smoky, and it stung his eyes so much that he could hardly keep them open.
Han Cheng paused the artificial respiration on the charcoal that had already diminished significantly to prevent himself from tearing up before even creating a single mortise.
He stood up, looked around, and tried to find something suitable to use as a blowtorch.
Unfortunately, he didn''t find anything suitable.
If there were bamboo here, it would be great. Just punch through the bamboo joints. It would be an excellent blowtorch.
At this moment, Han Cheng deeply missed the bamboo forest in the vige from hister years.
It was a pity that Han Cheng had not seen any trace of bamboo after more than a year here.
Of course, this was also rted to the dangerous external world. He often stayed in the tribe due to safety concerns.
Without a suitable item, Han Cheng could only continue to be imaginative.
He focused on arge pile of bones umted in the tribe over the years.
Due to therge-scale production of bone shovels, many bones were consumed. Nevertheless, it didn''t matter. This didn''t prevent Han Cheng from finding a suitable bone for a blowtorch.
The bones used for bone shovels were t and sheet-like, while a blowtorch required long cylindrical bone rods.
Han Cheng found a bone about two to three centimeters in diameter and over twenty centimeters long.
He couldn''t discern which animal the bone came from, as everyone in the tribe had been eating fish since he arrived.
Taking a look, it was quite good. There were no damages, and the marrow inside the bone had also been poked and eaten to some extent. A little adjustment, and it would be ready for use.
Han Cheng found a thin piece of wood and began poking the hole inside the bone rod.
After poking for a while, there were light taps on the ground, and ck residues dropped from it. Han Cheng looked closely and saw a faint light, indicating that the bone rod had prated.
He rinsed the bone rod with water, ced one end against his mouth, and blew air. After trying a few times, he found the airflow was not smooth. Continuing to use a thin piece of wood to poke, followed by blowing air again, he tested the effect of venttion.
"Hmm."
Han Cheng raised his head confusedly, blowing air into the bone rod.
Because in front of him appeared two feet and arge bowl. The bowl contained steaming salty fish soup with generous green vegetables.
"Divine Child, have some soup. Is it not delicious?"
He looked up to see the familiar face of the Eldest Senior Brother. However, today, his face was cautious, like a child who had done something wrong.
He said this while offering the bowl, filled mostly with meat and a small amount of soup, to Han Cheng. At the same time, he extended his other hand, attempting to take away the bone rod still pressed against Han Cheng''s mouth.
The Eldest Senior Brothers behavior wasn''t strange. Initially puzzled when he first saw the strange actions of the Divine Child, he quickly understood.
The Divine Child was hungry.
Hungry enough to nibble on an old bone rod.
This was all his fault. If he hadn''t been so absorbed in his activitiesst night and woke upte this morning, causing the cooking to be dyed, the Divine Child wouldn''t have been hungry enough to eat this old bone rod.
Therefore, as soon as the salty fish soup was ready, the Eldest Senior Brother quicklydled a thick bowl and hurriedly brought it to the starving Divine Child.
"Soup isn''t delicious."
Han Cheng blinked in confusion, ncing at the Eldest Senior Brother, who seemed somewhat nervous and self-ming, and at the bone rod pressed against his mouth. Suddenly, he understood.
Han Cheng sniffled. Did he look like someone so hungry that he couldn''t resist an old bone rod?
"This, for blowing fire, not for eating."
Han Cheng quickly exined to avoid gettingbeled as a bone-sucking maniac and to relieve the Eldest Senior Brother''s guilt after understanding what was happening.
Looking at the Eldest Senior Brother''s eager eyes fixed on the bone rod, Han Cheng felt it wouldn''t be easy to shake off thisbel in the disciple''s eyes.
With the vastness of the sky and earth, eating was the most critical thing. Whether he was a bone maniac or not, Han Cheng decided to fill his stomach first before worrying about anything else.
Han Cheng washed his hands, grabbed the bowl, and began to eat heartily.
Not far away, the Eldest Senior Brother, holding a bowl of food, ate while asionally stealing nces at the Divine Child.
He had just tried to take away the bone rod because he was worried that the Divine Child might put it in his mouth again.
"Hoo."
Han Cheng puffed up his cheeks and continued blowing fire.
The blowtorch made from the bone rod was quite handy. It increased the distance between Han Cheng and the burning charcoal, preventing him from suffering the torment of smoke. Moreover, the blown air had a greater force due to the smaller hole in the bone rod. This made it more conducive to thebustion of the charcoal and saved effortpared to blowing directly with the mouth.
As the charcoal continued to glow and emit heat, the mortise on the tree trunk becamerger and deeper faster than when using a stone chisel.
However, a new problem arose. The areas that had already been burned continued tobust. At this rate, by the time Han Cheng achieved the desired depth, the mortise would be destroyed.
Chapter 122: The Miraculous Brain
Chapter 122: The Miraculous Brain
Han Cheng scratched his head in frustration. It''s just a mortise, and he had to make it soplicated. This is unbearable.
He removed the burning charcoal from the now deeper andrger mortise and extinguished the burning charcoal on the mortise wall. Then, he contemted a solution.
How can we ensure that the upper part, already burned, wouldn''t catch fire again while expanding the mortise with burning charcoal?
Water.
Water and fire are ipatible, and Han Cheng''s first thought was of water. He used a bowl previously used by several tribes during the joyful meeting, filled it with half a bowl of water, and dipped his hand to wet the upper half of the mortise that had already been burned. Then, he picked up a piece of burning charcoal from the nearby fire and put it into the mortise, followed by blowing on it.
The moment the burning charcoal was ced in the mortise, a sizzling sound apanied by rising white smoke urred. This was because Han Cheng had identally spilled water below during the water experiment.
After experimenting for a while, Han Cheng gave up this method. Not only was it easy to wet the lower part of the mortise when pouring water, but a crucial reason was that after burning charcoal for a while, the upper part of the mortise would dry up, and then it would start burning again.
At this point, what needed to be done was to wet the burning part with water again. However, this process was not smooth. It was either burnt by the burning charcoal, or too much water was poured, extinguishing the burning charcoal below.
Shaman, who didn''t know what Divine Child was busy with, walked over to inquire when Divine Child finally stopped.
Shaman, having understood Divine Child''s intention, was quite puzzled. He couldn''t understand why Divine Child had to exert such great effort to make another type ofdder with thedder already in ce.
In his eyes, the currentdder was already very good. It was convenient for going up and down and simple to make.
The huge significance of the mortise was something that Han Cheng couldn''t exin to Shaman because Shaman had never seen a variety of wooden tools.
After thinking for a while without a solution, Han Cheng stood up from the ground with a bone-made blowtorch, stretchedzily, and observed the lively tribe with Shaman.
The gate of the deer enclosure was open, and the deer enclosure was empty. The proud deer led its harem and descendants out to eat grass.
Now, Han Cheng and Shaman are no longer worried about this because, apart from the first few times when the deer forgot about time, dying the return, the rest of the days were very punctual.
The deer lord, who had gone from frugal to luxurious, hadpletely forgotten about the Salt Mountain and other ces.
In the rabbit enclosure, some rabbits were basking in the sun against the wall, some were eating grass, their three-petal mouths moving delicately. They looked gentle eating without showing their teeth, but their speed was exceptionally fast. In a moment, a piece of grass would be entirely eaten.
The reproduction speed of rabbits was terrifying. Even though Shaman personally dealt with a batchst autumn and early winter, by now, the rabbit poption''s size had exceededst year''s peak.
Seeing this group of rabbits, Shaman would have a face full of smiles. Just by looking at his expression, Han Cheng knew that he was reminiscing about the wonderful feeling of using a wooden stick to end the lives of rabbitsst autumn.
The enclosure walls were still being raised, and the western section of the gate was already more than half done.
Most of the adults in the tribe were contributing to this major project.
"p!"
Shang failed to catch it, and the dustpan, filled with mud, fell and hit Third Senior Brother''s head below, covering him in mud. Third Senior Brother, covered in mud, cried out in frustration.
Shang continued to exin something.
Third Senior Brother, with a head full of mud, looked quite ridiculous, making Han Cheng burst intoughter.
Third Senior Brother and Shang noticed that the Divine Child and Shaman were watching them, so they stopped andughed foolishly.
Han Cheng walked over and gestured for the Third Senior Brother to wash up.
Got it!
A light bulb went off in Han Cheng''s mind. He suddenly grabbed Third Senior Brother, who was about to leave and urged him to squat down.
The third Senior Brother was confused by Han Cheng''s actions, unsure of what the Divine Child wanted to do to him. Nevertheless, he followed the instructions and squatted down.
Without hesitation, Han Cheng quickly removed the mud from Third Senior Brother''s head, held it in his hands, and said to Third Senior Brother, who was touched, "Alright, go wash up."
Without waiting for Third Senior Brother''s response, he ran to the tree trunk with the mud in his arms.
Confused, the Third Senior Brother looked at the Divine Child, who happily left with the mud. He reached out and touched his head, covered in mud and full of doubt.
Could it be that there''s something special about himself, and when mud falls on his head, it turns into a treasure?
Han Cheng was delighted because he suddenly remembered how to solve this problem.
Han Cheng kneaded the lump of mud removed from Third Senior Brother''s head, then dug some out and smeared it on the upper part of the mortise.
After smearing it, Han Cheng rekindled the fire pit he wanted to extinguish, selected a suitably sized piece of charcoal, put it back in, and then used the blowtorch to blow air.
Shaman stood on the side, tilting his head, watching the Divine Child''s strange actions.
Han Cheng''s face quickly showed a smile because this method was surprisingly effective.
The mud blocked the direct contact between the wood and the me, and it wasn''t as troublesome as using water. Just smear the mud, and the rest will be taken care of.
After eliminating various disturbances, burning the mortise was not slow.
By the evening, four mortises appeared on the trunk at intervals of thirty centimeters.
Burning mortises with fire sped up the processpared to using chisels and had another advantage: the mortises were less likely to crack after being burned by mes.
Of course, chisels were still indispensable in the process of mortise burning. They were used to roughly shape the area where the mortise needed to be created, making it easier to burn with charcoal.
It took four days for Han Cheng to use this method to create eight symmetrical mortises on two wooden pirs that would bedders.
"Dudu dudu."
With the help of Lame, Han Cheng, holding various-sized wooden sticks, hammered them one by one into the mortises from bottom to top, from long to short.
The tree sticks were slightly thicker than the mortises, which could increase thedder''s firmness, preventing it from bing a shoddy job that would break at the touch.
After nailing eight mortises on one side of the pir with wooden sticks, with the help of Lame and Hei Wa, Han Cheng rolled the other pir with mortises on the ground for half a turn. He aligned the mortises with the eight wooden sticks one by one. Then, he let Lame, who had stronger strength, use a piece of wood suitable for striking to vigorously hit the outer side of the wooden pir.
With Lame pounding, the eight tree sticks slowly entered their respective mortises.
Ahem, don''t think too much.
Chapter 123: When I looked back, I had already embraced the towering giant tree.
Chapter 123: When I looked back, I had already embraced the towering giant tree.
The Lame''s eyes gleamed brightly as he circled the woodendder created by Han Cheng. While spinning, he asionally touched thedder and sometimes grabbed one end, lifting it and vigorously shaking it. The sturdydder remained unaffected, showing no signs of loosening.
The more he did this, the brighter Lame''s eyes became as he discovered a new direction. In the past, the only methods he knew for connecting two things were using ropes or vines that could be used like ropes. However, now, the Divine Child has created a remarkably sturdydder without tying with ropes.
For the passionate craftsman like the Lame, this aplishment wasparable to the night of adulthood, when he opened a new door to a whole new world.
"Divine Child!"
Growing more excited as he thought about it, the Lame released thedder and respectfully saluted Han Cheng, calling out with excitement.
This act of respect was how the members of the Green Sparrow Tribe expressed their admiration for Han Cheng. Even the highly respected Shaman rarely received such treatment.
The Shaman, too, was observing thedder. In his perspective, thedder created by the Divine Child was indeed more exquisite than those tied with ropes. However, it didn''t reach the level of excitement that would make him ecstatic.
The Lame wouldn''t be so thrilled for nothing.
This was the cognitive bias brought about by different professions.
For example, the y tablet that brought joy to the Shaman for inscribing words was just decent in the eyes of the Lame.
As an enthusiastic craftsman, Han Cheng mostly left thedder-making process to himself. He only provided guidance when there were certain aspects the Lame didn''t understand.
It''s worth mentioning that Han Cheng had already created a ruler.
With the increasing production of various items, there needed to be certain standards to ensure the aesthetics and easy recement of damaged parts. Additionally, Han Cheng wanted a rtively urate measuring tool.
The ruler was simple to make. He found some straight wooden sticks and removed the outer bark, leaving the white inner part. He estimated a length of ten centimeters first. Then, using this ten-centimeter piece as a standard, he extended it step by step to create rulers of one meter, one and a half meters, or even two and a half meters.
After estimating the distance of ten centimeters, he evenly marked the ruler with zero to ten, with numbersbeled at each centimeter. After finishing the markings, he rubbed a bit of wood charcoal on them, instantly making the initially unclear marks clear.
Likewise, using this ten-centimeter wooden stick as a reference, he urately marked other sticks of different lengths to the centimeter. He made another small vertical mark in the middle of each centimeter, indicating half a centimeter.
For the current Green Sparrow Tribe, uracy to the centimeter was already sufficient. Although Han Cheng''s estimated ten-centimeter distance might differ somewhat from the exact ten centimeters in the future, he wasn''t worried. His standard would be urate as long as he could maintain this standard and ensure that the rulers producedter were the same length as the initial ten-centimeter piece.
So, Han Cheng took great care to preserve the initially measured ten-centimeter wooden segment.
After discussing the importance of this tool with the Shaman and stressing its significance, the Shaman, not entirely grasping the Divine Child''s words, ced it on the sacred stone tablet in front of the totem pole, where the feathered crown and bone staff were kept. This ce was the holiest and safest in the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
The Shaman didn''t fully understand why the seemingly ordinary wooden stick suddenly became so important, but since the Divine Child regarded it with such gravity, it couldn''t be wrong.
Manufacturing rulers was a meticulous task that couldn''t afford any negligence. To craft these tools properly, Han Cheng dedicated several days, working continuously, before finallypleting the task.
However, rulers made from wooden sticks had shorings, particrly in length. They were suitable for measuring shorter objects, but they became extremely inconvenient to use once the length increased.
Therefore, the tape measure came into existence.
The materials for the tape measure were simple twisted ropes.
Han Cheng cut two lengths of rope, one measuring ten meters and the other five meters, both measured using the previously standardized ruler.
Starting from the beginning, every ten centimeters, he tied a small knot with a single strand of rope grass. At the one-meter mark, he used a thin rope made by twisting two strands together and tied arge knot. This perfectly solved the issue of leaving markings on the rope.
These two tape measures were mainly used to measurerge distances, such as the foundations of the courtyard wall and the gaps between house beams. They didn''t require extreme precision, and markings every ten centimeters were sufficient.
The finished tape measures were wrapped around short wooden sticks. When in use, they could be pulled out; when not, they could be wrapped around the sticks again.
To familiarize the tribe members with the concept of rulers and teach them how to use these tools, Han Cheng put considerable effort into exining, using numerous words to gradually make them ept and understand what rulers were and how to use them.
In understanding and using rulers, the fastest learner was not Stone, who had an innate talent for Chinese and characters, but Lame.
This might be rted to his engagement in weaving fish traps, rafts, fences, and other items over the past year. Since these things required specific dimensions, his frequent exposure naturally made himprehend and use rulers faster than the average person.
Next were Hei Wa, the tribe''s top potter, and then Shi Tou.
Among the people in the tribe, Han Cheng admired Lame the most.
Due to the injury to his leg, he had experienced the sorrow of bing a burden. Therefore, when Han Cheng appeared and brought him some hope, he clung to it desperately.
In this way, after more than a year had passed, looking back, it would be surprising to find that he had acquired so much, much of which far exceeded the abilities of an ordinary person.
Lame held a piece of charcoal in one hand and a one-meter ruler in the other, gesturing and muttering softly as heid it t on the ground against a wooden post. After a while, he would leave marks on the wooden post using the ck charcoal.
He appeared somewhat like a woodworker from the future.
He was finding the points where he needed to create mortises.
To manufacture a woodendder, the mortises on the two side pirs used to insert the crossbars had to align; otherwise, when it was time to fit the crossbars, they would either not fit or be loosely attached.
He was immersed in his work, unaware of the approving look in Han Cheng''s eyes as he stood on the side.
Chapter 124: The Painful Rapeseed
Chapter 124: The Painful Rapeseed
The weather was getting warmer daily, and things that had been silent throughout the winter were now enthusiastically bursting.
Of course, some had already burst forth, such as the Deer Lord, whose dull fur made it appear listless, and the members of the Green Sparrow tribe.
These days, Han Cheng likes to run to the west side beyond the enclosure whenever he has nothing to do. There, a vibrant green expanse unfolded under the warm spring sun, releasing its passionate vibes.
The warm sunlightzily enveloped the earth, creating a dazzling golden carpet of tiny, yellow flowers. They huddled together, forming a dreamlike tapestry.
Bees and various butterflies, having received news from an unknown source, buzzed around, arguing topete for the title of flower thief.
Han Cheng stood there quietly, watching, with a somewhat foolish smile.
Without deliberately taking a deep breath, the unique fragrance of rapeseed flowers naturally entered his nose.
It was as if he wanted to marinate the tribe''s chief in the fragrance of flowers, just like how the people of the Green Sparrow tribe marinated salted fish.
Han Cheng regretted not having a mobile phone to take a few beautiful pictures and share them on social media, but he had to ignore his current attire of animal skins.
"Woo, woo, woo."
Fu Jiang crouched on the ground, exerting force with all four limbs and pushing its butt backward to resist the shameless act of its master tying a rope around its neck.
Only after Han Cheng walked back and kicked its butt twice did this guy look at Han Cheng with resentment. It reluctantly stood up, drooping its head, and followed Han Cheng with a powerless demeanor, heading towards the sea of flowers.
There was a reason for Han Cheng tying a rope around Fu Jiang. This guy now followed him everywhere like a loyal dog. No matter where Han Cheng went, it stuck to him like glue.
When the rapeseeds began to bloom a few days ago, Han Cheng joyfully approached the rapeseed field to check the selected rapeseed nts earmarked for seed preservation. However, Fu Jiang was frolicking in the rapeseed field, knocking down a swath of rapeseed. Han Cheng, feeling heartache, refrained from the impulse to eat wolf meat that evening. Instead, he grabbed its ears and pulled it out of the rapeseed field. After kicking its butt several times, he decisively tied a rope around its neck.
Since then, every time Han Cheng visited the rapeseed field, Fu Jiang''s neck had to be tied with a rope.
Han Cheng deliberately left several paths for easy traversal in the rapeseed field.
Even though the rapeseeds had grown now, careful traversal was still possible. However, it was unavoidable to get some yellow pollen on the body.
Han Cheng stopped at the end of a flower path where two or three dozen rapeseed nts grew exceptionally robust.
Not only were theyrge, but their flowers were also denser and more brilliant than the average rapeseed.
These were the ones Han Cheng had selected after traversing the entire rapeseed field following the melting of snow and the resurgence of all things.
Out of so many rapeseeds, only they were selected, and their luck could be described as divinely chosen.
They were already quite strong when Han Cheng had plucked out all the surrounding rapeseeds. They grew even more robust withoutpetition from the same species for water and sunlight.
Moreover, aside from these privileges, Han Cheng also sprinkled some ash and manure around their roots after Han Cheng finished watering them.
Under such favoritism, if they didn''t grow vigorously, it would truly be a disservice to Han Cheng. After watering them with manure, he ate less for dinner that night.
Of course, too much manure could burn them, and moderation was key, a saying that seemed applicable in various situations.
Han Cheng''s height was still not tall; he measured himself with the ruler he made, finding it to be only 123 centimeters. There seemed to be a long way to go before reaching adulthood.
However, being short also had its advantages. For example, Han Cheng could kiss the radiant rapeseed flowers closely without bending over.
"If only I could grow taller, grow taller quickly," Han Cheng sincerely wished for the rapeseeds.
Of course, verbal encouragement was always hollow,cking practical substance.
A warm urine stream was Han Cheng''s best gift to them, but now it seems that Fu Jiang also contributed to it.
Leaving this ce, Han Cheng went to another area where rapeseed was also deliberately chosen.
However, unlike the previous ones, these rapeseeds were living in difort. Their lower leaves were gathered together and bound with ropes.
Under such harsh conditions, it would be strange if they could live happily. However, life, most of the time, was resolute and moving.
For example, these rapeseeds, subjected to Han Cheng''s severe treatment, still sprout flower stalks and bloom clusters of yellow flowers.
Han Cheng squatted down and pressed the leaves, bound together by ropes at the root of the rapeseeds. They still felt soft.
He couldn''t help but sigh. The journey to cultivate Chinese cabbage was still a long one.
Sighing wouldn''t help. Now, he didn''t have the advanced equipment of the future. Even if he did, he couldn''t create gically modified Chinese cabbage. He could only rely on this ancient method, generation by generation, to cultivate.
As for whether he could eventually produce Chinese cabbage, it depended on whether heaven would favor this unlucky time traveler or not.
But thinking a bit more, Han Cheng still found Chinese cabbage particrly tempting.
This thing had a high yield and was extremely storage-resistant, making it an essential food during the harsh winter.
Considering the Chinese cabbage from the future and looking at the current ancestor-level rapeseeds bound by spells, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniff, feeling like this was a "living in the year" series.
Despite Han Cheng looking unsteady, he was worried about the food problem.
Because relying solely on the fish in the small river wasn''t a long-term solution. Continually catching fish would eventually deplete the fish resources in the small river.
If the tribe couldn''t find a stable food source before the fish resources in the small river were insufficient to support the tribe''s consumption, the tribe would inevitably return to the days of constantly struggling for food.
Moreover, with the increase in the tribe''s poption, relying solely on hunting would make it difficult to feed so many people.
The Green Sparrow tribe would either move towards the path of dispersal or, like the Flying Snake tribe, divide the tribe into several parts in a semi-dispersed state. One part would hunt animals, and the other would hunt the remaining tribes.
Han Cheng didn''t want to go down either of these paths. Fortunately, whether it was because there were too few people who ate fish in the primitive era or because there were too many fish in the big river connected to the small river, new fish would quickly fill the void every time the small river rose.
This allowed Han Cheng to breathe a sigh of relief because it meant he would have more time to develop agriculture and animal husbandry.
Chapter 125: Wolf and Deer fight and harvest
Chapter 125: Wolf and Deer fight and harvest
Deer Lord also joined in. With its fondness for flowers, it wouldn''t miss the opportunity to indulge in the tempting disy.
When Han Cheng spotted the deer approaching, he quickly led Fu Jiang away. These twopanions were not ones to put a person at ease.
Deer Lord''s current look was quite cool. Not only did it have a face with a splint, but it also had ropes wound around its antlers and even a mask covering its mouth. It was a unique sight in the entire Green Sparrow tribe.
Of course, this mask wasn''t made of gauze. At this time, even if Han Cheng wanted to make a gauze mask like that, he couldn''t find the materials.
Under Han Cheng''s instructions, the Deer Lord''s mask was woven by the Green Lord tribe''s top craftsman, Lame, using rattan.
It was roughly bowl-shaped, with symmetrical ropes tied around the edges. When worn, it only needed to be hooked onto Deer Lord''s long mouth. Then, it wouldn''t fall off by tying the ropes slightly at the base of its antlers.
Such a thing was called a "cage head,"monly used for cows and horses, usually woven from broken bamboo strips in Han Cheng''s old hometown.
However, Han Cheng hadn''t found any bamboo, so he had to use rattan instead.
Fortunately, the effect was not bad.
This was evident by watching Deer Lord desperately trying to get its mouth on the rapeseed flowers but miserably failing due to the mask, with its tongue making loud noises.
Seeing this pitiful scene, Han Cheng couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. Could it be that Fu Jiang, this silly dog, was bing clever, using tactics where sacrificing oneself to kill the enemy?
Deer Lord, upon witnessing this scene, was furious. It grunted, grunted again, and spared the rapeseed flowers that were frightened by it. Lowering its head, it charged towards Fu Jiang.
These twopanions, who had fought countless times, were already familiar with each other''s tricks.
Fu Jiang, who had been poked in the butt many times by Deer Lord''s antlers, couldn''t let it seed. It swiftly dodged to the side, baring its sparse teeth at Deer Lord.
Feeling insulted, Deer Lord knew that Fu Jiang wouldn''t dare to bite it for real. After a failed attack, it immediately turned its head and charged at Fu Jiang again.
This wolf versus deer battle ended with Deer Lord being the clear winner.
The main reason was that Fu Jiang forgot it had a rope tied around its neck this time.
After dodging a few more times, the rope got entangled with Han Cheng, losing its maneuver space.
Having won the battle, Deer Lord walked away with a proud posture, its long legs and head held high. It seemed to have forgotten about having Han Cheng untie the troublesome cage head.
Fu Jiang looked at Han Cheng with extremely resentful eyes. If it weren''t for this stupid owner, it wouldn''t have been humiliated by that darn deer. Thinking about the experience just now, Fu Jiang felt pain in its butt.
Time passed bit by bit, seemingly slow, but looking back, it was always surprised with its speed.
When the tall gate of the Green Sparrow tribe on the south side waspletely raised, and the short walls behind it were only a short length away from being heightened, the flourishing rapeseeds could finally be harvested.
As withst year, before harvesting the rapeseed, Han Cheng directed the tribe''s people to clear an area called the "field."
The field is right in the courtyard of the Green Sparrow tribe.
The courtyard of the Green Sparrow tribe is spacious enough, and apart from the toilet, rabbit pens, and deer pen, there are no other structures, providing ample space for the field.
Han Cheng chose to locate the field near the west side of the main gate. This decision had its reasons. Firstly, when transporting the harvested rapeseed to the tribe would involve less walking. Secondly, during the rapeseed threshing process, there would be a lot of dust, broken grass, and other debris. cing the field near the main gate, far from the cave, would reduce the impact on the cave.
Moreover, the west side of the main gate''s wall has already been raised, so storing rapeseed there wouldn''t interfere with further construction.
Compared to the difficulty of opening the wheat fieldst year, this time, it felt much easier. Calling it a field feels awkward, but let''s continue calling it a wheat field for now, even though the Green Sparrow tribe doesn''t have wheat.
This is mainly due to the strong wind, which uprooted numerous treesst year. Han Cheng and the others only needed to level the ground and then tamp it down with stone bs or other t objects.
Considering that there is more rapeseed this year thanst year, Han Cheng also expanded the construction of the wheat field quite a bit to about fifty or sixty square meters.
For the rapeseed harvest, the couple Tie Tou and Ruhua are the main force, especially Tie Tou. During this period, he has be adept at cutting grass with a stone sickle; the same skill applies to rapeseed harvest. One person can harvest faster than two people.
Like harvesting thatch, the harvested rapeseed is ced in small piles nearby, tied with ropes and transported to the tribe''s wheat field.
Larger bundles of rapeseed are made for those with greater strength, while those with less strength make smaller ones.
Because there isn''t much rapeseed, not everyone in the Green Sparrow tribe is involved in the rapeseed harvest.
Han Cheng only drew a quarter of the workforce from those building the wall, plus the couple Hei Wa and his wife, which was already sufficient.
Han Cheng didn''t let others handle the carefully cultivated two patches, totaling less than two hundred rapeseed nts. Instead, he harvested them.
After harvesting, they were tied into bundles with grass ropes, four nts per bundle, then carefully hung on some branches on the west side of the tribe''s cave entrance to dry without mixing them with the rest of the rapeseed.
Not only were they not mixed with other rapeseed, but even these two patches of rapeseed were strictly separated during drying.
They may not look much different now, but they would be two major factions in Han Cheng''s anticipation.
One faction would develop towards the direction of Chinese cabbage, while the other would develop towards rapeseed with better taste and more seeds.
Of course, even if this n could seed, it would take at least seventy to eighty years.
Looking at the rapeseed hanging on the branches, exposed to the sun and wind, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sigh slightly. The road ahead is indeed long.
Thinking like this, he immediately smiled again. To encounter this primitive rapeseed at this time is already extremely fortunate. How can one be dissatisfied and proceed slowly when luck is so good?
If the direction is right, there will always be that sessful day.
Chapter 126: Wooden Fork
Chapter 126 ¨C Wooden Fork
The harvested and transported rapeseed did not go into a stack; instead, it was spread out on the threshing floor for drying. The weather had been good these days, with the warm sunshine making it ideal for harvesting and drying grains.
Taking advantage of the favorable weather, Han Cheng naturally took action. He urgently needed to dry the rapeseed while the opportunity was rare. If rain fellter, it would be troublesome. After all, this was not the modern era where stic sheets could cover the grains in the threshing floor during rainy days, waiting for the weather to clear.
There were no stic sheets avable, not to mention straws¡
Once it rained, besides rushing to transport some to the deer¡¯s enclosure for shelter, Han Cheng couldn¡¯t think of any other solutions.
A thickyer of rapeseed had already been spread on the threshing floor. It was quickly evaporating moisture under thete spring and early summer sun.
Han Cheng, who hadn¡¯t grown much in height yet, held a wooden fork and turned over the drying rapeseed. While turning, he also tried to loosen the rapeseed as much as possible, promoting venttion and elerating moisture evaporation.
With his right hand in front and left hand behind, Han Cheng used the wooden fork to stab some rapeseed. Then, with a little force from his right hand near the rapeseed, he lifted it slightly while simultaneously pressing down with his left hand behind. Leveraging the principle of leverage that could lift the Earth, these rapeseeds were naturally lifted effortlessly.
Then, based on this posture, he tilted the top of the wooden fork slightly downward, shook it a few times continuously, and the rapeseeds on the fork dropped sessively. He changed to a morefortable posture and continued enjoying the sunlight.
This was not considered difficult for Han Cheng, who had been ustomed to farm work since childhood. Even though he lived in a different era, using a wooden fork to turn the threshing floor was still just as handy.
It was ufortable for people like Mu Tou, who had just started to learn about these things. This strange stick, a ¡°wooden fork,¡± was not easy to use. They felt that they could do it faster with their hands directly.
However, the Divine Child forbade them from doing it that way. They had to use this strange stick to do these tasks.
Looking at Mu Tou and others awkwardly using the wooden fork to turn the rapeseed, Han Cheng couldn¡¯t help but sniff. Wasn¡¯t it said, ¡°Farming work doesn¡¯t need to be learned; just do it the way others do?¡± Why were these guys learning so slowly?
This made him sigh with a somewhat settled heart. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he walked to Mu Tou and others, conducting hands-on teaching.
Han Cheng made this wooden fork to wee the first harvested grain batch in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The structure of the wooden fork was very simple. It was a wooden stick about four centimeters in diameter and one meter five to six in length. At the top of the wooden stick were three forked sticks, each about the thickness of a thumb and around forty centimeters long.
The three wooden sticks were not in a straight line between the small wooden stick and the handle. They had a certain curvature, bending downwards after about ten centimeters of depth and extending forward.
Moreover, at the upper part where the three ¡°fork teeth¡± intersected, a small wooden stick protruded upward, about two to three centimeters long.
This was done to facilitate the wooden fork¡¯s ability to scoop enough rapeseed while preventing the scooped rapeseed from slipping off.
In Han Cheng¡¯s childhood in the future, when the wheat season was approaching each year, there would be many people selling wooden forks on the streets, along with long-handled brooms, iron sickles, rakes, straw hats, whetstones, and other items rted to farming.
The market was probably the liveliest at that time, except for the period before the New Year.
After all, every household needed to go out to the market, more or less procuring some things. Otherwise, finding time to go to the market once the wheat was harvested would be difficult.
In the future, most wooden forks will be made from mulberry wood. People who specialized in producing wooden forks generally had mulberry orchards, although different from the mulberry orchards for silk production.
There were norge mulberry trees in the mulberry orchards producing wooden forks; they were all small mulberry trees.
The mulberry trees were cut at the base in the first year, and in the second year¡¯s spring, many tender shoots would emerge.
After the tender shoots grew into normal branches, one or two straight and robust ones would be selected from each nt, while the others would be cut off from the base.
When these selected ones grew to one to two meters, the top of the mulberry tree branches would be cut off from about one meter fifty-six above the ground.
After the tops were cut off, new branches would sprout from there, and it wasn¡¯t just one branch.
After these new branches grew, the others would be broken off, leaving only three at approximately equal distances.
After some time, the three wooden bars about to be the ¡°fork teeth¡± would be transformed. They would be pinched into the required curvature and fixed. They would maintain this shape after growing for a while and not change back.
In this process, a small wooden peg at the intersection of the three ¡°fork teeth¡± would be left in a suitable position.
The mulberry wooden forks would be cut down when they grew to a suitable size.
Taking advantage of the fact that they hadn¡¯t driedpletely, they would be burned in the fire, improving the previously imperfect parts. When the mulberry wood cooled down, the previously shaped form would bepletely fixed, and no further changes would ur.
Afterward, the bark would be peeled off, tools like axes and nes would be used to refine it, and a wooden fork would be born.
Han Cheng had not been in this era for a long time, and he hadn¡¯t thought about making wooden forks until the rapeseed flowers fell, reminding him of this matter.
It was impossible to make a wooden fork like those in the future.
But fortunately, there were many trees in the primitive era. With some effort, he eventually found some usable ones.
Afterboriously chopping them down with a stone axe, he brought them to the outer side of the tribe¡¯s wall, lit a pile of fire, and called for the help of the hunchback, who was absorbed in burning holes on wooden pirs to make woodendders.
After burning, these wooden sticks were transformed into wooden forks.
Chapter 127: From Wooden Forks to Silkworms
Chapter 127: From Wooden Forks to Silkworms
The manufacture of wooden forks is essential because they can be used in many aspects of agriculturalbor, such as "turning the field," "lifting the field," and stacking oilseed stalks or other dry grass. With wooden forks, these tasks be more convenient and efficient.
For example, tasks like "turning the field," "lifting the field," and stacking oilseed stalks or other dry hay can be more convenient using wooden forks.
It is worth mentioning that, while apanied by his Eldest Senior Brother and Tie Tou, Han Cheng unexpectedly discovered the presence of mulberry trees when searching for suitable talent to make wooden forks in the nearby forest.
These mulberry trees are not much different from those inter generations.
This unexpected discovery made Han Cheng ecstatic, not because he found suitable materials for making wooden forks, but because he thought of the creature closely associated with mulberry treessilkworms!
The small, deeply imprinted insect on the Chinese nation, Han Cheng, has never felt so adorable.
Fed up with the airtight leather pants he wore, he longed to have an intimate item made of cloth.
People in this era cannot understand this kind of obsession!
In fact, over the past year, Han Cheng has also been looking for traces of hemp. Unfortunately, he has not found the wild hemp that grows everywhere inter generations. In sorrow, he continues to endure the leather pants that he detests.
After discovering the mulberry tree and associating it with silkworms and the making of silk pants, Han Cheng''s enthusiasm erupted, astonishing those who followed him, including the Eldest Senior Brother and Tie Tou.
Normally, climbing trees is not something Han Cheng excels at, but this time, he agilely climbed the tree like a monkey. Crawling through the branches, he kept looking around, hoping to find mulberry leaves with missing parts and those cute little creatures.
Unfortunately, the joy given to him by the heavens was false. After searching for a while, he found no trace of silkworms.
Unwilling to ept this oue, Han Cheng slipped down from the tree and bent over inch by inch, searching through the dry branches and fallen leaves on the ground, hoping to find some silkworm droppings.
Eating requires elimination, and with branches and leaves blocking the view from the tree, searching for silkworm droppings is unreliable. Han Cheng''s determination to find them on the ground was stronger.
The Eldest Senior Brother and Tie Tou, who followed him, looked at the eagerly searching Divine Child, squatting with buttocks exposed under the animal skin skirt, disying the hated leather pants, with a puzzled expression. They looked at each other, all wearing faces of confusion. Obviously, they couldn''t understand why the usually stable Divine Child was now acting in such a puzzling manner.
After being puzzled, the Eldest Senior Brother approached Han Cheng and asked what he was looking for. Eager to find traces of silkworms, Han Cheng kept his head down, searching urgently through the dry branches and fallen leaves.
Hearing the Eldest Senior Brother''s question, Han Cheng didn''t lift his head and simply said, "Silkworm droppings, silkworm droppings."
After hearing Han Cheng''s answer, the Eldest Senior Brother''s perplexity did not diminish. After a moment of confusion, his eyes suddenly widened, looking at the Divine Child, who was eagerly squatting on the ground, full of disbelief.
The Eldest Senior Brother didn''t know what the Divine Child meant by "silkworm." Still, the following word, "droppings," was not unfamiliar, especially since the Divine Child once used this to almost overturn the entire tribe
Now the Divine Child was eagerly looking for that "something" droppings again, this This
The Eldest Senior Brother dared not think further.
Following closely behind Han Cheng, not far away, he stared at Han Cheng carefully. He had prepared to stop the Divine Child promptly in case he showed any unusual behavior, even if it meant risking offending the Divine Child.
Fortunately, after searching all around, none of them found anything in the vicinity. The Eldest Senior Brother, who had been holding his breath, finally exhaled slowly.
However, as soon as he saw the Divine Child sitting on the ground with a heavy look of disappointment, the Eldest Senior Brother, who had just rxed, tensed up again.
From now on, someone should always apany the Divine Child to prevent him from doing anything irrational.
Han Cheng, immersed in the silk-making and pants-making affairs involving silkworms, only realized this two dayster. After learning about the situation from Heiwa, who had been following him for the past two days, not burning pottery and speaking vaguely, Han Cheng''s face was ck-lined. He kicked Heiwa''s butt several times before feeling slightly relieved.
However, when he looked at his Eldest Senior Brother, who was looking at him with some concern, Han Cheng still couldn''t help but want to go up and strangle him alive!
In these two days, the Eldest Senior Brother''s gaze towards him had a hint of concern, and Han Cheng also noticed it to some extent. He thought the Eldest Senior Brother was worried about his current distracted state and didn''t pay much attention to the matter rted to silkworms, nor did he exin.
It wasn''t until today, when he learned about the reason from Heiwa, that Han Cheng suddenly woke up!
Damn it, does he look like someone with a perverted hobby? This unscrupulous primitive man!
Thinking angrily, Han Cheng recalled his behavior in the past two days, especially the scene of squatting under the mulberry tree searching for silkworm droppings. He muttered reluctantly and decided not topete with the not-so-bright Eldest Senior Brother.
To whitewash himself and cover-up, he concocted a usible story and, on that very evening, called the Eldest Senior Brother into the inner cave to discuss the matter with the shaman.
What the Divine Child said sounded confusing for Shaman because these things were difficult for him to understand, having never encountered them before. What silkworms, silk, silk making, mulberry treesit was all baffling.
Expressing his confusion, Shaman nodded when the Divine Child said everything about thisplex chain of things was for making a fabric called "silk."
However, the Divine Child noticed that Shaman''s thoughts were not on this matter. When the Divine Child suddenly turned his head to ask him, Shaman looked surprised, then avoided eye contact with a somewhat evasive gaze. After that, he stammered, struggling to express a coherent thought.
The Divine Child understood what this guy was thinking at a nce.
"Come here!"
Han Cheng''s expression turned stern as he spoke to the Eldest Senior Brother.
The following scene would surely drop the jaws of anyone from other tribes who witnessed it.
This fierce tribal leader, upon hearing the child-like Divine Child speak to him in such a manner, not only did not get angry but obediently went over with lowered eyebrows.
Han Cheng kicked the Eldest Senior Brother''s legs lightly, not too hard. Instead of feeling upset, the Eldest Senior Brother became even more delighted. He intentionally leaned closer to make it morefortable for the Divine Child to beat him up.
He did this not because he enjoyed being beaten but because he realized he had misunderstood the Divine Child''s intention, and it was a rather serious misunderstanding.
In the eyes of the Eldest Senior Brother, epting punishment from the respected Divine Child was necessary. Only by epting the Divine Child''s punishment could he feel at ease. This psychological aspect is easy to understand. When you make a mistake as a child, the scariest thing is not getting spanked but your parents ignoring you.
The internal torment is the most unbearable.
The paddle hitting your butt gives you peace of mind because once you''re hit, it''s done.
Han Cheng noticed this after discovering the Eldest Senior Brother''s state and recalling his childhood experiences of getting spanked, so he decided to act like this.
From the current perspective, the effect seems pretty good. Didn''t this guy put on a smiling face after being kicked several times in a row?
Chapter 128: Taste from Childhood
Chapter 128: Taste from Childhood
After experiencing this incident, Han Cheng emerged from the initial two days of fervor.
Silkworms were important, but like elusive cabbages, they were not something to be rushed.
Not to mention that there were still no traces of silkworms found. Even if they were found now, it wouldn''t make much sense for Han Cheng.
Thisck of significance doesn''t refer to anything else, but even if there were silkworms, they had already turned into pupae. It would be more convenient to let them grow in the wild. When autumn arrived, and the leaves fell, Han Cheng could easily find the silkworm cocoons hanging on the bare branches of mulberry trees.
After all, silkworm cocoons, muchrger than silkworm droppings, hanging conspicuously on bare branches, would be much easier to spot.
Moreover, with rapeseed about to mature, making pitchforks was more urgent.
Perhaps because they had spread enough grass and wood ash in the first field of the Green Sparrow Tribe and also irrigated it with a lot of natural green manure made by the Green Sparrow Tribe, along with the nutrient contributions from rabbits and deer, and careful care from the Green Sparrow Tribe people led by Han Cheng, this year''s rapeseed grew exceptionally well. It was far superior to when it grew mixed with weeds in the wild.
With robust rapeseed, it was impossible to dry it all at once on the threshing ground.
After no idle space was left on the threshing ground, the newly harvested rapeseed, under Han Cheng''s guidance, was all piled up at the edge of the threshing ground.
Simr to storing hay, some logs wereid t on the ground to separate them, and then some branches were ced on the logs before stacking the rapeseed.
When there was not much rapeseed, one could simply drop the rapeseed held in the arms or carried on the shoulders here. When the rapeseed stacks were higher than the person transporting the rapeseed, a pitchfork had to be used.
Under Han Cheng''s tireless guidance, these people who had been learning for more than a day finally learned to use the pitchfork, at least not as unfamiliar as before.
As Ru Hua carried a bundle of rapeseed, she walked from the rapeseed field to the front of the rapeseed stack. She lowered her right shoulder, and the bundle of rapeseed on her shoulder fell to the ground.
She straightened up for a moment, then turned around and walked towards the rapeseed field, ignoring the rapeseed bundles on the ground. There would be someoneing to put them on the rapeseed stack.
Mu Tou, the person in charge of flipping the field, walked over with a peeled and white pitchfork in his hand.
With the right hand in front and the left behind, the pitchfork tines were close to the ground and inserted under the rapeseed bundle. Then, the right leg slightly advanced, and both arms exerted force. He lifted the rapeseed bundle.
Without stopping, he raised his right hand while the left hand pressed down on the pitchfork handle, bringing it down with a little force. In this way, the pitchfork, along with the rapeseed on it, exceeded the top of his head.
Mu Tou pushed his right hand forward while pushing down on the pitchfork with his left hand below. The pitchfork and the rapeseed on it would cross a small half-circle in the air and be ced on the high rapeseed stack.
When removing the pitchfork, he pressed it down a little and then pulled it out. This ensured that the rapeseed ced on the stack would not fall.
Under the cool breeze at the entrance, Han Cheng, enjoying the view, watched Mu Tou''s smooth movements and nodded in approval. Not bad, he''s a talent that can be molded.
Indeed, watching others do farm work while hiding in the shade isfortable.
This is the same principle as many people like rural life.
What they like about rural life is being clean,ing to the countryside, feeling the breeze of nature, smelling the fragrance of the soil, and then marveling at the old farmer constantly hoeing and weeding.
In the mood, perhaps they might evenpose a couple of poems to praise the beautiful pastoral scenery and envy the old farmer who can have all these intoxicating things.
Once immersed in rural life, spending a few days eating, living, and working with the old farmers, that sense of picking chrysanthemums by the east fence and leisurely viewing the southern mountains would immediately vanish.
Taking a few steps outside, Han Cheng looked at Iron Head and others bending over to harvest rapeseed in the rapeseed field. Then he nced at the threshing ground in the courtyard, where Mu Tou was flipping the rapeseed with a wooden fork. Suddenly, he felt a bit lost.
There was a feeling of returning to primary school,boring in the fields with the adults during busy farming times.
During the summers, when wheat was harvested, and in autumn, during the harvest of peanuts and corn, the school used to grant a week off to help families with the summer and autumn harvests.
Working in the field under the scorching sun, flipping wheat, or gathering the fallen wheat in the middle of the field, he had done a fair share of these tasks.
If, during those times, someone appeared riding a bicycle with arge beam, carrying a white foam box behind them, that would be the most joyful thing.
Opening the white nket wrapped around the stic box, a white mist emerged. Taking out a popsicle that cost twenty cents each and carefully licking it, it felt as if the scorching heat had disappeared.
Roasting slightly immature wheat with fire was delicious. In autumn, roastingrge green grasshoppers with fire was also tasty, especially the golden eggs inside their abdomen that had not yet been expelled. Eating them was a mix of vors, with a crunchy, bony chest full of chicken vor after biting.
Of course, sweet potatoes roasted with dried cow dung were a childhood delicacy.
It''s a pity, however, that one would never return to the childhood that required little worry and was easily satisfied.
Shaking his head, Han Cheng pulled his thoughts back from the past, storing all those memories in his heart and reevaluating everything that needed to be faced.
After over two days of flipping and drying, the rapeseed spread on the threshing ground had turned brown.
Without sturdy tools made from iron, even for a time traveler like Han Cheng, it was impossible to manufacture a stone roller for the threshing ground.
There was no other way, so people had to use a wooden fork to pat it down individually.
With each part of the fork, many rapeseed pods couldn''t bear the pressure, choosing to burst open and release the seeds they had been nurturing.
Under Han Cheng''s demonstration, Mu Tou and the others took wooden forks and patted the rapeseed in front of them. Then, they flipped it over and continued patting.
After another round of patting, they used the fork to lift and shake the maltreated rapeseed, making them loose. Then, they subjected them to the intense sunlight.
Meanwhile, Mu Tou and the others continued using wooden forks to pat the remaining rapeseed, ensuring even exposure to the sun. This method aimed to prevent uneven drying. Some slightly damp, resistant rapeseed pods wouldn''t give up their hidden seeds until thoroughly dried by the scorching sun and warm winds.
Chapter 129: Second Senior Brother’s Rake
Chapter 129: Second Senior Brother¡¯s Rake
"Pa, pa, pa."
After the sound of the wooden sticks cutting through the air, there was the sound of wooden forks beating on the rapeseed, mixed with the crackling of rapeseed pods and rapeseed seeds bursting out.
Mu Tou and several other people vigorously beat the rapeseed.
This is not an easy job. If it were easy, people inter generations wouldn''t use oxen and horses to do this work.
From noon until the sun was halfway down the west, the rapeseed in the drying field was thoroughly beaten.
Under Han Cheng''s guidance, Mu Tou and others picked up the beaten, battered, and empty rapeseed stems with wooden forks and piled them on the edge of the drying field.
One small detail needs special attention when doing this: after using a wooden fork to shake the rapeseed stems, they must bepletely shoveled away. This is to shake out the rapeseed seeds trapped in the empty stems.
After picking up the rapeseed stems, ayer of fine rapeseed pods and small, dark brown rapeseed seeds is left on the ground.
Han Cheng stepped on it with bare feet, sliding and tickling.
Mu Tou and others began to use a tool to gather these scattered seeds to the middle of the drying field.
This tool is themonly seen "Rake" in the future.
The so-called "Rake" is usually made of wood, with a structure simr to the nine-tooth nail rake of Piggy from The Journey to the West.
It consists of a wooden stick about one meter long connected to a rake head at the front.
The difference is that Piggys nine-tooth nail rake can exorcise demons and be used to plow the fields in Old Gaos Mansion. In contrast, this wooden "Rake" can only be used in the field.
Using a wooden fork can only roughly clear away the empty rapeseed stems, and many fragments will still fall.
Because the teeth of the wooden fork are few and sparse, with only three teeth, and there is also an old sparse tooth among them, the distance between each fork tooth is nearly twenty centimeters. It is difficult to clear these fragments.
At this time, it is the turn of the Rake to take the stage. It has many teeth that are densely spaced and is a good tool to deal with these fragments.
The construction of the Rake is simple, and it is not difficult to make.
Just cut a piece of wood about five centimeters in diameter and half a meter long. Then, use a stone axe to cut out four faces as much as possible. After that, drill a hole about one and a half centimeters in diameter every four to five centimeters on one of the faces. There are about nine holes in total.
Since the Green Sparrow tribe already has a hand drill, and Han Cheng came up with a way to erge the holes with fire when researching woodendders, drilling these holes is not too difficult for the Green Sparrow tribe. It just takes a little more time.
These holes need to be drilled through.
Afterpleting this step, find some harder, thicker wet branches with a diameter of about two and a half centimeters.
First, put one of the branches into the fire and roast about ten centimeters at one end. After waiting a while, remove it from the fire and bend it while hot. It needs to be bent into a not-too-curved arc. After cooling, release it while holding it. This branch will maintain this posture and not return.
This curved part is cut off, and then repeat the previous steps until nine wooden sticks with simr lengths, lengths, and curves are obtained before stopping.
This wooden stick is the teeth on the "Rake".
Of course, these teeth cannot be used directly and need further processing.
Make one end finer after peeling off the outeryer of burnt ck skin.
This task was difficult to aplish in the past.
At least, Lame, who frequently dealt with wood, felt that it would take at least two days to polish one end of these nine curved wooden sticks to the specifications mentioned by Divine Child.
However, what Han Cheng did next greatly exceed the expectations of Lame. Han Cheng didn''t use stones or other tools to polish the wooden sticks, as Lame expected. Instead, he put the wooden sticks into the nearby fire, letting the mes burn the end that needed to be polished.
Lame, with a mix of concern and anticipation, watched with unblinking eyes, hoping to witness another miracle and learn something new from the Divine Child.
The temperature of the mes quickly turned the bright white wooden sticks ck, and they started burning.
After waiting a while, Han Cheng took them out and quickly polished the burnt parts on the stones.
After being burned by the fire, the hardwood was easily dealt with, and theyer of charcoal left on the outside came off with a bit of polishing.
Watching Divine Child quickly polish the stick, which would have taken a lot of effort, Lame''s eyes lit up.
This method is notplicated, but why didn''t he think of it himself?
Feeling somewhat distressed, Lame joined in this novel polishing process.
After the teeth were polished, they were threaded one by one through the previously drilled holes in the wooden pir. First, thread the finely polished small head so therge head would get stuck in the hole, making it more secure.
The entire rake head waspleted after threading the teeth and smashing them firmly with a stone.
However, because it needed to be mounted on a wooden handle, a t, round-shaped mortise must be chiseled out in the middle of the nine rake teeth. These days, immersed in making woodendders and unable to extricate himself, Lame had already mastered the technique of chiseling mortises to perfection. For him, chiseling a mortise like this was a piece of cake.
The thicker end of the cut wooden handle was polished, inserted into the mortise, wedged firmly with a wooden wedge, and possibly the world''s first rake designed for agricultural production appeared.
Because the manufacture of the rake was quiteplicated, and Han Cheng remembered this matter when the rapeseed was about to ripen, the Green Sparrow tribe currently only had one rake.
Fortunately, the Green Sparrow tribe now cultivated a small amount ofnd, and one rake was enough for the current tasks.
After demonstrating how to use the rake, Han Cheng handed this brand-new farming tool to Qi Qiu (Balloon).
Qi Qiu was not a real balloon; he was a person.
He originally came from the Pig tribe. The reason he got such a name was not because he was particrly fat but because of how quickly he gained weight.
When he first joined the Green Sparrow tribe, he was skinny, without an ounce of flesh. However, his body expanded like an inted balloon after just a few months. Facing such a situation, Han Cheng gave him this name.
Once, Qi Qiu asked Han Cheng what is a balloon. Han Cheng resisted the impulse to tell him that he was something like a dder and instead said that it was a good thing.
Qi Qiu was very happy to hear that the great Divine Child said balloons were good things.
Looking at the ecstatic Qi Qiu, Han Cheng''s face suddenly twitched because he suddenly remembered that something not used for blowing, like a tool, was also called a balloon.
Chapter 130: Praise, like labor, makes people smarter
Chapter 130: Praise, likebor, makes people smarter
Qi Qiu, with a slightly plump body, felt very pleased. Following the method taught by the Divine Child, he held the previously unseen tool, called a "rake" by the Divine Child, and pulled it forward on the spread-out scene.
The nine curved teeth on the rake swept across the scene, removing some broken rapeseed stems. The small, dark-brown rapeseeds yfully avoided therge teeth, joyfully gathering together to observe this novel world.
Where the teeth had passed, small furrows were left behind, simr to ab running through.
Qi Qiu continuously extended and pulled back the rake in his hand. In front of him, a pile of straw had already gathered.
After sweeping through this entire area, Qi Qiu moved to another spot, repeating this simple yet immensely satisfying task.
He didn''t need to worry about the gathered stems. Mu Tou was nearby to pick them up with a fork and ce them on the side of the rapeseed stack.
Qi Qiu''s mood was, of course, joyful. The Divine Child not only gave him such a pleasing name but also entrusted him with the exclusive tool of the tribe for use. There was no reason for him not to be happy.
He worked hard, recalling the Divine Child''s demonstration and incorporating some of his understanding, striving to do this task even better.
Qi Qiu was willing to do this. He liked contributing to the tribe like everyone else. He would be happy for days if he could receive the Divine Child''s smiling praise.
While doing this task, he asionally thought about the past.
If this were in the past, he might be hunting in the forest with his former leader. But hunting couldn''tpare to thefort of doing this now.
Not only did he not have to worry about being bitten by wild animals, but there would also be delicious meat soup in the evening.
Thinking about the delicious meat soup in the tribe, Qi Qiu''s stomach couldn''t help but growl, seemingly impatient.
"Good, well done."
After Qi Qiu had swept the entire scene with the rake, he straightened his waist, supported the rake, and took a brief rest. His eyes were somewhat expectant, asionally ncing towards the Divine Child standing under the gate.
The Divine Child didn''t disappoint him. Seeing that he had finished the task, the Divine Child walked over, smiled, and praised him eagerly. Not only that, but the Divine Child also raised the thumb of his right hand towards him.
This made Qi Qiu even more excited.
Having lived here for so long, he already knew the meaning of this action. It was a praise higher than the words spoken earlier. Not many people in the tribe received such praise from the Divine Child.
Han Cheng''s praise was sincere because Qi Qiu had quickly mastered using the rake. Before finishing one field, he became more proficient than Han Cheng himself.
For such talents in the tribe, encouragement was necessary.
Seeing Qi Qiu being praised, Mu Tou and the others couldn''t help but feel envious.
Mu Tou looked at the situation on the rapeseed field, seeing that the taller stems had been shoveled away, and there was nothing left to shovel. He casually supported the wooden fork and began scratching his head.
As an elderly member of the Green Sparrow tribe, he had watched the Divine Child nt rapeseedst year and knew some general procedures.
However, there were very few rapeseedsst year, and the methods used to nt them were quite different. For example,st year, they used wooden sticks to beat the rapeseed and even let underage kids trample on them. But this year, they were using wooden forks.
After carefully recollectingst year''s practices and a thoroughparison with the current situation, Mu Tou figured out the next thing that needed to be done.
He looked at the Divine Child standing on the side, hesitated momentarily, then put down the wooden fork and picked up a broom. He started sweeping the scattered rapeseeds towards the center.
This broom, an essential tool, had already been manufactured by Han Chengst year. The people in the tribe were familiar with its purpose and usage.
The broom was made from grass that grew like a small tree in its first year. This grass had a dense and tough structure, making it an excellent material for makingrge brooms.
Of course, if you were to go into specifics, a broom made from bamboo would be even better. However, since bamboo was not found, they had to make do with what they could call a "firewood broom."
Han Cheng was delighted to see Mu Tou''s actions because it meant that Mu Tou had engaged in independent thinking and found a solution to the problem.
Reflecting on such matters yed a crucial role in human evolution.
Han Cheng smiled and gave a thumbs-up to Mu Tou, who used the broom to sweep the rapeseeds towards the center.
Mu Tou''s mood became extremely pleasant; he seemed right in thinking.
Thinking this way, Mu Tou worked even harder. He slowed down when he noticed that sweeping too fast would cause some rapeseeds to roll onto the already-cleaned ground. Remembering the method taught by the Divine Child while using the wooden fork to pick up rapeseed stems, Mu Tou had a sudden insight. While slowing down, he would shake the broom after each sweep.
After two shakes, he found that hardly any rapeseeds were being left behind. The smile on Mu Tou''s face became even more pronounced.
Life was like this, with countless small tricks waiting to be discovered, mastered, and passed down.
Mu Tou swept for a while but furrowed his brow again when he saw that the rapeseeds had piled up into a thickyer before him, making it difficult to sweep with the broom.
Seeing this scene, Han Cheng smiled because it meant he had another chance to show off in front of Mu Tou and the others.
Amused by this thought, Han Cheng took the rake from Qi Qiu''s hand, signaling to Qi Qiu and Mu Tou to watch his demonstration.
Han Cheng turned the rake upside down, with the nine curved teeth facing up, and pressed it against the thickyer of rapeseeds and smaller debris that Mu Tou had swept. Gripping the rake handle with both hands, he pushed it forward.
There was little opposition to the rake against the resistance that a broom couldn''t ovee. Han Cheng pushed it forward, leaving behind a half-meter-wide gap where the rake had passed. Only a thinyer of rapeseeds remained here.
The eyes of Mu Tou and Balloon lit up. Mu Tou hadn''t expected this problem to be solved this way, and Balloon had discovered a new use for the rake.
After demonstrating, Han Cheng handed the rake to the eager Balloon and then yed the role of a spectator.
The following scene was harmonious. Balloon used the rake to push the rapeseeds towards the center of the wheat field, while Mu Tou followed behind, sweeping the thinyer left behind by the rake. In their wake, there was a clean field.
This scene easily reminded people of the busy couples working in wheat fields in the future.
Chapter 131: The somewhat alarming production Book
Chapter 131: The somewhat rming production Book
"Huff, huff."
Encouraged by Han Cheng''s praise, Mu Tou energetically gathered all the rapeseed into arge pile. Holding a broom, he began to sweep back and forth, creating a breeze that blew away the fine impurities on top of the rapeseed pile.
Motivated by thepliments, Mu Tou was hopeful to receive more praise from Han Cheng. He remembered vividly that Han Cheng did it like thisst year.
The small impurities on therge rapeseed pile quickly disappeared, leaving only clean rapeseed.
Thinking he had done a good job, Mu Tou felt aplished, having cleaned so much in one go.
However, his sense of aplishment was soon reced by a furrowed brow because Han Cheng walked over and casually raked a section of the clean rapeseeds, revealing more impurities.
Mu Tou hurriedly used the broom to sweep them away.
This time, he learned quickly. Before Han Cheng could intervene, Mu Tou took the initiative to rake a section, only to find more dirt underneath the seemingly clean rapeseeds.
"Divine Child."
Mu Tou, who rarely spoke, looked at Han Cheng pleadingly. He was good at grinding stones, but when it came to pressing rapeseed, something unfamiliar to him, he felt a bit helpless. After all, unknown things tended to cause panic and unease.
Han Cheng walked to the entrance and felt the cool breeze of early summer. He beckoned to Mu Tou, who was still sweeping the rapeseeds, toe over and clean the area under the gate.
After finishing the cleaning, Mu Tou looked at Han Cheng, hoping to learn a new solution from him.
Just now, Han Cheng had sent Qi Qiu to get y pots, and now, holding two pots in his hands, he walked towards them.
He ced the pots on the ground and then looked at Mu Tou. Han Cheng wanted to see how Mu Tou thought he would use these seemingly unrted items to clean the rapeseeds.
Not making them wait for long, Han Cheng, with a not-toorge pot, scooped half a pot of rapeseed mixed with impurities. He walked to the gate, positioned himself sideways to let the wind pass, and started tilting the pot.
The rapeseeds inside formed a fine line as they slid down and fell onto the ground. The impurities, without any weight, were blown away by the wind, ensuring that only clean rapeseeds remained.
Initially, the rapeseeds bounced and rolled around as they fell, but as they umted into a round bread-like shape on the ground, they could no longer roll far.
Mu Tou and Qi Qiu watched this magical scene with admiration and a sense of enlightenment.
Mu Tou crouched down, carefully using his hands to pick up some rapeseed from the pile under Han Cheng''s feet. Even the ones turned over were spotless.
Han Cheng, observing Mu Tou and Qi Qiu standing on either side of the gate, shook his head slightly.
It wasn''t that they did a bad job. Rather, using a sieve would be more convenient and efficient, especially with no wind.
However, the current Green Sparrow Tribe couldn''t produce a decent sieve due to ack of suitable materials.
Tree branches could indeed substitute for bamboo to weave many things, but a sieve required a more refined mesh, something beyond the capability of tree branches.
If it were chopped into very fine pieces, itcked the flexibility of bamboo and would easily break with a slight bend. There was simply no way to weave it.
The current amount of cultivated crops in the tribe was scarce, and the current method could still be used as a makeshift solution. However, if the cultivated crops increased in the future, relying on the current method would be inadequate.
Han Cheng sighed deeply. There was too much to do, and now bamboo had to be added to the list in his notebook.
As the setting sun was about to dip below the horizon, the pile of rapeseed was finally processed. Clean and dry, it amounted to slightly over 60 kg.
Ideally, it shouldn''t have taken until now, but the wind was too unpredictabling and going intermittently.
Mu Tou transported the cleaned rapeseeds back to the cave, filling arge jar with nearly half its capacity.
Han Cheng estimated the yield and couldn''t help but shake his head. This one-acre plot would produce around 50 kg. This was just the freshly harvested wet rapeseeds; if dried, It might not even reach 35 kg.
With the expansion of cultivation in the future, this yield would further decrease. They couldn''t catch up with the current meticulous care, especially regarding fertilizer application, when the production expanded.
Han Cheng felt mncholic, but Shaman was exceptionally happy. He grinned widely as he looked at the pile of rapeseeds in the jar.
Of course, he was delighted. Last year, Divine Child only nted one pot of rapeseeds, yet the tribe had such arge field of rapeseeds. Fromst year until now, they have never run out.
If they nted all these rapeseeds this year, Shaman couldn''t imagine how many rapeseeds his tribe would have by harvest time.
Observing the jubnt Shaman, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniffle. In a contemporary setting, farmers would be worried about their harvest, especially when they couldn''t make enough money for pesticides and fertilizers.
Han Cheng chuckled at his thoughts. He couldn''t keepparing the present with the future. The current yield was already good, considering theck of advanced technology, pesticides, fertilizers, and improved crop varieties.
"Take it slow," Han Cheng said to himself. After all, a system didn''t force him to establish any civilization. He didn''t harbor ambitions of conquering multiple primitive tribes to unify the world. He simply wanted to make his own life and the lives of his tribe better.
Thinking about it, Han Cheng exhaled and told himself that heaven had been kind to him. After all, he didn''t end up in a cannibalistic tribe upon arrival. Otherwise, given his initial state, he might have ended up inside some nt by now.
Hei Wa didn''t participate in harvesting rapeseed or building the wall. He had other tasks to handle.
As the warm sunlight spread across the ground, the small river flowed gently, reflecting the sunlight and appearing glittering.
Fish yed in the water, and a few of them were visible.
A red dragonfly hovered over the area, seemingly flying effortlessly with wings that couldn''t be seen moving.
When it got tired, itnded motionless on a dried stem sticking out of the grass at the riverbank.
Unfortunately, no lotus roots were seen. If they were there, Han Cheng would have recited a line from a famous poem: "The little lotus has just revealed its pointed tip, and a dragonfly has alreadynded on it." This would have been much earlier than the poet Yang Wanli, who wrote this poem, lived.
This was much more impressive than your average historical transmigrator.
The riverbank wasn''t all t; there were small hills present. On a small hill closest to the tribe, a wisp of smoke rose, and Hei Wa was busy there.
Chapter 132: Earthen Kiln and Tiles
Chapter 132: Earthen Kiln and Tiles
"Rising from the ground, emitting a bluish smoke, is a round y pir, approximately 1.3 meters tall, with an internal diameter of 1.2 meters and an external diameter of 1.6 meters.
This hollow y pir is covered on top by tworge ceramic tes, each covering half of the pir. Below the tes are broken pottery pieces, creating a gap of about two centimeters between the tes and the pir.
The bluish smoke and mes emerge from the edges of these tes and the seams where the two tes connect. This is not a signal beacon used for warnings like a beacon tower; instead, under the guidance of Han Cheng, the master potter of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Hei Wa, after several failed attempts, managed to create this kiln.
Originally, the y kiln was not built here but about a hundred meters away, closer to the river, for convenient ess to water and y. However, after heavy rain and a rise in river water levelsst year, that kiln copsed and became unusable.
Learning from that experience, Hei Wa spent nearly ten days rebuilding arger kiln about a hundred meters from the riverbank. This location is farther from the small river and at a higher elevation, so it remains unaffected even during heavy rains, making it a wise choice for the kiln''s construction.
After several experiments and guidance from the shaman, Hei Wa discovered some tricks for building a sessful y kiln. First, he dug a pit about 90 centimeters deep, one meter long, and 90 centimeters wide in the chosen location for the kiln.
He erected a wall about half a meter high in the middle of this pit using previously made y bricks mixed with well-prepared mud. On top of this wall, he ced three slender and sturdy wooden sticks every ten centimeters. The other ends of these sticks rested on the edges of the pit.
In the past, when the kiln was smaller, there was no need for this wall; the sticks were directly ced on the sides of the pit. Now that the kiln isrger, these sticks would not withstand the weight over time without the middle wall.
There''s no worry about the sticks being burned by the mes because they are covered with a thickyer of y. Three sticks form a group, and they are coated with mud after bundling them together. The reason for using three sticks is twofold: it increases load-bearing capacity and allows more mud to be applied outside. If there''s only one stick, applying mud on top is challenging.
Once this is done, the construction proceeds to build the walls. Following the same process, when the wall in the pit bes level with the ground, more sticks coated with thick y are ced on top. Thisyer is denser than the one below because it will support the y embryos to be firedter. The construction of the kiln''s base isplete, and the remaining work involves building the walls with y.
Simr to building walls within the tribe, the mixture includes crushed straw and some salt. Based on past experiences where kiln walls tended to crack, Hei Wa added some sand collected from downstream using jars.
It''s worth mentioning that adding salt to the wall construction is a deliberate action."
After some contemtion, Han Cheng found that the previous approach was too salt-consuming. Therefore, he made a change.
Instead of purified salt, he decided to crush the salt from the salt mountain and mix it directly with the y. This method proved to be more efficient and saved a lot of effort.
Layer byyer, Ha Wa stacked the well-prepared y. To ensure the kiln''s shape was round, he used two wooden sticks forparison one measuring 1.2 meters and the other 1.6 meters.
This technique, taught by Divine Child, was initially applied to resolve the issue of irregrly shaped pottery. It became handy for Hei Wa in building the kiln walls.
As the kiln walls were made purely from soft, well-prepared y, every thirty centimeters of height required lighting a fire underneath to solidify the walls before continuing to build upwards.
Approaching the y kiln, which emitted bluish smoke, one could feel a wave of heat even from about ten meters away. With y-covered hands, Hei Wa busied himself near somerge, t stones.
He pinched some fine dry soil from a pottery jar nearby and evenly sprinkled it on the stones. Then, he ced a wooden frame with a thickness of about half a centimeter on top.
The frame was made by breaking a tree stick in the middle, creating a somewhat flexible structure, and binding it at the joints with twine. The broken side faced inward, while the arched side faced outward to ensure a smooth edge for the pottery.
The frame was not a standard rectangle but a trapezoid with one endrger than the other, creating a 1.5-centimeter difference between the top and bottom. This design allowed for seamless connections when the tiles wereid.
Initially, the frame was a standard rectangle, but Hei Wa sessfully fired the first batch of tiles with Divine Childs help, oveing the curvature issue.
Seeing the tiles, which Divine Child referred to as "wa," Hei Wa was pleased. Divine Child said that these tiles could be used to build better houses than the deer enclosures, and everyone in the tribe could eventually move out of their caves and into these houses.
Though Hei Wa didn''t understand why Divine Child wanted to move out of the caves, his hopeful expression made him realize that these houses must be morefortable than the cave they lived in for generations.
Besides the housing reason, another source of Hei Was joy was that he hadpleted the task assigned by Divine Child, and Divine Child, looking at the tiles he had fired, showed a delighted expression.
This was undoubtedly the best approval for his craftsmanship, and Hei Wa was naturally delighted.
However, his joy did notst long because Divine Child suddenly put them down, sighed, and pped his forehead after ying with two pieces of tile for a while.
This made Hei Wa worry whether Divine Child was displeased due to the quality of the tiles he had fired.
Hei Wa''s craftsmanship was indeed outstanding. Although it was his first time firing tiles, with his prior experience in many pottery, the tiles turned out very sessful,parable to the small tiles he had seen in Han Cheng''ster years.
Of course, this overlooked the w that the tiles had the same size at both ends. Having tiles of the same size at both ends meant gaps would appear when two tiles were stacked together. Using such tiles for roofing could easily lead to leakage.
After some adjustments, the mold used for making tiles evolved into its current form.
Chapter 133: Earthen Kiln and Tiles 2
Chapter 133: Earthen Kiln and Tiles 2
Hei Wa ced the tile mold on a t stone scattered with fine, dry soil. He pulled a fist-sized piece of well-prepared y from the nearby pile.
After kneading it in his hands, he ced it in the mold and pressed it with his palm to fill the entire mold with y. Next, he scraped off the excess y using a simrly split wooden stick, making the tile look more even and symmetrical.
Hei Wa smoothed the surface further by running his hand over the stick, scraping off y that returned to the pile, and moistening his hands from a water-filled pottery jar. He began to rub and smooth the surface, transforming the initially rough appearance into a sleek finish.
Hei Wa lifted the mold, bringing the y tile along with it. Due to the dry soil scattered underneath, there was no issue with the y sticking to the stone, making it easy to lift the mold.
After removing the mold, he used his hands to moisten the other side of the y tile. Without standing up, an assistant standing by carefully took the mold with the y tile and ced it next to a row of logs about five meters away.
After waiting a while, allowing the outeryer of water on the y tile to dry, Hei Wa lifted the mold, tilted it, and tapped it. The y tile woulde out of the mold and fall into his waiting palm.
The resulting y tile was a t piece, which became individual small pottery tiles when ignored, dried, and fired in the kiln. However, these differed significantly from the curved tiles that Han Cheng needed.
Han Cheng and Hei Wa spent considerable effort experimenting and failed attempts to figure out how to turn these t tiles into curved ones. After numerous cycles of trial and error, they finally found a solution.
The solution was rtively simple: find some tree branches with simr thickness, roughly the same length, and somewhat round, cing them not too far from the kiln. Lay the t y tiles on these branches horizontally, wait for half a day, and then lift them. The originally t tiles would now have a curvature.
After applying a bit of dry mud to the branches, the assistant carefully ced the y tiles vertically onto them. After ensuring that the previously ced y tiles had hardened and would not deform when picked up, the assistant took them down.
The tiles were leaned against the logs, facing the sun.
Afterpleting these tasks, Hei Wa took back the mold. To increase efficiency, ten molds were made for tile production. This way, the assistant can remove the mold with the y tiles, and Hei Wa''s time is not wasted.
Since Han Cheng had already made a ruler, there was no need to worry about different mold sizes.
After working on the tiles for a while, Hei Wa noticed that the fire beneath the kiln had dimmed. He stood up, walked to the kiln, and added thick, arm-sized logs from a nearby woodpile.
The wood underneath the kiln was not directly piled on the ground but ced about half a meter above the kiln''s bottom. It was supported by wooden sticks covered with a thickyer of y, preventing the logs from falling.
Initially, there was no such structure when attempting to build the kiln, and the wood was directly piled on the ground. However, the mes could not reach the required intensity.
Recalling the structure of his earthen stove, Han Cheng redesigned the kiln.
After adding wood to the kiln, Hei Wa circled to one side, using a wooden stick to pry one of the tworge ceramic tes, creating a slight opening. Through the crack, he peered into the kiln.
The intense heat rushed out through the gap, hitting his face. The temperature inside the kiln was somewhat intimidating.
Inside, a vibrant red glow enveloped the surroundings. The y tiles, initially in their raw state, transformed into a dazzling bright yellow under the continuous and intense heat of the fire.
Squinting slightly, Hei Wa nodded in approval. He used a wooden stick to close the opened ceramic te,pletely covering the top of the earthen kiln.
With the kiln now fired up, there was no need for further concern. The wood below would burn out naturally, and the kiln would cool down.
Han Cheng approached, observing the smoking earthen kiln. He nced at Hei Wa, making y tiles, the various y molds nearby, and over a thousand tiles not far away. A smile appeared on his face.
The heightening of the walls was almostplete, and soon, they could start building houses. It wasn''t unrealistic to move into arge-tiled house before winter arrived.
Initially considering building thatched houses simr to the deer pen, Han Cheng changed his mind. Seeing that Hei Wa could produce suchrge ceramic tes used by the shamans for recording, creating smaller tiles shouldn''t be a problem.
Tiled houses were undoubtedly sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing than thatched houses.
However, due to manual production, the tile output was not high. Hei Wa and his assistant could only produce a little over a hundred tiles daily, including the y preparation.
However, over time, many tiles could still be obtained.
"Divine Child."
Hei Wa casually raised his head to find that Han Cheng hade over at some point. He stood up and respectfully greeted him.
Han Cheng waved, indicating Hei Wa to take a break before continuing his work.
Hei Wa obediently walked over.
Turning around, Han Cheng looked into the distance. A tall wall was being built not too far away, with someone vigorously pounding it with a wooden stick.
Due to the distance, the person''s face was unclear, but a highly aesthetic silhouette was visible.
Tie Tou cut thest batch of rapeseed with a stone sickle, cing them neatly on a pile in the rapeseed field west of the courtyard wall. With the stone sickle in one hand and the other on his waist, he stood straight, looking at the empty rapeseed field with a smile.
The setting sun dipped half the sky in red.
Returning from grazing, the Deer Lord led its herd as if stepping out of the radiance. It stretched its neck and made a melodious call, adding a serene atmosphere.
Not far away, only the remaining embers of the kiln emitted faint blue smoke.
Han Cheng ced the two y tile nks he held in a nearby shed, stood upright, and gazed at the tribe gradually bing more lively, a tranquil joy enveloping his heart.
Chapter 134: Fragrance
Chapter 134: Fragrance
The rising sun cast its morning glow, apanied by a chilly breeze that made the shaman wrap his fur coat tighter.
Wrapped in the fur coat, the shaman''s hands didn''t immediately withdraw. Instead, he let them glide up and down, savoring the smoothness of the fur and the softness of the hide.
The technique resembled the one used when he crouched near the rabbit pen, plucking a rabbit with distinctive dark eye circles by its ears and cing it on the pen wall. He then ran his hands from the head down to the short tail.
Initially, the peculiar-looking rabbit vigorously resisted such a demeaning act. However, how could its resistance matter to the shaman, who exuded a formidable aura? The shaman continued plucking the rabbit''s fur,pletely absorbed and unable to resist.
This clever rabbit, learning the wisdom of embracing change and enjoying what couldn''t be resisted, gradually became calm and even addicted to such events.
Now, whenever the shaman approached the rabbit pen, this rabbit actively approached him, willingly subjecting itself to the shaman''s hands.
The shaman''s hands continued their rhythmic plucking, seemingly unable to control his fascination with the fur.
In theory, the shaman, who had dealt with fur since birth and had worn animal hides for a lifetime, shouldn''t behave like this. After all, he should be ustomed to the hides he wore.
However, the shaman''s hands continued their movements, and he lowered his head to examine the fur closely as if this hide was significantly different.
Indeed, these hides were distinct from the previous ones, the main reason being that these hides underwent a process tanning.
Feeling the smooth and soft hide on his body, the shaman couldn''t help but recall the scene from a few days ago.
Divine Child entered the inner cave from outside, walking unusually.
Before Shaman could inquire, the Divine Child removed the fur wrapped around him, discarded the garment he called "pants" something only he was willing to wear and threw it onto the sleeping area. Then, he bent down and blew cool air.
The shaman vividly remembered stretching his neck to take a nce. The Divine Childs little bird had be swollen and red.
Seeing this scene, the wise shaman understood exactly what had happened.
He smiled wryly, shaking his head slightly to indicate that he didn''t quiteprehend the Divine Child''s actions.
Since these "pants" were ufortable and could cause harm, why wear them? Wrapping oneself in a single piece of hide seemed much simpler.
Thinking this way, the shaman casually tugged at the torn hide skirt, covering up what was exposed.
Divine Child, who was so intelligent, couldn''t change his perspective on this matter.
The Divine Child, who usually disliked staying inside the cave, had remained there for a long time.
Initially, he blew cool air toward his little bird, butter, he sat there, staring at the discarded fur pants not far away, lost in thought and motionless for a long time.
Unaware of the Divine Child''s dilemma regarding the pants issue and worried about the situation, he put down his stone pen and walked over to call Divine Child a few times.
However, just when he was about to do that, the Divine Child, who had been sitting still, suddenly bounced up.
First, there was a burst of heartyughter, and then the Divine Child eximed, "Got it, got it, hahaha, got it!"
Without waiting for the bewildered Worried to approach and inquire, the loudly shouting Divine Child suddenly fell silent. He swiftly picked up the discarded fur pants from the side and ran out like the wind.
Shaman stood in a daze momentarily, then hurriedly rushed outside, eager to see what was happening with the Divine Child. His behavior was so peculiar,pletely contrary to his usual calm demeanor.
Before he could step outside, the Divine Child sprinted back, grabbing the previously discarded hide and wrapping it around his lower body.
After hastily securing it, he ran out again.
Imitating the Divine Child, Shaman sniffed a bit and then followed suit, wanting to understand what had happened to the Divine Child. Why was he behaving so strangely today, deviating from his usualposed manner?
When he stepped outside, the Divine Child was busy filling arge basin for dissolving salt with wood ash.
After filling almost half the basin, he added water and stirred it with a stick.
Once the mixture was well-stirred, he waited for the cloudy water to clear, then scooped the water from therge y basin into the Divine Child''s usual foot-washing basin.
Watching this somewhat familiar scene, Worried suddenly realized that the Divine Child must have received instructions from God and found a way to create something new.
In the past, the Divine Child used a simr method to extract delicious salt from unappetizing stones. What could he extract from wood ash this time?
As Shaman stared wide-eyed, deciding to observe and record everything to write on y tabletster, the Divine Child threw the piece of fur he held into the basin.
He used a stick to push it to the bottom of the water and ced a small stone on top, preventing it from floating, seemingly afraid it wouldn''t drown.
This unexpected scene left Shaman astonished. What kind of grudge could lead the Divine Child to treat something this way?
Soon, he remembered the Divine Child''s reddened little bird that had been rubbed. Shaman found his answer.
However, after this realization, a new doubt arose. Why did the Divine Child want to submerge this in water to vent his anger? It could simply be pressed into regr water. Why go through the trouble of using water filtered with wood ash?
Watching the Divine Child, Shaman waited until he returned to his usual self before asking.
The answer he received was that it made the tough hide soft.
Shaman still couldn''t quite understand. The hide wasfortable when worn as it is now, so why make it soft? Besides, wouldn''t it harden again after drying even if softened with water?
The shaman wanted to tell the Divine Child about this result but restrained himself, remembering the miraculous things the Divine Child had created. He realized he had misunderstood, and this happened three dayster.
On the second day, the Divine Child retrieved the fur pants soaked in water for a day and night. After thoroughly washing them in clean water, he hung them on a tree branch in the courtyard to dry.
Shaman''s emotions wereplex as he watched the Divine Child asionally touch the pants. It was the kind of feeling where he knew the pants were likely to harden again but also felt a sense of anticipation for the mixed emotions the Divine Child might bring.
Shaman''splex emotions disappeared when the Divine Child wore the dried fur pants and cheered, leaving only joy. The Divine Child once again did something beyond the reach of ordinary people, not disappointing anyone.
However, amidst the joy, Shaman felt that this matter wouldn''t significantly impact the tribe. He believed that whether the hide was soft or hard, it made no difference when worn.
Shaman touched the soft and smooth hide on his body and a genuine smile on his face. Wrapped in thefortable hide, he was reluctant to take off and had already selectively forgotten his initial thoughts.
Chapter 135: Fragrance 2
Chapter 135: Fragrance 2
Han Cheng lifted the softened fur pants and wrapped them around his body. Despite the early summer, the morning air still carried a chill, making it necessary to take precautions for warmth.
With his petite frame, Han Cheng naturally couldn''tpare to his senior brothers working shirtless whilepacting the soil.
As the weather grew hotter each day, Han Cheng began adjusting thebor schedule of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Mornings started a bit earlier, and they would immediately start building the wall after washing up.
While some worked on raising the wall, those responsible for cooking in the tribe started preparing meals with the food gathered by the Eldest Senior Brother and his men.
After about an hour ofbor, they would break for a meal using the pre-prepared food. This way, they could endure less of the scorching heat and rest more during mealtime.
Starting early in the morning allowed them a longer break, around noon. The midday break would gradually extend as the days grew longer and hotter.
Han Cheng''s intention wasn''t to overwork theborers. Unlike Zhou Papi, who crowed like a rooster and woke up earlier than chickens, Han Cheng did all this to make life in the tribe safer and morefortable without rushing too much.
One needs to move forward in life, but one should not only focus on rushing forward. While on the journey, asionally pausing to admire the scenery is necessary. Otherwise, when looking back in old age, there might be regrets.
In any case, Han Cheng had returned to primitive times and no longer needed to worry about houses, cars, or wives every day. Slowing down a bit and enjoying a more leisurely life seemed reasonable. After ridiculing the busyness of the future Han Cheng, who couldn''t sleep or eat, he soon realized that he seemed to need to worry about houses, cars, and wives.
The house was under construction, and the car wasn''t needed yet, so temporarily, there was no need to worry. However, a wife was a big problem.
Thinking of the generally sturdy-looking women of the primitive era and recalling the grand celebration, Han Cheng''s face turned bitter. It was a real dilemma. Without a house, he could build one; without a car, he could slowly build one. But a wife couldn''t be built slowly by himself.
Even if he could pluck a rib, like in the old saying, he didn''t have the power to give her divine energy.
Forget it. Let''s set this matter aside for now. We''ll figure it out slowlyter.
Han Cheng loosened the fur pants and looked at a part that hadn''t developed much in the past year. He sighed with a sense of mncholy, reluctantly putting aside this problem that had troubled him for two lifetimes and would continue to do so.
He didn''t wander around the wall. His senior brothers were already familiar with the wall construction and didn''t need him to direct them.
At this moment, he stood beside the earth kiln not far from the stream, enjoying the joy of opening the kiln with Heiwa, intending to dilute some of the sadness in his heart.
Hei Wa was already an expert in this field. Walking to the side of the earthen kiln, he reached out to touch the kiln wall and the y tiles. Then, he ced his hand in the gaps to feel the temperature. He gestured to his assistant to join him, and together, they lifted the two y tiles covering the kiln, cing them aside where they wouldn''t be in the way.
As the two tiles were lifted, a small cloud of dust scattered from the kiln into the air. Han Cheng waited momentarily, then walked to the wide-open kiln, standing on a stone to peer inside. The kiln was filled with neatly arranged ck tiles, mostly undamaged, with only asional halves broken.
It was unclear if the damaged tiles were due to uneven heating or if they were ced in the kiln without drying properly.
Hei Wa and his assistant approached, their expressions slightly disappointed at the sight of broken tiles. After all, Hei Wa considered himself the top potter of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and it had been a while since the Divine Child visited this kiln. To have such an issue ur on the day of the kiln opening was somewhat embarrassing for him.
Han Cheng praised Hei Wa, and a smile finally appeared on Hei Wa''s face.
Han Cheng appreciated Hei Wa''s attitude. Many technological advancements resulted from artisans scrutinizing details and continuously seeking perfection.
Han Cheng, Hei Wa, and the assistant left the kiln together. The tiles were not toorge, measuring fifteen centimeters in length and between ten and twelve centimeters in width. Each tile weighed around 300 grams, and Han Cheng could carry about ten tiles simultaneously.
The newly fired tiles had ayer of fine ash on top. Wiping it away with their hands revealed the true color of the tiles, a deep ck simr to the y pots in the tribe, darker than the small tiles Han Cheng was ustomed to inter years.
Some pottery made from y fired in different ways could be red, a color Han Cheng had not encountered yet. When he had some free time, he thought of asking Hei Wa to explore nearby areas for such y. Finding it would add variety to the tribe''s pottery, preventing the colors from being too monotonous.
Han Cheng sent a broken tile flying with a flick of his hand. It glided about ten meters before crashing onto a pile of damaged pottery, producing a few crisp sounds and shattering further.
Even broken pottery could be useful. They could be smashed with stones and added to the y when making pottery again. This would result in sturdier pottery less likely to break during firing.
Han Cheng carried a stack of ten intact tiles to a nearby tile pile, adding them to the ones he had previously arranged. Then, he walked back to the kiln to transport more tiles.
Some necessarybor still needed to be done. Firstly, it provided a good workout, and secondly, it kept him from being too idle.
Initially, with many tiles inside the kiln, Han Cheng could reach in and take them out by himself while standing on a stone. However, as they continued moving tiles, the quantity inside decreased, and he had to receive the tiles from Hei Wa or his assistant.
Due to his small stature, even standing on a stone, he couldn''t reach the tiles at the bottom.
After over a year in this ce, Han Cheng had long epted that his limbs were still small.
The kiln was filled with more than five hundred tiles this time. By now, they had produced over sixteen hundred well-fired tiles. Looking at this pile, Han Cheng felt even more eager for the uing house construction.
Chapter 136: Earth breaking for Houses
Chapter 136: Earth breaking for Houses
Today, Han Cheng seemed very happy, and Shaman also appeared energetic. Not only them but the entire Green Sparrow Tribe was enveloped in an inexplicable excitement and anticipation.
At the beginning of spring, many of them had gradually learned from the words of the Divine Child or others that the Divine Child intended to build something better than the deer pen, called a "house," for the tribe''s people to live in.
The house was more spacious than caves, cleaner, and brighter inside. Moreover, it was warmer than caves in winter.
The concept of cleanliness was vague to them before the Divine Child arrived. Sometimes, they would consciously or unconsciously do some cleaning, but it was not systematic.
After the Divine Child arrived, they were taught to brush their teeth, wash their faces, bathe, clean animal skins, and sweep caves. After doing all these things, they realized this was what cleanliness meant.
Clean and tidy things always lookforting, and primitive people were no exception.
If Han Cheng had talked about cleanliness when he first arrivedst year, adding this advantage to the promotion of houses, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe would have had little understanding. They might even wonder what cleanliness was and whether cleanliness could fill their stomachs.
But now, things were different. Even without Han Cheng''s words, there was no one in the tribe who would deliberately make themselves dirty.
Of course, except when working.
Even if they got dirty while working, they would bathe in the evening. It was unlike before when they didn''t know if they could bathe once a year.
After learning about the many benefits of houses, they naturally had great expectations for such a good ce to live. However, the Divine Child said the walls needed to be raised before they could start building the houses. So, they could only look forward to it and asionally fantasize about a house better than the deer pen.
After such a long period of anticipation, the walls were finally built, and the Divine Child was finally going to lead everyone in building houses. How could they not be excited?
Even the Senior Brothers and others actively requested to shorten the rest time, changing the three days after building the walls to just one day.
Under the gaze of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng, who had only seen the construction of houses but had never been involved, calmly measured the foundation with the rope-made tape measure he had made earlier, with the assistance of the Lame.
Those in the Green Sparrow Tribe who didn''t know the truth gathered around, looking at him with admiration as if he were a Divine Child who knew everything. Lame, who was helping out, was so excited that his face turned slightly red. Once, he almost stumbled and fell.
"Here."
Han Cheng pointed to a small mark on the ground using a wooden stick wrapped with a tape measure, then turned around and said.
The Eldest Senior Brother, following along, quickly brought over a stick that was more than a meter long, with a diameter of two centimeters, one end burnt ck and sharpened in the fire.
He aimed the pointed end of the stick at the mark Han Cheng had just made and held it vertically with one hand while using the other to hold a stone and hammer it down.
After a few hits, this straight stick stood firmly in ce.
Four sticks appeared on this open ground once this wooden stick was nailed down. Following Han Cheng''s instructions, the Eldest Senior Brother connected these four sticks with a thin rope, forming a space that was ten meters long and five meters wide.
"Dig."
Han Cheng said again.
The people waiting on the side with bone shovels immediately took action. Divided into four groups, they started digging along these four lines.
While Han Cheng worked with Lame to measure thend, dividing the north-south rectangr space evenly into three sections, the foundation''s position waspletely determined after nailing four wooden stakes and pulling two lines.
This house was located on the west side of the cave entrance, about ten meters from the mountain wall.
When the house waspleted, just like the cave''s orientation, it faced north to south, which was conducive to capturing sunlight.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were already skilled in using bone shovels, making digging amon task. By the afternoon, several 40 centimeters wide and 40 centimeters deep trenches had been excavated.
Since they were digging along the lines, there was no need to worry about irregrities in the trenches.
While the Senior Brothers excavated the foundation, those who couldn''t do the digging were not idle. Under Han Cheng''s arrangement, they were preparing for the next step.
Instead of cutting wooden sticks or grinding wooden stakes, they went outside to find stones.
After thinking it over, Han Cheng felt that the walls built when constructing the deer pen, with mud smeared outside the wooden nks, were not sturdy enough. So, he wanted to change.
"Snap, snap."
Han Cheng ced several stones in two woven baskets made of tree branches.
He lifted one basket toward this side, adjusting the distance between them.
Then, he took the long t pole leaning against therge rock from one side, threaded it onto the handle made of curved wooden sticks, and ced it on his shoulders, with one woven basket on each end. The middle of the pole was on his shoulder.
In a half-squatting position, Han Cheng half-extended his arms, holding onto the pole. He pressed one hand against one woven basket to prevent it from sliding inside.
Then, he exerted force, standing up from the ground.
The baskets filled with stones were very heavy, bending the pole slightly, and as Han Cheng walked, they swayed up and down.
Han Cheng had mastered the technique of carrying things, walking in rhythm with the swaying of the pole.
This way, he could save some energy, and the things on the pole were less likely to fall.
Currently, they were carrying stones, so it wasn''t very obvious. But if it were carrying water in y pots without mastering the technique, by the time they walked from the river to the tribe, half of the water in the pot might be spilled.
Han Cheng did not carry the stones into the tribe. Instead, he came to the west side of the wall, put down the pole, and threw the stones one by one toward the wall with force.
This was not because Han Cheng wanted to show off his strength by practicing throwing stones or intentionally not carrying the stones to the side of the wall. Instead, it was because the protective trench on the outside of the wall had taken shape with the increasing height of the wall. Carrying stones down to the trench and climbing up again was too troublesome. It was easier to throw them directly.
When there was a pile on that side, they would use the previous method to load these stones onto the baskets, pull them up with a rope, and ce them inside the wall.
Of course, this was only for stones that were not toorge. If the stones were too big, they could only carry them around the wall from the back of the mountain, enter the courtyard from the south gate, and then walk north to ce the stones where the houses were being built.
In this way, they had to walk at least twice the distance, so when looking for stones, they tried to find ones with appropriate sizes.
Chapter 137: Something happened
Chapter 137: Something happened
Because the main force in the tribe has been busy building the wall, the others have been busy harvesting green grass, oilseed rape, collecting tree branches, weaving basket heads, and burning tiles. Moreover, the task of using stones toy the foundation was newly assigned by Han Cheng, so there hasn''t been time to collect stones.
This has caused the houses that the Green Sparrow Tribe eagerly wanted to build to halt just after digging the foundation.
After collectively spending a day and a half transporting stones, they finally started building the foundation.
The stones brought in a day were not enough toplete the foundation, but it eased the urgent situation.
With this pile of stones, three skilled masons, following the method taught by Han Cheng, tried to arrange the uneven and different-sized stones as neatly as possible to make them sturdy.
Large stones outlined the general contours, smaller ones were used to fill gaps as needed, and for the remaining crevices that couldn''t be filled with stones, they used bone shovels to scoop up well-prepared mud to fill them. In this way, a solid foundation was formed.
The three who stayed to build the foundation were the Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and another person who originally belonged to the Pig Tribe, all men.
Building a wall with irregr stones required good eyesight and coordination and a fair amount of strength to constantly lift or flip the stones to ce them in the right positions. Men naturally had an advantage in this task.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others only knew how to use stones to polish tools or use them as throwing weapons. The idea of using stones to build a wall had never urred to them.
Under Han Cheng''s guidance, they immediately felt this method was good. The stone wall looked more solid than a mud wall, and the stone walls were not afraid of wind and rain.
Many people felt a sudden enlightenment, realizing that stones could be used for such a purpose.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others had already performed outstandingly when building the deer shed and the wall. Their learning ability was not as poor as imagined; theycked exposure.
In addition, over the past year, having done many simr tasks and with Han Cheng guiding them, they quickly adapted to this method ofying the foundation with stones.
This is probably what they call "learning by analogy."
The three of them built the foundation while the others searched for and transported stones, ensuring that progress was not dyed.
On the west side of the hill where the Green Sparrow Tribe was building caves, there were many scattered rocks. The rocks here were hard, mostly ck or with a hint of green basalt.
Some basalt rocks even had many holes, and Han Cheng knew that this was caused by the entrapment of air during the flow of magma during the initial volcanic eruption.
Most of the stone tools owned by the Green Sparrow Tribe were made from materials selected here.
This time, Han Cheng wanted to use stones toy the foundation, and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe also transported stones from here.
After a long period of making stone tools, many scattered stone fragments were here.
An ident urred.
A man from the Green Sparrow Tribe, while using a carrying pole to transport two halves of a basket-headed stone towards the west side of the tribe''s wall, suddenly had the carrying pole break. The two basket heads fell to the ground, and some stones rolled out, hitting his left foot. Arge piece of skin was knocked off the sole of his foot, and the big toe and second toe turned a deep shade of purple. These two toenails were bound to fall off.
Fortunately, the stones fell to the ground first and then rolled onto his foot. Otherwise, Han Cheng felt that the Green Sparrow Tribe would have a fourth person who becameme.
Gathering seven Dragon Balls can summon Divine Dragon, but gathering seven limps
Han Cheng thought about the appearance of seven people walking together with one leg each and felt it was better not to gather them. Although the Green Sparrow Tribe, due to the increase in various tasks, wouldn''t be disabled or burdensome like if someone lost a leg, it was still better to avoid injuries if possible. Even though the weather was getting hotter daily, it couldn''t bepared to winter. Wounds were easily infected and inmed.
Previously, many people in the Green Sparrow Tribe died from infections caused by wounds. Liang remembered this clearly because his mother died from a foot injury when she identally hit her foot while making stone tools, and it slowly rotted away.
The wound on his mother''s foot was not as big as the one on his foot.
Liang sat on the ground, holding his injured foot, shivering. Part of it was because of the pain, but more of it was thinking about his mother.
Han Cheng came over upon hearing the news, saw Liang''s injury, and breathed a sigh of relief. Such an injury would heal after resting for some time. It didn''t reach the bone, so it wouldn''t significantly impact.
"Don''t be afraid, it''s okay."
Seeing Liang shivering and shedding big tears, though he found it strange that this primitive man couldn''t endure pain and even shivered from such a small injury, Han Cheng still smiled andforted him.
Han Cheng then instructed two people to lift Liang and return him to the tribe. He walked around nearby and pulled out a few green, slightly fat nts with thorns on the leaves and a nt with a purple flower on top. He called it Thorny Bud, not knowing its scientific name.
This nt had excellent hemostatic effects. When he cut his hand while mowing grass as a child, he would pluck some Thorny Bud leaves, rub them, and cover the wound. The bleeding would stop quickly.
This nt had another use, which was faking death.
Pluck the purple flowers on the Thorny Bud, put them in your mouth, chew, and soon, a color very simr to blood will appear. Even the tongue and teeth would be stained.
Shouting, "Little devils,e, grandpa''s back after eighteen years, once again a hero!"
Then spitting out blood in a way that seemed extremely tragic and righteous. Han Cheng used to do simr things a lot when he was a child.
Seeing the smile on the Divine Child''s face and hearing the words of the Divine Child, Liang, who was still in fear, remembered the time when the Divine Child revived the withered flowers in winter, calming down a bit.
Like a beam of light, the Divine Child''s appearance broke through the fear that had tightly enveloped him.
The Divine Child will find a way.
Fearful Liang told himself this was not the first time.
After returning to the tribe, Han Cheng ordered someone to boil water and add salt to it.
"This might be painful."
Han Cheng said to Liang, who wasn''t trembling as much.
Liang nodded forcefully, indicating that the Divine Child could do as he pleased, as he was already prepared.
The intense fear of death and the strong desire to survive easily allowed him to ovee the pain of sprinkling salt on the wound.
With water at around sixty degrees Celsius, Liang''s foot was cleaned of stains. Han Cheng repeatedly washed therge wound on the sole of Liang''s foot, and the strong stimtion caused Liang''s foot to involuntarily arch upwards.
The blood had already stopped somewhat and returned to its previous flow rate with Han Cheng''s cleaning and Liang''s movements.
Chapter 138: Once again broken carrying pole
Chapter 138: Once again broken carrying pole
After washing with saline solution, Han Cheng initially considered applying the stinging horn buds to Liang. However, considering the hot weather and the risk of infection in the wound, he realized that a simple saline solution might not be sufficient to achieve the desired effect.
In Han Cheng''s eyes, every member of the Green Sparrow Tribe was a precious asset, and he didn''t want them to suffer injuries. After some thought, he approached Lame, who was weaving thettices of the wickerwork.
The weaving of wickerwork often used slender and flexible branches such as willow branches and thorny branches. Due to willow trees upstream, most of the wickerwork in the Green Sparrow Tribe was made from willow twigs.
Han Cheng picked out two willow branches from the pile of twigs, broke them, and ced them in a boiling y pot. After boiling for a while, he poured out the slightly greenish-yellow liquid from the willow branches. After waiting for it to cool, he used the willow branch water to clean Liang''s wound.
Inside the bark of willow trees, there was an element simr to a majorponent of an antibiotic inter times. Though Han Cheng had learned about these things in the ssroom a long time ago, he had forgotten the specifics, but he remembered that willow branch water could be used to prevent inmmation.
After washing again with willow branch water, Han Cheng picked up the stinging horn buds he had brought back, plucked off the leaves, and kneaded them in his hands.
While kneading, he couldn''t apply too much force; otherwise, the small thorns on the edges of the stinging horn buds'' leaves might prate the flesh.
Although Han Cheng''s hands had developed a somewhat thick callus, it was still not thick enough to withstand these small thorns.
The stinging horn bud, which was subtly oozing a greenish fluid, was applied to the wound on Liang''s foot. After this brief dy, the blood, which was not flowing rapidly in the first ce, quickly stopped.
"Stay seated here. Don''t move around," Han Cheng instructed Liang, pointing specifically to the swollen injured foot, indicating that special attention should be paid.
Liang, who was originally trembling with fear, had stopped shaking. Over the past year, having witnessed numerous miracles, they had developed a blind trust in Han Cheng.
While Han Cheng was performing the procedure, Shaman continued to observe from the side, thinking about recording the resultster.
As for Liang''s injured foot, Shaman was even more concerned than Liang himself. In the past, more than one person in the tribe had died due to wounds bing infected and festering.
When Han Cheng mentioned that doing this would significantly reduce the chances of festering wounds, Shaman, who was always concerned about the tribe''s continuity, listened carefully. However, he did not directly seek confirmation from Han Cheng but wanted to see the results from Liang.
In the days that followed, in addition to idly watching the rabbits eating grass near the rabbit pen, Shaman added another task to his routinekeeping an eye on Liang''s injured foot.
Just as Han Cheng had finished treating Liang''s foot and hadn''t taken a few breaths, another problem arose.
The carrying pole broke again.
This time, it was Shang whose carrying pole broke. Fortunately, having learned from Liang''s experience, Shang had been attentive while picking things up. When the carrying pole broke and the wickerwork fell, he agilely dodged to the side, avoiding being injured by the stones.
The Green Sparrow Tribe became somewhat uneasy, with one mishap after another, leading them to believe their actions had angered the gods, bringing cmities upon them. After all, activities such as building houses and using stones for walls were unprecedented for them.
Even the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother came to inquire of Han Cheng, their faces marked with anxiety and fear.
The transportation of stones and the construction of foundations stopped once again.
Frowning, Han Cheng examined the two broken carrying poles. He did not believe this was a punishment from the gods, even though he still carried the title of a Divine Child.
The poles did not break in the middle; instead, they fractured at grooved sections on both ends.
These grooves were meant to secure the carried things, preventing them from swaying.
Han Cheng had someone fetch an intact carrying pole for closer inspection, and his frown deepened. He had identified the issue.
The grooves at both ends of the carrying pole were much deeper and wider than before, and the surface textures fractured.
Such carrying poles should not break under the strain of carrying stones.
Han Cheng''s concern stemmed from the fact that he remembered the grooves on the carrying poles being shallow before. Now, they had expanded to this extent.
Shang was the only person capable of modifying the carrying poles to this degree, a carpenter and a weaver.
Han Cheng summoned Shang for an exnation, and Shang appeared nervous, fearing punishment from the deity due to his mistake.
Through a somewhat stuttered ount, Han Cheng finally understood the situation. Previously, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s carrying poles were only used for carrying water. The ropes were thin and soft, and shallow grooves sufficed.
However, with the introduction of the wickerwork, the carrying poles seemed somewhat inadequate.
The shallow grooves could not amodate the thick, hard, inflexible, semi-circr handles of the wickerwork, causing the wickerwork to frequently slide, making the task ufortable.
People sought out Shang, responsible for crafting these items. As Han Cheng was busy overseeing the harvesting and drying of rapeseed, Shang took it upon himself to make modifications, using a stone chisel to deepen and widen the grooves. After these adjustments, the wickerwork no longer slipped.
Previously, the carrying poles were used to carry rtively lightweight items, so no issues arose. However, now that they were tasked with transporting stones, problems immediately surfaced.
Finding the cause of the issue, Han Cheng was about to exin it to the people, asking them not to panic. However, he changed his mind.
Looking at the anxious Green Sparrow Tribe members who regarded him as their backbone, Han Cheng felt it was necessary to instill some rational thinking in them. He believed they should not harbor or blindly follow such superstitions about the gods.
While present, he would ensure the tribe did not fall into superstitions. However, what if he had not been aroundter? Would someone take advantage of the situation?
This matter was challenging to address because Han Cheng currently bore the halo of a Divine Child. If he made everything clear, it could adversely affect him and the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng was troubled and unable toe up with a good solution.
Watching him with aplex and troubled expression, the onlookers, who had always seen the deity as omnipotent, grew even more anxious. Some even considered moving all the stones back and abandoning the construction of houses with stones.
Chapter 139: God and Devil
Chapter 139: God and Devil
"This is not the wrath of the gods," Han Cheng said, holding a broken carrying pole in front of the crowd.
As soon as he spoke, the anxious crowd immediately felt somewhat reassured.
"The gods will not obstruct our progress towards a better life. They are willing to see us living in warmth and enjoying delicious food," Han Cheng stated with unwavering conviction.
"Hoo," the shaman breathed a sigh of relief.
Of all the people, the shaman was the most uncertain about this matter. He knew he had never sessfullymunicated with the gods. Moreover, due to revealing the secret of stones, he seemed to have discovered some secrets of the gods that he dared not contemte.
"It''s not the wrath of the gods. That''s good. It''s not the gods causing trouble. That''s even better. Otherwise, I don''t know how to deal with it," the shaman thought.
"Why, then?" The shaman pointed to the broken carrying pole in Han Cheng''s hand, then gestured towards the cave entrance and Liang''s injured foot, asking Han Cheng with some hesitation.
Han Cheng responded, "This is the work of demons. Demons do not want us to live a good life, to have an abundance of food. They create many hardships on our journey."
As soon as these words were spoken, the previously somewhat calmed Green Sparrow Tribe members became fearful again. They looked at their Divine Child with unease, hoping to receive protection and a way to drive away the demons.
The shaman, in particr, was extremely nervous. Driving away demons was his duty as a shaman, but he knew he could not do so.
"Demon, we must use our wisdom and hands to ovee," Han Cheng said, pointing to his head and patting his hands.
The shaman sighed in relief again because his greatest fear did note true. The deity did not ask him to expel demons but provided a unique solution.
The gods only bring benefits to people. Anything beneficial to human survival and development is the work of the gods. Anything harmful is the mischief of demons.
Against demons, there is no need to offer sacrifices and seek mercy. Instead, one should use wisdom and strength to ovee difficulties and progress towards a better future.
After much contemtion, this was the solution Han Cheng came up with. It affirmed the existence of the gods, portraying them as embodiments of justice. It also avoided excessive superstition and provided a way to ovee difficulties through one''s wisdom and strength.
Although this kind of thinking might seem simplistic, it was sufficient for the people of this era. It was the best because it was suitable.
As this kind of thinking permeated through the tribe, the people would not be as lost and uneasy as they are now when faced with difficulties. They would attribute these hardships to demons and then use their wisdom and strength to ovee them, defeating the demons.
The history of human growth is a process of contending with the heavens and the earth, utilizing one''s wisdom and strength to ovee challenges. The growth of an individual is no different.
"Can we defeat demons?" someone asked in somewhat unpolished Mandarin, eyes filled with disbelief and a hint of anticipation.
"Yes," Han Cheng answered firmly.
"Demons caused trouble by making our carrying poles break. So, we will use our wisdom and hands to make the carrying poles even sturdier," Han Cheng said. After finishing his words, he called the uneasy Lame to find a suitable tree trunk. He split it in half using a wooden stick and a stone knife.
After adjusting the stone knife, he used a hand drill to create holes at the center of the carrying pole, about two centimeters from each end. Then, he brought two hooks made when making ropes with hooks.
After folding a piece of rope and threading it through the holes in the carrying pole, he securely tied a hook at the end of each side. Under the watchful eyes of the Green Sparrow Tribe, a modified version of the carrying pole, which was more versatile than the original, appeared.
Since the hooks at the bottom were V-shaped, they could adapt to various sizes, as long as they weren''t overlyrge, securely holding the load. Han Cheng intentionally left the connecting rope between the hook and the carrying pole a bit longer, making it convenient for users to adjust the height of the hooks based on their height and the height of the goods they were carrying.
The improvised carrying pole Han Cheng made earlier had been improved long ago. However, he had been preupied with many other considerations and hadn''t noticed this issue until today''s incident.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. If it weren''t for this incident, Han Cheng might not have realized the need for cultural and ideological construction within the Green Sparrow Tribe. This was the way life worked filled with surprises and challenges, one after another.
Perhaps people would experience distress, fatigue, and boredom, but when truly idle, they would feel a sense of emptiness.
Holding the newly crafted carrying pole, Han Cheng handed it to the shaman, who examined the strange object and then passed it to the Eldest Senior Brother.
After weighing it in his hands and trying it on his shoulder, Eldest Senior Brother passed it to the second disciple. The Second Senior Brother, who usually showed interest only in food, held it briefly before passing it to Shang.
After a brief inspection, the carrying pole returned to Han Cheng''s hands. To truly test its effectiveness, Han Cheng handed the carrying pole to the Eldest Senior Brother, instructing him to try carrying stones.
Two baskets were quickly filled with stones, even more than Shang had carried. Under the gaze of the onlookers, the Eldest Senior Brother effortlessly hung one of the hooks on the basket handle, securing it easily.
Then, with a strong push from his legs and straightening his waist, the basket and the stones lifted off the ground.
After standing for a while in the ce and seeing no signs of the carrying pole breaking, the Eldest Senior Brother carried the load towards the west wall.
Because the new carrying pole was made by splitting the wooden stick in half, it appeared softer than the previous one made directly from solid wood. As the Eldest Senior Brother moved forward, the carrying pole flickered up and down with a greater amplitude than the previous one.
This softer carrying pole could save some effort and, to a certain extent, protect the shoulders of the carrier.
The Eldest Senior Brother made three trips, and the newly crafted carrying pole remained intact. It was morefortable and required less effort than the previous one.
He conveyed this result to the crowd, and the Green Sparrow Tribe members, who had been watching, turned to look at Han Cheng with admiration, respectfully calling him "Divine Child! Divine Child!"
However, unlike before, in their eyes, besides the reverence for the Divine Child, there was another emotion.
Originally, they could ovee the difficulties caused by demons with their wisdom and hands.
For the sake of the plot, let''s ignore that their speech has be somewhat fluent, haha.
Chapter 140: You will be remembered
Chapter 140: You will be remembered
Limping swiftly, Lame, despite his injured leg, arrived at the courtyard and immediately began crafting the hooks. He wanted to keep up with the Divine Child''s pace and contribute to the tribe''s efforts to ovee the difficulties posed by demons.
The paused construction projects resumed with more vigor than before. Han Cheng observed this scene, sniffing slightly. Indeed, people needed some spirit.
With the tribe''s efforts, the construction of the houses progressed rapidly. At this point, the stone walls had exceeded one meter in height.
Initially, Han Cheng nned to use stones for the foundation and then build mud walls using nks, as transporting stones was somewhat cumbersome.
However, after careful consideration and recalling grass huts he had seen in his past life, he realized that structures rarely had walls rising directly from the ground. This made sense since walls made ofpressed earth wouldn''t withstand prolonged exposure to rain.
He recalled the ancient Chinese military strategist Lame Qi, who conquered a heavily fortified city during the Warring States period by digging a canal to flood it. The primary reason for the city''s downfall wasn''t drowning its inhabitants but rather the copse of the earth-rammed walls due to prolonged soaking.
Imagining being asleep in a house during continuous rainy days, suddenly having the roof copse, and burying oneself, Han Cheng immediately changed his initial n.
After constructing a one-meter-high stone wall and outlining the overall structure, it became evident that the first real house of the Green Sparrow Tribe was taking shape.
A door appeared in the middle of the house, measuring 1.2 meters wide. Due to theck of iron-made nails and the underdeveloped technique of framing triangr beams, two additional walls were added inside the rooms to separate the three spaces.
This arrangement facilitated future roof construction and created rtively independent spaces.
With the foundationid and a one-meter-high stone wall constructed, the next step began.
Wooden nks were tightly bound on both sides of the one-meter-high stone wall, and then they started makingpressed earth walls.
The Green Sparrow Tribe members were highly skilled at this task, and the process was familiar, making it faster.
The earth walls were thick, approximately 40 centimeters, a specification Han Cheng chose, considering thatpressed earth walls weren''t as sturdy as brick walls and additional thickness needed to withstand freezing temperatures in winter.
The front wall, however, was moreplicated than the others. This wall had a door and two windows on each side for the adjacent rooms.
Lame was currently making the windows. He crafted wooden windows with the hand drill and the method of using a stone chisel with a burning charcoal tip. For Lame, a skilled craftsman, it wasn''t a particrly challenging task.
Of course, it required Han Cheng''s guidance, and he drew the approximate structure of the windows on the ground.
The window-making process wasn''t tooplicated. They split a tree stump, one meter and three centimeters long, and ten centimeters in diameter, in half. Then, they used a stone chisel and burning charcoal to make holes every fifteen centimeters on the t side.
These holes didn''t need to go all the way through; a depth of three centimeters was sufficient.
Once the holes were made, like adder, one-meter-long tree branches with a diameter of around three centimeters were inserted into the corresponding holes, creating a window.
The wooden windows looked somewhat loose because there were no additional vertical frames on the sides, but that was fine. Once embedded into the wall, they would be extremely secure.
Lame was very busy, craftingdders, hooks, wooden windows, doors, and the uing fence. He was overwhelmed with tasks.
So, making holes in the windows was handed to Liang, whose foot injury improved significantly.
Of course, the window locations were chosen by Lame, and he circled them with unburned charcoal.
Watching Liang blowing into the blowpipe to create holes, Han Cheng''s eyes showed a look of approval. Not because he was working despite his injury but because he remembered their conversation from some time ago.
The scene back then was like this:
On the second day after being hit on the foot, Liang''s foot had swollen and turned red, making him furious.
The two front toes were purple and swollen, making the entire foot unbearable.
Shaman, who came to check on the situation, furrowed his brows slightly. Liang''s foot injury did not show any significant improvement, simr to the conditions of the previously injured individuals.
Liang himself appeared uneasy and anxious.
Throughout this process, Han Cheng ensured that people burned willow branches and saltwater daily. He instructed them to carefully clean the wounds on Liang''s foot, mimicking his actions from the initial stages of the injury.
A reversal urred on the third day. The extensive wound, which had covered almost half of Liang''s foot, hadpletely scabbed over. Additionally, the swelling had reduced considerably, showing no signs of suppuration or ulceration.
Faced with this unexpectedly positive result, Liang, who had been anxious all along, couldn''t help but cry tears of joy. The horrifying memory of his mother''s death due to infected wounds caused by stone tool grinding had left a deep impression on him.
Shaman was also overjoyed. In his memory, individuals injured during hot weather were prone to suppuration. Sometimes, they would even develop a fever, lose consciousness, and eventually die. However, after the Divine Child''s treatment, Liang''s foot, which had suffered such arge wound, healed without any issues, recovering faster than those injured during winter.
Facing such results, the Shaman couldn''t help but be delighted. Last year, the Divine Child improved the birthing process, significantly reducing infant mortality within the tribe. Now, with this method unknown to him, the Divine Child was helping Liang recover quickly.
This meant that, in the future, as long as their people didn''t suffer fatal injuries, deaths due to wound suppuration would significantly decrease.
The excited Shaman eagerly asked Han Cheng about the principles involved. Han Cheng smiled and said, "Salt is not only for eating; it''s also a medicinal herb that can treat certain ailments. Willow branches can be used to weave baskets, but the water boiled with them is also a type of medicine, good for cleaning wounds."
After saying this, Han Cheng continued with a touch of emotion, "My knowledge is limited, but I know that most diseases and injuries in this world can be treated. If the treatment isn''t effective, it''s because the right method and herbs haven''t been found. Many nts are medicinal; we just don''t know what diseases they can treat and how to use them."
Listening to these words, the Shaman felt somewhat despondent. Although he learned from the Divine Child about a path that could reduce the tribe''s suffering, the difficulty of this path made him sigh in frustration. Even the Divine Child, considered highly intelligent, admitted to knowing little.
"Divine Child, I am willing. I am willing to search for and identify medicinal herbs to treat the injuries and illnesses of our people," Liang said, his eyes sparkling with excitement, suppressing the inner turmoil.
"This path will be very difficult and dangerous. Sometimes, you may die," Han Cheng warned, looking at Liang seriously.
Even though he heard the Divine Child''s warning, the memory of his mother''s painful death made Liang discard any concerns. He tilted slightly and said, "I''m not afraid."
"If you walk down this path, many people will remember youmany people," Han Cheng assured, patting Liang''s shoulder.
"Really?" Liang looked pleasantly surprised. He had not expected such additional benefits from walking this path.
Han Cheng thought momentarily, recalling Shen Nong''s status, and nodded emphatically. "Indeed."
Chapter 141: Wooden Windows and Mountain Walls
Chapter 141: Wooden Windows and Mountain Walls
Han Cheng was busy directing the instation of windows.
Without electric hammers or expansion screws, ensuring sturdy doors and windows required attaching them during the house construction process. The bottom of the windows was set at a height of just 1.2 meters above the ground. Han Cheng had carefully considered this size, as the people of the Green Sparrow tribe were generally shorter, and there was no need for tall windows.
After the front wall reached a height of 1.2 meters, it paused temporarily.
Only after Lame finished making two windows did they continue.
Installing the windows was not too difficult. Lame and another person ced the loose windows on the framed front wall. Han Cheng, observing from a distance, gave the order. Immediately, Eldest Senior Brother, prepared on the side, applied wet y underneath, firmly pressing down on both ends of the intentionally longer wooden frame.
Once the wooden windows were secured, wet soil was poured into the space between the wooden supports. As the loose soil increased and thepacted soil was consolidated, the wooden windows were firmly integrated into the wall.
There was one thing to note. Due to theck of convenient tools, no frames were added to the left and right sides of thepleted windows. To prevent the soil from squeezing over and blocking the windows during the wallpacting process, wooden columns split in half from the middle were attached vertically on both sides of the windows in advance.
These wooden columns were ced with the round side facing the y wall and the t side facing inside the window. This blocked the soil and enhanced the appearance, making the wooden windows look like they had fourplete frames.
The same method was applied to the doors. They needed to be prepared in advance, but they only built the door frame into the wall at this stage. The actual door would be created and installed after the house waspleted.
Afterpleting the foundation and the 1-meter-high stone wall at the bottom, the construction of the simple earth wall proceeded quickly. In just a few days, it was leveled.
"Leveling" meant that the wall had reached the predetermined height. The wall was not too high, only two meters and one meter in height. Han Cheng was not constructing a house withrge bricks and tiles; this height was already sufficient.
Although the houses being constructed this time differed from the deer pens, there were still some simrities. Eldest Senior Brother and the others, observing the deer pens and then the current houses, believed that the next step for the Divine Child would be to raise the front wall higher and, like the deer pens, use wooden beams, rafters, andttices to create a sloping roof towards the back.
As the Green Sparrow tribe did not believe in the greatness of the Divine Child, Han Cheng couldn''t let them guess his ns correctly. He didn''t instruct people to continue raising the front wall; instead, he raised the two side walls, often called gable walls.
These gable walls presented a major challenge, especially needing to connect four in a row. Without rulers, ensuring they were all built to a simr height would have been quite troublesome.
After Han Cheng exined the next steps, those who had spected beforehand felt once again the Divine Child''s wisdom and unfathomable nature. Following the Divine Child''s guidance, they began constructing the gable walls.
Triangr gable walls were more challenging than straight walls, but not insurmountable. Under Han Cheng''smand and with the diligent efforts of Eldest Senior Brother and the others, four gable walls with the same height and roughly simr shapes gradually emerged.
Although referred to as triangles, these triangles were not entirelyplete. Mainly, there were two small tforms, each 30 centimeters long, on the upper sides. These two tforms evenly divided the edges into three sections.
Apart from these small tforms, the triangle''s apex was t, forming another 30-centimeter-wide small tform.
These small tforms were not intentionally designed to disrupt the aesthetic appeal of the gable walls; instead, they were prepared for the next step, which involved cing wooden beams.
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe were currently lifting the wooden beams onto the roof. These beams were burned to break and refined using stone axes and knives. Except for the ridge beam on the roof, which must be perfectly straight throughout, the other beams could have some curvature, reducing the difficulty level.
"One, two!"
"One, two!"
The Eldest Senior Brother shouted the rhythmic chant he had learned from the Divine Child, standing on a tform and pulling a rope together with the Third Senior Brother. The other end of the rope was tied to the bottom of a beam.
The beam was set against the west wall, leaning on a frame attached to the west wall.
As Eldest Senior Brother and the others exerted force, the end of the beam touching the ground began to lift, and Shang, standing on the inside of the west wall frame, held the beam against the frame to prevent it from toppling.
Since the beam was to be ced on the gable wall, its length was wider than the room, and with the half-meter-wide frames erected on both sides, this further reduced the room''s width.
As Eldest Senior Brother and the others pulled and tugged, the end of the beam gradually rose and straightened. Once this end reached beneath the frame, pulling it up without some method would be challenging.
On the other side, Shang and another person started working. They held the end of the beam against the frame and began pulling it toward them. As they did, the other end of the beam emerged from under the tform where Eldest Senior Brother and the others stood.
With concerted efforts, the lifted beam, in the hands of both groups, was ced on the small tform prepared in advance on the gable wall.
Because the beam''s two ends were of different thicknesses, adjustment was needed after the beam was ced. The thinner end was shimmed with small stones and pottery fragments to make it level and increase stability.
Due to the difficulty of obtaining sufficiently long beams and the challenge of lifting them onto the structure, the beams were cut into sections. For the three roomsbined, fifteen beams were required.
Except for the tforms on the outer walls at the far east and west, where two beams were ced, the other two gable wall tforms needed two beams each.
To prevent the side beams from falling off the tform, they needed to be securely tied together with ropes.
Another thing to note was that the beams ced on the outer walls at the far east and west did not align directly with the outer sides of the walls; instead, they protruded ten centimeters inside. After the house waspleted, these gaps would be filled with mud, making the beams invisible. This protected the beams from exposure to the elements and prevented them from rotting or developing mold.
After the beams were installed, the next steps were simr to those used when building the deer pens. They needed to tie rafters and thenyttices. Lame was not involved in making thettices; he was already busy, so two less physically strong women from the tribe were handling this task.
Fortunately,ttice-making wasn''t tooplicated. They had seen Lame do it many times before, and with his hands-on guidance, they had learned. Thettices they produced were of good quality.
Chapter 142: Encounter with a divine beast
Chapter 142: Encounter with a divine beast
"Ssss"
Han Cheng couldn''t help but take a sharp breath, not because he found the Martial Ancestor terrifying, but because a strong tingling sensation emanated from his arm. The refreshing feeling was beyond description.
His right arm was already swollen and red, with a bulge in the middle and a whitish ridge with some blood spots.
"Darn it, why does this damn thing happen now?"
With his hands and face turning purple, Han Cheng scratched the swelling on his arm vigorously, cursing indignantly.
Oh, don''t worry. The purple color on Divine Child''s hands and face is not due to poisoning but for another reason.
Let''s go back to yesterday.
Yesterday, when the first house of the Green Sparrow tribe was already tied with beams and thatched, and they were about to apply mud on top of it, the weather turned unfavorable as rain started pouring down. Hence, the roofing work was temporarily suspended.
Fortunately, it wasn''t a heavy storm, so the unfinished house could withstand the rain.
The rain continued drizzling, and it didn''t stop even today. Wearing arge straw hat, Han Cheng inspected the courtyard house and suddenly remembered the dozen or so mulberry trees four to five miles away. His heart skipped a beat.
It wasn''t because he recalled silkworms again.
After treating leather and making many pairs of leather underwear, silkworms are not that urgent.
The reason for his sudden excitement was the mulberries, those small purple sweet and sour fruits.
These were Han Cheng''s childhood favorites,parable to popsicles, Tang monk''s meat, Nande, and Beijing instant noodles.
Now, thrown into primitive society, thinking about the other three things might take a while, but these mulberries, he could relish once more.
In his past life, mulberries usually ripened when wheat was ready for harvest. The climate where Han Cheng was now wasn''t much different from his past life, so it should be around the same time.
Han Cheng pped his forehead, scolding himself for being forgetful. How could he almost forget such an important matter?
With the thought of eating mulberries, his excitement grew uncontrobly, making him unwilling to wait any longer.
Han Cheng returned to the cave and called several Senior Brothers resting in the cave. Carrying their weapons, they apanied him to the mulberry forest.
Han Cheng wouldn''t go alone far from the tribe; he valued his life highly.
Under his efforts, the days of the Green Sparrow tribe were getting better and better, showing signs of gradually resembling rural life in thest century. Now, losing his life just for eating mulberries would be a huge loss.
The big brothers naturally agreed upon the proposal from the Divine Child. In these days, they either built fences or constructed houses. They hadn''t gone far for a long time. Hearing Han Cheng''s words, they also felt itchy and joined himeight people in total.
If it weren''t for the scarcity of straw hats in the tribe, more people would have joined them.
The straw hats had started being made early in the spring of this year, still crafted by Lame.
The reason for making straw hats was that umbres were too troublesome. The required materials were temporarily unavable in the Green Sparrow tribe. Therefore, they could only make straw hats as a backup, mainly for those standing guard in the rain.
Having flexible tree branches, thatch, and ropes, along with Han Cheng''s guidance, making straw hats wasn''t too difficult for the skilled Lame.
First, they used trees to weave a hollow cylinder, about five to six centimeters deep and a diameter of over ten centimeters, to be worn on the head. Then, they bent several branches as ribs outward and downward from the woven cylinder, forming an angle of about forty-five degrees with the main body. Continuing with these branches as ribs, they wove several circles from top to bottom using tree branches, shaping them into an inverted cone. Next, they used ropes to bind thatch sections, cut into about fifteen centimeters, around the horizontal wooden strips from bottom to top. A small piece of animal hide could be added to prevent rain from leaking through the top of the hat.
Han Cheng''s current suffering is rted to what happens next: the eating of mulberries.
Arriving at the mulberry forest, which he hadn''t visited for quite some time, Han Cheng wasn''t disappointed. Most of the tall mulberry trees were indeed hanging with red and purple mulberries.
Several birds, shiny ck but not crows, had arrived earlier, feasting on these mulberries in the mulberry trees. These birds weren''t afraid of humans. Seeing a few two-legged creatures climbing up with sticks, they just tilted their heads, looked arrogantly, and let out some unpleasant calls.
Han Cheng paid no attention to these noisy birds, busy picking mulberries with one hand holding onto a branch while the other brought the mulberries to his mouth.
The rain had washed away the dust on the mulberries, and being soaked in rainwater, they were cool when eaten. With a bite, the thin and soft fruit skin burst open, releasing a sweet purple juice that filled the mouth, more irresistible than the taste of sour plums.
As people say, too much joy brings sorrow. Just when Han Cheng was immersed in the taste of his childhood, tragedy struck quietly.
A strong, stinging sensation suddenly came from his left arm. The hand that Han Cheng used to pick mulberries retracted abruptly. When he looked at it, a red ridge had risen visibly at an rming speed.
Han Cheng''s first reaction was to give up. He had survived the fierce beasts of the primitive era only to be attacked by primitive bugs.
Thinking this way, he rushed to check the branches that had brushed against him. Even if he died, he had to kill the culprit first; he couldn''t wait to seek revenge in the next life.
Those branches seemed ordinary and showed no difference from the others. When Han Cheng flipped them over with a broken branch, he finally saw the culprit hiding under a leaf.
This little guy wasn''t big, about the size of two soybeans. Its body was green with some red or white spots, and it had some spikes about two to three millimeters long on its back, appearing pale yellow.
Seeing the true face of the assant, Han Cheng first breathed a sigh of relief, followed by intense anger. Despite searching for silkworms on the mulberry trees for so long, he never saw a trace of silkworm droppings. Now, he encountered such a divine creature.
This little fellow, a genuine divine creature, was known as the "foreign pepper" in Han Cheng''s hometown. Despite its small size, its body contained tremendous energy. Being stung was unbearable, and it would take several days to recover fully.
Han Cheng had been stung before and could only temporarily relieve the pain by applying cool toothpaste.
But now, there was no toothpaste around.
After some thought, he reached out to scratch the swollen area and broke off the branch where the foreign pepper was hiding. He told the people below to step back, then threw the branch down from the tree.
He slid down the tree, under the concerned gaze of his Eldest Senior Brother, and used two small sticks to dismember the divine creature that had harmed him. Afterward, he applied the pale green liquid that oozed out of it to the stung area.
Strangely, after applying this liquid, the intense stinging sensation quickly eased.
Perhaps this is the principle: "the original soup conquers the original food."
Chapter 143: The Useless Rabbit
Chapter 143: The Useless Rabbit
The foreign pepper creature disrupted the enthusiasm for eating mulberries. Han Cheng and Tie Tou climbed up and picked more before returning to the tribe. These mulberries were meant as gifts for the people in the tribe.
Due to the earlier encounter with the foreign pepper creature, Han Cheng became cautious when picking the mulberries again. He feared encountering unexpected situations and didn''t want to provoke the creature again.
By this time, the rain had stopped, so Han Cheng and his group put the mulberries they had picked into overturned bamboo hats. The group started to head back.
"Stop."
Holding a stone spear, the Eldest Senior Brother at the front suddenly turned around and spoke to the others.
Han Cheng''s heart couldn''t help but tremble. Did they run into a ferocious beast?
He approached Sandy, the Third Senior Brother, with fear and anticipation. He followed the direction pointed out by the Eldest Senior Brother.
No signs of a primordial ferocious beast were seen.
Han Cheng wondered and looked around. Then he found, about ten meters ahead, a gray rabbit sitting there attentively eating grass.
Han Cheng was disappointed that a rabbit was treated with such solemnity.
The Eldest Senior Brother tiptoed forward, holding a stone spear, and approached the rabbit cautiously.
When he got within two meters, the rabbit became alert, looked up at the Eldest Senior Brother, and then ran away.
Prepared for this, the Eldest Senior Brother swung his right hand, and the stone spear flew towards the rabbit. However, it missed, and the frightened rabbit continued to hop away.
"Ah, ah, ah!"
The Eldest Senior Brother shouted and chased after the startled rabbit, and the others also shouted and joined the pursuit. Only Third Senior Brother and Tie Tou stayed to guard Han Cheng. However, judging by their expressions, they were also itching for action.
After about ten minutes, the somewhat breathless Eldest Senior Brother returned with others who looked equally breathless. The Eldest Senior Brother carried the now dead rabbit.
Having not hunted for a long time, unexpectedly encountering a rabbit today excited everyone.
Han Cheng looked at the rabbit, which seemedrger than most rabbits raised in the tribe. He furrowed his brows.
In theory, the rabbits in the tribe eat when hungry, sleep after eating, and mate when in the mood. They live a life simr to pigs and should berger than the wild ones.
However, now they seemed inferior to the wild rabbits. This puzzled Han Cheng.
With Shaman around, there should be no rabbits in the tribe that would be starving. The possibility of that happening was almost nonexistent.
Since it wasn''t a food-rted issue, what could be the reason?
Han Cheng pondered but couldn''t figure it out.
After returning to the tribe, Han Cheng washed the purple stains from his hands and face. After failing to clean thempletely, he threw a couple of mulberries into his mouth. Then, carrying the wild rabbit, he went to the rabbit enclosure with the Shaman.
Initially, Shaman didn''t understand Han Cheng''s intentions. He thought Han Cheng wanted to eat rabbit meat and followed Han Cheng with a small stick, ready to catch an adult rabbit from the enclosure. However, Han Cheng stopped him.
Shaman was puzzled, not understanding the Divine Child''s intentions.
When Han Chengpared the wild rabbit he was holding with the one Shaman had caught from the enclosure, Shaman suddenly realized the difference.
Both were rabbits, but the difference was astonishing.
Looking at the plump wild rabbit, then at the one in his hands, Shaman ced the rabbit back into the enclosure and picked another one. Afterparing, he discovered that most of the rabbits raised in the tribe were not as plump as the wild ones.
Shaman scratched his head with the short stick and looked at the different rabbits. He nced at the green grass on the wooden nks not far away, which was used to feed the rabbits. There was also uneaten grass in the rabbit enclosure. His face showed confusion.
He wondered, "Have I ever neglected these rabbits? Why don''t they grow as well as the wild ones?"
"Could it beck of exercise?" Han Cheng thought for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. He had only heard that excessive eating without exercise leads to weight gain, never the other way around.
Unable to understand the situation, Han Cheng decided to take out his frustration on these underperforming rabbits. He asked the shaman to bring out nine more rabbits from the enclosure, and they were knocked dead one by one. Han Cheng nned to cook rabbit soup for the night.
After the rain cleared, the people in the tribe, without Han Cheng having to instruct them, voluntarily joined in helping to ster the roof with mud.
Rabbits were rtively easy to skin. Once the head was processed, peeling off the fur was possible.
The peeled rabbit fur was soaked in grass and wood ash day and night, taken out, cleaned, and sun-dried, bing soft and high-quality leather.
Fu Jiang wagged its tail, looking at its master expectantly, hoping to receive fresh meat.
Han Cheng threw the entrails to Fu Jiang, who caught it in one bite and went to enjoy it on its own.
The Deer Lord also wanted toe over for a taste, but after Fu Jiang threatened it with a nose bite, it left disappointed.
Seven rabbits were stewed, three were barbecued, and the people, who had been eating fish recently, found the rabbit meat extremely delicious.
Only after finishing most rabbit soup pots did they switch to drinking fish soup.
Shaman still appeared somewhat mncholic. Even after personally ughtering nine rabbits and experiencing the wonderful feeling again, he couldn''t dispel the lingering sadness in his heart.
Why, even though they were all rabbits, were the ones he raised smaller?
This was the question he had asked himself countless times.
Now he knew the feeling of tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
Got it!
Han Cheng, who was helping put tiles on the roof, suddenly had a sh of inspiration. The puzzle that had troubled him and Shaman for over two days was finally solved.
Inbreeding is likely the reason.
The rabbits in the tribe, descendants of those two old rabbits, had reproduced for countless generations, and it was only natural for them to be weaker.
Nearby tribes had even gathered together to hold a joyous celebration this year, trying to ensure their descendants'' strength for future generations. Han Cheng had forgotten about it.
It wasn''t just the rabbits; even the deer herd would need to consider this issue in the future.
Han Cheng called Shaman, asking him to identify therger rabbits. As expected, theserger ones were mostly from the earlier generations.
Han Cheng exined his theory to Shaman when asked why, who suddenly looked enlightened.
Now that they had found the root of the problem, it was easy to solve. They just needed to capture a few wild rabbits and throw them into the rabbit enclosure.
Chapter 144: Trap
Chapter 144: Trap
Shaman was very concerned about this group of rabbits. Upon learning the situation, he wanted to resolve the matter immediately.
He discussed with Han Cheng, suggesting that everyone temporarily halt the construction of houses and instead spend a few days hunting to catch some live rabbits.
Han Cheng nced at the busy tribe members transporting tiles andying them on the roofs, then looked at the less favorable weather. He shook his head.
Summer had arrived, and there was more rain. If they didn''t finish the roofs soon, a few heavy rains could impact the stability of the houses. They couldn''t afford to dy the more important task for the sake of a few rabbits.
Seeing the Divine Child shaking his head, Shaman felt disappointed. He always prioritized eating over shelter.
Seeing Shaman''s expression, Han Cheng smiled and said, "Catching rabbits is a small matter. I can handle it alone. There''s no need for them."
Shaman immediately became happy at Han Cheng''s words, but doubts arose.
Although Shaman didn''t participate much in hunting, he knew that hunting wasn''t easy. It required coordination among many people, and hunting alone was even more challenging in an era without firearms or bows and arrows. There was also the risk of bing prey for other animals.
Even though Shaman wanted to catch rabbits, rabbits, despite appearing docile in captivity, could run very fast in the wild. Moreover, the Divine Child was just a child who had never hunted before, making it extremely difficult to catch live rabbits by himself.
If it were something else Shaman didn''t understand, he wouldn''t think much of it when Han Cheng spoke. But now, what Han Cheng said was about hunting, something the people in the tribe were most familiar with. It was not surprising that Shaman had such thoughts.
"Rabbits can wait. Let''s finish building the houses first," Divine Child said, turning around and pointing at the busy people constructing the houses.
Compared to improving the quality and size of the rabbits in the group, Shaman was more concerned about the safety of the Divine Child. The series of unprecedented changes that urred in the Green Sparrow Tribe were all brought about by the shaman.
"There''s no need to worry; I have a solution," Han Cheng reassured.
Han Cheng wasn''t just boasting; he indeed had a n.
Shaman, watching Divine Child holding a rope, once again showed an expression of iprehension.
In the tribe, hunting was usually done with wooden sticks, stone spears, and stones. The Divine Child, who now carried none of these tools, had ropes instead. This puzzled Shaman. When he asked the shaman, he refused to exin and only said to watch carefully; he would catch the rabbits and tell Shaman how afterward.
Watching Divine Child leave the tribe with the Tie Tou couple, carrying ropes, Shaman felt both worried and puzzled.
After standing there for a while, Shaman turned and returned to his cave. When he came out again, he had a length of rope in his hand.
He held the rope in his hand, examining it from side to side, then went to the rabbit enclosure.
After a moment of thought, he swung the rope in his hand and Shaman it towards the startled rabbits. Unfortunately for one rabbit, it got hit, but the soft rope didn''t cause any harm. On the contrary, the rabbit that was struck became even more lively.
Seeing this, Shaman stopped and picked up some green grass cut by the Tie Tou couple, throwing it into the rabbit enclosure.
With tempting green grass, the panicked rabbit group quickly calmed down, moving their three-part mouths to chew on the grass.
Shaman waited for a while, then picked up the ck-circled rabbit he often stroked.
This rabbit was already ustomed to it and didn''t panic. It voluntarily squatted on the wall of the rabbit enclosure, motionless, awaiting the arrival of that big hand.
Shaman reached out, stroked the rabbit several times, then looped the rope around its neck twice. Holding one end of the rope in each hand, he gently pulled in opposite directions, tightening the loop around the rabbit''s neck.
Shaman stopped his actions, released the rope, and ced the seemingly resigned ck-eyed rabbit back into the enclosure. He scratched his messy head with the hand holding the rope. It was indeed possible to strangle the rabbit this way, but how could those fast-running wild rabbits patiently wait for Divine Child to do so?
Moreover, if it were that easy to strangle them, there would be no need for a rope; one could just catch them barehanded.
Shaman looked at the rope and then at the rabbit, but he couldn''t figure out how to use it to catch rabbits. He could only wait for Divine Child to exin.
After much fruitless contemtion, Shaman thought this way.
They walked more than two miles from the tribe before Han Cheng finally stopped, searching for a suitable ce to set rabbit snares.
Near the gathering area of the Green Sparrow Tribe, there were few wild animals. Humans gathered together had a certain deterrent effect on animals. Going farther from the tribe increased the chances of catching rabbits.
Han Cheng was familiar with rabbit snares. In his previous life, in elementary school, he unknowingly tripped over a rabbit snare set by some troublemaker. He fell to the ground, and even a loose lower tooth was knocked out.
This time, Han Cheng wanted to add new wild members to the Green Sparrow Tribe''s rabbit group, so he noted the matter.
He had witnessed Eldest Senior Brothers catching rabbits a couple of days ago. The fact that the two old rabbits in the tribe managed to survive in such circumstances showed their lives were resilient.
Rabbit snares were more effective for catching live rabbits.
Han Cheng was cing a tightening snare under the tall grass.
The other end of the rope was tied to a small tree nearby.
Han Cheng was currently located in a narrow ditch without water, overgrown with random weeds.
On the left side of the ditch, amidst the tall grass, a path about ten centimeters wide could be seen, as if animals frequently used it. Han Cheng set rabbit snares along this path, spacing them about ten meters apart.
After setting seven or eight snares, he moved on to another ditch.
Rabbits liked to walk along the ditch, probably because it provided a more concealed route, making it less likely to be detected by predators. Han Cheng knew this, so he set snares ordingly.
The Tie Tou couple, holding stone sickles and stone spears, followed Divine Child, swinging the rope. Although puzzled by Divine Childs actions, they didn''t find it strange. They had an inner trust in him. If Divine Child said this method could catch rabbits, it must be possible.
After setting more than fifty rabbit snares, Divine Child led them back to the tribe directly,pletely different from the usual hunting method of searching for prey in the wild and using stone spears to kill them. However, they still believed in the Divine Child.
Shaman, waiting near the rabbit enclosure with the rope, hurriedly approached when he saw Han Cheng returning.
Seeing Han Cheng''s hands were empty, he shifted his gaze to the Tie Tou couple following behind, only to find them holding stone spears and stone sickles, without any trace of wild rabbits.
Shaman was somewhat surprised but also felt a sense of inevitability. After all, he had experimented with the rope for a long time but couldn''t find any solution.
Seeing Divine Childs unchanged expression and no signs of failure, he became even more confused.
"Divine Child." he asked, seeking rification. Han Cheng smiled and said, "We''ll have results by tomorrow morning."
Shaman nodded and didn''t ask further. He was exceptionally looking forward to the next morning, eager to witness the miracle Divine Child would create once again.
Looking up at the sun in the sky, which stubbornly refused to move, Shaman wanted to use a rope to tie it up and pull it over to the other side of the mountain in one go.
Chapter 145: A Leg
Chapter 145: A Leg
Han Cheng wasn''t in a hurry. He washed his face with a basin, scooped a bowl of cold water, and walked outside, drinking while watching the Eldest Senior Brothers working on the roof.
The front part of the roof was already well-covered with tiles. The tiles wereid in a specific pattern, starting from one side of the roof''s edge, stacking one over the other in a row. Theid tiles created a pattern resembling fish scales.
Squatting on the roof, the Eldest Senior Brother, after checking the alignment, inserted the small end of a ck tile into the big end of the one below it. A slight push with his hands secured the two tiles tightly together. He repeated this process with another tile.
As he worked, the four vertical rows of tiles gradually extended from the bottom of the roof to the ridge.
Walking back and forth on the roof was ufortable, so the Eldest Senior Brother ced four rows simultaneously, improving efficiency and saving energy.
All the tiles ced by the Eldest Senior Brother had a concave side facing upwards, and there was a gap of about four centimeters between the adjacent two vertical rows. You could see theyer of mud smeared on thettice below through these gaps.
These tiles, naturally, wouldn''t keep out the rain. Another process was necessary to provide shelter from wind and rain, which was what the Third Senior Brother, following behind, was doing.
Holding a tile in his hands, the Third Senior Brother looked at the ends, inverted the tile, and then, with the big end facing down and the small end facing up, inserted it into the gap between the two rows of tilesid by the Eldest Senior Brother.
Since the width of the tile was more than ten centimeters and the gap between the two rowsid by the Eldest Senior Brother was only four centimeters, covering this gap by inserting the tile was easy.
Furthermore, the two sides of the inserted tile would press against the middle of the two rows of tiles.
As a result, the entire roof would no longer have exposed areas under the open sky.
When raindrops fell on the slope formed by the higher middle section and the lower sides, they would slide down along this slope, gathering on the narrow, upward-facing tiles left uncovered by about four centimeters. Then, following the small channels, the water would flow rapidly down and drop like a string of pearls at the eaves.
Compared to roofs made of thatch, the rainwater drainage of tiled roofs was undoubtedly better.
As Han Cheng watched the mud-covered roof gradually being concealed by one tile after another, a smile appeared on his face. Soon, he could move into this meaningful house and wouldn''t have to listen to the women singing songs at night.
Shaman woke up early today. He couldn''t sleep when it wasn''t yet dawn.
He nced toward the Divine Child''s location, which was not far away. It was blurry and hard to see, but he knew the Divine Child was sleeping soundly.
Looking at the sky, he could only endure his impatience, waiting slowly for the dawn, for Divine Child to wake up from his dreams, and for the Divine Child to unveil the miracle.
As the sky gradually brightened, there were movements in the cave. Fu Jiang, awakened by these sounds, perked up his ears, nced outside the cave, then turned his head to look at Han Cheng sleeping soundly with a piece of animal hide covering his belly. Fu Jiang opened his long mouth, yawned, ced his chin on his front paws, and then dozed off again.
Han Cheng woke up from his sleep, grabbed the pottery night pot from the end of the bed, aimed at the pot, and after releasing the umted fluids from a night of sleep, hey back down on the straw-made bed and closed his eyes.
Shaman, who had been anxiously waiting, saw Han Cheng getting up and felt a sense of joy. Finally, he could follow the Divine Child to see how he used the rope to catch rabbits. However, before he could get up, he saw Han Cheng turning over and falling back asleep, leaving Shaman''s happy heart momentarily frozen.
He looked outside, and the sky was already bright. Thinking about the times when the Divine Child could sleep until breakfast was ready, Shaman hesitated momentarily. Finally, summoning his courage, he decided to wake up the shaman.
"Is there something wrong?" Han Cheng wasn''t annoyed at being woken up abruptly; he had just slept and was still half awake. When he opened his eyes and saw Shaman hesitating, he asked, thinking that something significant might have happened in the tribe.
" Divine Child." Shaman first respectfully saluted Han Cheng to express his apologies and then said, "Rabbits."
Han Cheng pped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten about this matter. He had been too immersed in his sleep.
Seeing that Divine Child had forgotten such an important thing, Shaman was momentarily at a loss for words.
The Divine Child was indeed the Divine Child; he could maintain hisposure. Shaman had lost sleep over this matter, but the Divine Child could sleep soundly.
"Let''s go, and see what''s happening." Han Cheng, now reminded by Shaman, became excited. He had forgotten about it but was now eager to see the results. After all, it was his first time setting rabbit snares. Previously, he had only been caught in a rabbit snare once.
After a simple wash, Han Cheng called the Tie Tou couple to prepare for departure. However, Shaman also wanted to witness the event firsthand.
Considering that the rabbit-snaring location wasn''t too far from the tribe, Han Cheng decided not to insist, but a few more people joined the group.
Looking at the people around him, Han Cheng smiled wryly, hoping that there would be a good harvest. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing.
Summer mornings were dewy, and the green grass appeared white with dewdrops from a distance.
As twenty or so feet stepped through, dewdrops fell from the grass leaves, creating a path more than a meter wide with a distinct colorpared to the surroundings.
Han Cheng arrived at the nearest rabbit snare, standing on the edge of the ditch and using a long stick to push away the tall, concealing grass. The rabbit snare, dampened by the morning dew, was revealed. It looked the same as when Han Cheng had ced it there, maintaining the same posture throughout the night.
Shaman finally understood how Han Cheng had arranged everything, but seeing this simple setup, he didn''t know how to express his feelings.
He thought Divine Child would develop something intricate, simr to the bone shovel or rake crafted earlier. However, it turned out to be like this.
Han Cheng was feeling embarrassed. He had anticipated a bountiful harvest, but they were all empty after checking ten rabbit snares. Not a single rabbit hair was found.
Fortunately, he was at the front, and others couldn''t see the expression on his face.
"Come on, just one, please, just one." Han Cheng walked towards the next rabbit snare, muttering to himself.
About ten meters away, he saw that the grass''s color differed from the surrounding grass. The dew on the nearby grass was white, while the grass was deep green here because the dew had been shaken off.
"There''s a chance." Han Cheng, seeing this scene, was delighted. Then he rushed towards that spot, and the others hurriedly followed.
"Damn it." Holding a rope with only one rabbit leg, Han Cheng looked disheveled in the morning breeze. He couldn''t help but curse out loud.
Chapter 146: Precious Eggs
Chapter 146: Precious Eggs
From the cut on the leg, you can see that this leg was bitten off while alive. When caught and unable to escape, some animals choose to bite off their legs as a survival tactic. Wolves and yellow weasels, for example. However, the leg in Han Cheng''s hand was not bitten off by its owner. With a rabbit''s three-part mouth and specially evolvedrge incisors for eating vegetation, they couldn''t gnaw through their own bones.
"Let''s go." Han Cheng handed the rabbit leg as a reward to the eagerly waiting Fu Jiang and removed the rope from the tree stump. He then beckoned to the others and continued walking along the ditch.
Even if the caught rabbit escaped, at least he could prove to everyone in the tribe that the rabbit snare was indeed effective, and the most embarrassing result wouldn''t happen.
Shaman took the rope from Han Cheng, the same one tied around a rabbit''s leg. He examined it, asionally opening the loop, putting his hand inside, and pulling on the rope to tighten it. The harder he pulled, the tighter it became, causing the blood vessels on Shaman''s hand to swell.
Shaman marveled at the rope more and more as he yed with it. He couldn''t believe he hadn''t thought of such a clever method. Han Cheng had indeed proven himself to be the Divine Child.
Han Cheng was unaware of Shaman''s thoughts. He might have recalled the phrase "Your uncle is still your uncle" from his future life, although it wouldn''t be entirely appropriate in this context.
"Rabbit!" While examining two more empty rabbit snares, the sharp-eyed Tie Tou was the first to call out quietly when they reached the third one. Simultaneously, he tightened his grip on the stone sickle, preparing to chase after the rabbit.
The others also did the same, momentarily forgetting about the existence of the rabbit snares in the excitement of spotting a live rabbit.
Seeing the excitement on everyone''s faces, Han Cheng smiled and told Tie Tou, "Bring it here."
Tie Tou responded with a quick run toward the rabbit.
The others followed suit, preparing in case the rabbit wasn''t caught in Han Cheng''s snares, and they needed to intervene.
"I want it alive!" Han Cheng worried about mishaps and added a reminder as the enthusiastic group rushed forward.
Startled by the suddenmotion, the initially quiet rabbit kicked its legs and sprang up, attempting to escape. However, it had forgotten about the rope tied to its hind leg.
"Snap!" The rabbit, leaping into the air, was pulled back by the tautened rope and crashed heavily into the grass. Before it could resist again, Tie Tou had already descended from above.
After being evaded twice by this frantic rabbit, Tie Tou decided not to confront it directly. He grabbed the rope tied to the wooden stake, pulling it along with the stake out of the ground. With one swift motion, he lifted the struggling rabbit off the ground.
"Shaman! Rabbit! Rabbit!" Climbing out of the shallow ditch, Tietou energetically held the struggling rabbit, shouting excitedly towards Han Cheng and Shaman.
The others joined in the excitement, temporarily forgetting about the rabbit snares. Han Cheng, seeing their jubtion, couldn''t help but smile. He also forgot about Tie Tou mistakenly calling him a rabbit instead of Divine Child.
Taking the plump rabbit from Tie Tou, Han Cheng handed it over to Shaman.
The first rabbit enthusiast in the Green Sparrow Tribe, Shaman, held the rabbit''s ears with a smiling face and was unwilling to let go.
"Divine Child." Shaman transferred the rabbit to his left hand, pressed his right hand against his left chest, and respectfully saluted Han Cheng to express his admiration.
Although the rabbit in his left hand continued to struggle, disrupting the solemnity a bit, Shaman''s admiration was genuine.
Because he thought of the fish traps that would provide abundant food without much effort.
Like a fish trap, this type of snare could be left outside, and there was no need to worry about it. The next day, the prey woulde willingly, just like picking it up without effortpared to the previous hunting methods involving chasing, shouting, and throwing.
Thinking about thisyer, he couldn''t help but feel excited. This was the Divine Child. Many seemingly yful actions could bring significant benefits to the tribe.
With this rabbit snare, the food in the Green Sparrow Tribe would be even more plentiful and diverse in the future.
"Divine Child!" The others also shouted respectfully and excitedly.
Han Cheng waved his hand, signaling everyone not to be overly polite. Then, leading the group, he walked towards the next location to set a rabbit snare, wearing a smile on his face. This rabbit snare had given him face. Instead of embarrassing him, it had allowed him to show off a bit.
Although other protagonists typically showed off in front of emperors, ministers, martial arts masters, saintly sons, or divine maidens, and he was showing off in front of a group of primitive people, it still felt satisfying.
Han Cheng''s mood improved even more. Not because he had shown off in front of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe but because the guy who had snatched the rabbit before found them.
"Ying ying ying."
This fox, who had been waiting to steal a rabbit, ended up with the same fate as the one it had half-eaten. It struggled helplessly, also caught in the snare.
Han Cheng had no intention of keeping a fox. Their strong odor and cunning nature were not suitable for domestication.
So, when this fox realized it couldn''t escape, it resorted to farting and lying on the ground, pretending to be pitiful. Its life ended in this manner.
Han Cheng, now a fierce, primitive man, had no intention of keeping a fox as he once did in a temple, holding a holy book while looking out the window, expecting a beautiful fox spirit toe and reward him for his virtue. Instead, he saw it as a creature to eat a ying-ying monster in the eyes of primitive people.
Looking at the rabbit with only half left, Han Cheng couldn''t help but want to say to the already-dead fox, "There''s no such thing as a free lunch, even for breakfast."
The surprises brought by the rabbit snares to Han Cheng and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t end there. An even bigger surprise awaited them.
Seeing Hei Wa carrying a brightly colored wild chicken, Han Cheng''s smile grew broader. He had been thinking about this for a long time, and he didn''t expect to obtain it this way.
Tea eggs, pine flower eggs, pouch eggs, fried eggs, egg soup thinking about the variety of egg dishes from his future life, Han Cheng couldn''t help but salivate. If some people saw his current appearance, they would probably mock him for not being able to afford even a tea egg.
Chapter 147: Ferocious Wild Chicken
Chapter 147: Ferocious Wild Chicken
Watching the Divine Child drooling at the wild chicken, Tie Tou felt his tribe could have chicken for lunch today.
This wild chicken had a rather aggressive personality. Even when held in Tie Tou''s hands, it was not cooperative. It fluttered its wings asionally and tilted its head, seemingly trying to peck at Tie Tou. However, Tie Tou skillfully avoided its attempts.
Feeling annoyed by the pping, Tie Tou contemted killing the chicken, as they nned to eat it for lunch anyway.
"Hey!"
Suddenly, Tie Tou let out a cry of pain, clutching his groin and hopping on one foot.
It wasn''t because he discovered Tie Tou''s intention to kill the chicken. Han Cheng, who was daydreaming about eating chicken eggs, was infuriated by Tie Tou''s misuse of the opportunity and decided to retaliate using a widely known technique called "monkey steals peach." However, Tie Tou''s leather skirt had somehow shifted to the front, exposing a certain bean-sized object.
Sensing the murderous intent of the chicken, it decided to go down together, taking the chance to peck at Tie Tou like a little chicken pecking at a bug.
"Stop, stop. Don''t kill it."
Seeing this unexpected scene, Han, who had just awakened from his chicken egg thoughts, was stunned at first, then couldn''t help but burst intoughter.
Seeing Tie Tou, who was furious but holding back the pain, intending to kill the chicken, Han quickly spoke up to prevent it.
Upon hearing Han''s words, Tie Tou naturally couldn''t avenge his brother anymore. Seeing the chicken tilting its head and looking at him, he quickly extended his arms, keeping them away from him.
After confirming that there was nothing exposed in her short skirt, Ru Hua took the chicken from Tie Tou.
Seeing the chicken tilting its head to peek under Ru Hua''s short skirt, Han Cheng almost couldn''t help but burst intoughter again.
Under Han Cheng''s signal, Ru Hua grabbed the root of the fierce chicken''s wing and twisted its head back, using her thumb to hold it. This way, the chicken, who always tried dirty tricks, couldn''t act recklessly.
Of course, Han specifically instructed Ru Hua not to press too hard to avoid the chicken suffocating to death.
The group from the Green Sparrow tribe, filled with the joy of the harvest, headed back to the tribe.
Of course, the one with the strange walking posture, Tie Tou, was excluded from the joyful group.
Han Cheng checked Tie Tou''s injuries only on the surface, and the vital parts were well-protected. In a few days, he would be fine, nothing serious.
However, he had toy low for the next few days.
On the rooftop, the Elder Senior Brother, who wasying tiles, saw the returning group and couldn''t help but widen his eyes.
There was a plump rabbit with bound legs in each of Shaman''s hands. Ru Hua carried a wild chicken, while another person had a fox on their shoulder.
The Elder Senior Brother used to take people from the tribe for hunting frequently. After a day of hard work, they often didn''t get as much prey as this.
Divine Child and the others went out for less than a morning, bringing back so much game. Moreover, among the ten people, there were an elderly shaman and a young Divine Child who could not hunt.
This was truly a miracle.
Thinking excitedly like this, he remembered yesterday when Divine Child took people out with a rope, and he became somewhat puzzled.
Didn''t Divine Child say they were going to catch rabbits? Why did they bring back rabbits, a chicken, and a fox?
"Crack!"
A loud sound rang out. The excited Elder Senior Brother threw away the tiles in his hands, came to the roof''s edge, skipped thedder, and jumped down.
"Divine Child. Shaman."
He eagerly came to Han Cheng and Shaman, asking urgently to know what was happening.
The people working, seeing the leader, the Elder Senior Brother, stopping his work, also put down their tools one after another and gathered here to share the joy of the harvest.
Among them, apart from the Elder Senior Brother, the leader of the original pig tribe, Shang, stood at the forefront.
He had suffered heavy losses due to food issues and had always been concerned about food. Now, seeing that the Divine Child and others had brought back so much game quickly, he naturally wanted to know how they did it.
"Divine Child!"
"Divine Child!"
After Shaman told everyone about this miraculous event and raised the rope and rabbits high, another round of thunderous cheers erupted from the people in the tribe.
Themon ropes in the tribe, after a slight modification, could be left outdoors overnight to catch prey, and the quantity was abundant. This was truly a miracle.
At the suggestion of Shaman, who walked with joy and a peculiar posture, all activities of the Green Sparrow tribe temporarily ceased. He wanted to lead the tribe in holding a ceremony to offer these as sacrifices to the gods and to express gratitude to the gods for their favor towards the Green Sparrow tribe.
The mes zed, creating intense heat.
In the middle of the hot summer, the bonfire was naturally hot. Standing on the edge of the totem pole, Han Cheng was already sweating profusely.
Before the ceremony began, Han Cheng suggested to Shaman that they could dispel the mes. Still, Shaman shook his head, saying the previous shaman passed it down, and fire was necessary during the ceremony.
Thinking about it, Han Cheng felt that without the mes, the mystery and ceremonial sense of the ceremony would be reduced by about half, so he didn''t say anything more.
So now, he was covered in sweat.
For Han Cheng, he could understand having mes during the ceremony.
After all, the fire had saved humanity from the era of eating raw meat and drinking blood. It was an extremely important part of human evolutionary history.
In this era of widespread nature worship, people feared and revered fire, which was quite normal.
Every time during the ceremony, Shaman''s physical strength would be extremely good. Standing here without moving, Han Cheng was covered in sweat and felt exhausted.
On the other hand, the shaman bounced around with a feathered crown and a bone staff, full of passion, without showing any signs of aging.
It seemed like he could live for another ten years without any problem.
"Heavenly God!"
Shaman finally stopped his dance, came to the totem pole where the rabbits, mountain chickens, foxes, and the rabbit trap were ced, and respectfully performed a ceremony in front of the totem pole, praising Heavenly God. Then, he performed a ceremony towards Han Cheng, praising the Divine Child. The other people in the tribe followed suit.
The wild chicken and rabbit, ced as sacrifices, watched this solemn scene with fear.
The terrifying part for the fierce chicken was still toe. Aftering down from the sacrificial tform alive, the ferocious little monkey took a burning stick in one hand and burned its wings.
In a panic, the fierce chicken wanted to peck the little bugs on the monkey. However, it didn''t find anything after looking around for a long time with its head tilted.
Unaware of the burning of the chicken wings, Han Cheng, who was focused on burning off the feathers, didn''t know that his airtight leather pants had protected him once again without him noticing.
Chapter 148: Plastic Surgery
Chapter 148: stic Surgery
A nauseating smell of burning chicken feathers lingered over the Green Sparrow tribe,sting for a long time. The smell stuck to the hair, which the fire had also scorched.
Under Han Cheng''s hand, the fierce and somewhat presentable wild chicken had undergone a significant transformation.
Well, it could be described as disfigurement.
The feathers on both wings, which were hard and allowed for a brief flight, were nowpletely gone, leaving only the roots burnt by the fire.
The two wings became bald, and more than half of its buttocks were exposed.
It wasn''t Divine Child doing something to it; rather, when burning the wings with a thick burning stick that was difficult to control, coupled with the fierce resistance from the wild chicken, its backside got exposed.
This could be considered an idental injury.
The pitiful-looking wild chicken, which seemed almost one-third smaller, saw the ferocious little monkey approaching and was scared. It pped its featherless wings and ran in the opposite direction with its sturdy chicken legs in panic. It feared that the little monkey would do something undesirable to it.
However, one of its legs was still tied with a rope. It didn''t run far before being tripped and falling to the ground. The pulled leg was left behind, sticking up high, still struggling forward.
Han Cheng sniffed, wondering if he was really that scary.
This chicken was frightened to an extent just bying to deliver a meal. Where did the bold and courageous aura that Tie Tou disyed when confronting him earlier?
Han Cheng ced the pottery bowl he held down and moved away from the area, giving the bald chicken a quiet space to calm down.
The other tribes used the bowl during the joyful meeting. Inside were some grass seeds, rapeseeds, a few dead insects, and crushed green grass. With a bnced mix of meat and vegetables, it was quite nutritious.
Chickens are omnivores and not picky about their diet. In this regard, they were stronger than the future vige bully, Big White Goose, who, despite being a domineering character, was a pure vegetarian. Although it swam happily in the water, it didn''t catch fish.
If the cat, which always wanted to sneakily eat fish but couldn''t swim, knew about this, it would probably be furious.
Han Cheng watched from a distance. After a while, the disfigured wild chicken couldn''t resist the temptation of the delicious food and came to the bowl, pecking at the contents. It lifted its head to look in Han Cheng''s direction after a couple of bites, disying an unusually alert expression.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile at the scene.
Many bird species could be tamed. Among these birds, chickens, ducks, and geese stood out as the mainstay of poultry farming. The primary reason was that they were not picky. When a rooster wanted to mate, it just extended one wing diagonally, scratched the ground twice with one foot, and then jumped on the back of the hen straightforwardly.
Unlike some birds that needed to sing, disy, and find beautiful stones, after a series of events, the chance of these birds going into heat two or three times a year was considered rare.
The chicken coop hadn''t been built yet, so this disheveled wild chicken could only temporarily live outside. After witnessing the magical rabbit traps of the Green Sparrow tribe, many people in the tribe, excited about catching prey, followed their Divine Child in the afternoon to witness this rare technique.
They only stopped after setting over a hundred rabbit traps.
Including the ones that hadn''t been collected before, about two hundred traps were scattered around the Green Sparrow tribe. The surrounding area was full of these small and practical traps.
On that night, many people in the Green Sparrow tribe found it difficult to fall asleep, wishing for the day to break quickly so they could collect their catches.
Early the next morning, many people woke up and went to collect the rabbit traps, eager to gather their prey and more active than eating meals.
The more traps set, the greater the harvest. As expected, the Green Sparrow tribe once again enjoyed a bountiful catch.
In addition to three plump rabbits, a long-tailed wild chicken, two unidentifiedrge birds, two fat and rat-like creatures, and a half-grown yellow weasel.
The shaman was overjoyed while carrying the rabbits, and Han Cheng showed a special interest in the wild chicken.
With brutal methods, he plucked the splendidly colored feathers from the rooster''s buttocks, then used the same method to slim down the chicken. After that, he carried the featherless and bleeding wild chicken into the already constructed chicken coop to keep the female wild chickenpany, which had also undergone disfigurement.
Han Cheng was pleasantly surprised when the newly caught wild chicken was ced in the coop.
In the corner of the chicken coop was a brownish-colored oval-shaped thing with some spots on it, quietly sitting there.
Although it was just a regr egg, it seemed to emit the radiance of something precious. It immediately caught Han Cheng''s attention.
This is a hen!
Han Cheng couldn''t wait and grabbed a long-handled bone shovel. He carefully extended the shovel through the gap in the wooden nks above the chicken coop, gently scooping up this significantly meaningful egg.
The egg wasn''trge, smaller than the eggs of domesticated chickens in the future.
Moreover, the eggshell wasn''t hard; it felt soft when held in the hand.
Han Cheng didn''t mind this. Chickens in the future, when frightened or chased for a long distance, tended toy soft eggs the next day.
It seemed that the fear left by Han Cheng on this determined hen yesterday was not small. Not only did ity a soft egg, but when Han Cheng used the shovel to take away the egg itid in front of it, it didn''t dare to stop him.
Han Cheng, ignoring the chickens that may or may not have seen this, gave a thumbs-up to the chicken with a half-bald butt, ced the wooden nk back, sealing the chicken cooppletely, and then ran quickly into the cave, cradling the soft egg in his arms.
He was eager to eat it.
After washing the small earthenware pot used for cooking, he added a little over half a pot of water, ced it on the makeshift stove supported by three stones, and set it on fire. In no time, the water in the pot was boiling.
Han Cheng picked up the soft egg and tore open the soft eggshell with his hands. The egg, with plenty of yolk, a little egg white, and a reddish hue, fell into the boiling water. He covered the pot, rolled it a few times, and a bowl of poached egg was ready.
Yes, just one bowl, and it was arge bowl.
Han Cheng, like the host in the joke who invited friends to drink soup after catching a sparrow, used one chicken egg to make arge bowl of poached egg.
He used chopsticks to pick up the egg and brought it to his mouth, carefully biting into a piece of white, feeling the delicious taste.
When he bit into the thinyer of egg white, broke it, and slurped a mouthful of yolk, it felt like he was ascending to heaven.
Indeed, people who transmigrated to the primitive era were the most pitiful. He was so infatuated with eating just one egg, nearly crying.
Fu Jiang stared eagerly at his master, who was enjoying a delicious meal. He was so anxious that he kept making whining sounds. After a while, Han Cheng reluctantly gave him a small piece of egg white that squeezed out from between his teeth.
Then, holding the bowl, he drank the entire bowl of poached eggs. Even without sugar, the taste still made Han Cheng nostalgic.
Chapter 149: Excessive joy leads to sorrow
Chapter 149: Excessive joy leads to sorrow
Han Cheng is now like an olddy inter generations who lives by guarding chicken butts, running to the chicken coop whenever he has nothing to do.
But there are also some differences. Those olddies guarding chicken butts are hoping to exchange eggs for some needles, threads, matches, salt, and other things to supplement their household expenses. In contrast, Han Cheng is purely doing it for eating.
By now, Han Cheng thoroughly understands the feelings of the shaman who often runs to the rabbit traps.
Perhaps in recent days, it''s theying period of this mother hen, or maybe all the eggs itid were taken away by the ferocious little monkey. It keepsying more eggs for incubation these days, and the eggs haven''t stopped.
This makes Han Cheng extremely happy.
After recovering from the initial shock, the bald-tailed rooster has also achieved some sess with this mother hen who exposed half of her buttocks.
Of course, this also has much to do with no other small hens in the chicken coop. Otherwise, why would this guy close his eyes?
As the saying goes, extreme joy begets sorrow, and when everything in the Green Sparrow Tribe is immersed in the joy of easily obtaining prey, trouble quietly arrives.
It''s not another tribe attacking; it''s the first house about to bepleted.
From excavating the foundation to putting on the tiles, everything has been smooth so far. Just as the tiles on the roof are about to bepletelyid, a mistake urs. A detail that Han Cheng had never considered before bes a stumbling block.
After the efforts of the Eldest Senior Brother and others, the tiles on the house have beenid, and a row of tiles has been ced on the roof ridge. The whole house ispleted now, with only some minor details left.
The problem arises at this moment, precisely on the roof of the walls on the east and west sides.
ording to the practice inter generations, two or threeyers of tiles should be reversed, and lime or cement should be used for seam sealing.
What Han Cheng did not consider is this part.
In other ces, mud can be used as a substitute, acting as a binder. However, this cannot be done here because the roof is exposed to wind and rain. Using mud as a substitute would be irresponsible for the house.
After several rains, the mud used for seams would be washed away by rainwater, seeping through these gaps during this process. The house would experience leaks.
Most importantly, leaks ur on the east and west sides, and the walls are made of mud, not reinforced with steel bars to support the roof.
So, when all these details are calcted, the minor issue bes a major problem affecting the entire structure.
Han Cheng scratches his head, wondering how such a troublesome matter suddenly arises.
He hasn''t even thought about burning cement or lime.
After pondering without a good solution for a while, Han Cheng had to ask the Eldest Senior Brother and the others to stop and not seal the edges for now. Instead, ording to his teaching method, they started to build a heatable brick bed in the east room.
The heatable brick bed, a tool for surviving the winter, is certainly something Han Cheng wants to create.
Then, he, along with some people centered around the tribe, went to look for traces of limestone. Han Cheng hasn''t mentioned lime, cement, and other things before because the tribe''s productivity is limited at the moment. The main issue is that burning these things requires very high temperatures, and ordinary firewood is probably not up to the task. Charcoal needs to be made first and then used to burn lime.
If possible, a bellows needs to be manufactured.
For the current Green Sparrow Tribe, making a bellows is indeed difficult.
Moreover, Han Cheng is only half-knowledgeable about making charcoal; he only knows that burning wood puts out the fire, which somehow turns into charcoal.
Han Cheng deeply regrets spending most of his free time on mature content from the ind nation in his previous life without dedicating more time to watching primitive survival videos and acquiring knowledge. Otherwise, he could have had a morefortable life now without being troubled by things like charcoal, lime, and bellows.
Han Cheng''s concerns about charcoal, bellows, and simr things have be unnecessary.
Whether it''s due to the heavens no longer favoring Han Cheng or other reasons, he, apanied by the adults in the tribe, spent ten days searching within a radius of nearly ten miles around the tribe but found no traces of limestone.
Looking at the almostpleted roof, Han Cheng feels frustrated. For someone like him without obsessivepulsive disorder, it''s already ufortable to look at. If someone with OCD were here, they might even copse.
The heatable brick bed in the room has been built. It is one meter eight long and one meter five wide. Compared to the narrow bed made of hay that Han Cheng slept on in the inner cave, which was less than one meter wide, this heatable brick bed is muchrger.
Han Cheng can now roll and somersault on itfortably.
The heatable brick bed is against the easternmost wall. When building the house, Han Cheng had someone leave a hole about fifteen centimeters in diameter.
The hole is about one meter two above the ground.
This is a reserved smoke vent.
After the heatable brick bed is built, use adobe and mud to create a hollow passage along the hole left behind, sticking to the wall. This way, the smoke can be vented to the outside from the hole.
In this way, there won''t be any smoke in the room when burning the bed.
In the west room, there is another heatable brick bed of the same specifications. That''s where Han Cheng sleeps, and the east room is for the shaman.
The reason for arranging it this way is because inter generations, when living in the same house with elders, the eastern room, where the elders reside, is the most respected, and the western room is for the younger generation.
The northern room is the most respected if the house faces west to east.
The shaman is a person Han Cheng respects and is also older. Therefore, Han Cheng wants him to stay in the eastern room. This is a way for Han Cheng to show his respect to the shaman and cherish the memories of the future that he can never return to.
After searching for two more days without finding any traces of limestone, and with rain starting to fall, seeing therge area on the west wall getting wet, Han Cheng has to bow to reality and temporarily give up on limestone.
He decides to use mud to seal this area and fill the gaps. Repairing it in the future should be enough.
Thinking like this, although he feels a bit unwilling, he feels more relieved.
There seems to be nothing difficult in the world as long as one is willing to let go.
"Thud, thud, thud."
The Eldest Senior Brother and others are using tools to tamp the newly repaired ground in the room.
The soil inside the room needs to be tamped so it doesn''t easily rise, and it''s less likely for grass to grow awkwardly from the floor. Since it''s raining outside and there''s nothing to be done, it''s a good time to tamp the ground in the room.
After the ground is tamped, Han Cheng has people bring arge amount of dry firewood. Both beds are ignited, and a fire is lit in the middle room. This can help expedite the removal of dampness from the room.
Chapter 150: No More Stones
Chapter 150: No More Stones
Han Cheng touched the warm bed with a delighted expression, while Shaman, feeling the warmth, shook his head repeatedly.
"How can you sleep on this? Even now, without moving, I''m sweating. If I sleep on this, I''ll probably spend the whole night restless. I''d rather sleep on my hay pile."
To avoid dampening the mood of the Divine Child, Shaman chose not to voice theseints.
He didn''t say it, and Han Cheng naturally wouldn''t know that Shaman, who was usually quite wise, had moments of confusion like this.
Dry kindling meeting a fierce fire would erupt into passionate mes, but there would be ashes all around after the passion.
Han Cheng couldn''t bear to throw away these ashes and swept them into a corner of the room, preserving them.
These ashes, now, were extremely important in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
They could be used to scrub the greasy utensils after drinking meat soup and fertilize fields.
After Han Cheng remembered that water soaked with ashes could be used to tan fur, the previously neglected ashes gained significant importance in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
These ashes were umted, soaked in water,bined with the deer and rabbit dung pile outside the courtyard wall, and then applied to fertilize the fields when right.
Outside, the sky was gloomy. The newly constructed houses, not yet fitted with doors and windows, were much brighter inside than the caves. Looking at the spacious and clean houses, everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe felt genuine joy.
The Divine Child was right; these newly built houses were much better than the deer pens, but the sleeping area was too hot.
Following the Divine Child''s instructions, the Elder Senior Brother and the others sealed the roof''s edges, and the construction of the second house in the Green Sparrow Tribe began.
This time, the specifications for building the house were different from the first one.
It wasn''t about the length and width; the second connected house had twelve rooms.
Twelve rooms lined up together would look spectacr whenpleted.
Han Cheng didn''t design the second house to be spectacr; connecting them like this was simply morebor and material-efficient.
The initial three-room house required the construction of four mountain walls, and ording to the specifications of three rooms per house, building twelve would require sixteen walls.
However, by connecting twelve rooms, only thirteen walls would be needed.
For the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who had already built one house, digging foundations had be a familiar task, making the process rtively fast.
Learning from the previous experience where construction had to stop due to ack of stones right after digging the foundation, Han Cheng didn''t let everyone dig the foundation. Instead, he assigned some people to search for stones and transport them into the tribe.
Due to the rain, the artificial ditches dug around the Green Sparrow Tribe''s walls had umted about twenty to thirty centimeters of water.
This water was somewhat troublesome, affecting the subsequent excavation of soil and even the transportation of stones into the tribe.
After some contemtion, Han Cheng set up a makeshift wooden bridge with four tree trunks supported by logs over the ditch''s northern end. Through this simple bridge, people carrying stones from the northern slope could directly reach the western side of the courtyard wall without having to throw stones across the ditch as before.
In the Green Sparrow Tribe, while busy building houses, another troublesome matter quietly descended.
"Stone, no more."
Shang, transporting stones, put down his empty load and approached the wild chicken coop, peeking beside the Divine Child spying on the chickens with his clothes off, to report this frustrating news.
Shang''s expression was somewhat disheartened. A few days ago, he had apanied the Divine Child around the tribe and knew there were many scattered stones around where they had previously transported them. In other ces, there were only a few scattered pieces; the rest were those immovable giant rocks.
Like everyone else in the Green Sparrow Tribe, Shang loved the three houses already built. He wanted to work together with others to build more houses so that everyone in the tribe could live in spacious and bright homes.
It was precisely because of this that he felt so disheartened upon discovering the shortage of stones. Yes, the greater the expectation for something, the greater the disappointment when things worsen.
Han Cheng withdrew his gaze from the chicken coop, looked at the disheartened Shang, and said with a smile, "Don''t worry, I have a solution."
"Really?"
Shang suddenly became excited, widening his eyes and looking at Han Cheng with a face full of joy.
Of course, he was thrilled. He had a clear idea of how many stones could be transported around the tribe, and unlike other things, moving stones could only be done through sheer strength.
Shang didn''t believe that the usually wise Divine Child could solve the stone problem. He came to inquire because the Divine Child had created too many miracles, and deep down, he had a slight expectation, hoping that the Divine Child could find a solution to the stone issue and lead the tribe out of this predicament.
However, this hope was too weak, and even he thought it was impossible.
In this situation, he learned unbelievable information from the Divine Child, which excited him. Han Cheng asked the joyful Shang to fetch two pottery jars used for carrying water from the tribe and carry them with a load. They walked out of the tribe gate together, heading towards the ce where the Green Sparrow Tribe often collected stones.
At the same time, they called the others responsible for stone collection to join them. They were instructed to gather some dry branches from the fallen trees on the way.
Meanwhile, Shang fetched two jars of water from the ditch on the west side.
Fetching water from here was much closer than carrying water from the small river.
Everyone followed the instructions, dragging firewood and carrying water, feeling an indescribable excitement as they followed the Divine Child, who was carrying half-broken pottery jars of burning charcoal, towards the stone collection site, which was now devoid of small stones.
They wanted to see how the Divine Child would solve this seemingly unsolvable problem.
The stone collection site, not too far from the Green Sparrow Tribe, had many rocks exposed.
Unfortunately, these rocks were either too big to move or connected to the mountain. Under the current conditions, they were simply impossible to deal with.
Impossible to deal with.
Han Cheng repeated these words in his mind, then chose a rock about the size of threerge oxen lying side by side, half more than a foot above the ground and the other half deeply embedded in the soil.
Using the charcoal and firewood brought along, he lit a fire under the suspended rock.
Fierce red mes soared, and the orange mes were blocked by the stone b, spreading out in all directions. The heat wave followed, reverberating in all directions.
Shang stood with the others, watching the burning mes.
Under the continuous burning of the mes, the stone only turned slightly ck, without any other changes.
He looked at the shaman, who seemed rxed, suppressed his doubts, and, like everyone else, waited for the miracle to happen.
Chapter 151: Rocks cannot stand the hot and cold too.
Chapter 151: Rocks cannot stand the hot and cold too.
"Add more firewood."
Han Cheng looked at the stone and instructed someone to continue adding firewood.
Afterward, he assessed the size of the stone, nced at the two jars of water ced not far away, and felt that the water might not be sufficient. He sent someone back to fetch y jars to transport more water.
The people who were supposed to fetch water hadn''t arrived, but Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother had already arrived. After learning about the Divine Child''s task, they couldn''t resist their curiosity and wanted to witness how the Divine Child would ovee the challenge of the stone.
Without objections from Han Cheng, who understood that entertainment options were scarce in this era, they left some people to guard the tribe and brought the rest along.
With five loads of water brought over, everyone eagerly watched Divine Child. However, Han Cheng didn''t make any other moves; he simply ced the water on the side and continued adding firewood under the stone.
Seeing arge firewood burning almost entirely, Han Cheng picked a dry, dead grass from nearby, extended his arm, and ced the grass stem against the stone.
He positioned it near the top of the stone, about thirty centimeters above the mes below.
After a short while, faint green smoke emerged. Han Cheng retrieved the grass stem and observed that the part in contact with the stone had turned ck.
He broke off the burnt section and held the grass stem out again, this time directly at the highest point of the stone, about twenty centimeters above the previous position.
The grass stem had been in contact for almost a minute, yet no smoke appeared. Suppressing the heat waves, Han Cheng withdrew the grass stem and found only a slightly scorched area where it touched the stone.
It seemed that it hadn''t burned through.
Stepping back a few paces to avoid the scorching heat, Han Cheng ordered to bring more firewood, and then
"Ssh!"
"Crack, crack!"
Throwing away the ckened grass stem, Han Cheng gave themand. The people holding y jars near therge stone immediately began pouring water onto the thoroughly heated stone.
When cold water met the heated stone, it instantly boiled, and white smoke billowed, enveloping the surroundings. This sensation was far more intense than pouring water on hot stones in a steam room in the modern world.
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe, who had never experienced such a situation, became frantic. Some had already shouted in panic.
Standing by Han Cheng''s side, Shaman, still groping, grabbed Han Cheng and pulled him behind his body.
However, Han Cheng showed no signs of panic. On the contrary, he felt overjoyed because, at the beginning, he heard the cracking sound mixed with the sound of water. It was the sound of the stone breaking.
"Keep pouring water upwards!"
After a brief excitement, he stuck his head out from behind Shaman, and with a loud voice, he began shouting.
However, the white mist covered everything at this moment, and people were panicking. Besides Shang, who heard Divine Child shouting and fumbled to pick up a water jar, everyone else was too preupied to notice.
Fortunately, the water vapor came and dissipated quickly. After pouring water onto the stone without stopping, the mist soon vanished.
As the white fog cleared, the panicked crowd gradually quieted down.
They looked at Divine Child, who had hurriedly calmed Shaman and emerged from behind him. In their eyes, there was a mix of surprise and fear.
Although they had seen white mist before, this sudden thick fog without any warning was a first for them. Apanied by the rising mist, various piercing sounds echoed. It would be strange if they weren''t frightened.
"Quiet, don''t be afraid."
Han Cheng looked at the shattered y jars on the ground and then at the anxious crowd. He spoke out to calm them.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others, seeing the Divine Child present with a calm demeanor while the adults were in a state of panic, couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. They needed Divine Child to boost their courage.
"It''s opened, it''s opened!"
Someone suddenly shouted in excitement, pointing a finger at the massive stone.
Now realizing what they were doing, others gathered around to look at therge stone. They quickly made way for Divine Child and Shaman behind them.
However, unlike before, they now looked at Divine Child with more reverence.
They had dealt with many stones, and in their understanding,rge stones were immovable. In less than half a day, Divine Child had managed to split a stone that seemed impossible to move. How could they not feel reverence?
Many people couldn''t help but lower their heads to look at their own hands, then at the y jars holding water and the wet firewood on the ground, expressing an incredulous look.
They couldn''t believe they had achieved this.
With Shaman showing a flicker of suspicion in his eyes, Han Cheng approached therge stone to inspect it. He saw that it had cracked into seven or eight irregr pieces, with only a few small chunks falling off, while the rest still formed a cohesive whole.
This should be due to not pouring enough water onto it while it was still hot.
"Divine Child, Divine Child!"
Under the lead of someone, a chorus of respectful and excited shouts rang out.
Not knowing what was happening, Fu Jiang bounced around, wagging his tail and adding to the noise.
The sound traveled far, and nearby birds foraging for food, startled, spread their wings, and flew away in a hurry, afraid that these overly excited two-legged creatures might do something to them.
Boom!
A stone fell from therge rock. Early on, before the stone fell, Shang, who had agilely dodged to the side, waited for the situation to stabilize. Once everything settled, he came over and moved a smaller stone aside. Picking up two wooden wedges, one thrown to the side, she held the other in her hand. After heating it in the fire and sharpening the bottom, she inserted it into another crack on therge stone.
Leaning to the side to ensure the falling stone wouldn''t harm him, Shang began using the stone to strike the top of the wooden wedge.
"Thud, thud, thud, ssh."
This crack was rtivelyrge. The stone loosened, and before the wooden wedge had been hammered in much, arge piece of stone peeled off from the now much smaller rock.
Chapter 152: Small Stones, Field, Door
Chapter 152: Small Stones, Field, Door
With a wooden wedge in one hand and a stone suitable for smashing things after being refined by a carpenter in the other, Shang stood up straight, looking satisfied at the now considerably smallerrge stone and the scattered debris around it.
Those responsible for transporting the stones took this opportunity to load them into the wooden sleds and carried them away with hook poles.
For thoserger chunks that a single person couldn''t handle, they bound them with ropes, inserted a wooden bar through the middle, and had two people carry them back to the tribe.
Stones suitable for making stone tools were set aside after Fu Jiang, wagging his tail, checked them.
After a short break, Shang observed everything with a smile. The frustration caused by theck of stones had long been cast aside.
Shang saw the Divine Child wandering in the vacant rapeseed field with Fu Jiang and the deer. His heart was immediately filled with admiration.
He held a deep respect for this Divine Child, who resembled a child. He could always turn what seemed impossible into reality and used extremely simple methods.
After resting, Shang put her tools aside, went to anotherrge stone nearby, and piled wood around it.
"Ssh!"
"Creak, creak, creak."
Cold water sshed on the stone, and a piercing noise filled the air, apanied by arge amount of white mist. Faced with this scene, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were no longer afraid; they knew it was a normal reaction.
In the misty haze, people who had been prearranged systematically poured water toward the remembered location.
Han Cheng roamed in the empty rapeseed field with Fu Jiang and the deer.
After harvesting the rapeseed, weeds began to grow wildly. Many rapeseed nts with small thorny seeds were mixed among these thickets.
These were the seeds that fell to the ground during the previous harvest. After a short dormancy, they couldn''t wait to emerge from the soil and see the colorful world.
Regrettably, their emergence was untimely, and instead of apuse, their wee was a rough, green-stained tongue.
Deer Lord lifted its head, munching on grass mixed with a rapeseed nt. Seeing the small basket next to the Divine Child, filled with plenty of rapeseed, it swallowed the grass in its mouth with three or four bites. Then, lifting its head, it approached Han Cheng, who was bending over to pull rapeseed. It rubbed its face on Han Cheng''s hand carelessly, then extended its mouth towards the small basket.
Han Cheng had long been ustomed to the shameless behavior of the deer. Without even looking, he casually moved the basket to the side.
Han Cheng felt mncholic looking at the luxuriant grass growing on the ground.
Now, nting rapeseed for just one season was fine. These weeds would be annoying if they found suitable seeds and rotated crops for two seasons.
Strangely, these wild nts always grew more vigorously than crops on the same piece ofnd if left unattended.
They could easily wipe out these pests if they had herbicides like Paraquat or glyphosate.
Han Cheng thought about this but shook his head with a smile.
Forget it. After eating various pesticides, fertilizers, food additives, and even some industrial raw materials in the future, he finally had the opportunity to eat natural, pollution-free food. There was no need to think about those things now.
Of course, even if he wanted to eat, there was no way to achieve that.
Casually plucking rapeseeds, Han Cheng stood up straight and nced from afar at the diligent members of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Suddenly, he thought of two god-level individuals in his futurepany who either yed mahjong or wandered around. Yet, their sries were more than double that of hardworking individuals like him.
In the past, Han Cheng, like some of his colleagues, felt the injustice. It continued until thepany faced a major crisis that it couldn''t solve. The two god-level individuals effortlessly resolved the issue. After that, Han Cheng no longer felt the injustice.
He thought of this now because he suddenly realized he was somewhat simr to those two god-level individuals.
In the end, the Deer Lord seeded. Taking advantage of Han Cheng''s distraction, it swiped a mouthful of rapeseed from the small basket. Even though it received two ps on its belly for this, it wagged its tail happily.
Han Cheng didn''t dare to put the small basket on the ground. Instead, he constantly guarded it with his hand. The rapeseed in the basket was intended for his lunch. If it was all eaten by this shameless deer, he wouldn''t have anything to eat.
Watching the strange door in front of him, Lame scratched his head. Although he made this door, he didn''t know how to install it.
This door was significantly different from therge doors he made before.
The most prominent feature was one side of the door.
The wooden bar on one side protruded about three to four centimeters higher than the corresponding wooden bar on the other.
The elevated part was not connected to other wooden bars.
After installing such a door, how could it seal the entrance tightly without leaving any gaps?
This was only a small issue. Lame''s biggest confusion was how to install this asymmetrical, peculiar-looking door.
He came to the entrance and carefully examined it. Besides the door frame arranged by the Divine Child in advance, there was nothing else, unlike when building therge door, where tree stumps were embedded in the mud pirs on both sides to hang the door.
Lame touched both sides of the door frame, but no prominent features existed. Shaking his head, he dismissed the idea of tying the wooden door to one side of the door frame.
After pondering for a while, he felt the key in the wooden bar protruding prominently on both ends.
Thinking so, he moved the nearby door closer.
The door was made using the technique of woven wooden nks. Moreover, it was not wide, so it was not difficult for Lame to carry it alone.
After arriving at the entrance, Lame stood the wooden door upright and ced it outside the door frame, sticking it against the frame forparison.
The wooden nk door covered the entire entrance. Since there was a doorstep below and a lintel above, Lames worry that the door would not seal the entrance tightly did note true. This alleviated some of his concerns.
He tentatively let go. The door immediately tilted to one side without being fixed and with only one side touching the ground.
Lame frowned at the door that had tilted to one side. Turning his head to look at the distantrge door, he saw it closed from the inside out. So, he moved the door, leaning it inside, and then made further measurements.
For a moment, he couldn''t find a solution to the problem. However, he did not despair or think of giving up. He still remembered the words the shaman said some time ago.
After installing the door, it could protect the house from wind and rain, making the living conditions safer and morefortable. Lame believed that this would benefit the people of the tribe, blessed by the gods.
The reason it couldn''t be installed now was that some demons didn''t want the tribe to be better. What he needed to do now was to ovee this difficulty using his intelligence and strength, striking against the demons.
Chapter 153: A man like Lu Ban, and Alien Civilization
Chapter 153: A man like Lu Ban, and Alien Civilization
The wood used for the lintel was quite wide and thick, with the wider part inside the wooden frame. Consequently,pared to the outside of the door frame, the height between the top and bottom had to be reduced by at least five centimeters.
Due to this, the door, which was loose outside the frame, got stuck after being moved inside and ced against the frame. Even if released, the door wouldn''t tilt as much as before.
Lame''s eyes lit up; he felt he might be on the right track. Joyful, he used his hand to pull the door and began testing opening and closing it. The wooden bar on one side protruding above and below got stuck between the lintel and the ground. As Lame pulled, the door rotated around this bar.
The door was opened, and Lame''s eyes lit up even more. At this point, he was convinced that his method was correct. Continuing to pull the door open and close, he gradually furrowed his brow.
Indeed, the door could now open and close, but it was very unstable. A moment of inattention could cause it to tilt or run out from under the lintel. Moreover, opening and closing it required considerable effort, unlike the tworge gates mounted on the fence, which were light and easy to handle.
"Divine Child."
Lame again opened the door from the inside and saw the Divine Child, carrying a small basket filled with a bunch of rapeseeds, standing not far from the door, smiling at him. Lame quickly greeted and saluted.
"Very good, well done."
Han Cheng stopped a child running by from the tribe, handed her the basket with rapeseed, and asked her to take it to the cave. He instructed her to tell the cooking person to put these rapeseeds in the soupter.
After giving these instructions, Han Cheng carefully examined the door for a while, then looked up and down at Lame, smiling and praising him.
Encouraged by the praise, Lame pointed to the door and shook his head. "Can''t install it, will fall."
After saying this, he looked expectantly at Han Cheng, hoping to get a solution from the Divine Child to ovee this difficulty and defeat the demons.
Han Cheng thought for a moment and then, together with Lame, went inside the house. He asked Lame to close the door again and straighten it.
Instructing Lame not to move, Han Cheng used a shard of pottery he had picked up earlier to draw a semi-circle on the ground against the door hinge.
The lintel was too high above the ground, and Han Cheng, not knowing if he had the height of Wu Da Lang, couldn''t reach it. So, he left the task of drawing circles around the door hinge to Lame.
Fortunately, the wooden door was not heavy. It only required a bit of force to push it against the door frame, preventing it from moving. Well, not connecting either.
Lame, with a limp, supported himself against the wall, his foot slightly touching the ground. With a piece of pottery in one hand, he traced circles around the door hinge.
Although the shard of pottery was far less conspicuous than red bricks, repeating a few strokes left visible traces.
After drawing the circles, Han Cheng had Lame remove the door from here and move it back outside.
Looking at the circle drawn at the lower part of the lintel, Han Cheng suddenly raised his hand to his forehead, feeling helpless. No matter how much he calcted, he ultimately overlooked a step.
Initially, when building it, the n was to construct the door first and then drill holes in the lintel. This way, the hole''s position could be urately determined, preventing blind drilling.
It wasn''t until now that Han Cheng suddenly remembered; this wasn''t the modern era, and with the current drilling technology, creating a suspended hole like this would be quite challenging.
Han Cheng nced at the lintel, which was alreadypletely integrated with the wall, and decided to abandon the idea of removing it to drill holes. Not only would this potentially damage the new house, but it would also be much more troublesome than drilling in mid-air. Additionally, it would significantly affect the sturdiness of the door frame, making it not worth the effort.
When Lame brought the door back, he noticed Han Cheng staring at the drawn semi-circle on the lintel with an unusual expression. Lame immediately felt uneasy, worrying that he hadn''t done well, causing the shaman to react this way.
Han Cheng withdrew his gaze from the circle on the lintel, and seeing Lame''s anxiety, he quickly reassured him and exined the difficulties of drilling holes in such a situation.
After hearing this, Lame''s anxiety decreased significantly. After a moment of thought, he promised to create the hole and even pounded his chest as a guarantee.
After these assurances, Lame immediately gathered arge lump of y and lit a big pile of fire not far from the door.
cing two stones for footing, Lame applied the mud to the lintel, covering arge area and leaving only the drawn circle exposed.
He then pulled a burning stick from the fire, ced it at the circle, and ignited it.
With one hand holding the stick and the other using a bone-made blowtube, he blew air onto the circle to keep the fire burning. However, this method proved to be troublesome. Not only was the posture ufortable, but the fire could easily extinguish or fall off.
If there were metal-made tongs at this time, it would be much more convenient to directly pick up the burning charcoal. Now, it was a difficult process.
Watching Lame, Han Cheng nodded slightly. Lame''s method was exactly what he had thought of, indicating that the tribe''s first carpenter had been nurtured sessfully.
If the tradition of the Green Sparrow Tribe could be passed down, Lame might be a figure like Lu Ban.
Yes, it should be passed down because the shaman and the shaman''s disciple, Stone, have diligently recorded things on the y tablets.
Lame would surely be recorded.
What about himself?
Suddenly, Han Cheng thought of this question. If the Green Sparrow Tribe became powerful and influential in the future, he might be a mythical figure like Gong Gong or Zhu Rong, or even someone like Huangdi.
Han Cheng daydreamed about it, and his expression twitched. He suddenly remembered the records in the shaman''s memory about his origin: descending from the sky amidst thunder and lightning.
He would most likely be considered an extraterrestrial being, and the early civilization of the Green Sparrow Tribe might be ssified as an extraterrestrial civilization.
Thinking like this, Han Cheng was looking forward to the day when archaeologists would excavate all this buried history after countless years.
Those archaeology experts would probably be utterly shocked at that time, which he found amusing.
"Divine Child."
A voice interrupted Han Cheng''s whimsical thoughts. When he looked up, it was the person he had called back from the stone quarry, carrying a wooden nk.
Han Cheng, with the wooden nk, found a stone about fifteen, eleven, and eight centimeters in length, width, and height, respectively. It was rtively regr in shape, and it was brought over.
Having Lame take a break from standing on the stone, arms raised, eyes fixed on the burning end, sweating, Han Cheng, and the carpenter moved therge stone to where the circle had been drawn. After adjusting their positions, Han Cheng used a short ruler to draw a cross on the rtively t side facing up. Using the cross as the center, he circled arger circle, making itrger than the one drawn on the ground.
Chapter 154: The busy and Quiet Tribe
Chapter 154: The busy and Quiet Tribe
"Pa, pa, pa."
Mu Tou squatted on the ground, holding a small piece of stone in his hand, smashing it against therge stone in front of him.
Fine stone chips or powder separated from therge stone, gradually forming a shallow pit. The position of the pit coincided with the circle drawn by Han Cheng earlier.
Han Cheng was not idle either. He used fire to burn the bottom of the door pivot, then took a small, rough stone and crouched down to polish it.
Smoothing the bottom of the door pivot could reduce friction, making the opening and closing much smoother.
The teacher of the gods'' writings andnguage in the cave, Shi Tou, had already concluded his lessons for the day. The younger, underage individuals, who had just run out of the cave, gathered around, curiously observing the Divine Child and others creating things.
Some watched while unconsciously putting their fingers into their mouths, nibbling. When they noticed the Divine Child turning to look at them, they slightly froze and, upon realizing it, quickly withdrew their hands from their mouths, hiding them behind their backs.
Not far from the cave entrance, a few plump women held infants still nursing in their arms, lounging in the shade. Theyzily observed everyone working while enjoying the coolness, and the aroma of food wafting from the cave made them even more content, shrouded in an indescribable feeling.
Observing the drastically transformed yet oddlyforting tribe, they asionally teased the infants in their arms.
Some shameless ones even pinched the little private parts of the infants.
Most of these infants being nursed weren''t their own but belonged to others. With their bodies gradually bing unwieldy, there were many things they could no longer do. Since the Green Sparrow Tribe was now rtively prosperous and food was abundant, these plump women were enjoying a period offort.
They didn''t need to do much; they just had to take good care of the children in the tribe, allowing those who had given birth and retained lighter bodies to handle the tasks.
Constantly huddling together for warmth and living interdependently, theycked selfishness.
asionally, women who had gone elsewhere to work, those whose breasts were swollen with milk, hurriedly returned. They would pick up their children and feed them before offering their abundant milk to other infants.
After feeding their children, they would nurse other infants if their milk supply was plentiful.
The Eldest Senior Brother, who had spent years leading the tribe in hunting and tirelessly working for the tribe''s continuation, sat on a stone, turning his head to look at all this. A smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
This kind of life now was something he had never dared to imagine in his dreams.
After resting, he resumed carrying stones to build the wall. He knew that to make the tribe better, besides the blessings of the gods and the guidance of the shaman, they needed to work with their own hands.
The person in charge of cooking came out, saying the food was ready. The Eldest Senior Brother ced the stone he was carrying onto the stone wall and called everyone to eat.
The person pulling stones from the west wall, hands cupped to the mouth, shouted towards the northwest stone quarry, conveying that it was time to eat.
Hearing the call, people busy at the stone quarry quickly abandoned their tasks, heading swiftly towards the tribe to enjoy their meal.
After toiling for half a day, they were already hungry.
The tools were brought back; none were left at the quarry.
Although there were no other tribes around the entire Green Sparrow Tribe that one could reach in a single day, and there was no chance of people from other tribesing to steal their tools, they still brought them back because it was themand of the Divine Child.
Han Cheng had already polished the door shaft, but the stone pit and the hole on the lintel took a bit more effort, and only half waspleted.
Han Cheng didn''t have the habit of making people work overtime. He believed that when it was time to eat, one should eat, and other matters could wait until after the meal.
Therefore, Han Cheng called away the Lame, who was determined to make the hole through the lintel and had been busy for half a morning. The fellow was covered in sweat and dirt, with ck and gray on his hands and face.
Not eating to replenish energy and rest like this could work.
Han Cheng trained this guy to be a master carpenter. Han Cheng would feel extremely regretful if he were to be damaged over this small hole.
The pregnant women holding children set up some washing basins filled with clear water by the water channel on the west side of the cave. Those who returned from work and were preparing to eat didn''t need anyone to instruct them; they instinctively walked over to wash their hands and faces before entering the cave.
After everyone had washed, the water in the basins became muddy.
Although the Green Sparrow Tribe was now prosperous, the meal rules hadn''t changed. Han Cheng still got the first share of the food, followed by the shaman.
Due to the hot weather, Han Cheng didn''t want to eat anything too greasy. He specifically instructed the Eldest Senior Brother to give him more vegetables and less meat when serving the meal.
If he didn''t specify, the Eldest Senior Brother, who always wanted the Divine Child to eat well, would serve him a big bowl of meat.
After lunch, it was time to rest. The people who had toiled for the morning weed a leisurely time. Some leaned against the wall in a daze, while othersy in their usual sleeping spots.
The Lame was about to continue making the hole through the lintel after eating, but Han Cheng stopped him, not allowing him to go, instructing him to rest with everyone else.
The Lame, who had imed not to be tired while pounding his chest, leaned against the mountain wall and soon fell asleep.
In the afternoon, after more than half the time had passed, the Lame finallypleted the hole on the lintel, pointing at the hole covered in ck and gray and grinning at Han Cheng.
Han Cheng scolded him with a smile, and the carpenter brought over the already chiseled stone to measure it inside the threshold.
After marking the approximate position, they used wooden chisels and bone shovels to dig a hole. After digging the hole, they moved the stone and filled it with earth to seal it.
The stone was about one centimeter higher than the ground as a whole. This was to prevent debris from falling into the pit, affecting the door''s opening and closing.
The pits on the stone corresponded to the hole on the lintel.
The excited Lame, without the help of the carpenter, brought the door over by himself.
Under Han Cheng''s guidance, the upper part of the door shaft was first inserted into the hole inside the lintel. Then, with force, the door was lifted upward because the Lame had already cleared the hole. Thus, the upper door shaft could be fully inserted.
There was a gap below, and the shaft, which had been blocked and couldn''t reach the pit below, could now be ced in it.
Both were fixed with holes on top of the lintel and pits on the stone. The wooden door would no longer move around recklessly. After trying to push and pull a few times, Han Cheng felt it was still good but not smooth enough.
After Han Cheng let go, the Lame also came to push and pull. While doing so, he looked up and down at it. His face showed even more joy because he had learned something new.
Like a child who had just received a new toy, the Lame, who wanted to express his joy to the Divine Child, found that the Divine Child did not seem as happy as expected.
Before the Lame could speak, the Divine Child turned and left the door, heading towards the cave.
The Lame opened and closed the door several times, then looked at the Divine Child who had hurriedly left. Confused, He scratched his head, thinking the wooden door was already installed well enough. Why did it seem like the Divine Child wasn''t particrly pleased?
Chapter 155: The Fighter Among the Cocks
Chapter 155: The Fighter Among the Cocks
While the Lame scratched his head and yed with the wooden door, Han Cheng had already left the cave.
He held a pottery spoon in his hand containing a semi-solid, somewhat whitish substance.
It was animal fat.
With the appearance of more and more rabbit snares, the Green Sparrow Tribe had been able to harvest quite a few small wild animals or birds every day.
Some prey were eaten the same day, while others were salted and dried into jerky.
Before doing this, Han Cheng would extract the fat from their abdomens or other parts, put it in a jar, heat it, refine it into oil, and store it in the jar.
Considering the current weather, the fat inside the jar should have melted into a liquid. However, the cave temperature was lower than outside, so it remained semi-solid.
The Lame recognized what the Divine Child had brought. They had vivid memories of this fat.
After heating the fat, Han Cheng ced cleaned vegetables into it, continuously stirring with chopsticks, then sprinkled some salt. The taste made one wish they could swallow their tongue.
Adding some of this oil to the already delicious salted fish soup made it even more delightful. Putting a bit of salt in this fat and anything you ate with it became an unparalleled delicacy.
Watching the Divine Child pour this spoonful of delicious fat into the stone pit below the door shaft, the Lame and the Mu Tou both felt a great regret. Involuntarily, they stretched their necks, looking like they wanted to take this fat out and put it in their mouths.
While feeling regret, they were also puzzled, not knowing the purpose of the Divine Child pouring this delicious substance here.
Could there be another use for this delicious fat besides eating?
The Lame quickly understood the other use of the fat. The door, which became much lighter, was opened and closed by him. Looking at the fat on the door shaft that had dyed the stone pit below slightly damp, he couldn''t help licking his lips.
Indeed, good things were good. Not only did it taste good, but it was also very useful.
After the wooden door was installed, this house, built on a foundation of rocks, with walls pounded from the earth and a roof tiled with ck tiles, finally looked like a real dwelling.
The remaining issue was the details. After a brief rest, they could move in with their bags.
Of course, Han Cheng wouldn''t move in now. It was midsummer, and the cave, covered by a thickyer of rocks, didn''t let sunlight in, making it an excellent ce to escape the heat.
Although these three tile-roofed houses had thick walls, they were far less than the mountain cave. Living inside at this time would be somewhat stuffy.
Moreover, it was a newly built house with high humidity, not very good for the body.
Standing before the firewood door, looking at the pottery inside the tribe, Han Cheng sighed softly.
His previous estimate of the situation was too optimistic. He originally thought that after personally experiencing the benefits of pottery at the joyous meeting, other tribes would return home and intensify their hunting efforts. They would then use food and other items to exchange for pottery.
Then, the Green Sparrow Tribe could sit back and enjoy the profits of this exclusive business.
However, it had been almost two or three months since the joyous meeting, and so far, not a single tribe hade to exchange. This made Han Cheng quite helpless. He couldn''t even be a cunning merchant bringing civilization to other tribes.
Thinking about the days when the Green Sparrow Tribe lived without a stable food source before developing the fish cage for fishing, Han Cheng shook his head slightly. He had indeed been too wishful.
Because food was hard toe by, it made food especially precious at this time. Without a stable source of food, the people of those tribes must have many hesitations about exchanging food for pottery.
Fortunately, over a month ago, to solve the problem of inbreeding among rabbits, he thought of a simple and effective tool, the rabbit snare.
Using these useful tools, the Green Sparrow Tribe had ie every day. These prey not only enriched the variety of food in the Green Sparrow Tribe but also greatly eased the shortage of fur.
After years of hunting by the Green Sparrow Tribe, quite a few furs had umted.
However, many had deteriorated over time because they only knew simple nitration and did not value fur much before.
After Han Cheng''s arrival, the fur had been developed for various purposes, and the fur stock was rapidly decreasing. Moreover, over the past year, under Han Cheng''s leadership, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe have been entirely focused on construction and have barely gone out hunting. This exacerbated the shortage of fur.
Fortunately, they had the rabbit snares, temporarily solving the fur shortage problem.
However, this was not a long-term solution. The things that could be sustained on a piece ofnd were limited. As many prey fell into traps, the number of animals around the Green Sparrow Tribe rapidly declined.
Nowadays, the number of rabbit snares set out is five or six times more than initially, but the daily prey catch has not increased much. This was clear.
With the decrease in prey on this piece ofnd, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s trapping area would gradually expand outward.
For now, let''s leave it at that. When autumn arrives and many fruits ripen, these rows of houses will be almost ready for construction, and the Eldest Senior Brother and others can free up their hands to go hunting.
By then, the fur problem should be alleviated to some extent.
Han Cheng closed the door, returned to the chicken coop, ignored the smell of chicken dung, and eagerly looked at the naked chickens inside through the gaps in the wooden nks covering the coop.
There were already eleven wild chickens in the chicken coop, two significantly different from the other nine. Not only were theyrger in size, but the color of their feathers also had a noticeable difference. Their wings were not as long as the first type, which was good at flying.
Compared to the previous type of wild chickens, these were undoubtedly more suitable for domestication and breeding.
It was a bit regrettable, though; these guys were males, and so far, not a single female had been caught.
To ensure that the good genes of these two guys were passed down, Han Cheng had all the male wild chickens from the other type caught and their necks twisted.
The male wild chickens were indeed quite miserable. Not only were they plucked of the feathers on their tails, but their bare and bloody buttocks also suffered, and they couldn''t even save their lives. Moreover, after their death, their little female chickens were seized by two guys whose surnames were Wang and Song.
Whether these little female chickens would guard themselves like jade for the unfortunate male chicken and not let these two different male chickens touch them, Han Cheng was not worried.
It wasn''t that he didn''t believe in the virtue of these little female chickens, but he had enough confidence in these two male chickens.
Back in school, at the vige entrance, he had witnessed how an old rooster had done things to a duck.
Since that incident, Han Cheng had an unwavering belief in thebat power of roosters.
Chapter 156: Good Education
Chapter 156: Good Education
These wild chickens in the chicken coop still maintain their glorious image of bald wings and bare buttocks. It''s not that Han Cheng has magical hands that can make no grass grow after his treatment; instead, he takes the time to give these chickens a haircut every once in a while.
Although the methods are somewhat cruel, and the chickens look miserable after the haircut, the results are pretty good.
At least now, these guys flop around with their meaty wings and can''t lift their feet off the ground.
Without feathers on their wings, they cannot fly and are confined within a small chicken coop. They can''t run long distances. With each generation being raised this way, there will eventuallye a day when they are entirely domesticated.
The wildness in these chickens has diminished, and they have gradually be ustomed to the presence of humans.
At least, after Han Cheng''s arrival, they no longer cower in a corner, shivering with their bald buttocks facing him, as they did initially.
When Han Cheng approaches, they may still be slightly startled, but they just stand there or lie down, staring at him.
Han Cheng remains still, engaging in a silent battle of wills through the gaps in the wooden nks.
Naturally, Han Cheng emerges victorious in this silent battle against the chickens.
These days, the chickens, who have gradually be ustomed to this ruthless little monkey, resume their everyday lives after a brief confrontation.
The bolder ones may even perform some indescribable actions right before the little monkey,unching a practical attack against the single little monkey.
While these chickens wander around, in a corner, there is a chicken with much more vigorous feathers than the others lying there motionless. While others eat and drink, it remains indifferent.
This chicken lying on the straw nest made of hay is brooding eggs,monly known as setting a nest.
Initially, Han Cheng didn''t want it to set up a nest because it wouldn''ty eggs once it started.
Later, he thought about it. Just-born chicks are more essible to domesticate, fulfilling the dream of this mother hen.
However, Han Cheng conducted a preliminary examination before the eggs were officially brooded.
This particr examination, like the prenatal examination inter times, was aimed at the fetus. However, this fetus was quite uniqueit hadn''t been born yet but had already run to the outside of its mother''s belly.
Prenatal examinations were necessary for eugenics.
Of course, Han Cheng''s primary purpose was to select the eggs that couldn''t hatch into chicks and then eat them to avoid waste.
This was quickly done. Inter times, when the hens were ready to set a nest, and it was time to select eggs suitable for hatching, Han Cheng handled it because his grandmother''s eyesight wasn''t good anymore.
When Han Cheng conducted these egg examinations, just like inter times, he chose a dazzling noon when sunlight streamed in. He had someone bring the stone b used to block the door, covering the entrance to brighten up this dark corner.
Han Cheng picked up an egg from a small straw-filled basin, with therge end facing upward. He leaned in, using his left hand to cover the gap above the egg, forming a semi-circle with his right hand. This way, he could see the inside of the egg through the thin shell.
If the egg could hatch into a chick, a small pit would be inside therge end. If there was no pit, the egg wasn''t fertilized and would be a waste to incubate. After incubating with the rest of the eggs for twenty-one days, nothing would happen except for it turning rotten.
Moreover, the smaller the shadowy pit inside, the better the fertilization, indicating a higher chance of sessfully hatching a chick.
When selecting eggs, it''s best to choose those with smaller shadowy pits.
Besides the higher hatching sess rate, another reason is that the smaller the shadowy pit, the greater the chance that the hatched chick will be a hen.
In the past, most households raised hens forying eggs, so hens were highly valued.
Thebat power of these two roosters was indeed formidable. Among the twelve eggs, not a single one was unfertilized. This disappointed Han Cheng, who was hoping to pick one or two to eat. After all, now there was animal fat avable, and imagining frying some wild onions with eggs in a t-bottomed y pot made his mouth water.
After observing for a while without finding eggs, Han Cheng left with a somewhat disappointed Fu Jiang.
These wild chickens weren''t cutting it. Theyid too few eggs, and afterying six, seven, eleven, or twelve eggs, they would stop to prepare for hatching chicks. They couldn''tpare with the hens inter times whoid one or two eggs a day or those in specialized chicken farms.
To train these wild hen-like chickens toy more eggs, besides the chicken with longer feathers, Han Cheng didn''t allow the other hens to incubate eggs.
Every time theyid an egg, Han Cheng would take one away. Without eggs to incubate, their eggying cycle would shorten, and they would involuntarily prepare forying another batch of eggs as soon as possible.
However, this required Han Cheng to patrol more often, chasing away those who pretended to incubate eggs but didn''ty any.
Alternatively, he would use a stick to herd the chosen hen-like chicken into a nest, pushing away anypetitors.
Han Cheng no longer had deer milk to drink because the deer he often milked got pregnant again with the efforts of the deer lord.
However, weaning wouldn''tst too long. Watching the deer lord''s group of pregnant wives, Han Cheng felt a faint excitement and couldn''t help but admire the formidablebat power of the deer lord.
In a short time, the deer herd of the Green Sparrow tribe would almost double.
Imagine arge group of deer belonging to their tribe peacefully grazing in the grasnd. Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel excited.
And thinking about himself holding a pottery jar, milking each of these deer one by one, with the jar filled with warm, white milk, Han Cheng became even more excited.
The Deer lord didn''t feel annoyed about this little two-legged creature spying on his wives. He seemed a bit excited, just like the little two-legged creature.
Not sure if it was reminded of the taste of milk again, but after staring at Han Cheng for a while, the deer lord extended its head, licked its nostrils, then stretched its neck and lifted the upper lip, revealing itsrge front teeth, and repeated its ssic yet lewd expression.
Eight new guests- four males and four females- were added inside the rabbit enclosure. With them around, the issue of inbreeding among rabbits would no longer be a problem.
During these days, the Green Sparrow tribe had expanded their rabbit breeding efforts, and the rabbits they obtained were not limited to just these eight. The eight chosen ones were carefully selected, while the others that didn''t cut had already been skinned and gutted. Some had met their unknown fates.
Chapter 157: You will start missing it after you lose it
Chapter 157: You will start missing it after you lose it
"Divine Child Divine Child"
Han Cheng was making tiles with Hei Wa when suddenly he heard the continuous shouts of "Divine Child."
The voices were filled with anxiety and panic. Han Cheng was startled. When he turned his head to look, he saw several people rushing out from the gate of the surrounding wall. They were running towards him, urgently shouting.
Could it be that those reckless tribesmen havee again?
If that''s the case, things could get troublesome. Many people were still working at the quarry.
Thinking this, Han Cheng didn''t even have time to drop the y in his hands. He stood up and turned his head to survey the surroundings quickly. Except for a few birds not far away waiting for small fish to eat, which were startled by the sudden noise and flew away, there were no other changes. He didn''t see any outsiders.
Han Cheng''s heart settled a bit. He shouted to Hei Wa and the other two people making tiles, "Run!"
Then, without looking back, he sprinted towards the gate of the surrounding wall.
Regardless of what had happened, the first thing was to get inside the wall and close the gate. That was Han Cheng''s thought.
Hei Wa and the other two people watched Divine Child running faster than a rabbit. For a moment, they looked at each other in surprise. It was unexpected that Divine Child could run so fast with his two short legs.
After a brief moment of being stunned, they shook off their astonishment and followed Divine Child''s footsteps, quickly running towards the tribe''s gate.
"Divine Child, Divine Child!"
People running out from the tribe continued to shout as they ran toward Han Cheng. The voices were urgent.
As they approached, Han Cheng recognized the people: it was the Third Senior Brother and a few others.
"What''s what''s going on?" Han Cheng asked loudly, panting.
"People people!" Third Senior Brother urgently eximed.
Upon hearing this, Han Cheng immediately became anxious. It seemed that people from another tribe had indeede.
He didn''t see them, probably because they came from the other two directions of the surrounding wall.
While anxious, he also wanted to scold Third Senior Brother and the others for not bringing weapons when they knew enemies were approaching.
Hei Wa and the others caught up from behind. Hei Wa grabbed one of Divine Child''s hands, and they all continued running.
As they met, there was no time for many words. The third Senior Brother and the others turned around and rushed towards the courtyard gate together.
"Where are the enemies?" Han Cheng shouted as they ran.
"There, there!" Third Senior Brother pointed directly at the tribe''s gate.
Han Cheng''s heart sank again. The enemies had silently attacked inside the courtyard.
In a hurry, they ran into the courtyard but found no other people. There was no one else besides the guards on the low walls on both sides.
Han Cheng puzzled, asked the Third Senior Brother where the people were. Third Senior Brother anxiously pointed to the cave.
Han Cheng''s eyes widened instantly.
This was not just a ruthless intrusion into the tribe without a sound, but they had also upied the cave.
Who could be so capable? Could it be a time traveler with a silenced firearm?
While the Third Senior Brother urgently brought him back, was he expecting Han Cheng to perform miracles and eliminate these invaders?
Han Cheng thought with an open mind as he ran.
"Divine Child, Divine Child!"
People emerged from the cave again, and the leader was the Eldest Senior Brother who served as the chief. As soon as he came out, he saw Han Cheng approaching rapidly, carried by Hei Wa and the other person. He couldn''t help but show a joyful expression and hurriedly stepped forward, shouting.
Seeing this, Han Cheng felt relieved. It seemed it wasn''t an attack; something else must have happened.
"What''s going on?" Han Cheng asked again.
Eldest Senior Brother didn''t have time to say much. Just gestured for Han Cheng to hurry to the cave.
Inside the cave, many people had gathered. Seeing Han Chenging in, they quickly stood up and gave way.
Surprised by the scene inside, Han Cheng hastened his steps.
Not far from the constantly burning fire pit of the Green Sparrow tribe, a persony on the ground. It was one of the two old primitive men responsible for tending the mes throughout the year.
The shaman crouched beside him, asionally testing his breath with his hand, his face filled with heaviness and helplessness.
Being older, the shaman had seen life and death countless times. Despite being calmer in such situations, he still felt the pain, especially since this person was from their Green Sparrow tribe and much older than him.
The shaman shook his head slightly. Based on his experience, the old primitive man called Fire One by Divine Child was clearly beyond saving.
After making this judgment, he suddenly remembered Divine Child, who had brought countless miracles. He quickly sent someone to find Divine Child, hoping to revive Fire One''s life.
The shaman lifted his head, not saying a word but looking expectantly at Divine Child, who was approaching.
Han Cheng quickly reached Fire One, whoy on the ground with tightly closed eyes.
When he lowered his head, Han Cheng saw a flush on Fire One''s aged face, covered in sweat, and many heat rashes on the exposed skin.
Han Cheng reached out to check Fire One''s breath, and it felt scorching as if the air exhaled from his nostrils was burning.
This seemed like a heatstroke.
Looking at the nearby fire pit, Han Cheng quickly had people carry Fire One to a ventted area near the cave entrance. He instructed someone to bring a basin of cold water and prepare a bowl of cool boiled water with some salt.
Upon seeing Divine Child''s arrival, Eldest Senior Brother and the others didn''t stay crouched like the shaman but immediately set about doing tasks. Each of them felt a sense of joy and busily followed Han Cheng''s instructions.
Despite Fire One''s old age, he had been taking turns with Fire Two daily to ensure the tribe''s fire source remained lit. Even though he might not be able to do much now, they were unwilling to let him pass away like this.
Han Cheng had some people step back, open the venttion, and then unfasten the skins wrapped around Fire One. He used his hands to continuously wipe his body with cool water to lower his temperature. He also had someone administer a bowl of cool boiled water with added salt.
At this moment, theycked copper. If they had copper, scraping his back with it would likely be more effective, and having a bowl of mung bean soup to drink would also help.
However, they had nothing now, and all Han Cheng could do was this.
Wiping Fire One''s body with cool water, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniffle as he looked at the numerous heat rashes on Fire One''s body. He felt a bit uneasy.
The presence of the two old primitive men in the Green Sparrow tribe was fragile, and people, including Han Cheng, rarely paid much attention to them.
Now that something had happened, Fire One might not survive. People suddenly realized the significance of their existence, understanding how much the tribe would lose after they were gone.
It was often like this when you possess something, you don''t feel its importance but only realize it when you lose it. Things that were previously taken for granted be essential.
Chapter 158: Getting Fire Part One
Chapter 158: Getting Fire Part One
After being busy for a while, Han Cheng called someone over to take his ce and continue the treatment. Under the current conditions, he had no better options. Whether Fire One could pull through or not would ultimately be up to fate.
Walking over to the unaffected Fire Two, Han Cheng also noticed ayer of heat rashes on his body. Upon closer inspection of the others, he found that only the two had the most heat rashes.
It was easy to understand why they were constantly facing a pile of fire, and now it was midsummer.
"Wake up, wake up!" Eldest Senior Brother eximed with joy, and the eyes of everyone around Han Cheng were filled with admiration.
Han Cheng hurried over, and Fire One, whose eyes had been tightly closed before, had now opened them, though he remained extremely weak. Han Cheng had someone continue wiping his body with cool water while bringing a bowl of salted boiled water to feed him.
"Divine Child!"
Looking at Han Cheng, the people around had even more reverence in their eyes. While Divine Child had performed miracles before, today''s actions were undoubtedly more awe-inspiring, as he had managed to save someone on the brink of death.
Liang was the most excited among the crowd. After witnessing Divine Child use his abilities to revive someone on the verge of death, he clenched his fists tightly, and his aspiration to be a healer strengthened.
After the tribe respectfully paid their respects to Divine Child, many people excitedly jumped around, expressing their joy with loud cheers.
However, Han Cheng wasn''t as happy as they were. He was contemting the situation with the fire, thinking about how to improve the fire-making technology.
Burning mes continuously for twenty-four hours in the heat of summer was overly hot. It was fine for those who usually didn''t approach the fire pit, but the elderly Fire One and Fire Two had suffered.
Fire One was lucky to have survived Han Cheng''s simple treatment this time, but would he be so fortunate next time?
This issue needed to be resolved.
Han Cheng couldn''t make matches or lighters. He could only think of fire knives, fire stones, or perhaps fire drills.
Fire stones were rare, and the possibility of finding fire knives or stones around the Green Sparrow tribe was too small.
Moreover, the fire knives of the future were made of hard steel. Han Cheng had heard from the elders in his family that the better the fire knife, the easier it was to ignite the fire with just one strike. However, the use of steel alone was enough to stop him.
The only remaining option seemed to be to manufacture fire drills.
Han Cheng also knew a bit about the fire starter. He would roll up the yellow paper used for ancestral offerings, insert it tightly into a bamboo tube, then light one end with fire and cover it. The paper wick inside the bamboo tube would burn extremely slowly and remain unextinguished.
When needed, you just need to open the cover and blow out the me.
Han Cheng smirked, realizing he had no bamboo and no yellow paper.
Indeed, it was the primitive era.
Having memories from future generations, he found even these simple tasks challenging. The ancestors, however, took step by step, oveing difficulties and eventually achieving brilliance, making one couldn''t help but admire them.
How much hardship and setbacks did they endure in this process? One could only imagine.
"Pa, pa, pa."
The night was deep, adorned with gem-like stars. The night seemed serene without the neon lights and bustling crowds, bringing genuine joy and peace from within.
In the quiet night, the sound of striking stones echoed. Along with this sound, scattered orange sparks were shing, drawing arcs in the air, and then disappearing.
Like fleeting meteors in the night sky.
Compared to yellow paper and bamboo, Han Cheng felt it was more reliable to find stones for striking. So, this afternoon, he carried a small basket and went to the nearby quarry to find some stones for striking.
Most of the hard stones could produce sparks when struck, but to quickly ignite a fire, one needed to find those that could erupt with many sparks with just one strike.
Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, Lame, Mu Tou, and others gathered around, watching the sparking mes and the determined striking of the Divine Child with stones.
They had already learned from the shamans about their intentions. The shamans were looking for a new way to start a fire, freeing Fire One and Fire Two from the daily task of tending to the mes so they wouldn''t face life-threatening situations like today.
Everyone was moved by the Divine Child''s kindness andpassion. Fire One and Fire Two, who knew the reason, were even more overwhelmed with emotion. Tears filled their eyes, which were already prone to shedding tears.
Feeling a bit better, Fire One struggled to get up to continue tending to the fire, not letting the Divine Child bear such hardship.
"Pa, pa, pa."
The sound of striking continued, and the sparks kept shing. Suddenly, the sparks that used to flicker and go out grew, bingrger and brighter.
Han Cheng stopped striking, set aside the stones, picked up the tinder on the ground, and put it to his mouth to blow.
After receiving a breath of Divine Child''s mystical air, whether or not it carried any bad breath, the spark on the fire tinder in Han Cheng''s hand became even brighter. Soon after, a small me rose, dancing in the night sky.
Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, and others gathered around and watched the flickering me, each with widened eyes.
When it came to fire-making, they only knew about using Mu Tou drills and had never imagined that stones could also generate fire.
Mu Tou, who often dealt with stones, had the widest eyes. He had seen such sparks more than once and found them amusing. Little did he know that these seemingly tiny sparks could ignite a fire, which couldn''t even be felt when they sshed on the body.
By the light of the fire, Mu Tou approached Han Cheng, eager to try holding a stone himself.
Han Cheng pinched a corner of the fire tinder, held it before him, and observed the dancing me. When it was about to burn his hand, he let go, allowing it to fall to the ground.
The fire tinder burned on the ground, but since there was no additional kindling, the me quickly diminished, eventually extinguishingpletely.
Han Cheng sighed softly and handed the two stones that had proven to be the most effective in creating sparks to Mu Tou, who was eager to try.
The people around, delighted by the appearance of the fire, were puzzled when they heard Divine Child''s sigh. After all, Divine Child had just created a new method of making firewhy would he be unhappy?
Chapter 159: Tinder tree
Chapter 159: Tinder tree
Of course, Han Cheng was not pleased. His goal was to find a method for quickly igniting fires, and using these two stones to make fire was slower than using wooden drills. Even if he proved that it was possible to create fire with stones, what significance did it hold?
The next day, Han Cheng no longer sought stones but attempted to make fire drills. Lacking bamboo tubes, he used bone rods as substitutes and reced yellow paper with the fire tinder used during ignition. After tinkering for a while, he finally created a makeshift fire drill.
Han Cheng brought it to the burning fire pit, lit one end, and blew out the me, allowing it to burn in a smoldering statehowever, the smoldering me extinguished shortly after that.
Han Cheng used a thin stick to poke out the fire tinder inside the bone rod, thinking he might have packed it too tightly, quickly causing it to burn out. When refilling, he didn''t pack it as densely.
After tightly sealing one end of the bone rod, he brought it back to the fire pit and ignited it. The fire tinder did not extinguish this time, but it burned quickly. Han Cheng estimated that itsted only about half an hour before the fifteen-centimeter makeshift fire drill was consumed entirely.
Han Cheng continued adjusting the tightness of the fire tinder. When he found that the fire tinder used for ignition was insufficient to meet the demand, he began trying other materials.
It is said that Edison experimented with over a thousand materials before sessfully inventing the light bulb. Simrly, Han Cheng tried dozens of materials to manufacture fire drills, but he still did not seed.
Up to this point, the fire drills he created couldn''t sustain a me for long, with the longeststing only until mid-morning.
Nevertheless, these fire drills could still be used. Previously, when Shang or Hei Wa wanted to ignite fires at the stone quarry or y pit, the only method was to quickly fetch burning charcoal or a couple of burning wooden sticks from the roaring fire pit in the cave, fearing that the mes would extinguish if dyed.
Sometimes, in unfortunate situations, they needed to make two or three trips to keep the fire burning.
Now, with these fire drills that could burn considerably, they became moreposed and calm when lighting fires outside.
While the people of the Green Sparrow tribe deeply admired Divine Child''s wisdom, Han Cheng frowned, showing a dissatisfied expression.
This kind of fire drill still fell far short of his expectations. He needed one that could burn continuously throughout the night without extinguishing, allowing him to extinguish the roaring fire pit in the cave confidently.
A small fire drill truly puzzled Han Cheng this time. He stayed in the cave, lost in thought, trying to figure out a solution.
Fu Jiang, the domesticated wolf that had be more like a Husky, was pulling at the tiny leather skirt tied around Han Cheng''s waist, trying to drag him out to y. In its effort, the wolf identally pulled down the short skirt.
As Han Cheng inadvertently exposed himself, Fu Jiang, with the skirt in his mouth, retreated several steps.
"Oh no!"
Indeed, these words did note from Fu Jiang, which would be pretty extraordinary.
Limping in from outside, Lame walked with a distinct sway and approached the inner cave area to get a hand pressure drill, preparing to drill a hole. Seeing Divine Child sitting there, absorbed in deep thought, Lame dared not disturb him. After taking the hand drill, he carefully walked out.
However, after taking only a few steps, Fu Jiang caused amotion.
Lame leg condition was not good to begin with, and being suddenly tripped by Fu Jiang, he lost control and fell to the ground.
Although Fu Jiang dodged quickly and avoided being hit by Lame, he fell heavily.
A cry of pain escaped from Lame''s mouth.
Instead of caring about his injuries, Lame hastily picked up the hand pressure drill that fell to the side. The cave floor was made of stone, and the rtively fragile stone drill bit happened to hit the stone, breaking in the middle.
This made Lame regretful because this hand-pressure drill was the mostfortable.
Feeling a bit annoyed, Lame wanted to hit Fu Jiang. However, seeing the amusing sight of the wolf carrying Divine Child''s leather skirt in its mouth, he couldn''t help but burst intoughter.
At this moment, Han Cheng, deep in contemtion, naturally couldn''t focus on his thoughts. He hurried over to help Lame stand up. Although Lame had already managed to stand alone, he held the broken stone drill, looking quite regretful.
Seeing that Lame was fine, Han Cheng turned his stern gaze toward Fu Jiang, the foolish dog. Fu Jiang also realized it had caused trouble, and with its tail hanging down, it shyly brought the leather skirt to Han Cheng, rubbing it against his hand.
Han Cheng patted the wolf on the head twice, took the skirt, and tied it around his waist. Fu Jiang, ncing at Han Cheng with a yful look, seized the opportunity to turn around, spread its four legs, and dashed out of the cave, afraid that it might get kicked on the butt if it ran too slowly.
Amused by the scene, Han Cheng scolded with a smile. He then looked at the broken stone drill in Lame''s hand, feeling regretful. After all, it wasn''t easy to grind a stone into a proper drill bit.
Just as he was about to instruct Lame to use another hand drill for now and fix this er, a sh of inspiration crossed his mind.
Gathering the skirt back into ce, Han Cheng said, "Give me this, and you use another one."
Before finishing his sentence, the broken hand pressure drill from Lame was already in Han Cheng''s hand.
Has Divine Childe up with another brilliant idea?
Thinking this, Lame, holding a drill about the same size as the broken one, didn''t bother brushing off the dust on his body. He quickly rushed after Divine Child, eager to see what miracle Divine Child could create with the familiar hand pressure drill.
Han Cheng found arge, soft tree branch with a diameter of about two centimeters and a length of two meters, bringing it back to the courtyard.
Cutting it into two pieces, he marked a point near the top of the thicker section and had Lame, who was watching on the side, use the hand pressure drill to create a hole. The hole didn''t need to be too deep; drilling halfway into the wood was sufficient.
While Lame drilled the hole, Han Cheng swiftly dealt with the other section of the wooden stick. He smoothed one end and carved a groove with a stone knife on the other end to hold the rope. Then, he wrapped the wooden stick, made to the specifications of the drill bit, with two loops of rope and attached it to the hand pressure drill.
By this time, Lame had finished drilling the hole.
Han Cheng took a look and used a thin stone b that could be called a stone knife to carve two grooves on the left and right sides of the wooden hole. In this way, a much lighter tool for drilling wood and starting a fire was madepared to the original tools used by the tribe.
Han Cheng obtained a bunch of fire tinder made from the leaves of a tree unfamiliar to him. When crumpled in the hand, many fine fibers woulde out, making it suitable for starting a fire. However, it was not the same as the Emia ulmoides treemonly seen inter years; Han Cheng could easily distinguish between them.
Thus, this unknown tree gained a grand name in Han Cheng''s eyes the Fire Tinder Tree.
Chapter 160: Getting Fire
Chapter 160: Getting Fire
A bundle of fire tinder was ced underneath the tree stick, lying t on the ground with a small hole drilled into it. Han Cheng inserted the wooden rod into the modified hand pressure drill. With one foot stepping on the stick to prevent it from moving, he started pressing the hand drill up and down, using the same technique as when drilling objects.
The wooden drill rod quickly rotated as Han Cheng pressed up and down. In just a few moments, a wisp of blue smoke rose from the hole in the wood, followed by warm, ck wood shavings falling from the grooves on either side of the wooden hole onto the soft tinder below.
Han Cheng felt a hint of excitement and continued pressing the hand drill. As the drill continued to rotate, more dark wood shavings fell. In a short time, white smoke began to rise from the tinder beneath the wooden stick.
Han Cheng then took the hand pressure drill away and blew on the tinder with a puff of air. Soon, a small me appeared.
Reflecting on it, this time, it took only two or three minutes to drill wood and start a fire, which was much faster than the tribe''s original method of drilling wood and the firestone method he had used before!
Considering this was his first time using the hand pressure drill for fire-making, the effect was remarkably significant. With more practice over time, the speed would undoubtedly increase.
Han Cheng thought about this and turned to see Lame, who was daydreaming while watching the tinder burn. Han Cheng had an idea and asked Lame to try it.
Excited about the prospect of using a hand pressure drill to create fire, Lame quickly came over, took the hand pressure drill, and, due to excessive excitement, his hands were trembling.
As Lame drilled the hole, ck wood shavings flowed out, and white smoke rose from the tinder. Soon, mes danced on the tinder, appearing bright in Lame''s eyes.
Lame, being the one who most often used the hand pressure drill in the tribe, was amazed that simply recing the wooden stick could create fire. When summoned by the Divine Child to try it, Lame had shaky hands due to overwhelming excitement.
The wooden drill rotated, ck wood shavings flowed, white smoke emerged, and mes flickered. When Lame saw this, his eyes brightened even more.
In the tribe, Lame used the hand pressure drill most frequently. Now, having him try, he took significantly less time than Han Cheng.
Han Cheng''s joy on his face intensified. The problem that had troubled him for so long was unexpectedly resolved using this method!
It wasn''t the originally thought-of flint and steel or fire starter; it was the third way!
This made him feel like everything was falling into ce. There will be an echo when you hold something dear to your heart!
Seeing the Divine Child happy, Lame also became even more joyful. Holding the uniquely crafted hand pressure drill, he stood on the side smiling foolishly. Lame, who had forgotten his mistake earlier, somehow found his way back and started wagging his tail. Unaware of the past, the Happy Puppy seemed to be jumping around randomly.
Holding the newly crafted fire-making tool, Han Cheng walked back into the cave. He called over Fire One, who was taking care of the fire pit, and asked him toe and witness the wood-drilling fire.
Fire One had recovered. This might be rted to the significant improvement in the living standards of the Green Sparrow Tribe since Han Cheng''s arrival, which enhanced her resistance. Otherwise, she might not have survived this time.
The blisters on his body had not disappeared but had burst due to continuous sweating. While squatting there looking after the mes, he couldn''t stop scratching.
"Youe."
Han Cheng extinguished the tinder and then pointed at the hand pressure drill, indicating Fire One to try.
Fire One and Fire Two were getting older, and unlike the shaman who engaged in mentalbor, their ability to adapt to new things was not very strong. They could now understand a fair amount of Mandarin, but their speaking ability was limited.
Fire One felt excited and apprehensive about this novel way of starting a fire. After hesitating momentarily, he followed Han Cheng''s instructions, taking the hand drill and imitating Han Cheng.
However, while hand drilling seemed smooth in Han Cheng''s and Lame''s hands, it became cumbersome for Fire One. The drill would go off-center, slip out of the wooden pit, or get stuck after just a couple of turns
Fire One appeared awkward and wanted to return the tool to the shaman.
On the other hand, Han Cheng waved his hand with a smile, squatting down to teach Fire One patiently. He demonstrated from time to time and even provided hands-on guidance.
Having dealt with elderly people before, Han Cheng understood their feelings well. Moreover, Fire One and Two had been silently contributing to the Green Sparrow Tribe, making him even more patient.
"Fire! Fire!"
Under Han Cheng''s tireless guidance, Fire One ignited the tinder with the new tool and excitedly shouted.
Starting a fire by drilling wood was a physically demanding task. Due to his age, Fire One had long stopped doing such chores. asionally, when the fire in the pit extinguished unexpectedly, others from the tribe would drill wood for fire.
Now, using the tools made by the shaman, he could drill wood for fire, and he didn''t feel tired at all. If he weren''t happy, that would be strange.
Excitedly calling out, Fire One reluctantly watched the me on the tinder extinguish.
After the me on the tinder ultimately died out, he fetched another bundle of tinder, then used the hand drill to drill wood for fire again, as if he were a child with a new toy filled with joy.
After producing fire two more times, the ted Fire One woke Fire Two, who was currently sleeping afterst night''s watch.
Fire Two was shaken awake by Fire One, still half-asleep and not understanding what Fire One meant. He felt that Fire One seemed excited as if there was something good to share. So, he groggily followed along, watching Fire One do something strange.
When he saw mes appear with Fire One''s actions, the originally drowsy Fire Two suddenly became wide awake.
He pointed to the mes, then to the hand drill, expressing disbelief as he looked at Fire One, murmuring incoherently. He urgently wanted to know what was going on, why Fire One could produce fire like this.
Fire One, who had been previously troubled, now smiled. He was delighted with Fire Two''s reaction.
As an experienced person, he began exining everything to Fire Two.
Fire Two turned around but didn''t find the Divine Child''s figure. Instead, he bowed towards the inner cave.
Then, he expressed her desire to try it himself and learn this method of fire-starting.
Fire One was naturally delighted. Watching Fire Two''s clumsy attempts, he couldn''t help feeling a sense of superiority. He then earnestly taught Fire Two what he had just learned from the Divine Child.
The evesting me in the tribe''s cave had been extinguished. The tribe, ustomed to it, always felt something was missing, and many people inexplicably felt a bit uneasy.
After this continuous situationsted for several days, it gradually disappeared
Initially, most people in the tribe were not very supportive of extinguishing that pile of fire, as it had been burning continuously since their birth.
It wasn''t until Fire One and Fire Two, who had dedicated several days to practicing drilling wood for fire, appeared on the scene. After quickly drilling fire with the new tools, the doubts in their minds gradually dissipated
By now, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe have slowly be ustomed to the absence of the fire pit. Fire One or Fire Two can quickly drill fire whenever it''s time to cook, never dying the cooking process. People''s lives remain unaffected, and they naturally ept this new reality.
The prickly heat on Fire One and Fire Two, liberated from this situation, gradually dissipated.
The two ustomed to caring for the fire pit initially felt quite ufortable, with a sense of idleness, like something was missing.
However, this feeling quickly disappeared because their shaman gave each of them a spindle
Chapter 161: The leader whose style is plummeting
Chapter 161: The leader whose style is plummeting
Speak at length when there is something to say, and be brief when there is nothing.
The following days in the Green Sparrow Tribe were ordinary, nothing noteworthy.
Time passed by quickly. The sun, rising in the northeast daily, shifted to the east and hurriedly headed southeast. It, too, was tired of facing the familiar and desired to be closer to the South, intending to embrace everything and not be confined to one ce
As it gradually moved away, the temperature on thisnd started to drop. Leaves fell from branches. nts yielded the fruits they had been nurturing for half a year, hoping to regain the warmth brought by that figure. However, it was all in vain; the warm figure continued to move away without looking back
In the autumn atmosphere, the twelve connected houses of the Green Sparrow Tribe were in the final stage of roofing.
After finishing the roofing, a little more tidying up, and they would be ready to move in before winter arrived.
When more than half of the roof was done, they had to stop because there was a shortage of tiles being produced.
Even though Han Chengter assigned two more people to help Hei Wa with tile making, it still wasn''t enough.
There was no choice but to temporarily stop and resume when a sufficient quantity of tiles was umted.
Coincidentally, it was also time to prepare for nting rapeseed.
The Eldest Senior Brother, who temporarily stopped building the houses, was still busy. They were working in the fields.
With his bone shovel, Shang stuck it in the dung heap outside the Green Sparrow Tribe''s courtyard on the east side. Then, he took a hooked pole from the side, hooked the handle of the shovel, and stood up straight, carrying two loads of a mixture of deer dung, rabbit droppings, chicken manure, and some dposed weeds, heading towards the rapeseed field on the west side of the courtyard.
The Eldest Senior Brother and others were doing this task with him.
It''s embarrassing to say that since Han Cheng decided to carry out major construction in the Green Sparrow Tribe and gradually develop animal farming and agriculture, those who used to chase wild beasts with wooden sticks and stone spears, running fiercely and freely, each of them had drastically lowered their style. Now, the dignified leader had fallen to the point of being a dung carrier
Walking behind Shang with two loads of dung, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t feel anything wrong. Instead, there was a smile on his face.
Because he remembered what Divine Child said before, calling what they were doing now "fertilizing." Divine Child said that after fertilizing, the rapeseed would thrive when the time came.
Divine Child also mentioned that fertilizing rapeseed was simr to people eating; without food, people wouldck energy, and without food,'' rapeseed would not thrive
While Eldest Senior Brother marveled at this, an evil thought also urred to him
Thinking of the deliciousness of rapeseed, he naturally worked with great enthusiasm without being picky.
Each load was poured out separately when the dung was brought to the field.
When the dung was almost spread on the ground, someone woulde with a bone shovel to shovel and spread the dung evenly around"
While the Eldest Senior Brother was busy carrying dung to the fields, Han Cheng was equally upied. He directed another group of people on the west side of the courtyard, next to the original rapeseed field, to clear away branches and tree trunks, preparing for the uing cultivation.
This year, the Green Sparrow Tribe harvested a considerable amount of rapeseed, and Han Cheng nned to expand the rapeseed cultivation area. This crop was not only loved by humans but also by the deer.
It was an excellent choice to feed rabbits or chop some for chicken feed. With so many mouths to feed, Han Cheng naturally wasn''t worried about nting too much.
Last year''s rapeseed field was only about three to four acres. This year, Han Cheng nned to cultivate morend for rapeseed, at least another dozen acres.
Fortunately, the Green Sparrow Tribe was located on the edge of the mountains, and there was plenty of rtively t terrain on both sides and in front of them, formed by unknown geological impacts. There was enough space for cultivation.
Even after cultivating thend on this side of the river, they could continue across the small river for further cultivation.
This directly solved Han Cheng''s worries. Otherwise, for the development of agriculture and the future prosperity of the tribe, he would have to convince the people of the tribe to leave the caves they had inhabited for generations and move to unfamiliar ces to establish new settlements.
In that case, all the previous efforts would have been in vain.
This realization made Han Cheng appreciate his luck once again. It felt good not to start from the most primitive starting point.
It reminded him of those who were born at the finish line. When they stood there, looking back at the numerous people preparing to race, their feelings should be even more extraordinary.
Indeed, from birth, people are subjected to various injustices. It''s like traveling through time; the unfortunate arrived in primitive society
Fortunately, we still have hands and feet and can change our situation through our efforts. Even if we put in all our efforts and still don''t reach the starting point of others, at least we surpass our starting point
Well, just like Han Cheng leading the Green Sparrow Tribe, they may never reach the level of the era he lived in the future, but they can still make the tribe''s people live better than before.
ording to Han Cheng''s original idea, for the trees on thend to be cultivated, just likest year, clear a buffer zone around thend and then burn it down.
Butter, he changed his mind.
Because of the continuous construction of houses, kilns, stone burning, and the production of other wooden products throughout the year, the Green Sparrow Tribe had a high wood consumption.
When all these houses werepleted and burning stoves together in winter, the demand for firewood was also significant. So, Han Cheng was a bit reluctant.
At his suggestion, everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe first moved out the dry wood used for kilns and stone burning, leaving the remaining dry branches, leaves, and some too-thick and difficult-to-move tree trunks inside, waiting to be burned with intense fire.
Looking at the somewhat decayed wood in front of him and the fallen trees in the distance, Han Cheng felt it was necessary to start trying to make charcoal. Otherwise, by the time these woods, which were toote to burn, would be wasted.
After turning into charcoal, these woods, free of impurities, were easy to store and had better-burning efficiency. Until they found a good substitute for coal, Han Cheng would have to rely on charcoal if he wanted to forge some metal tools.
Chapter 162: Grass ashes? Cement!
Chapter 162: Grass ashes? Cement!
"Divine Child! Divine Child!"
Shouts rang out once again, filled with a hint of panic. It was the Third Senior Brother calling out.
This rmed Han Cheng again, wondering if something had gone wrong again. Thinking so, he quickly turned to look and saw Third Senior Brother rushing towards him, holding a stick in his hand.
While running, he shouted.
His shouting rmed those spreading manure in the rapeseed field and those clearing firewood to prepare for cultivation. Everyone, dropping their tasks, grabbed their tools and hurried towards Third Senior Brother.
Around Han Cheng, three or four people armed with various weapons'' had already gathered, moving towards Third Senior Brother''s shouts.
This was a n devised by the shaman and Eldest Senior Brother. The entire Green Sparrow Tribe was nowmitted to prioritizing the safety of the Divine Child.
As soon as this rule was established, it received enthusiastic responses from everyone. For the Divine Child, they held genuine respect and admiration from the bottom of their hearts. The Divine Child had rescued them from dire situations and led them step by step towards prosperity.
Without the Divine Child, many of them might have starved to death in the harsh winter. Not to mention the unimaginable days they were currently experiencing.
Now, with the Third Senior Brother''s sudden cry, the strong youths around Han Cheng and even the underage helpers like Xing and Chen abandoned their work, each picking up a tree branch and hurrying towards Han Cheng. They formed a protective circle around the Divine Child, their young faces showing a mix of nervousness and determination, scanning the surroundings.
Even Fire One and Fire Two, who were not responsible for tending the mes all day, slowly approached Han Cheng, wanting to ensure the Divine Child''s safety.
While Han Cheng found this amusing and bemusing, he was deeply moved. Compared to some people in the future who were ungrateful and tended to repay kindness with malice, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were genuinely adorable and simple. One couldn''t bear to harm them.
"No enemies! No enemies!"
Seeing themotion he caused, Third Senior Brother realized the situation. He hurriedly shouted, calming the tense crowd.
"Divine Child, over there"
Gasping for breath, Third Senior Brother arrived, intermittently exining while asionally pointing towards the eastern side of the courtyard. He raised the bone shovel in his hand for everyone to see.
Only then did Han Cheng notice that the object in Third Senior Brother''s hand was a bone shovel, with the lower part of the bone broken off, leaving less than half. Due to just handling manure, the lower part of the bone shovel still had some residual material.
"Something like this happened?"
Understanding what Third Senior Brother was trying to convey after his somewhat scattered words, Han Cheng appeared surprised. He then led the group quickly toward the eastern side of the courtyard, eager to see what had happened.
"Here!"
Arriving at the eastern side of the courtyard, Third Senior Brother pointed to the manure pile that had nearly half of its content missing and loudly informed Han Cheng.
He dared not approach the manure pile too closely, looking somewhat frightened. The fact that the thing could break the bone shovel still made him feel a bit frightened.
This primitive man, unafraid of enemies or wild beasts, held an inexplicable awe and fear for certain strange things.
Following his pointing finger, Han Cheng looked over and saw something resembling stones exposed in the manure pile.
Upon closer inspection, he found that these stone-like objects were indeed the grass and wood ash previously used for soaking hides in water, left here for fertilizing the fields.
Next to this ash was a broken half of a bone shovel, the same one Third Senior Brother had been holding.
To break a bone shovel indicated how solid these stone-like grass and wood ash formations were.
Han Cheng was surprised, and he approached.
When Eldest Senior Brother and others tried to stop him, concerned that it might be dangerous for the Divine Child to approach, Han Cheng shook his head with a smile, assuring them there was no need to worry. Eldest Senior Brother and the others remained vignt, apanying him.
Han Cheng picked up a tree branch from someone nearby and then struck the stone-like grass and wood ash. The resulting touch was extremely hard, making a "thud, thud" sound.
How did the well-prepared grass and wood ash turn into stone?
Realizing that the Divine Child was fearlessly approaching and striking this mysterious stone-like substance, others began testing it with the tools in their hands. Puzzled and intrigued by this magical transformation, they found it inexplicable and fascinating.
After a brief period of confusion, some more thoughtful individuals soon felt ufortable. For example, Tie Tou, who enjoyed cutting grass and rapeseed, and Eldest Senior Brother, who had recently been happily shoveling manure into the fields, suddenly remembered that the Divine Child had once said that grass and wood ash were excellent fertilizers.
Now, with these grass and wood ash clumped together like stones, they could no longer spread them over the fields.
They felt distressed about wasting so much fertilizer, especially those who wanted the rapeseed to grow vigorously and hoped to acquire more things for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
"Hahaha! Heaven helps me!"
Just as they felt upset about wasting arge amount of fertilizer, the Divine Child, holding a stick, suddenly burst intoughter.
This unexpected burst of unrestrainedughter surprised everyone, who then looked at their Divine Child in confusion.
Han Cheng suddenly stoppedughing, squatted down, and, with gleaming eyes, carefully examined the clumped grass and wood ash.
If it weren''t for the fact that it had been buried in the manure pile for a long time and still had some unclean substances on top, making it unsuitable for consumption, Han Cheng had the impulse to pick it up and give it a few kisses.
After struggling with this problem for so long and deciding to temporarily give up, it was unexpectedly resolved in this very unexpected way. How could he not be excited?
This wasn''t just grass and wood ash; it was cement!
Turning his head to look at the puzzled crowd, Han Cheng appeared excited as he said, "This is a good thing! We are about to possess a very important material!"
After that, he instructed others to continue with their previous tasks. Meanwhile, he couldn''t wait to return to the tribe, gathered half a basin of grass and wood ash, added water, and began the process based on the previous method of soaking hides.
While others were working and specting on what good thing the Divine Child had discovered again, some impatient ones kept turning their heads to nce at the tribe, eager to go back and look.
Shaman, with his elevated status, naturally didn''t experience the same torment as others. At this moment, he stood on the side, watching the Divine Child at work.
He was familiar with what the Divine Child was doing now because it was simr to the process used for tanning hides.
However, precisely because of this, he became even more confused.
After all, although these clumped grass and wood ash looked like stones, they were not as good as real stones. They couldn''t be used for building houses or making stone tools. Yet, the Divine Child was so excited
The thoughts of the Divine Child were indeed something he couldn''t fathom.
This was not the first time the shaman had said this to himself.
Chapter 163: Little girl who picks mushrooms
Chapter 163: Little girl who picks mushrooms
The pottery basin tilted, and the rified water flowed along the edge into another basin, leaving behind the grass and wood ashes that had be muddy.
Han Cheng added clean water to it again, stirred it after rification, and poured it into another basin.
The water wouldn''t be poured away. Instead, it would be kept for tanning animal hides, ensuring a recycling process.
After repeating this process three times, he finally stopped.
He took out the grass and wood ashes that had been thoroughly soaked in water from the basin and divided them into two portions.
The grass and wood ashes just soaked were soft and didn''t form a solid mass. This wasn''t a big concern; it would be simr even when mixing cement and lime. Once it dried, it would be very sturdy.
He found several sticks with a diameter of three to four centimeters, pieced them together into an irregr rectangr frame, and pressed them from the outside with stones to prevent the sticks from rolling around and damaging the shape designed by Han Cheng.
After creating a simple mold, Han Cheng poured one portion of the soaked grass and wood ashes into it, trying to tten it as much as possible with his hands.
After standing here for a while and washing his hands, Han Cheng told the shaman not to let anyone touch these things, then picked up the small basket he often carried and, followed by Fu Jiang, headed outside the courtyard.
If Han Cheng''s hair were styled into two braids resembling goat horns, and if he made the little leather skirt less sexy and hummed a tune like Mushroom Sauce, Tastes Good'', he would be a perfect girl picking mushrooms
But he was not going to pick mushrooms. He was getting sand to mix into the remaining grass and wood ashes. Experiments were necessary to confirm which one would be sturdier whenpared to modern cement.
In theory, adding sand should make it sturdier. However, this stuff was grass and wood ashes, not cement. Using grass and wood ashes as a binder was something he had never encountered before. It was necessary to conduct experiments to confirm the results. Otherwise, it would be troublesome to find outter that something was wrong after applying it to the roof.
The ce with sand was a bit far from the tribe, located at a bend in the river downstream, about two miles away.
When Han Cheng came out, he happened to meet the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang passing by, each carrying a load of dung. He stopped them and asked them to put the loads aside, take their weapons, and apany him downstream. It could be considered as taking a break.
Because there was such arge group of people around the Green Sparrow Tribe, there were generally norge predators lurking. When these upright walking monkeys wielding sticks gathered together for survival, the overlords of the wilderness generally wouldn''t easily provoke them.
However, it wasn''t sure. After all, animals have legs and can run. Although mostrge predators have their fixed hunting territories and wouldn''t easily roam, some predators also like to wander around like free-spirited wandering minstrels.
If someone with bad luck encounters them, not to mention being swallowed whole, just getting pped by their huge paws like monkeys stealing peaches might leave Han Cheng emascted, and the end of this book might be ruined
The sand at the downstream river bay wasn''t fantastic, probably because the ce where the Green Sparrow Tribe lived was rtively close to the source of the small river, and the sand in the river hadn''t undergone enough washing from big waves.
The Eldest Senior Brother carried a whole basket of sand, and Han Cheng struggled with sand that didn''t seem to have much weight in the Eldest Senior Brothers hands. Han Cheng shook his head, thinking that he should eat more, sleep more, and exercise more in the future to grow taller quickly, gain great strength, and do more things without feeling overwhelmed
The sand at the river bay had been washed very clean by the water, making it the best type of sand that wouldn''t affect the firmness of the cement.
After escorting the shaman and returning with sand, the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang didn''t want to leave immediately.
Han Cheng understood their thoughts and didn''t urge them with words. Instead, he took some sand and mixed it with the remaining portion of grass and wood ashes.
One couldn''t add too much sand either; everything had to be about the right amount, with the ideal result being that the sand blending inside wouldn''t reveal its original color.
Of course, this was just a rough standard. The following experiments will define more detailed standards based on different purposes.
The well-mixed, unique cement was ced by Han Cheng into a rudimentary mold, waiting for it to dry and solidify, just like before.
Watching the excitement on the faces of the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, who had been standing by, Han Cheng smiled and told them they would know the results after waiting.
The two stopped asking and went on to do the dung-picking work.
Looking around, Han Cheng saw that the pure grass and wood ash "ingot" left before had no water stains on its surface. He took a small straw, poked it slightly, and found it soft. He then cleaned the y pot used to mix the mud, preventing it from drying up and being hard to cleanter.
The two cement "ingots" were ced not directly under the scorching sun to avoid high temperatures affecting solidification.
With the tasks at handpleted, only time, the magical catalyst could bring about the results. It was now a matter of waiting, hoping for good oues.
Han Cheng stayed here for a while longer, but seeing that the results wouldn''t be visible quickly, he took Fu Jiang and headed back to the wilderness in autumn.
Fu Jiang must not be brought away. Han Cheng instructed that no one should touch them, especially the unruly Fu Jiang
Outside the courtyard, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were still busy. To wear the crown, one must bear its weight. To enjoy better living conditions, one must put in hard work.
As the sun inclined westward, the twilight descended like arge.
Tired birds returned to the forest, and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who had worked all day, carried their respective tools, shrouded in the dusk, and headed towards the courtyard. Having stopped their work, they enjoyed this rare moment of leisure
The cooking smoke rose gently, and the fragrance of food mixed with the twilight permeated the tribe, bringing a profound sense of tranquility.
Without Han Cheng saying anything, the kids who loved to talk, guarded the two slightly solidified cement "ingots." When they saw someone passing by, they would remind them not to step on the things made by Divine Child.
The ce where Han Cheng ced the two cement "ingots" was about five or six meters away from the main path in front of the cave, and generally, people wouldn''t go there.
After their shouting, people who came back gathered to see what was happening. The children were more excited when they saw adults approaching.
As dusk gradually fell, the light dimmed, and the people couldn''t see the appearance of the things surrounded by wood. However, those who came to observe observed for a while, then left with a confident expectation, feeling satisfied.
Chapter 164: Discovery of Cement
Chapter 164: Discovery of Cement
After lunch and a short break, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe did not go back to work as usual. Instead, they stayed near the cave, ncing at the Divine Child and then at something not far from the cave, enclosed by a few wooden sticks.
The Divine Child had mentioned that they could see the results after the break, so they were eagerly anticipating what delightful changes the ordinary ash would undergo in the hands of the Divine Child.
When Han Cheng woke up and noticed the constant nces from the people, he didn''t dy any further. He scooped some clear water from the jar, washed his face, and became more awake. After that, he led the people out of the cave to see the results.
It had been four and a half days since the creation of the cement cakes using the two ash molds.
The day before yesterday, when Han Cheng checked, the cement cakes had already dried and solidified. However, considering that they might differ from real cement and wanting to see the better side of them, he waited until today at noon to unveil the results.
The several wooden sticks serving as molds around it were stuck to the solidified cement cakes. Han Cheng had to use a thin stick to pry them open. Watching the uneven tree bark peeling off the sticks, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel delighted. This substance could be used as an adhesive!
The cement cakes enclosed in the middle were fully exposed with the sticks removed. Han Cheng first used a thin stick to lift and loosen it before forcefully flipping it.
Regardless of whether sand was added or not, neither of them cracked during this process.
Han Cheng casually picked up a nearby stick and tried to strike the portion without sand. It produced a thud, thud'' sound, somewhat resembling the sound of a woodpecker pecking at a tree to catch insects.
This unconventional cement cake was sturdier than he had imagined. It was only after he used all his strength to strike it seven or eight times that the cake, leaning against a stone, finally broke in the middle.
The people around were even more confused. The Divine Child spent more than four days carefully tending to these creations, fearing they might be damaged. Yet, now that they werepleted, he used a stick to break them into pieces. What
Han Cheng wasn''t content with breaking just one; he continued the one-sided attack on the cement cake with added sand.
Han Cheng''s hand became numb after seven or eight strikes in session. However, this cement cake only sheds some debris.
Cement cakes at this level were more than usable!
He stood up, revealing a smile to the onlookers.
Although most of the surrounding people didn''t understand what the Divine Child had just done, seeing the Divine Child so happy, they understood that the task was sessful.
They immediately became excited after waiting a long time, especially the children waiting here for the past few days. They were even more thrilled.
The contemtive Shaman, driven by this atmosphere, was also excited. Although he couldn''t contain his excitement, he had many doubts. He felt like he was genuinely getting old. He could more or less guess the Divine Child''s intentions in the past, but this time, even after the Divine Child thoroughly revealed the items, he still knew nothing about their purpose.
The Eldest Senior Brother also harbored doubts. As someone who frequently built houses, when he saw this stone-like, neatly shaped thing, his initial thought was to use it for wall construction. However, he quickly shook his head, realizing that using this for building houses would be too cumbersome and far less convenient than using stones orpacted earth.
Han Cheng had already seen the confusion in everyone''s eyes. He stopped the overly excited people and then turned to pick up four tiles stacked together from the nearby mountain wall.
In the middle of the tiles was thepletely solidified ash. It looked like a uniquely shaped chocte sandwich cookie.
These were the ones he had made before. Initially, he only wanted to make two cement cakes for a simple experiment. Later, he thought that the primary purpose of making cement was not to make cement bricks but to seal the edges of the roof. So, he made some more and created two special sandwich cookies.''
Han Cheng first tried to break them with his hands. When he couldn''t break them, he handed them to the Eldest Senior Brother, indicating that he should use force to separate the two pieces of tiles stuck together.
Upon seeing the two tiles stuck together that Han Cheng brought, the Eldest Senior Brother immediately guessed something. He looked at Han Cheng with surprise, and Han Cheng smiled, nodding in confirmation.
The Eldest Senior Brother took one tile in his hand and began to exert force slowly.
His joy increased when he used considerable force, and these two tiles remained firmly stuck together without any sign of separation.
"Crack!"
A slight sound echoed as a piece of the tile couldn''t withstand the force of the Eldest Senior Brother and was forcefully broken off. However, the rest of the tiles remained firmly stuck to each other.
"Divine Child!"
The Eldest Senior Brother held the broken piece, and the two tiles stuck together, looking at Han Cheng excitedly.
He had understood entirely the Divine Child''s intention in making these things. In the past, when building walls for houses, they used mud for filling, and the walls were quite sturdy. Now, using something like these tiles that couldn''t be separated by force to build walls would make the houses even more robust.
There''s a saying, talks about one thing but thinks about another, talks about something else but thinks about their trade.'' For the Eldest Senior Brother, who had been mainly dealing with walls, deer enclosures, and houses for over a year, upon seeing this magical substance made from wood ash, his first thought was rted to these constructions.
Of course, this was also rted to Han Cheng experimenting with a few tiles.
The tiles stuck together were then passed around among the people of the Green Sparrow tribe. They were amazed at the transformation of the initially soft and shapeless wood ash into something sturdy, able to attach two tiles firmly.
This discovery deeply moved the Eldest Senior Brother and Tie Tou.
In the same incident, they sighed for wasting fertilizer when they saw it. However, the Divine Child was able to find something good in it. The Divine Child''s wisdom was truly admirable.
Next, a few skilled individuals were tasked with washing the wood ash, going to the downstream bay to collect sand, and mixing it with cement. They started removing the tiles that covered the sides of the roofs of the threepleted houses, washing away the mud on the tiles, and using cement to build and seal the edges.
Others who couldn''t contribute to these tasks went out to continue their efforts in plowing and clearingnd with fire. Until now, the Green Sparrow tribe hasn''t kept many idle individuals.
Chapter 165: Beacon Fire and Smoke
Chapter 165: Beacon Fire and Smoke
The autumn weather was clear and refreshing, the sunlight not too harsh, and thoughcking a gentle breeze for those who enjoyed autumn scenery, it was perfect for the people of the Green Sparrow tribe. They had cleared a wide istion strip and prepared to set it aze.
"Hiss, hiss"
The proficient Fire One, who had mastered the hand drill, squatted next to arge pile of broken branches and dry leaves, using the modified hand drill designed for fire-making.
The well-tensioned leather cord swung back and forth, rapidly spinning the ckened wooden drill attached to it. ck powder flowed out from the wooden pit,nding on the dry and delicate fire tinder below, apanied by rising smoke.
Fire One put down the hand drill, picked up the smoking fire tinder, and blew on it huffing'' with a mouth that had lost some teeth.
As the smoke gradually dispersed, mes began to leap.
The ignited fire tinder was ced on the edge of therge pile of dry branches and leaves. Soon, a spark turned into a raging fire.
Despite his less agile legs, Fire One, who insisted on lighting the fire, held the ignition tools, taking quick steps at his fastest speed outside the istion strip.
They harbored a sense of awe for fire, which brought light, warmth, and the ability to cook food.
Running with sweat on his forehead, Fire One arrived outside the istion strip, turned around, and looked at the smoke and mes that had already risen. In his cloudy old eyes was a flicker of awe and excitement.
Giant mes soared, devouring the dry branches and leaves, and the scorching heat swept over. The Green Sparrow tribe members watching the fire outside the istion strip couldn''t help but step back four or five yards.
Even though they had done thisst year, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe still showed expressions of astonishment as they watched the fire.
It had rained a couple of days ago, and the thicker parts of the pile of dry branches and leaves in the middle were notpletely dry. Now, under the fierce fire burning, a thick column of smoke rose slowly, seemingly reaching the sky, resembling a signal fire.
Of course, if the surrounding trees were reced with a desert, the animal skins on the people standing around were reced with armor and weapons, and a faded g was stuck on the side, it would create an even more ominous atmosphere of beacon fire and smoke.
It seemed unnecessary now, but the current scene was already extremely frightening!
At least a group of people three or four miles away from here had already been scared by this spectacr scene.
The leader of the Green tribe, covered in dirty green, suddenly stopped and, along with more than ten people following him, looked in amazement at the column of smoke rising in the distance, connecting with the clouds, his mouth wide open, eyes shing with a frightened light.
In amazement, the leader of the Green tribe and the others quickly tightened their weapons, cautiously observing the surrounding bushes, then turned their gaze toward the column of smoke, preparing to run if things went wrong.
After staying in ce for a while without detecting any danger, the people of the Green tribe, carrying many things on their backs and in their arms, felt a bit relieved.
Watching the smoke column, which showed no signs of diminishing and instead became denser, the leader of the Green tribe suddenly sighed.
He looked at his tribe members, carryingrge and small packages, and his expression became even more mncholy.
"@#$@#4%!"
He turned and said to the people behind him, then walked away.
"%!@"
Someone voiced their doubts.
For the rich neighboring tribe, their impression was quite profound.
After participating in the joyful gathering, they often dreamt of people from various other tribes, men and women alike.
This year, however, was markedly different. After the joyful gathering, the most frequent thing appearing in their dreams was the mysterious object ced on fire, resembling stones yet different from stonesknown as pottery.
Of course, in the dreams, the pottery was always filled with steaming and fragrant fish soup that seemed endlessly delicious. Sometimes, two thin sticks, called chopsticks by the neighboring tribes, would also appear. Holding these sticks, they couldn''t pick up the delicious food, leading many to cry out in frustration, only to wake up eventually
Over this extended period, the magic of pottery and the deliciousness of fish soup hadn''t faded with time; instead, they became even clearer and more profound.
Previously, the tribe always had a shortage of food, and they had to endure it. Now, with the arrival of autumn and an increase in food supply, their itching hearts, tormented by hunger, couldn''t wait any longer. They eagerly brought food and set off toward the prosperous tribe, even giving up hunting and gathering fruits.
After walking for a long time, they were finally about to reach it, but the chief wanted to lead them back. Naturally, they were unwilling.
The leader of the Green tribe stopped and looked at the reluctant crowd.
He, too, was unwilling to return just like this.
The people in the tribe longed for pottery and delicious food, and he also longed for them. During these days, he used the pottery he had exchanged from the Green Sparrow tribe to learn from them, cing it on a stone over the fire and cooking food.
However, no matter how he did it, the taste was far from the prosperity of the neighboring tribe, even if he put the most delicious meat inside.
After much contemtion and numerous attempts, he attributed the problem to the small size of the pottery he used for cooking.
After thinking it over multiple times, he finally brought food and exchanged it for arger pottery.
By exchanging the pottery used by the neighboring tribe for cooking, his tribe could also make delicious food.
Thinking about being able to eat such delicious food every day in the future, the leader of the Green tribe couldn''t help but feel joy and anticipation, with saliva almost flowing out of his mouth. He needed to swallow it to prevent it from leaking.
However, at this moment
He looked at the thick smoke column with a mixture of fear, deep helplessness, regret, and sympathy for the fate of that powerful tribe.
He remembered the route very clearly, and where the thick smoke column rose was the dwelling ce of the prosperous tribe!
The scale of this smoke column far exceeded any smoke he had seen before, and even from this distance, he could smell the scent of burning firewood. Without even thinking, he knew the fate of that tribe would be tragic.
"%#^#@~"
Pointing at the thick smoke column, he exined to the tribe that the prosperous tribe was facing a disaster, and from now on, there might not be such a thing as that tribe.
Upon hearing this, the people of the Green tribe showed expressions of fear, relief, and regret.
"@4!%~"
The person who had shouted to stop the leader of the Green tribe and asked about the reason, unlike others, after thinking for a while, spoke again. He put down what he was holding and used gestures to express himself.
After understanding what this person meant, the leader of the Green tribe''s eyes suddenly lit up
Chapter 166: Green Tribe’s Leader’s Surprise
Chapter 166: Green Tribe¡¯s Leader¡¯s Surprise
#@*ap;ap;
After contemting for a while, the leader of the Green tribe gradually reced the worry on his face with increasingly joyful expressions.
Smiling broadly, he patted the shoulder of the person who had spoken earlier to show appreciation and encouragement. Then, with an excited demeanor, he announced the decision he had made to the others in the tribe.
The leader of the Green tribe, armed with weapons and excitement, bypassed a clump of bushes with a somewhat cautious approach, heading toward the location where the smoke column rose.
As he walked, he calcted in his mind the words spoken by the tribe member earlier, finding them more and more reasonable.
Pottery containing soup, ced over the me, wouldn''t break no matter how it was burned. He had seen and practiced it himself.
So, if the neighboring prosperous tribe caught fire, the pottery inside shouldn''t burn either.
In this case, wouldn''t he be able to obtain pottery for free?
Thinking about therge herd of deer in the prosperous tribe, the leader of the Green tribe became even more enthusiastic. It would be even better if he and the others could obtain some deer from here.
Also, it would be best if the mate of the neighboring tribe''s leader with the big buttocks could stay behind
The leader of the Green tribe became happier the more he thought about it. The fear of the big fire quickly dissipated with the huge benefits that followed.
However, his excitement didn''tst too long.
#@*^
The branches that constantly swayed before his eyes, blocking his view, disappeared, and the sight suddenly became clear. He could see everything.
The strange wall'' made of piled-up mud became even taller. It stood quietly there, and though it was still far away, the leader of the Green tribe could sense the oppression it exuded.
The thick smoke column didn''t rise from the strange wall'' arranged in a circle but from the other side of that wall.
Approaching closer, he could already see the massive mes rising under the thick smoke column and therge group of people standing beside the mes.
Watching this scene,pletely different from what he had expected, the leader of the Green tribe was stunned. In addition to the disappointment, he couldn''t help but make a series of displeased sounds to vent his frustration.
He suddenly wanted to rush over with people and light a fire behind the strange wall.''
This way, they could get many, many things.
However, this idea quickly shattered because the people standing by the strange wall'' had already noticed their presence.
Shouting to sound the rm, their voices were loud enough for him to faintly hear some of it from here.
Watching the mes, those gathered not far from the fire quickly took action. Some rushed quickly toward the entrance of the wall,'' and others, pounding their chests and waving their weapons, shouted at them, issuing warnings and demonstrations.
The leader of the Green tribe looked at the number of people in that group and then nced at the people he brought. Suddenly, he felt a bit afraid, worrying that the group, obviouslyrger than his own, might charge towards them and engage in a fight.
However, he was mistaken again. The people who had been demonstrating against them didn''t charge over. Instead, after the initial group entered the strange wall,'' they remained vignt while looking in their direction and moved toward the wall. In no time, they all disappeared.
Soon after, they reappeared on the strange wall, showing half of their bodies and holding weapons.
At this point, the leader of the Green tribe is finally fully awake. Watching this scene, he suddenly remembered the evil tribe he had heard about during the festive gathering, which had captured all the young and old members of the pig tribe. He also recalled the numerous bones notpletely burned on the other side of the strange wall.
He wiped off the sweat that had appeared on his head at some point, walked over to the tribe member who had warned him earlier, and pped him on the shoulder to express admonition.
@#
Standing there, he calmed his emotions a bit. Carrying the tribe members, they set off again towards the prosperous tribe.
To express their friendliness and that they came without malice, he specifically instructed someone to prominently carry the food they brought for trading.
The people of the Green tribe obediently followed the leader''smand.
Everything that had just happened before their eyes made them witness the strength of this tribe.
Thest time they came, they experienced the prosperity of this tribe. This time, they felt its power.
Han Cheng, who climbed thedder and stood on the low wall with the Eldest Senior Brother and the rest wielding weapons, was unaware of the unintentional military-like muscle-showing behavior of the Green tribe that had impressed the iing tribe.
He watched those thirteen people approaching, feeling they shouldn''t be here to attack the Green tribe.
Firstly, the number of people was too few, and secondly, it was the most abundant season for food, and no tribe would want to start a battle easily at this time.
This was easily understandable. Even when fierce carnivorous animals encountered each other, they usually engaged in a brief battle and wouldn''t easily start a life-and-death fight.
Moreover, these people were more intelligent than them.
Of course, despite these thoughts, there should be nock of vignce. He couldn''t afford to overturn a big sailboat in the gutter.
Seeing the green color on the heads of those who approached from a distance, Han Cheng confirmed their identity. As expected, they came for trade.
@%~!
Even before reaching them, the leader of the Green tribe began shouting to express goodwill. He first pointed to the still green grass on his head, proving they were not strangers. Then, he dropped his weapon and raised the food he was carrying high, expressing his good intentions.
Fearing that the people standing on the high wall,'' armed and ready to strike, might attack them, he dared not provoke them.
%#@What
The Eldest Senior Brother put down his weapon, and using a mixture of Mandarin and gestures, he sternly questioned the approaching leader of the Green tribe, showing a somewhat domineering aura, making it hard to associate him with the person who was happily carrying manure with a shovel a few days ago.
The leader of the Green tribe put down the food he was holding and raised his head to look at the people of the Green tribe, the green grass on his head falling all over the ce
%#@
He gestured animatedly.
After somemunication, the people of the Green tribe were allowed to enter for trading. However, before entering, all their weapons had to be left outside
Chapter 167: Wild Grass Ear
Chapter 167: Wild Grass Ear
The leader of the Green Tribe was stunned as soon as he entered. He looked at the two rows of houses that seemed to appear out of thin air, unable to find words to express his amazement. He vividly remembered that when the flowers were in full bloom during the Joyous Celebration, this prosperous neighboring tribe did not have those two buildings whose purpose he couldn''t fathom. Still, his intuition told him they must be valuable.
How much time had passed since then? During this period, he and his tribe had been busy with food. His diligent efforts were not in vain, as the tribe had umted a considerable amount of longsting food. At this rate, even if the early snowfall arrived, there would be no risk of starvation in the tribe.
However, now he was witnessing everything before him. In the same period, this prosperous tribe significantly raised the strange wall that protected them and constructed two enormous structures. What surprised him the most was that, while creating so many things, their food collection did notg.
On top of these peculiar structures, there were white and delicious fishsomething he discovered after a closer look. Initially, the Green Tribe leader overlooked this detail, but when he realized those were skinned game animals hanging on the wooden pegs attached to the earth-made wall,'' his eyes widened in amazement.
How could they create so many things in the same amount of time? The Green Tribe leader was shocked again when entering for the second time. Alongside this astonishment, a strong sense of frustration arose, even more intense than the previous asion.
The rest of the Green Tribe members also opened their mouths wide, finding it incredibly hard to believe. Humans could create magnificent structures besides hunting, gathering food, and making simple tools!
Not only the Eldest Senior Brother but also all the members of the Green Tribe had reactions that pleased the hearts of the members of the Green Sparrow Tribe. They were filled with pride and satisfaction as they looked around at the things they had built with their hands.
Regardless of where their gazes wandered, they all ended up at the cave entrance, where a figure was jumping around with a dog by its side. Their eyes were filled with admiration and eagerness.
It''s the Divine Child! This revolutionary change is all because of the Divine Child!
The leader of the Green Tribe, ever calctive and fond of taking advantage, after recovering from the intense shock, felt quite depressed. However, he began thinking of how to take advantage again, believing it would ease his mood.
He told the Eldest Senior Brother they had traveled a long way, bing both tired and hungry. They gave up hunting time toe for the trade and received less food. Therefore, he hoped that the Green Sparrow Tribe could treat them to a delicious fish soup again.
He nced at the dried fish hanging on the ceiling as he spoke.
The Eldest Senior Brother indicated that he couldn''t make such a decision and needed to consult with Shaman and Divine Child; they would have to decide.
The leader of the Green Tribe felt a bit relieved when he saw that the Eldest Senior Brother couldn''t make decisions even on such trivial matters. However, when he thought about how everything happened because of the Divine Child, the bnce he had just found in his heart immediately became uneasy again.
After hearing from the Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng shook his head. He told the Eldest Senior Brother that if they wanted to eat salted fish soup, they could exchange it with the food they brought. The Green Sparrow Tribe would not provide food and drink for free.
Han Cheng had witnessed how much salted fish soup these hungry ghosts could eat.
This was a trade, not a happy gathering like before.
After letting them have a meal, trading would be conducted. Otherwise, their tribe might end up at a loss again.
After all, without cars, the Green Tribe did not have convenient tools like hooks or carrying baskets, like their own tribe. Using animal skins or other simple tools to carry food for a round trip would not bring much food for exchange.
The Green Tribe had a deep memory of the generosity of the Green Sparrow Tribe. The leader of the Green Tribe who made this request thought the Divine Child would not refuse. After all, they were not only generous but also very wealthy.
As he walked over to this side after hearing the Eldest Senior Brother''s inquiry, he couldn''t help but salivate.
" #@%@!"
The leader of the Green Tribe looked somewhat surprised and displeased.
The Eldest Senior Brother remained unmoved, shaking his head and pointing to the food brought by the Green Tribe, then pointing to the salted fish drying on the roof. He refused to give in.
After a primitive bargaining session, the leader of the Green Tribe had to give up the idea of enjoying a delicious fish soup.
Although he missed the taste of the fish soup, exchanging food for something they used to enjoy for free was impossible.
Moreover, he had a bit of self-awareness about the food they brought this time. After exchanging for such a delicious fish soup, it would not be easy to use the remaining food to trade forrge pottery jars.
Endure it for now. After all, their tribe would soon have thoserge pottery jars suitable for cooking food.
In due time, their tribe could enjoy a continuous supply of delicious meat soup!
The leader of the Green Tribe calcted this in his mind.
Since the Green Sparrow Tribe was unwilling to provide free food again, the leader of the Green Tribe naturally didn''t want to stay here longer. It was autumn, and he needed to lead these adults to gather food quickly.
Thus, the material exchange meeting between the Green Sparrow Tribe and the Green Tribe, without any deliberate promotion, directly entered the main agenda.
The leader of the Green Tribe had someoney out the food they brought. Without waiting for the Eldest Senior Brother to speak, he pointed to therge pot often used by the Green Sparrow Tribe for cooking, then pointed to two smaller y pots. After some consideration, he gestured to the bowls used for serving rice, indicating that he wanted these items.
The Eldest Senior Brother felt a bit angry as he watched. The food brought by the Green Tribe this time mainly was fruits and strange things like spikes made from wild grass that the eldest senior brother had never seen.
It would be strange not to be angry if they wanted to exchange these items for so many pottery jars from their tribe."
Chapter 168: Wild grass spikes? Grains!
Chapter 168: Wild grass spikes? Grains!
Not eptable! #@%
At this moment, the Eldest Senior Brother and the leader of the Green Tribe had no agreement, each meticulously scrutinizing every detail.
The Eldest Senior Brother shook his head repeatedly, using gestures and a mix of Mandarin to express his thoughts to the leader of the Green Tribe. At the same time, he picked out some of the undesirable food and set them aside in a pile, with the majority being those grass-like spikes brought by the Green Tribe.
There was no silent understanding between them like during the happy gathering.
The leader of the Green Tribe, who had been closely observing the Eldest Senior Brother''s actions, became a bit anxious when he saw the Eldest Senior Brother deliberately separating and rejecting the items he added to the pile.
In a hurry, he squatted down, holding down the Eldest Senior Brother''s hand that was picking and choosing and the other hand grabbing a handful of grass spikes that the Eldest Senior Brother had rejected and abandoned. He shook his head vigorously, praising the deliciousness of these grass spikes with all his might.
Seeing that the Eldest Senior Brother continued to scrutinize him with questioning eyes, the leader of the Green Tribe, a determined character, squeezed a handful of grass spikes full of seeds, put it directly into his mouth, endured the mouth-puckering and hardness of the seeds, showed an expression of extreme enjoyment as he chewed for a while, forcibly swallowed it down, patted his chest, and fervently praised the deliciousness of the grass spikes to the Eldest Senior Brother.
The leader of the Green Tribe''s performance made the Eldest Senior Brother hesitate. Could this strange grass spike-like thing he had never seen before be so delicious?
Thinking this, he picked up one from the ground and brought it to his mouth.
Seeing that the Eldest Senior Brother was about to taste it, the leader of the Green Tribe quickly reached out to stop him. However, the Eldest Senior Brother had already taken a bite.
"Spit! Spit!"
After taking a bite, the Eldest Senior Brother kept spitting, angrily throwing away the piece of grass spike he had bitten off and found highly unappetizing.
"#*!"
After spitting out the grass spike, the Eldest Senior Brother angrily shouted at the somewhat embarrassed leader of the Green Tribe.
Then, he stood up, picked up arge pottery jar used for water from the side, and ced it next to the pile of food that the Green Tribe had brought and had picked through. This implied that the food brought by the Green Tribe could only be exchanged for this single pottery jar.
The leader of the Green Tribe had long coveted therge pot used by the Green Sparrow Tribe for cooking, and seeing that the Eldest Senior Brother was only willing to exchange it for a single pottery jar, he naturally disagreed.
With a series of gestures and dances, they made their points.
A perfectly normal trade turned into a scene where the two acted as if they were in a dance-off.
Han Cheng stood at the cave entrance, watching the two people who couldn''t agree, and ended up dancing. He almost couldn''t hold back hisughter.
Fu Jiang came running over, with the grass spike that the Eldest Senior Brother had thrown far away still in its mouth. It ran to Han Cheng''s side, wagging its tail, asking for a reward.
Han Cheng had trained this fellow to be quite skilled at carrying things in its mouth.
Watching the primitive dance-off between the two from a distance, Han Cheng, who was full of primitive vor, couldn''t help but burst intoughter.
After watching for a while, he reached out without much concern, took the grass spike from Fu Jiang''s mouth, and yed with it in his hand.
After ying with it for a while, his movements suddenly stopped.
He stared at the grass spike in his hand, which was now missing a quarter, and a gleam gradually appeared in his dazed eyes.
After a brief moment of bewilderment, his movements quickly elerated. His hands, slightly trembling, held the grass spike, examining it from various angles.
The grass spike was about five or six centimeters long, with a little over one-centimeter diameter. Its color resembled the dried and yellow appearance of a nt. It was densely packed with numerous seeds of the same color.
It looked familiar, like dried dogtail grass, but thicker and longer than the typical variety. It had more seeds on top.
It also resembled the foxtail millet that would droop low to the ground in the future, butpared to those crops bearing heavy fruits, it was far less impressive.
Suppressing his excitement, Han Cheng forced himself to calm down. He plucked some seeds from the grass spike and carefully peeled them using his fingernails.
However, the first three were empty. They shriveled before Han Cheng could peel them. The fourth finally had a fruit a tiny, pale yellow sphere appeared in his hand.
Although it was minuscule and yellow wasn''t pure, Han Cheng felt it was more dazzling than gold.
He cradled this tiny, peeled seed in his palm, raised it to eye level, and examined it as if it were the most precious treasure. He felt nothing in the surroundingspared to the allure of this tiny grain in his palm.
A red shadow quickly erged in front of his eyes. With a warm sensation in his hand, the red shadow and the tiny yellow seed that Han Cheng had considered an unparalleled sight disappeared.
Fu Jiang smacked its lips, feeling nothing special, shaking its head, somewhat bored, not understanding what silly thing its owner was looking at.
Ignoring the silly dog Fu Jiang, Han Cheng stared at the grass spike in his hand, which was now missing a section, and burst into silentughter.
Millet! It was millet!
Millet, scientifically known as Panicum miliaceum or Setaria italica, was an annual herbaceous nt. It was closely rted to dogtail grass and could be considered an evolution from it. It was a significant crop in the Yellow River basin.
Millet made significant contributions, especially in the early stages of Chinese civilization. The Xia and Shang civilizations could be called millet civilizations, representing the main staple!
His original n was to wait until the Green Sparrow Tribe became safer and more prosperous. Once he grew taller, improved the weapons of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and expanded the search range with the young adults of the tribe, he would look for traces of certain things. Among them, the cultivation of millet and other primary food crops was a necessary step.
Life was always full of surprises. He hadn''t expected that before he could put this n, which he had long conceived in his mind, into action, millet would unexpectedly appear in front of him in such a way!
Over there, the dance-off between the Eldest Senior Brother and the leader of the Green Tribe continued. It seemed that the Eldest Senior Brother was at a disadvantage again, and he ced another pottery jar in front of the pile of food.
The leader of the Green Tribe was determined to exchange it for therge pot used for cooking rice. After a series of awkward dances, he made some concessions, indicating they could do without the other pottery and needed to get thatrge pot.
More significant pottery took much work to manufacture.
Although the Eldest Senior Brother did not participate much in pottery making, he was familiar with thismon knowledge. Plus, he was infuriated by the Green Tribe leader''s attempt to use grass seeds as food for exchange, so he naturally refused to make the exchange.
Chapter 169: Green Tribe’s Chief had taken a big advantage
Chapter 169: Green Tribe¡¯s Chief had taken a big advantage
"Give it to him, and also give him these two pottery jars."
Han Cheng walked over at a moment of intense bargaining between the two parties. His gaze swept over the food brought by the Green Tribe and thennded on the primitive millet set aside by Eldest Senior Brother. After retracting his gaze, he spoke to Eldest Senior Brother.
Upon hearing that it was the Divine Child speaking, the Eldest Senior Brother halted the intense negotiation with the leader of the Green Tribe. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his breath became somewhat hurried.
Bargaining for traded goods was not an easy task!
Regarding the sudden arrival of the Divine Child and his decision to exchange the food brought by the Green Tribe, which wasn''t of great quality, for arge jar and two pottery jars, Eldest Senior Brother felt somewhat puzzled.
Because the Divine Child had previously explicitly instructed him that pottery was exclusive to their tribe. When trading, they should try to exchange as much as possible for items from other tribes.
Eldest Senior Brother had always kept the Divine Child''s instructions in mind and followed them faithfully in practice. So why did the Divine Child suddenly make such a decision inconsistent with his previous instructions?
Eldest Senior Brother felt confused, looking towards the Divine Child. He saw the Divine Child looking back at him, smiling and nodding.
Observing this, Eldest Senior Brother understood. This wasn''t a decision made on a whim by the Divine Child. There must be considerations behind this decision that he hadn''t thought of.
It wasn''t appropriate to ask further questions at this moment, so he followed Han Cheng''s suggestion. He instructed someone to bring a new and unusedrge jar over, cing it next to the two pottery jars, and informed the leader of the Green Tribe that they could leave the food, and all these items were now theirs.
The leader of the Green Tribe was momentarily stunned by this unexpected turn of events. He hurriedly embraced the long-anticipatedrge jar after standing in ce for a while. Then, he respectfully bowed to the candid and straightforward little Divine Child to express his gratitude.
"What''s this? Do you have a lot of it?"
Han Cheng picked up two stalks of millet from the ground and asked the leader of the Green Tribe.
After hearing this, the leader of the Green Tribe felt a bit confused. He turned to exin his thoughts to Eldest Senior Brother, letting him convey the message to the leader of the Green Tribe in theirnguage.
Serving as a trantor, Eldest Senior Brother used a mix of theirnguage and the God''nguage, along with gestures, to convey Han Cheng''s message to the leader of the Green Tribe.
Once the leader of the Green Tribe understood the message, he thought momentarily. He recalled the tasteless, emergency food his tribe had in considerable quantity near their settlement, which could barely stave off starvation in times of food crisis. Feeling that there was nothing to hide, he honestly revealed this information.
Upon learning this news, Han Cheng suppressed the joy in his heart, and with a calm demeanor, he spoke to the Eldest Senior Brother. He instructed Eldest Senior Brother to inform the leader of the Green Tribe that next time theye to trade, bring more of this item and some hides and fur. They could bring fewer food items.
Understanding the intentions of the young child-like Divine Child, the leader of the Green Tribe became even happier. He didn''t expect to encounter someone so understanding. Compared to this Divine Child, the leader felt that the leaders he had dealt with in the past were truly despicable.
Han Cheng, who was almost unable to contain hisughter, was about to leave. The leader of the Green Tribe started speaking again, pointing to the food, tapping therge jar, and gesturing towards the entrance of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s cave.
Seeing the expression of the leader of the Green Tribe, Han Cheng, who was on the verge of bursting intoughter, felt a slight pause in his joy. His expression turned somewhat gloomy.
It turned out that not only people from the modern world would push their luck; primitive people were the same!
Han Cheng''s mood was no longer as cheerful as before.
If the leader of the Green Tribe didn''t know how to behave, they wouldn''t trade with their tribe in the future.
With the millet seeds obtained this time, given a few years, the Green Sparrow Tribe would certainly have a vast area of millet fields.
When the Green Sparrow Tribe faced development obstacles due to a poption shortage, Han Cheng might use some means, and when necessary, he might not be very friendly.
At that time, among the neighboring tribes, the Green Tribe would undoubtedly be the first consideration.
"Arge jar for cooking rice?"
After learning the leader of the Green Tribe''s intentions from Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng appeared somewhat surprised. He didn''t immediately understand the reason behind the leader of the Green Tribe''s actions.
Is this guy crazy? Why would he choose the old jar when there''s a new one avable?
Han Cheng''s momentary displeasure dissipated when he realized he had misunderstood the leader of the Green Tribe. Because of the millet the Green Tribe brought, Han Cheng didn''t want them to suffer too much of a loss. At least, regarding the jar used for cooking, that was the case.
Through Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng informed the leader of the Green Tribe about the condition of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s cooking jar, which was already worn out and not as durable as the new one. He hoped the leader of the Green Tribe would reconsider.
The leader of the Green Tribe, however, was firmly convinced that the Green Sparrow Tribe''s ability to produce such delicious meat soup was closely rted to the pottery they used for cooking. Understanding Han Cheng''s message, he became even more determined in his thoughts.
With some cleverness, he misinterpreted Han Cheng''s sincere advice, thinking that Han Cheng was reluctant to part with the old jar, and deliberately said that. During the trade, didn''t everyone keep the best for their tribe and use the rest for exchanges?
The more Han Cheng refused, the more the leader of the Green Tribe thought the old jar was a good item and wanted it even more.
After this happened twice, Han Cheng had no choice but to let it be. He allowed the people to carry out the old, now ckened,rge jar.
The leader of the Green Tribe was extremely pleased to see this. He felt that in this trade, he had gained a tremendous advantage. He went over to the jar, tapped it, touched it, and circled it several times with great joy. After that, he respectfully bowed to Han Cheng, the shaman and Eldest Senior Brother. He was particrly willing to show respect to Han Cheng, secretly thinking that they must have this little Divine Child present whenever they came for future trades.
As for the leaders of their tribe, those guys were truly difficult to deal with.
The other members of the Green Tribe, upon seeing their leader exchanging the Green Sparrow Tribe''s cooking jar, were all smiles. They were delighted because they would now have the opportunity to enjoy the extremely delicious meat soup!
Afterpleting the exchange, the people from the Green Tribe did not linger. Carrying the charred cooking jar and holding the two water jars, they quickly left the Green Sparrow Tribe, as if afraid that staying longer might lead to a change of heart from Han Cheng and the others.
Chapter 170: The Neglected Millet
Chapter 170: The Neglected Millet
The people of the Green Tribe, under themand of their leader, took turns carrying therge, ckened pot with caution and speed. It wasn''t until they could see the peculiar "mountain wall" of the Green Tribe that the leader ordered them to set the pot down. He reached out his already ckened hands and began to feel the pot.
After a while, unable to contain his joy, he smiled happily toward the Green Tribe.
For the leader of the Green Tribe, being able to exchange these three precious pottery items, especially therge pot, made him extremely proud. The rest of the Green Tribe members were equally ecstatic, expressing their admiration for their leader''s wisdom in their own unique way.
Amid their jubtion, some would yfully smear the ck ash from the pot onto theirpanions, adding to the joy. After venting their suppressed happiness, the strengthened Green Tribe members eagerly returned their valuable items to their tribe. They looked forward to seeing the joyous reactions of those who had stayed behind to pick fruits near the tribe.
As the Green Tribe people left, sure that they wouldn''t hear any moremotion from the other tribe, a certain ecstatic Divine Child who had held back for a long time finally couldn''t contain himself and burst into heartyughter, disregarding his image.
"This! Good stuff; it can keep us full! No more starvation!"
After a burst of wildughter, Han Cheng announced the big good news to the curious onlookers. He expected them to be as overjoyed as he was upon hearing this news, but their reaction was not as enthusiastic as he had imagined.
Upon further thought, he understood that since he introduced the fish cages, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had already lived a life without worries about food.
Now, informing them that with this new item, there would be no more hunger wouldn''t evoke such a strong reaction.
Wiping his nose, Han Cheng realized that perhaps living too well and being too forward-thinking might not be such a good thing.
Acknowledging the situation, Han Cheng waved his hand, instructing everyone to continue their tasks. He stared nkly at the nearly two-dan-long ears of millet in his hands, grinning foolishly. In his imagination, hey in a millet field during the millet''s golden ripening season, smelling the unique fragrance of millet, looking through the gaps between the ears of millet into the distant, azure sky.
The shaman came over, squatted beside Han Cheng, who wasughing foolishly, picked up an ear of millet from the pile, held it in front of his eyes, and observed it back and forth. He wanted to see if there was anything special about it.
He wanted to know what kind of thing made the Divine Child so happy and obsessed. The Divine Childs announcement that with this thing, the Green Sparrow Tribe would never starve again made him quite concerned.
After observing for a while, the shaman picked some grass-seed-like things from the top and put them in his palm. Then, he put them in his mouth, chewing slowly. The taste was not good;pared to other grass seeds, it was just a bit less bitter or weird.
Chewing in his mouth, his teeth felt simr to other food like fish soup, meat soup, and other fruits and vegetables, but it was not as good.
Han Cheng snapped out of his golden reverie, and seeing the shaman appreciating the millet while chewing, he smiled. Having some in his old age was indeed a treasure.
Taking the ear of the millet from the shaman''s hand, he weighed it in his hand, feeling the weight significantly less than the millet fromter times. Then, he smiled as he told the shaman the name of this thing.
He also told the shaman that this wasn''t meant to be eaten as is; it needed some processing to be delicious.
Hearing what Han Cheng said, the shaman''s eyes couldn''t help but light up. Because he suddenly remembered the originally terrible stone, which, after the hands of the Divine Child, became the delicious salt. Now, this unptable millet, after the hands of the shaman
The shaman became extremely expectant.
As an elder in the tribe, he was highly interested in every new edible item.
Han Cheng carried a heavy bundle of millet ears and walked toward the cave.
He found an empty pottery basin, picked up an ear of millet, and began to separate the grains with his hands.
After watching Han Cheng for a while, the shaman joined in and began doing the same.
After separating half a basin of millet, Han Cheng cleaned the pit on the big stone used by the Green Sparrow Tribe to pound pa pa.'' Then, he put some millet in it, found a suitable wooden stick of appropriate length and thickness, held it in his hand, and ced the rtively round andrger end against the millet-filled pit. He swung it up and down, pounding the millet.
Since these guys found this thing unappetizing, he decided to process it well, cook it properly, and make these primitive people who had not seen much of the world crave it. He wondered if they would still dare to underestimate the grain revered as the king of the five grains!
Feeling neglected and wanting to give Millet a good name, Han Cheng thought to himself as he wielded the wooden stickup and down.
Han Cheng wasn''t worried about saving seeds. Millet is harvested in autumn, and now there is still half an autumn, a winter, and half a spring before nting millet. It adds up to about half a year, and there''s no hurry to nt.
Moreover, from the Green Tribe leader, he learned that there is still a lot of millet there. Judging by the leader''s nature of taking advantage of others, after he said that he could exchange animal skins and millet for pottery, he woulde again with more millet.
Eating some now wouldn''t hurt.
It''s been almost two years, and he has been eating grilled meat or meat soup and vegetables all day. He hasn''t tasted a bite of the main grain ofter generations. Han Cheng is eager to eat some after seeing millet.
Whether it''s millet or rice, it''s not easy to shell. Otherwise, in ancient times, pounding rice wouldn''t be used as punishment.
Of course, what is said here about not being easy refers to the time before various machines appeared.
Han Cheng is now experiencing this difficulty. Pounding a millet pit made sweat appear on his forehead, and his hands were numb and sore from the impact.
However, he didn''t feel it was too difficult when he saw the yellowish millet mixed with millet husks inside the pit.
He put down the stick, grabbed a handful from the pit, and blew it clean with his mouth.
The empty millet husks flew away, leaving half a handful of golden yellow millet in his hand.
Chapter 171: Millet
Chapter 171: Millet
Golden millet was ced into the ck pottery bowls, making them even more enticing. The shaman, pounding grains in the y basin nearby, took a bowl to examine closely and found it much more beautiful than before.
His anticipation for the deliciousness spoken of by the Divine Child grew stronger.
Han Cheng continuously pounded two pits of millet, and the sweat was already flowing.
After some thought, he called Lame, who was weaving circr wooden ts in the courtyard, and after demonstrating once, the task of pounding millet fell into the hands of Lame.
Lame always adhered to the Divine Child''s instructions. Wielding two increasingly powerful arms, he gripped the wooden stick and pounded forcefully into the stone pit, imitating the Divine Child''s actions.
Under the punishment, the husks of those grains couldn''t hide the secretly stored grains.
With the addition of Lame, who now acted as the main force, Han Cheng suddenly became more rxed.
He only needed to clean up the grains pounded by Lame. It was a meticulous and less strenuous task, although continuous blowing made him dizzy.
"Dong, dong, dong"
The caves of the Green Sparrow Tribe rang with somewhat muffled but rhythmic thuds. Some sleeping infants were disturbed by their sweet dreams. They squinted their eyes, kicking their feet, hands forming tight little fists, raising their heads with a slight tilt, mouths agape and toothless, crying loudly to vent their morning grumpiness.
A nearby primitive woman picked up one of the crying infants, offering her dark breast into the baby''s mouth. The little one, crying incessantly, instantly quieted down, greedily consuming the nectar-like liquid.
After being fed, the baby, with full, gleaming eyes, refused to sleep. It wasn''t clear what this little one saw or thought, but it smiled silently, revealing a toothless mouth.
Using a child''s face to describe the weather in June was not wrong; it truly changed quickly.
In the gradually dimming cave, the shaman had alreadybed down the grains from a head of grain, and now he squatted there, cleaning the millet pounded by Han Cheng.
Lame continued pounding the millet tirelessly, wielding the wooden stick with two strong arms. With the physicalbor involved, the previously concealed grains'' husks were now brought out.
With Lame''s contribution as the main force, Han Cheng suddenly felt much lighter.
He only needed to clean up the millet pounded by Lame, a more meticulous and less strenuous task. However, blowing continuously for a long time made him a bit dizzy.
"Dong, dong, dong"
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s cave echoed with thuds that were somewhat dull but rhythmic. Some sleeping infants were awakened from their sweet dreams. Squinting their eyes, kicking their feet, hands forming tight little fists, and raising their heads with a slight tilt, mouths agape and toothless, they cried loudly, venting their morning grumpiness.
A primitive woman standing nearby went over, picked up the crying baby, and offered her dark breast into the baby''s mouth. The crying infant instantly quieted down after being fed, greedily drinking the nectar-like liquid.
Having eaten their fill, the babies, with wide, gleaming eyes, refused to sleep. It wasn''t clear what these little ones saw or thought, but they smiled silently, revealing their toothless mouths.
Using a child''s face to describe the weather in June was not wrong; it truly changed quickly.
The light gradually dimmed in the cave, and the fire was lit. It dispelled the gradually thickening darkness. Although the evening had just fallen outside, inside the cave, it had already be somewhat dim.
This further strengthened Han Cheng''s desire to move into the new house sooner.
The one in charge of starting the fire was Fire Two. After igniting the fire, he picked up the mutated hand-operated drill that had gained several more holes and ced it on the side with a bit of roughness and a strong, primitive vor.
A fish, more than a foot long, was washed with clear water on both sides. Without using a stone knife, it was directly snapped into three or four sections and thrown into the new pot filled with more than half a basin of clean water.
On both sides of another pile of fire, a one-meter-long and forty-centimeter-high stone wall was built. Seven or eight thin sticks soaked in oil were arranged on each wall.
Each stick had something threaded onto itone or two animals of varying sizes, fish, or caught in yesterday night''s traps.
A person in charge of roasting crouched beside it, asionally flipping the sticks to ensure the food on them was heated more evenly.
For those roasted for a long time, the fat had turned red and dripped onto the charcoal below. There was a soft sizzling sound, and mes flickered briefly.
While observing the Divine Child busily carrying a pottery jar not far away, this person showed genuine admiration in his eyes.
In the past, roasting food required at least three people working simultaneously to get something edible barely.
Controlling the degree of roasting was difficult; it was easy to overcook, leading to food wastage and apromised taste.
Since the Divine Child made a slight modification and constructed these two walls, all the problems were effortlessly solved.
On both walls, seven or eight skewers of food could be ced simultaneously without using hands. It made things much easier for the person in charge, requiring only asional flipping.
What once required three people now seemed effortless for one person, and the roasted food turned out even more delicious than before.
Han Cheng was busy washing millet and was unaware that the person roasting meat was looking at him with extreme admiration. The feelings of respect in his heart were like the surging waters of a small river in front of the tribe during the rising summer, unstoppable
Some small, undisturbed husks of grains floated on the water''s surface as slightly pale and somewhat turbid millet water flowed out.
After washing four or five times, this half basin of millet finally became clean.
The cleaned millet was ced into a y pot, and a small amount of water was added about three centimeters above the millet.
Han Cheng had Fire Two light up another pile of fire, found a fewmonly used stones, ced them separately around the fire, and put the pot containing millet and water on top. Then, he covered it with a lid.
Orange mes dispersed from the bottom of the pot, enveloping half of the y pot.
Han Cheng stood by, personally adding firewood below, mastering the heat. Cooking dry rice was not easy to control; it could easily be burnt, wasting food and affecting the taste.
This time, he exerted all his strength to make the primitive people in the tribe cry from gluttony. Naturally, he had to handle it carefully.
White smoke emerged from below the pot lid, rising gently. The unique fragrance of food permeated the cave after the grains were cooked and boiled, drifting into people''s noses.
Han Cheng, who hadn''t eaten staple food for almost two years, smelled this long-lost aroma, and his eye sockets became moist.
The meal was not ready, and the primitive people were not crying from gluttony, but he shed tears first
After cooking, he picked up the cleaned, long-handled spoon, opened the lid, and reached into the y pot, stirring carefully. The purpose was to move the millet at the bottom in contact with the pot, preventing it from heating for too long and turning mushy.
After all, they were using the primitive method of cooking with fire, not the electric rice cooker from the future that required no further attention after putting in rice and water.
Seeing that there was only a tinyyer of soup left in the pot after stirring several times, Han Cheng made the final stir. Then he covered the pot and removed the two burning pieces of firewood from below, cing them in the fire pit where the fish soup was simmering.
Using firewood to steam the rice the moment before it was taken out was crucial, as most dry rice tended to burn at this time.
At this point, they couldn''t use high heat. Instead, they used a small fire or directly roasted it over the remaining charcoal.
Chapter 172: Bite of Green Sparrow Tribe
Chapter 172: Bite of Green Sparrow Tribe
Han Cheng resisted the urge to lift the lid at this moment, He ced another piece of pottery, a piece resembling a t-bottomed pan, on the fire.
After heating, he scooped out a few spoonfuls of animal fat that had solidified due to the gradually cooling weather and put it on top.
The white fat melted at a visible speed when it encountered the heated pottery. Han Cheng grabbed a handful of chopped wild onions and threw them into the slightly heated oil, stirring it twice. A strong onion fragrance immediately filled the cave.
Before the wild onions turned crispy, Han Cheng continuously stirred the prepared meat slices into the pot.
Thebined fragrance of onions and meat filled the cave for a while.
This aroma was dominant, overshadowing the simmering fish soup and the smell of grilled meat.
"Gudong, gudong."
Some people couldn''t help but swallow saliva.
Everyone in the cave couldn''t resist ncing at the food the Shaman was stirring, their eyes filled with clear anticipation.
Han Cheng now had the demeanor of a skilled chef, standing calmly in front of the pot, busy with the cooking.
Unfortunately, there were no iron pots, and he hadn''t pursued further education in the New East. Otherwise, he could have lifted the hot iron pot a few times, making it look even more stylish.
Wild onions were discovered when they were being walked by the old deer in the spring. Han Cheng dug them out with their roots, nted them in the courtyard, and asionally sprinkled wood ash and water.
For the tribe''s only seasoning besides salt, Han Cheng was very attentive to wild onions.
Because the reproductive ability of wild onions was not strong enough, even now, there were only two rows of less than two meters, and they were growing sparsely.
Usually, Han Cheng was reluctant to eat them; even if he did, he wouldn''t pull them up by the roots. Instead, he would cut them off from the base and cover them with some wood ash and topsoil, and in a few days, new shoots would emerge.
Well, they were wild onions, but he managed to eat them as garlic chives.
After wiping his somewhat damp eyes, he, determined to make the primitive people drool, naturally wouldn''t be stingy this time. He pinched off almost half a bunch of wild onions, which he usually only used when frying eggs.
The meat slices were already cooked, so they didn''t need to be heated in the pot for too long. After stirring for a while, he added two handfuls of clean-washed green vegetables, carefully stir-fried. When the color of the vegetable leaves changed, he sprinkled some crushed salt, stirred it again, and then scooped it into the pottery that had been filled with clean-washed green vegetables earlier.
Green vegetables and slightly reddish meat piled up in the bowl,plementing each other, steam rising, and the fragrance spreading everywhere.
If it weren''t for the fact that he wanted to make the primitive people drool and maintain his Shaman image, not wanting to appear so inexperienced, Han Cheng would have picked up the chopsticks and tasted it.
This t-bottomed pottery couldn''t bepared to therge iron pots ofter generations. It couldn''t fry too much at once. So, after swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Han Cheng repeated the previous actions, continuing to stir-fry.
As the dusk deepened, people working outside returned one after another, carrying tools.
"So fragrant?"
With a keen nose, Hei Wa was still far from the cave entrance and had already sniffed several times. Excitedly, he shouted and unconsciously quickened his pace, wanting to return to the cave early and see the delicious food.
"Really!"
After Hei Wa''s reminder, the others finally noticed the distinctive aroma in the air.
After a day of hard work, they were all hungry by now. Upon smelling this fragrance, they felt even more ravenous.
Everyone quickened their pace, following the scent.
The closer they got to the cave, the more intense the enticing aroma became, making their appetites even more unbearable.
"Tools, put them back."
As they approached the cave entrance, the Eldest Senior Brother suddenly realized that everyone still had tools in their hands. Suppressing the torment of wanting to scratch their hearts, he spoke to everyone.
After this reminder, everyone realized they had been so focused on the smell that they had forgotten to put away their tools.
They quickly rushed towards the deer pen.
The deer pen was spacious enough, providing ample space for the deer living inside.
In contrast, the caves where the Green Sparrow tribe had lived for generations had be somewhat crowded due to the rapid increase in poption and the umtion of other things. Han Cheng had people put tools like bone shovels anddders in a corner of the deer pen to free up some space.
After quickly putting away the tools, they hurriedly walked towards the cave entrance, with some even jogging.
As they rushed there, they found it strange. Why was the food so fragrant today?
Could it be that the Divine Child made those eggs again?
Some had eaten Han Cheng''s wild onion omelet before and still vividly remembered its intoxicating taste. Now, with a simr aroma, they couldn''t help but salivate, their eyes gleaming.
Arriving at the cave entrance, the primitive women who were breastfeeding had already prepared water in basins on the west side of the ditch outside the cave. After hastily washing up, they hurriedly headed into the cave.
Afraid of beingte and missing out on the food, they wanted to get in as quickly as possible.
Even though they understood that acquiring food needed to follow a certain order, the tempting aroma made them want to enter quickly. Even if they couldn''t immediately eat, just looking at the food would bring peace of mind.
After entering the cave, their eyes quickly scanned the familiar fish soup and grilled meat cooking area, bypassing them, and then focused on the half-pot of distinctly different-looking food next to the Shaman. Their eyes were eager.
Seeing everyone''s reactions, Han Cheng was very satisfied.
After secretly swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he exined the rules for tonight''s meal to the eldest senior brother with a calm andposed demeanor. As usual, fish soup and grilled meat were unlimited, but this half-pot of vegetables couldn''t be taken too much. They had to ensure that everyone could have some.
As the Eldest Senior Brother prepared to start serving the respected Shaman, the Divine Child suddenly lifted the lid of a nearby y pot.
White steam dispersed, revealing a golden color inside the ck y pot. A fragrance different from the meat fragrance wafted out, tempting and appetizing. It caused people''s appetites to surge uncontrobly.
Those who were close were momentarily stunned. They hadn''t expected that, besides the tantalizing vegetable dish, the Divine Child had also prepared such a visually appealing, fragrant, and never-before-seen food.
Under Han Cheng''s careful supervision, thisrge pot of millet rice appeared for the first time in the Green Sparrow tribe and was cooked well, showing no signs of being burnt.
Standing on the side, the Eldest Senior Brother looked at the Divine Child and then at the pot of millet rice. For a moment, he didn''t know what to do. Faced with this unfamiliar food, he felt at a loss.
Chapter 173: Bite of Green Sparrow Tribe 2
Chapter 173: Bite of Green Sparrow Tribe 2
Han Cheng saw the Eldest Senior Brother''s dilemma, and already highly eager, he didn''t hesitate either. He grabbed the wooden spat, crafted from hardwood and resembling a future kitchen spat, which had been used to flip the vegetables earlier. He reached into the pot, skillfully scooped up a steaming, golden piece of millet rice, and ced it in his designated bowl.
He then scooped up another piece and put it in Shaman''s bowl, picked up chopsticks, and added two chopsticks'' worth of vegetables to each bowl. Afterward, he poured some vegetable soup on the golden millet rice.
Then, holding the two bowls, he walked into the inner cave with seemingly unhurried but extremely rapid steps.
Whether the primitive people were enticed or not, he didn''t care now; he was already too hungry.
Han Cheng didn''t skimp on the millet rice he scooped into his bowl and Shaman''s bowl. Although he only picked up two chopsticks'' worth of vegetables, with his highly skilled use of chopsticks, anything he picked up made less adept people question their chopstick abilities.
Before the meal started, although he had said such things to the Eldest Senior Brother and the others as the rule maker, he stood beyond the three realms and five elements.
The others didn''t think anything was wrong with what the Divine Child did. After all, the Divine Child brought everything they had now, and the Divine Child personally cooked these two kinds of food.
Even if the Divine Child ate both foods alone, they thought it was only natural.
Holding chopsticks and bowls, Han Cheng went into the inner cave. Only then did the Eldest Senior Brother start serving the food. He clumsily imitated Han Cheng, awkwardly taking an infrequently used wooden shovel and digging up a piece of unfamiliar food from the y pot, then picked up a few chopsticks of vegetables and left.
The millet rice he scooped up was evenrger than what Han Cheng had scooped, as his wife and child were the most
"Hoo! Hoo!"
Han Cheng urgently picked up a piece of millet rice and put it in his mouth, repeatedly exhaling hot air but reluctant to spit it out.
The familiar taste filled his mouth, making his heart surge uncontrobly.
Shaman''s eyes were also bright. His dental health was not the best, and millet rice, this soft and sticky food, was the best for him. Additionally, this golden food was easy to chew and unexpectedly delicious. Shaman didn''t remember the vegetables in his bowl until he finally thought about eating them after savoring three bites.
Chewing on the millet rice, Shaman asionally nced at the Divine Child, who was constantly digging and scraping his face buried in the bowl. A smile appeared on his face again.
He didn''t expect that what initially tasted simr to ordinary grass seeds could turn into something so delicious!
The Divine Child was always so clever and wise, discovering good things from ces ordinary people couldn''t see.
The millet rice inside the pot had disappeared entirely, and the bowl with vegetables had nothing left, not even a drop of juice.
Tie Tou reluctantly scooped thest bit of millet rice mixed with vegetable soup into his mouth, savoring it carefully before reluctantly swallowing it.
Knowing nothing was left in the pot, he couldn''t help but stand up and walk to the y pot containing millet rice, imagining picking up some leftovers from the tribe members'' teeth.
Looking at the empty y pot again, Tie Tou then went to therge tub with fish soup, picked up a long-handled spoon, and began eating the fish soup.
Tie Tou''s eating manners today were quite elegant. He ate the fish meat bit by bit and sipped the soup slowly.
Not only him, but the eating habits of most people in the tribe today were unusually calm.
After siping the fish soup in his bowl, the Eldest Senior Brother slightly furrowed his brows, and a bitter smile appeared.
After savoring the delicious and unprecedented food, when they now drank the fish soup, they felt that the food, which used to be incredibly tasty, suddenlycked some vor.
This wasn''t an exaggeration. Since Han Cheng introduced the fish cages to the Green Sparrow Tribe, fish had be a staple in their meals, upying a prominent ce.
Eating the same food day after day could naturally make the taste buds tired.
Moreover, they were already hungry, and the enticing aroma before reaching the cave aroused an intense curiosity and anticipation for the food inside.
Han Cheng specially stir-fried some vegetables that the Green Sparrow Tribe rarely ate, enhancing the vor of the millet rice.
Combined with Han Cheng''s instructions to the Eldest Senior Brother before the meal, explicitly stating not to touch the fish soup and grilled meat, and his impatient focus solely on the millet rice, it created a psychological suggestion among the Green Sparrow Tribe that this unfamiliar food must be delicious.
Even before they tasted the millet rice, there was already a preconceived notion that this food would be delicious.
Moreover, the steamed millet rice was only in arge y pot, making it even more precious due to its scarcity.
Under these external influences, a seven-point vor could be perceived as twelve!
Not to mention, the taste of the millet rice itself was not bad. For the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who had never tasted it before, there was a solid sensory impact.
"Divine Child"
Seeing Han Chenging out with an empty bowl, the Eldest Senior Brother put down his bowl and chopsticks and hurriedly approached, looking excited as he inquired about the millet rice.
He was eager to know where the Divine Child found this never-before-eaten food.
He already had some guesses but didn''t dare to believe them.
He had tasted the grass seed-like thing brought by the leader of the Green Tribe, and it didn''t taste good. Moreover, it looked very different from this golden and delicious food.
He found it difficult to connect that grass seed-like thing with the delightful food he had just eaten.
The others also anxiously looked at Han Cheng, wanting to learn the truth from him.
Lame, who was involved in the matter, and Fire Two, who witnessed the process, had not disclosed anything about the millet rice.
Seeing the tribe members'' surprised and curious expressions about the new food made by the Divine Child, Lame, and Fire Two, who knew the truth, felt quite pleased.
Han Cheng, observing the reactions of the tribe members, smiled inwardly, thinking, "Dare to underestimate millet!"
He put down the rice bowl, turned around, and took out a bunch of grain spikes from the corner of the room where he had ced them. Holding them up, he showed the people that the food they had just eaten was made from these grain spikes.
Everyone was amazed, unaware that such an inconspicuous thing could create a delicious meal!
Those who knew the truth beforehand were even more delighted, feeling as if the discovery of the hidden culinary potential of millet was their achievement, adding to their glory.
With a handful of grain spikes in his hand, Han Cheng seized the opportunity to exin the matter of millet to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe gradually became entranced, their expressions turning somewhat intoxicated, wholly immersed in the golden dream woven by the Divine Child using grain spikes
Chapter 174: The leader of the Green Tribe who pursues flavor.
Chapter 174: The leader of the Green Tribe who pursues vor.
The morning breeze gently brushed over thend, carrying a hint of chilliness. On the fireless ground, ashes were stirred slightly by the wind.
"Puchi."
A bone shovel fell, followed by arge foot covered in mud and ashes. Stepping on the bone shovel''s head, a horizontal wooden stick protruding from the side, a forceful step plunged the sharpened bone shovel deep into the soil.
The bone shovel flipped as therge foot lifted, raising a damp chunk of soil. With the help of the wind, the ashes on the soil''s surface escaped, while the rest was buried as the overturned soil settled back into the ground.
Eldest Senior Brother wiped the sweat off his forehead, spat into his palms, rubbed them together, and then gripped the bone shovel handle, which had already been polished to a smooth shine, continuing to turn the soil without rxing for a moment.
He and everyone else also worked fervently, flipping the soil enthusiastically. Their passion now surpassed the energy they put into their nightly musical performances with their partners.
They were all motivated by the unforgettable meal of the day before yesterday, the delicious millet rice, and the enchanting scenes described by the Divine Child.
Even though the Divine Child mentioned that nting millet would have to wait until the next spring, and there was no rush in turning the soil, they still wanted to get thend ready as soon as possible. This way, when the time came, they could harvest plenty of millet, and the delicious millet rice would be a daily staple like fish and meat.
Oh, wait, not just that they also looked forward to fragrant, sticky, and warmly satisfying millet porridge.
Many even believed that the golden millet porridge was more enjoyable than the asional addition of nched wild vegetables and sprinkled salt on venison milk by the Divine Child.
People were like that, inevitably moving forward on their own.
Initially, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s pursuit was merely ensuring two meals daily. Under the constraints of frugal living, they were not at risk of starving.
Later, with no worries about food, they naturally began to pay attention to the taste of their meals.
In this regard, one could say that they had far surpassed several nearby tribes.
Wait, that doesn''t seem right. Other tribes also pursued vors, like the Green Tribe leader fretting over the green leaves stuck in his hair.
Carrying arge pot devoid of its outer ck ash and holding two ceramic jars, the Green Tribe group returned to the tribe, weed enthusiastically by those who stayed behind.
Each person carrying a container back held their heads high, resembling hunters who had caught abundant prey.
The leader of the Green Tribe was particrly proud, patting his chest vigorously to showcase his strength and capability.
If it weren''t for him going, with only those not-so-good food items, anyone else wouldn''t have been able to bring back these three ceramic jars!
Moreover, he received a promise from the Divine Child of the neighboring tribe that they could exchange items with fur and unused grass spikes from their tribe in the future.
Thinking about this, he couldn''t suppress his joy.
For someone who loved taking advantage, there was nothing more pleasing than gaining such a huge advantage.
Food was precious in the tribe, and while he felt a bit reluctant to part with these ceramic jars, there was no such concern for furs. After years of hunting, the tribe had umted more than enough fur, even after everyone wrapped themselves in it.
As for those grass spikes with a bad taste, he was not interested at all.
Watching the tribe members crowding around the ceramic jars, asionally reaching out to touch them with great curiosity, the leader of the Green Tribe became even happier.
After waiting a while, he opened his mouth and howled, waving his hands continuously and directing everyone to prepare food.
Even though it wasn''t the usual time for meals, he couldn''t wait to showcase the results of this exchange.
He wanted every person in the tribe to enjoy delicious food, making the tribe more submissive to him.
As he thought about this, he suddenly felt a bit proud.
Since the other tribe was unwilling to provide delicious soup, they would make it themselves. With thisrge pot, they could continuously enjoy that delicious food.
Recalling the scenes they witnessed in the prosperous tribe, the people of the Green Tribe gathered a few stones and ced them beside the fire pit.
Then, they sent someone to fetch water from a nearby spring, pouring it into therge pot. The two ceramic jars and therge pot were not cleaned on the way back.
After filling the pot halfway, three people carried it to the stones around the fire pit.
Although this process was a bitborious, the people of the Green Tribe did not feel it was difficult.
Once these preparations were done, it was time for the Green Tribe leader''s performance.
He took the remaining meat they brought back and, using a stone knife, chopped and smashed it before throwing it into therge pot. To demonstrate his generosity, he intentionally cut the meat intorge pieces.
Now, it was autumn, and the temperature wasn''t too low. It took almost three nights and four days to return from the Green Sparrow Tribe, and the meat had developed some odor.
The people of the Green Tribe seemed not to mind, as they had eaten meat with a stronger smell before.
The water in therge pot had started to steam. The leader of the Green Tribe stood on the side, surveying the people around therge pot with anticipation. To show off his professionalism, he picked up a tree branch, broke it into a makeshift wooden stick, and mimicked the way the Green Sparrow Tribe cooked, inserting the unwashed stick directly into therge pot, stirring it asionally to make it look authentic.
Although the Green Sparrow Tribe used sticks with specially made ceramic bowls underneath
The leader of the Green Tribe creatively solved the lid problem, first cing several sticks on the pot''s edge, then covering them with yellowedrge tree leaves that others had picked. It indeed looked somewhat like a pot lid.
When it came to the issue ofdles for serving soup, he only realized it right before the food was about to be ready, along with the realization about the bowls for eating.
He had only thought about therge pot and assumed they could do whatever they wanted, but now, even before the soup was ready, they encountered a series of problems. It seemed they would have to make another trip to that tribe.
The only burnt and ckened bowl of the Green Tribe was brought over.
After inspecting theyer of ash on the outside of the bowl, the leader of the Green Tribe finally decided not to use it directly fordling soup. He found some dried grass, washed the bowl with water, and picked up the now rtively clean bowl. Facing the bubbling soup in therge pot, hedled half a bowl, then eagerly brought it to his mouth.
All the people around the Green Tribe were salivating, eagerly watching. Those without bowls had to wait their turn.
!
Before he could even take a sip, the leader of the Green Tribe couldn''t help but secretly praise his cooking skills.
As soon as a bit of hot soup was slurped in, his expression became one of enjoyment.
However, this enjoyment quickly disappeared. He furrowed his brows in confusion and took another small sip, and the confusion on his face intensified.
His unexpected reaction puzzled the people around him, who were eagerly swallowing saliva. They couldn''t understand why the leader, who had already tasted delicious meat soup, would have such a reaction.
hyu!
Suddenly, the leader of the Green Tribe made a sound.
Chapter 175: The leader of the Green Tribe who pursues flavor 2
Chapter 175: The leader of the Green Tribe who pursues vor 2
With the shout from the leader of the Green Tribe, a sturdy-looking male primitive immediately showed joy on his face and hurriedly stepped forward to take the ceramic bowl filled with meat soup from the leader''s hand.
In the envious gazes of others, he brought the bowl to his lips and sipped.
He drank a bit too much in one go, and since the meat soup had just been scooped from the hot pot, he endured the scalding, twisting his face in difort but reluctant to spit it out. After enduring for a while, he couldn''t take the temperature any longer and spat it out.
Waving his hands wildly in front of his mouth and simultaneously inhaling cool air, his tongue turned bright red, clearly scalded.
Somewhat annoyed, the leader of the Green Tribe snatched the bowl from the man''s hand and handed it to another person, asking him to taste it.
This new individual hesitated upon seeing the man still sticking his tongue out. Faced with the steaming soup, he seemed a bit apprehensive. The Green Tribe leader, realizing that this person had not attended the joyful gathering earlier, snatched therge bowl back and gave it to someone who had been there.
This person dared not be negligent, so he approached with suspicion, took a sip, and found it fragrant and warm, feeling eptable.
However
He suddenly realized something, took another sip to taste it carefully, and looked at the leader uncertainly.
The leader of the Green Tribe, unwilling to believe this, had other individuals who had attended the joyful gatheringe forward to taste. The reactions were all the same.
Looking at the tribe members, who were puzzled and somewhat disheartened, the leader of the Green Tribe felt deeply hurt.
In utter confusion, he circled therge pot of meat soup, asionally patting it, scratching his head, which had already lost many green leaves.
It shouldn''t be like this. He had cooked with such seriousness, so why did the meat soup he made taste different from the one cooked in the ceramic bowl before? He had even switched to arger ceramic vessel!
He carefully recalled the steps used by the nearby prosperous tribe when cooking, secretly recorded during the joyful gathering. He couldn''t find any omissions.
This made him even more distressed. He didn''t expect that even after bringing back therge pot used by that tribe, the taste was still far from matching theirs.
Unable to figure out where the problem was and looking at the hungry people around therge pot, the leader of the Green Tribe decided to first consume the meat soup and think about other matterster.
Withoutdles with long handles, they had to use bowls to scoop the soup from the top first and then eat the meat, taking turns
Got it!
The leader of the Green Tribe suddenly had an epiphany after drinking a belly full of soup.
The other tribe used fish to cook the soup, while he used animal meat this time. Since they used different ingredients, the taste was vastly different. So, if he waited and switched to using fish
"Sizzle, sizzle."
The leader of the Green Tribe, who had consumed a belly full of fish soup but hadn''t eaten much meat, sat on the ground with a troubled expression. He vigorously scratched his head, and green leaves fell off.
Looking at the ceramic pot, he wanted to ask how he should proceed for it to produce delicious soup.
"fsr"
A few days ago, while on the way to the Green Sparrow Tribe, encountering rising smoke, the leader of the Green Tribe was about to turn back when the person who had advised him against it approached, saying something to him.
The leader of the Green Tribe''s confusion gradually disappeared. After thinking for a while, he led a hunting expedition, leaving behind the semi-grown children, the elderly, and those with injuries to collect a type of grass around the tribe.
The events in the Green Tribe were unknown to Han Cheng and the others from the Green Sparrow Tribe. They continued to follow their own pace, engaging in tasks specific to their tribe.
As mes rose and smoke slowly dispersed in the surroundings, there were few people observing the fire; most were diligently working on plowing thend not too far away.
Physically strong individuals used bone spades to dig the soil, while semi-grown children and slender women used wooden sticks tied with stones or directly carried a piece of wood to smashrge soil chunks.
The process had its nuances. Han Cheng instructed them not to walk randomly in the fields. They were supposed to stand in one ce, smash therge soil chunks before them, take a big step forward, and repeat the previous action.
This was done to minimize trampling on the newly turned soil. Freshly turned soil was moist and loose; stepping on it wouldpact the soil.
Although it couldn''t match the original state before plowing, it appeared much firmer than the untouched areas around it.
To minimize the trampling of the newly turned soil, when Han Cheng instructed Lame to make the tools for smashing soil chunks, he considered not only the convenience of people holding the tools but also maximized the length of the wooden handles.
This way, people could stand in one ce and smash more soil chunks.
The few acres ofnd grown rapeseed for a season had been turned over, andrge chunks of soil had been broken.
Han Cheng held a ceramic bowl in one hand, and with the other hand, he grabbed the slippery dark brown rapeseed from inside and scattered it around while walking forward.
It rained the day before, making thend most suitable for nting rapeseed.
There was a person behind him holding a wooden rake. The person was Qi Qiu (meaning balloon in Chinese) and, while walking backward, continually extended and pulled back the rake, creating fine furrows, leaving behind a pattern resembling the marks a father might leave on his daughter''s hair if he didn''t know how tob it properly.
The soil brought up by the rake covered the rapeseed that had fallen into the soil and also concealed the footprints left by Han Cheng and Qi Qiu.
The crafting technique for the ground rake was simr to therge rake used in the wheat fields before, but there were finer and denser teeth. Additionally, the length was half that of the teeth of therge rake, and the curvature wasn''t as significant.
This design aimed to prevent the ground rake from sinking too deeply and trapping too much soil. After all, the mud was not as light as the floating rapeseed stems. If it sank too deep, it would be challenging to pull up.
In the distance, smoke rose from where the Green Sparrow Tribe was again preparing to expand their farnd.
Those fields were being prepared to cultivate a new crop, millet, obtained by the Green Sparrow Tribe.
In the previous year, they had turned the fields over, dried and frozen them, and this year, they were doing it again to nt millet, which was much better than cultivating and nting fields directly.
At this time of the year, as in previous years, the Green Sparrow Tribe would be busy harvesting fruits and storing food in various ways, preparing for the uing cold winter.
However, this year, they were calm because, with the presence of fish traps, rabbit snares, and salt, they had already stored enough food.
The tribe, continually changing its lifestyle since Han Cheng arrived, was now heading towards an agricultural path.
Chapter 176: Rattan Shield
Chapter 176: Rattan Shield
Noon arrived, and the people staying in the tribe to cook had prepared the meal. They came out and informed the person standing guard on the low wall on the west side. That person shouted, notifying the busy people in the fields not far away that it was time for the meal.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, holdingrge bowls, enjoyed the soup cooked with salt and felt very satisfied.
Although Han Cheng had only produced salt for a little over a year, it had already deeply ingrained itself in the essence of the Green Sparrow Tribe, much like a habit passed down through countless generations.
At this moment, if they were asked to eat meat soup without salt, most of them would find it difficult to swallow.
Salt was indeed a magical existence.
While eating, many people couldn''t help but look up at the well-constructed houses. Under the eaves not only were numerous pieces of drying meat hanging under the eaves, but several bunches of grains were hanging on the walls.
They could never get enough of this kind of scenery.
The Eldest Senior Brother finished his meal quickly, ced the two chopsticks across the bowl, discarded the empty bowl, wiped his mouth, and was about to take a break.
After a short nap, he nned to continue clearing the uncultivatednd and finish this area before nightfall.
Han Cheng stopped the Eldest Senior Brother and told him to wait, as there was something to show him.
The Eldest Senior Brother stopped as instructed, anxiously looking at the Divine Child. He couldn''t help but wonder what extraordinary thing the Divine Child hade up with this time.
When Han Cheng spoke, he didn''t intentionally lower his voice, and many people heard him. They hastened their eating, eager to witness what was going on.
Well, curiosity is innate.
On the side, Lame, who quickly finished his meal, was even faster. Since the thing the shaman was talking about came from his hands, he was more eager to see everyone''s reaction.
When Han Cheng finished his meal, everyone else had also finished. Han Cheng rubbed his nose somewhat helplessly, smiled at the crowd, and gestured for them to follow as he walked towards the open space in the courtyard.
Facing the somewhat excited look from Han Cheng, Lame nodded and quickly limped to the three tiled houses. He came out again in no time, holding an oval-shaped wooden nk in his hands.
This wooden nk differed from the typical wooden nks used for building walls in the Green Sparrow Tribe. The weaving technique was much moreplex, simr to the method used to weavetticework, but more intricate. The wooden nk was also sturdier.
The wooden nk was notrge, about eighty centimeters long and fifty centimeters wide. It resembled the wooden sticks split from logs and the lids made from grass stems used in the tribe.
Looking at this familiar yet strange object, for a moment, no one could guess the Divine Childs intentions or what this odd-shaped wooden nk could be used for.
Building walls was not possible due to its small size.
It couldn''t be used to cover the cooking pot either, as too many gaps allowed air to escape.
Han Cheng took the strange-looking wooden nk from Lame''s hands, grasped the handle in the middle on the back of his hand, and lifted it.
The wooden handle had an arc shape with a span of about ten centimeters. The highest point was approximately five centimeters away from the wooden nk. Simr to the handle of atticework, both ends were directly woven into the wooden nk.
With this woven handle, even if force were applied, lifting more than two hundred kilograms of stones inside, the handle wouldn''t separate from the woven part. It was easy to imagine how sturdy the handle was in the middle of this peculiar-looking wooden nk.
Okay, I''m sure many people have already guessed what this thing is, so let''s not keep it a secret.
Yes, it''s a shield.
Although it looks strange and overly simple, it has everything a shield should have.
Han Cheng had been thinking about improving weapons for a long time. However, due to limited conditions, many things couldn''t be produced. Besides, various tasks wereplex, and he hadn''t figured out what kind of weapon to make, what materials to use, and how to manufacture it. So, the idea was put on hold.
After a long period of contemtion, the perfect opportunity finally arrived. Hence, this shield woven from vines came into existence.
Initially, Han Cheng didn''t n to create a shield; he wanted to make an offensive weapon. He had heard the phrase "the best defense is a good offense" somewhere and believed that offense was more stylish than defense.
This notion persisted until he saw the "bowl" of a primitive woman nursing a child. On this "bowl," there was a green mark, a trace left by the people of the Flying Snake Tribe who had attackedst winter.
When Han Cheng saw it, it had been about three months since the Flying Snake Tribe attack.
Three months had passed, and the bruises on the primitive woman''s body had notpletely disappeared, indicating that she had been seriously injured.
It was precisely this not-yet-healed bruise that made Han Chengpletely change his mind.
Taking up weapons to engage in battle, watching enemies fall one by one under one''s people, indeed stirred the blood. However, where in this world could one gain advantages without suffering losses?
Thest time the Green Sparrow Tribe took advantage of the wall, there were still injuries, not to mention chasing and fighting with weapons
Speaking of defensive weapons, Han Cheng''s first thought was armor, not the kind worn by armored warriors, just something ordinary.
However, given the tribe''s current level of expertise, creating such demanding items was impossible.
So, the next best thing was to make shields.
The materials currently avable to the Green Sparrow Tribe were wood, stone, and y.
Using stone to make shields was impossible. y could be fired into pottery, and given Hei Wa''s current level, it was not impossible to create pottery shields, but they would be too heavy and fragile
Han Cheng''s subsequent idea was to split some roughly simr wooden sticks in half and theny them t with the surfaces facing up. This would be the basic shape of a shield.
Then, on the back, he would draw three lines horizontallytop, middle, and bottom. Along these lines, he would create grooves, each two centimeters deep, with the upper part narrow and the lower part wide. Finally, a wooden strip, narrower at the bottom and wider at the top, would be inserted into these grooves from the edge. This way, the loose wooden pieces would be firmly connected.
He exined this idea step by step to Lame, and they tried to manufacture it together. But then they gave up.
This approach had too high demands for tools and techniques.
Thinking of the Nanman vine armor that Zhuge Liang had burned and seeing the ordinary wooden nks in his tribe, coupled with Lame''s proficiency in weavingtticework, the vine shield was born
Chapter 177: Rattan Shield 2
Chapter 177: Rattan Shield 2
Compared to shields synthesized from pure wooden boards, shields woven from vines are much lighter.
With Han Cheng''s current strength, he could easily hold and raise the wooden shield''s handle.
Of course, it was a lifted position with his arm curled, not fully extended.
The vine shield was too tall for Han Cheng. When he raised the wooden handle to chest height, he could only see the blurry figures of people through the gaps in the upper part of the vine shield.
Han Cheng handed the vine shield to Lame and instructed him to ce it against the side wall of the house.
Then, he led the people to step back about fifteen meters from the vine shield. He had someone bring some stones simr to those used for hunting. Amid the puzzled looks of the onlookers, he told the Eldest Senior Brother to pick up a stone and smash it against the vine shield fiercely, just like when hunting, without holding back.
Everyone, including the Eldest Senior Brother, appeared puzzled. They didn''t understand the purpose behind the chief''s actions.
Why throw stones at a perfectly good wooden nk? Wouldn''t this damage the wooden nk?
Holding a fist-sized stone, the Eldest Senior Brother looked at Han Cheng. After confirming the order from Han Cheng again, he no longer hesitated.
He took a half-step forward with his left leg, raised his right arm, and then cleanly let it fall. The stone in his hand had already flown out, followed by a loud sound.
The vine shield against the wall vibrated. The stone that had been smashed into it flew high into the air,nding more than two meters away before rolling three or four meters before gradually stopping.
Han Cheng rushed over to inspect the vine shield.
Seeing the Divine Child so anxious to check the "injuries" of the vine shield, the Eldest Senior Brother was even more puzzled. He scratched his head, covered in unkempt hair, and went over to watch along with everyone else.
On the vine shield, there were small white marks on the vines that were hit by the stone. The impact from the Eldest Senior Brother''s stone had caused damage to two vines, and some wood fibers were raised at the injury sites.
However, it was only superficial and had no impact on the vine shield.
Satisfied, Han Cheng nodded, then propped up the slightly crooked vine shield against the wall. Leading the crowd back to their previous position, he didn''t let the Eldest Senior Brother take action this time. Instead, he asked the Second Senior Brother, the best at throwing, to do it.
The Second Senior Brother''s momentum was much greater. When a stone hit the vine shield, it directly bounced it off the ground, causing it to fall.
Worried about the freshly made vine shield being unable to withstand the Second Senior Brother''s violent blow, Han Cheng hurried over to flip it over. Upon inspection, there was no further harm besides the additional damage to the surface.
This made Han Cheng unable to resist praising Lame.
Originally, rtively soft vine branches, after being woven together, became so resilient. Indeed, unity is strength, just like a bunch of chopsticks held together.
Looking at the smiling chief, the onlookers became even more puzzled. The perfectly good wooden nk had been smashed into its current state with stones. Shouldn''t he be upset? Why did the Divine Child seem even happier?
On the side, the shaman, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, showed a thoughtful expression in his eyes. It seemed like he had sensed some of the Divine Child''s intentions but was not too certain.
Seeing the vine shield''s resilience confirmed, Han Cheng exined its purpose to everyone.
The shaman''s eyes revealed a knowing look and a hint of excitement. He finally guessed the Divine Child''s intention.
The Eldest Senior Brother also showed a sudden realization. Thinking about the scene when he and the Second Senior Brother threw stones at the vine shield, he felt that the vine shield could indeed be used to block attacks, reducing the risk of injury.
A stone that was supposed to fall on oneself, or the sharp ws of arge beast, ended up being blocked by the vine shield in hand, preventing oneself from getting injured or even killed.
Thinking of it this way, the significance of the vine shield immediately became profound.
As Han Cheng exined, everyone gradually understood the purpose of the vine shield and realized its great significance.
Looking at the shield woven from these vines, their eyes became eager. Their gaze towards the Divine Child became even more respectful. Even Lame, who used to live at the bottom of the tribe, showed an excited expression, his face turning slightly red. It strengthened his determination to follow the Divine Child and contribute to the tribe.
The Eldest Senior Brother held the vine shield, testing its coverage from different angles. Although his movements seemed clumsy, they also had a certain style.
Others also approached one after another to experience this freshly made weapon.
The shaman smiled as he watched on the side, knowing he had something new to record. Once he understood the specific methods from the Divine Child and Lame, he began making notes.
The records didn''t just include the method of making the vine shield; they also depicted its shape. The significance and purpose of the vine shield were essential details.
Excitement filled the air as the people discussed and marveled at the vine shield. Han Cheng spoke up again.
He asked the Eldest Senior Brother, who was already familiar with the shield, to hold the vine shield in front of him. Then, he instructed Shang, holding a spear with a sharpened stone tip, to attack the vine shield. He wanted to see the effectiveness of the vine shield in practicalbat against a more sharp and fierce stone spear.
Of course, before starting, he gave special instructions. He asked Shang, who was in charge of the attack, to probe gradually, increasing the force slowly and not to start with full strength immediately. Otherwise, if any idents during the test resulted in injuries, it would be a significant loss.
The Eldest Senior Brother, holding the vine shield, and Shang, wielding the stone-tipped spear, took their positions. The people around them dispersed a bit, giving them enough space.
The Eldest Senior Brother tightly gripped the handle behind the vine shield with both hands, stood with his feet apart, his body tense, and the muscles on his arms tightened even more.
He looked a bit nervous. Although he had previously tested the vine shield with stones and knew it was quite resilient, the vine shield was against the wall at that time. Now, the vine shield''s back was facing him, and the stone spear was much sharper than a stone.
Under such circumstances, feeling a bit nervous was normal.
"Thud!"
A not-too-loud sound echoed as the stone spear collided with the vine shield. The resilient vine shield suffered little damage.
The Eldest Senior Brother, holding his breath, felt somewhat relieved.
Han Cheng signaled to Shang to increase the force. After seeing that the Eldest Senior Brother was prepared and nodding, Shang, holding the stone-tipped spear, took a deep breath and thrust it towards the vine shield protecting him!
Chapter 178: The Second Senior Brother is like Cao Cao, planting in ditches and ridges.
Chapter 178: The Second Senior Brother is like Cao Cao, nting in ditches and ridges.
"Boom!"
A significantly louder sound echoed as the Eldest Senior Brother holding the rattan shield leaned backward, taking a small step back. His arm pressed against the shield, felt a bit sore.
Even though the impact was felt, the Eldest Senior Brother was pleased. If it weren''t for the rattan shield, he might have sustained serious injuries from the force of the spear.
Upon examining the rattan shield, they noticed a broken thinner vine where the spear had pierced through. It seemed the spear tip had managed to prate.
However, the Eldest Senior Brother remained unharmed because the other tightly packed vines prevented the spear from going throughpletely. The tightly woven structure of the rattan shield made it resilient, as even a pierced section was supported by adjacent vines.
Struggling, Shang pulled the spear out of the shield. The Eldest Senior Brother raised the rattan shield to show Han Cheng and the others.
Afterward, he handed the shield to the second Eldest Senior Brother, who proudly thumped his chest with clenched fists, indicating his physical strength and that he hadn''t been injured.
The excitement spread among the onlookers. They had witnessed the resilience of the rattan shield and developed a newfound appreciation for this wooden creation.
Before the rattan shield, when faced with an attack, their only options were to confront it head-on, escape, or pray for divine protection. Now, with the rattan shield crafted by the Divine Child, they felt empowered to defend themselves actively.
Imagine the satisfaction of blocking a fatal blow with the rattan shield, swiftly counterattacking, and turning the tide of the battle. It was indeed a remarkable feeling.
Han Cheng was also delighted. The practical test proved that his concept for the rattan shield was excellent. The durability issue could be further addressed with some adjustments, such as using thicker vines or creating a doubleyered shield.
The excitement lingered, and everyone, under the leadership of the Eldest Senior Brother, picked up their tools and left the courtyard to head west for some farming.
Meanwhile, Han Cheng stayed back as the shaman discussed improving the rattan shield with him and Lame. They considered using thicker vines or creating a doubleyered design.
As they observed Lame implementing their ideas, Han Cheng couldn''t help but think of the rattan-armored soldiers from the Three Kingdoms era, particrly the Nanman tribe. Perhaps soaking the rattan shields in oil, even animal fat or vegetable oil if tung oil wasn''t avable, could enhance their durability.
Although the tribe''s current rapeseed output was insufficient for oil extraction, Han Cheng wasn''t too worried about someone using fire as Zhuge Liang did, burning all the tribe''s rattan shields to ashes. At this point, with low productivity and limited creativity, starting a fire was an arduous task, making it highly unlikely for anyone to burn the rattan shields.
Moreover, rattan shields were different from rattan armor. Rattan armor, once worn, was challenging to remove, making it difficult to escape when caught on fire. In contrast, a rattan shield only required letting go of the handle to be free. This aspect was simr to the "small bouncer" used in farming. When faced with a plowing issue, one could release the handles, and all would be well. If it were a four-wheeled tractor, things would be much moreplicated.
Han Cheng chuckled at these thoughts.
Later, he couldn''t help but envision the Second Senior Brother, who had a sweet tooth, devouring a rattan shield soaked in fat. It reminded him of the scene from the movie "Shaolin Ser" where an Eldest Senior Brother demonstrated floating on water by nibbling on an egg.
Han Cheng halted these wandering thoughts by shaking his head with a wry smile.
The Second Senior Brother, who had broken a bone shovel too vigorously, returned with a new one after noticing the Divine Child shaking his head andughing, suddenly feeling his nose itching.
After letting out a loud sneeze, he hastily paid respects to the Divine Child, who seemed surprised and likely scared by the sneeze, before quickly leaving to avoid causing any more trouble.
Observing the Second Senior Brother hurrying away with a new shovel, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniff, wondering if this guy belonged to Cao Cao''s faction. Such skillful lightness in movement? Or was it due to a shared understanding with him? Ugh!
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng put aside the idea of oil-soaking the rattan shields. Depending on the yield, he would decide after the rapeseed matured the following year.
Once he confirmed that Lame understood his intentions, Han Cheng stayed longer and returned to the cave. In no time, he left with two small earthenware jars, each marked with a character: "" (white) and "" (oil).
Inside the jars were carefully cultivated rapeseeds, ready to be nted now. Han Cheng had left a sizable section of the rapeseed field, meticulously prepared with nutrient-rich soil and finely plowed by the "ground-lovin'' Qi Qiu, specifically for growing these two rapeseeds.
First, he nted the "" (white) rapeseeds.
Unlike the previous broadcast seeding method, Han Cheng created furrows this time.
He used a rope with two sticks attached at both ends to ensure straight furrows. After inserting one t-headed stick into the ground, he walked backward along the line, creating a shallow trench. The distance between the trenches is about twenty centimeters.
Once three furrows were opened, the task of furrowing was handed over to the Qi Qiu.
Han Cheng picked up the earthenware jarbeled "" and, pinching the seeds between his fingers, sowed them along the furrows.
After nting four to five furrows of "" rapeseeds, he retrieved the rake at the field''s edge. Flipping it upside down and pulling it back and forth, the loose soil covered the furrows, leaving a smooth surface.
The nting method for the specifically selected rapeseeds was the same as for "" rapeseeds, but the distance between adjacent furrows was reduced to ten centimeters.
The specially selected rapeseed field was connected, separated by a forty-centimeter-wide gap, forming ridges in due course.
This meticulous sowing required a considerable effort. It was only when evening approached that all the seeds were nted.
"Someone! Someone!"
The next morning, Han Cheng was awakened by the sudden shouts and the rhythmic sound of wooden ppers.
Chapter 179: What walls?
Chapter 179: What walls?
The suddenmotion shattered the tranquility of the early morning near the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng had a heavy workload the previous day, slept deeply, and woke upte. The noise startled him, and his still-drowsy mind immediately became alert upon realizing something had happened.
Who would visit so early in the morning? Which tribe was so active?
Thinking like this, he got out of bed and ran barefoot outside. At the cave entrance, he saw that the tribe''s gate was tightly closed, with over half of the people already climbing the low wall, armed.
After confirming that there wouldn''t be an immediate threat, he turned back, hurriedly wrapped a fur around himself, which served as clothing, and then ventured out again.
The tribe''s children remained in the cave, disying a bit of nervousness, unlike the previous winter when the Flying Snake Tribe attacked, causing many children to cry. However, after a recent simr incident, they seemed moreposed, having experienced something simr not long ago.
People on the wall weren''t overly excited. The Eldest Senior Brother spoke loudly in the Green Sparrow tribalnguage but was too far away to hear clearly.
Observing this scene, Han Cheng was almost certain that the visitors were not from a hostile tribe.
It seemed they came for trade with the tribe, but he wondered which tribe was so proactive.
While thinking like this, the image of the Green Tribe, with green grass decorating their hair, floated into his mind.
If the leader of that tribe received his message, perhaps they would return to trade again, considering the leader''s tendency to take advantage of opportunities. They might hastily gather their things and return for another exchange, just like the previous time.
Han Cheng didn''t advance further but stood in the courtyard with Shaman. They surveyed the tall walls around and the tribe members above, armed and ready for action, feeling quite secure.
After a short wait, the Eldest Senior Brother, conversing with the visitors near the gate, set down his weapon, descended thedder, and hurried toward Han Cheng and Shaman.
As expected, the visitors were here for trade, but not from the Green Tribe; it was the Sheep Tribe.
From the Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng learned that the Sheep Tribe had brought considerable food.
Han Cheng always had a favorable impression of tribesing for trade because it meant the tribe could acquire more goods. He hoped the Sheep Tribe could bring surprises like the Green Tribe.
As the Eldest Senior Brother prepared to open the gate, Han Cheng stopped him to give instructions about bargaining. He emphasized not to undersell the unique products of the tribe.
The Eldest Senior Brother nodded vigorously, indicating that he understood everything. With a smile, he turned to open the gate.
Han Cheng and Shaman didn''t return; they stayed to see what the Sheep Tribe had brought.
The Eldest Senior Brother was proficient in the procedure of admitting outsiders. Climbing thedder, he observed the Sheep Tribe people, ensuring they put down all weapons. After confirming no one carried weapons, he allowed the gate to be opened, weing the Sheep Tribe inside.
The people from the Sheep Tribe marveled at the grand sight before them, even more magnificent than what they had seen before. They couldn''t fathom how this neighboring prosperous tribe aplished what seemed impossible to them.
Amid the shock of the Sheep Tribe''s leader, he repeatedly asked questions through words and gestures.
The Eldest Senior Brother regarded everything created by the Divine Child with great importance. He believed it was exclusive to their tribe. Even though Han Cheng had specifically instructed him on this matter earlier, he wouldn''t reveal these details to the Sheep Tribe leader.
Facing the inquiries from the Sheep Tribe leader, the Eldest Senior Brother had already prepared a strategy feigning ignorance.
The specific dialogue went like this:
Sheep Tribe Leader: "#@S?"
Eldest Senior Brother: "What wall?"
Sheep Tribe Leader: "#@S?"
Eldest Senior Brother: "What wall?"
Sheep Tribe Leader: "#@S?"
Eldest Senior Brother: "What wall?"
Sheep Tribe Leader: "#P@"
While the people of the Sheep Tribe stared in disbelief at the dramatic changes in the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng, watching from a distance, also widened his eyes.
What did he just witness?!
Sheep!
There are so many sheep!
Where did this tribe get so many sheep?!
Could it be that there are time travelers in their tribe, too?
Han Cheng was left dumbfounded by the sight, his thoughts in disarray.
Revealing such a naive expression wasn''t entirely his fault. The unexpected and astonishing things brought by the Sheep Tribe were truly beyond his imagination.
The Sheep Tribe had fifteen members, each covered in sheepskin, with a sheep slung over their shoulders. Some sheep wererge, some small, and three were bound with vines, asionally kicking their hooves, seemingly notpletely lifeless.
Apart from these sheep, the Sheep Tribe hadn''t brought other food items for exchange.
This situation indicated that the Sheep Tribe had a considerable number of sheep!
Han Cheng never expected that among the nearby tribes, there hid such a wealthy one.
Could the Sheep Tribe have already entered an era of animal husbandry, raising arge flock of sheep?
This seemed to be the only exnation for what he was seeing.
The interactions between nearby tribes were generally limited to biennial celebrations. Apart from these asions and asional encounters during hunting, their understanding of each other''s tribes was not extensive, despite some individuals having deep conversations.
The Eldest Senior Brother only knew that the Sheep Tribe had a lot of sheepskins, and he didn''t pay much attention to it. He thought the Sheep Tribe had more sheep in their vicinity or possessed some unique method of capturing sheep.
It wasn''t until this trade, when the people of the Sheep Tribe suddenly brought so many sheep, that he finally realized the unusual nature of the situation.
Without Han Cheng''s instructions, the Eldest Senior Brother began to inquire. However, just like how he refused to disclose information about building walls, houses, and fishing to the Sheep Tribe leader, the leader of the Sheep Tribe was unwilling to reveal how they caught so many sheep.
As a result,munication couldn''t proceed smoothly.
After recovering from the initial surprise, Han Cheng walked over, thought for a moment, and began to inspect the sheep brought by the Sheep Tribe. He circled, asionally patting the sheep as if checking their condition.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe had a deep impression of the young Divine Child from the neighboring tribe, knowing his status in the Green Sparrow Tribe. Therefore, he didn''t stop him and allowed him to examine the prey they brought.
After inspecting them individually, Han Cheng pped his hands, now covered in sheep''s wool. He calmed down, realizing that he had overthought things before. The Sheep Tribe had not developed animal husbandry.
The main reason was the fifteen sheep they brought.
These sheep could be divided into three categories. Among them were eight immature sheep, five dead and three alive.
There were six adults, all dead, and one adult ram, also dead.
Chapter 180: Taking Advantage
Chapter 180: Taking Advantage
Han Cheng determined that there was no basis for the Sheep Tribe to have engaged in animal husbandry, evidenced by the sheep they brought. For animal husbandry to be sustainable, attention must be given to offspring and females, as they are the foundation for its development.
The sheep brought by the Sheep Tribe consisted mostly of immaturembs and ewes, with only one adult ram. Han Cheng concluded that the Sheep Tribe had not establishedrge-scale animal husbandry.
The wounds on the sheep further supported his judgment. The wounds varied in size and location, appearing inflicted during hunting. Domesticated sheep would be much easier to kill, and such injuries would not be present.
After ruling out animal husbandry, Han Cheng became even more puzzled. How could they bring fifteen sheep for exchange? It made him wonder how many sheep the Sheep Tribe still had in their tribe.
Could it be that the people of the Sheep Tribe lived among the flock of sheep?
As he pondered, the leader of the Sheep Tribe observed the nearby tribe''s Divine Child, silently examining the prey they brought. The leader''s initially confident heart began to waver.
After contemting, Han Cheng shook his head with a sly smile. Surviving in this era required some wisdom, and there was no reason why his tribe could easily obtain arge quantity of fish while the Sheep Tribe couldn''t have many sheep.
Moreover
His gaze shifted to the three live sheep trapped nearby.
He had already sneakily observed them before. These threembs, two ewes and one ram, seemed to have minor injuries and could survive. As long as these threembs could reproduce without issues, it was sure that the Green Sparrow Tribe would have a flock of sheep in the future!
Han Cheng nodded to the Eldest Senior Brother, indicating everything was fine. He then smiled and nodded to the leader of the Sheep Tribe as a form of greeting.
Regardless of whether the leader of the Sheep Tribe understood his intentions, Han Cheng left directly.
When verbalmunication faced obstacles, bodynguage became crucial. Some gestures, such as a smile, might lead to misunderstandings, but many were universally understood.
Seeing the child-like Divine Child deep in thought, the leader of the Sheep Tribe, after a brief contemtion, smiled back, calming down his initially anxious heart.
The two leaders and the Eldest Senior Brother stopped asking about each other''s tribe''s secrets and went straight to the point of trade, discussing the matter.
Indeed, the leader of the Sheep Tribe showed significant interest in therge pot that could cook enough soup for many people in the Green Sparrow Tribe. At the beginning of the discussion, he made it clear to the Eldest Senior Brother that they wanted the big pot.
Leading the Sheep Tribe leader toward the area near the cave, the Eldest Senior Brother pointed to various pottery items that Han Cheng had specifically instructed Hei Wa to produce for trading with neighboring tribes.
Thetest ones had been out of the kiln for at least two to three months and were finally being put to use.
There were four big pots of different sizes, nearly twenty jars, and sixrge stacks of bowls ssified into three sizes:rge, medium, and small.
These items were all ced upside down to prevent rainwater and other things from falling into the containers.
The Eldest Senior Brother directed someone to start turning over these pottery items, and the initially hesitant leader of the Sheep Tribe instantly became delighted upon seeing these familiar items.
The people from other Sheep Tribes who brought sheep were also amazed when they saw the numerous pottery items. These items, which were only one per household in their tribe, were unexpectedly abundant in this neighboring tribe!
With such thoughts, they looked at the sheep lying at their feet, and their shocked hearts calmed down a bit. Their tribe had many sheep, and this neighboring tribe did not have as much.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe circled the four big pots, touching this one, patting that one, and appearing reluctant to give up any of them.
After observing for a while, he turned to the sheep left by his people. Four adult ewes were ced in front of one big pot. Then, patting the edge of one big pot with grandeur, he signaled to the Eldest Senior Brother that he wanted all four big pots.
Having experienced several trades, the Eldest Senior Brother, a primitive person ustomed to worldly matters, was not angry after understanding the leader of the Sheep Tribe''s intentions. He moved the other three sheep in front of the remaining big pots to the side.
Throughout this process, he maintained a smiling face, showing no hesitation regarding action.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe, who initially appeared grand, suddenly lost his air of magnanimity. His facial expression twitched involuntarily.
"%3SD@"
While dragging a sheep towards the other big pot, he said something to the Eldest Senior Brother.
A transaction with a very primitive style was about to begin.
After a considerable amount of bargaining, the trade was finally concluded. The leader of the Sheep Tribe exchanged six adult ewes for two big pots from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
He exchanged the ram for threerge-sized pottery jars, and with twombs, he obtained one pottery jar. The remaining sixmbs were exchanged for twenty-one bowls, with three deadmbs traded at one for three bowls and three livingmbs at a rate of one for four bowls.
During the exchange, Han Cheng instructed the Eldest Senior Brother to give one extra bowl to emphasize the value of life. This was meant to encourage the Sheep Tribe to bring more live animals in future trades.
While acquiring these items, the leader of the Sheep Tribe always followed the principle of choosing therger ones, be it pots, jars, or bowls.
Seeing the three livelymbs, Han Cheng had someone bring a pair of chopsticks and hand them to the leader. Imagining how they would scoop things out of the soup, Han Cheng felt a bit ufortable.
It seemed that during the previous trade, the leader of the Sheep Tribe was not treated lightly by the Eldest Senior Brother. Upon seeing Han Cheng offering him chopsticks, he hastily waved his hands to decline, indicating they had nothing to exchange.
It was only after learning from the tranting Eldest Senior Brother that these wereplimentary that he epted them with some hesitation. He ced them in one of the pottery jars, ncing at Han Cheng and the Eldest Senior Brother asionally, worried that they might suddenly raise the price.
Afterpleting the trade, the people from the Sheep Tribe did not linger for long. They left with the equally weighty pottery items they had exchanged.
The Eldest Senior Brother appeared somewhat unhappy as they departed, deliberately showing it. Earlier, Han Cheng had instructed him not to appear too pleased after a trade.
This made the traders believe they had gained an advantage, encouraging them to return for future trades.
The Eldest Senior Brother''s performance made the leader of the Sheep Tribe happy. Seeing the leader disy a satisfied expression, he silently praised Han Cheng for his insight while also presenting a more displeased appearance.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe, who had initially felt a bit unhappy, suddenly became more cheerful when he observed the displeased expression of the neighboring tribe''s leader. Thinking about the many pottery items taken away by his tribe, he could understand the Eldest Senior Brother''s mood. After all, they only brought a small number of sheep, yet they exchanged for almost half of the pottery items. It seemed they had taken a significant advantage in this trade after careful consideration.
Chapter 181: The sour smell of love is everywhere
Chapter 181: The sour smell of love is everywhere
Watching the people of the Sheep Tribe pick up their weapons and walk away with the exchanged pottery, the Eldest Senior Brother quickly closed the gate, and any displeasure on his face disappeared. He turned around and ran to the ce where the sheep were kept. Even on the way,ughter erupted uncontrobly, and no trace of seriousness remained.
Other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, aside from those on guard duty, gathered around to see this bountiful food. Fifteen sheep!
Back when the Green Sparrow Tribe relied solely on fishing, hunting, and gathering, there were times when, due to bad luck, they couldn''t catch this much game for almost a month!
Now, just by using themon pottery in the tribe, they had exchanged for so much game. How could they not be pleased?
Among them, the shaman was the happiest,ughing heartily at the sight of so many sheep.
Now, hepletely understood the intention behind Divine Childs insistence on giving fish instead of pottery during the Joyous Gathering. Looking at it now, if given a choice, he would also send some salted fish back to the participating tribes and, of course, possibly nothing. However, he definitely wouldn''t send out any pottery.
After a short period of joy, Han Cheng announced that there would be no fieldwork in the morning. Instead, everyone should join forces to process the sheep.
Although the weather had cooled down, meat couldn''t be left for too long. The sheep brought by the Sheep Tribe had been dead for some time now and needed to be skinned, butchered, and processed quickly, or it might go to waste.
There were already signs of bloating in the stomachs of the two sheep. Hearing that they didn''t have to work in the fields today but could deal with the sheep, the already happy crowd became even more delighted. Without Han Cheng needing to instruct much, they dispersed, carrying or hoisting the sheep away, looking for suitable ces to gut and clean them.
Most people were enthusiastic about the dead sheep. However, Han Cheng, the Shaman, and the Eldest Senior Brother were watching the three-and-a-half-grownmbs with unbridled joy.
The vines on thembs had already been untied. The littlembs seemed very frightened. As soon as they were released from the restraints, they immediately struggled to escape. However, their vitality was weakened by injuries and being bound for a long time. Their front legs went weak after standing up from the ground, and they immediately fell down.
After several attempts, the threembs were firmly squeezed together, helpless and crying baa baa,'' which made people feel sorry for them.
Seeing their t bellies, Han Cheng told Tie Tou to bring some green grass. Tie Tou ran swiftly and brought a bundle of green grass from not far away, cing it in front of the threembs.
The power of delicious food was extremely strong, especially for threembs who didn''t know how long they had been hungry. Even in the face of several ferocious monkeys showing their teeth and looking extremely fierce, they couldn''t resist the temptation of the abundant grass.
They walked over with trembling legs, reaching the bundle of grass, and stretched their necks to eat the greenery inside, mouths moving rapidly, eating very quickly.
Han Cheng took advantage of this opportunity to carefully examine the threembs. Although they had some wounds, they were minor, and given some time, they would heal without causing significant harm.
With some food in their bellies, the threembs gradually calmed down and revealed some of their natural behavior. The two ewes lowered their heads to eat grass peacefully, appearing quiet. The cheeky ram, on the other hand, was more domineering. asionally, it would use its head to nudge the two ewes,peting for the grass.
This guy was indeed a bit cheeky. When it saw a little ewe holding a long piece of grass in its mouth, struggling to finish it for a while, the ram tilted its head, opened its mouth, and used its tongue to bring the other end of the grass into its mouth. It ate quickly, moving its mouth rapidly.
While eating, it extended its neck toward the little ewe, following the gradually shortening grass.
A bit stubborn, the little ewe elerated its chewing when it saw the food being snatched away. Then
In Han Cheng''s widened eyes, the mouths of the twombs touched.
The cheeky ram even extended its tongue to lick the little ewe, and then bothmbs lowered their heads, continuing to eat the grass as if nothing had happened.
How could they be so indifferent, showing the demeanor of an experienced driver? You haven''t even reached adulthood yet!
Han Cheng sniffled,menting in his heart. Damn, this was unbearable. We''vee to a primitive society, yet we have to witness this lovey-dovey scene.
If it were just primitive people, it might be eptable, but now, being tormented by two underagembs, what''s going on?
Single dogs, indeed, have no rights.
"Wu~ wu~!"
"Baa~ baa~!"
Not only Han Cheng, the single dog, was distressed by this decayed and sour smell, but also Fu Jiang, the second dog. Unable to bear this corrupt odor, Fu Jiang suddenly jumped up, making whimpering sounds, and pounced towards these two guys who were used to feeding the dogs.
Having recovered some strength, the littlembs never expected such a disaster to befall them. The two were making baa baa'' calls in a panic, running with wobbly legs. The cheeky little ram was rtively unlucky and got pounced on directly.
Being frightened and struggling but unable to escape Fu Jiang''s clutches, Han Cheng was also frightened by Fu Jiang''s sudden move. After reacting, he raised his foot and lightly kicked Fu Jiang''s buttocks, shouting, "Get up!"
He was worried that Fu Jiang, who had no habit of going easy, might identally kill the naughtymb. After all, this guy was now the only offspring, and Han Cheng was counting on it to reproduce with the other two little ewes.
Fu Jiang, who usually practiced with the deer lord, had no habit of using excessive force. It just yfully pinned themb down, shaking its head and making threatening gestures.
At this moment, getting kicked in the butt and hearing Han Cheng''s scolding, the frenzy immediately disappeared. It looked somewhat aggrieved as it stood up.
The little ram, who was frightened and pinned down, took the opportunity to jump up like a carp and joined the other two little ewes waiting not far away.
After a chaotic chase, the threembs, scared and trembling, baa baa'' incessantly, were carried by people and ced into the deer pen.
This ce was rtively secluded, with few peopleing, so it wouldn''t make these frightenedmbs uneasy. It was an excellent ce for them to stay.
Chapter 182: Return Goods
Chapter 182: Return Goods
"Someone! Someone!"
The shouts and the banging sound of a gong echoed again, startling the Green Sparrow Tribe, which had just finished trading with the Sheep Tribe and hadn''t calmed down for long.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe gathered together, peeling sheepskins and salting them as they went, first froze for a moment. Then, quickly but without panic, they started to act.
Without the need for reminders from the adults, the children ran towards the cave. The adults ran towards the front wall of the courtyard while paying attention to the movements on the left and right sides of the surrounding walls, checking if anyone was approaching from both sides.
When themotion started, Han Cheng was in the deer pen, watching three little sheep graze and drink salt water. Hearing the disturbance, he couldn''t help but pause.
What day was it today? Why were peopleing consecutively?
Thinking like this in his heart, some understanding suddenly emerged.
No one hade to trade during this long period when the joyous exchange had ended. But now, tribes came one after another. Han Cheng had been puzzled by this before, but now he suddenly understood.
Compared to other seasons, food was more easily obtainable in autumn. These tribes had a certain surplus, so they came to trade.
With the rabbit snares, the Green Sparrow Tribe no longer had as much demand for meat. The Sheep Tribe had even sent fifteen sheep, further reducing the need.
Because the rabbit snares caught only small wild animals or birds,rge pieces of fur became something the Green Sparrow Tribecked.
The ultimate goal of trade was to satisfy their own needs. To address this change, Han Cheng had instructed the Eldest Senior Brother to convey that they could exchange pottery for fur.
For example, the Green Tribe and the Sheep Tribe, which had left not long ago.
Of course, for future considerations, Han Cheng didn''t make the message absolute.
He only said that fur could be used for exchange, not that it must be used. After all, Han Cheng still wanted to continue receiving live sheep from the Sheep Tribe.
However, it could be anticipated that, after this message spreads, the amount of fur in the Green Sparrow Tribe will rapidly increase in theing days.
Because over the years, these tribes relying on hunting for their livelihood had umted a lot of fur. Rtive to precious food, they were more willing to trade with the Green Sparrow Tribe using fur.
Han Cheng didn''t go to the main gate. Instead, he left the deer pen and looked in that direction, waiting with Shaman for Eldest Senior Brother toe and report the news.
Eldest Senior Brother quickly descended from the woodendder, running over with a strange and suspicious expression.
Seeing the expression of Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng was a bit surprised and didn''t know what was happening outside.
Before he could ask, Eldest Senior Brother had already spoken.
"I''ll go take a look."
After hearing Eldest Senior Brother''s words, Han Cheng suppressed his astonishment and said a sentence. Then he followed Eldest Senior Brother, climbing the low wall together.
When they arrived at the edge of the wall and looked outside, the scene they saw was true, as Eldest Senior Brother had described.
Outside stood a crowd of people, and in front of them was pottery of various sizes.
Han Cheng recognized this pottery as the one produced by their tribe. He also recognized some of these people because some had left their tribe not long ago, and others hade a few days ago with obvious markings on their heads.
What was wrong with these people?
Why did they want to return the pottery that was perfectly fine?
When did primitive people be so indecisive and fussy?
"#2! SR"
The leader of the Green Tribe stood far away, shouting something loudly.
He didn''t dare to approach too closely, afraid of being injured by the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe holding weapons on the wall.
During the shouting, the leader of the Green Tribe deliberately or unintentionally nced towards the east of the Green Sparrow Tribe, where there were many skeletons of those who had once invaded this tribe.
Han Cheng frowned slightly as he watched the scene in front of him. These tribes were ted when they received the pottery before, so why the sudden change now?
The problem should lie with the Green Tribe.
Because the Sheep Tribe had just exchanged for pottery, such a drastic change couldn''t ur quickly.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe didn''t speak. He seemed somewhat hesitant as he looked at the leader of the Green Tribe not far away, then at the many pottery items ced in front of him and the numerous Green Sparrow Tribe members behind the wall holding weapons.
With the addition of the Pig Tribe, the Green Sparrow Tribe disyed formidable strength, and at least the leader of the Sheep Tribe considered himself far from being an opponent.
As he looked, he suddenly regretted a bit, feeling that he shouldn''t have easily believed the words of the leader of the Green Tribe and returned with the pottery.
If he were to be enemies with this powerful tribe because of this, it would not be good.
However, the leader of the Green Tribe felt some regret. He felt that he shouldn''t have trusted the words of the leader of the Green Tribe so easily and returned with the pottery.
Just because of this?
Upon Han Cheng''s signal, the Eldest Senior Brothermunicated with the leader of the Green Tribe again to inquire about the reasons behind their actions.
Only by understanding the situation could it be resolved.
After hearing the reasons from the Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng sighed, feeling helpless. He couldn''t help but smile wryly.
The reasons were far lessplicated than he had thought. Upon hearing the cause, he didn''t feel any urgency and even found it somewhat amusing.
The people of the Green Tribe brought back the pottery they had just carried away because the meat soup brewed with the pottery was far less delicious than what was brewed in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
At this point, Han Cheng finally understood why the leader of the Green Tribe had insisted on taking the old pot used by the Green Sparrow Tribe for a long time during the previous exchange rather than epting a new one. It turned out that he had nned it this way.
He was still being somewhat tactful. The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who now understood what was going on, burst intoughter.
How could the soup be exceptionally delicious without adding salt?
They hadn''t expected that these people from nearby tribes would go to such lengths just because of something so obvious to even children in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Many of themughed for a while, but some suddenly stoppedughing. They remembered the scene when they first encountered salt and drank the soup with added salt.
If it weren''t for the presence of the Divine Child, they would have been just as confused as the people outside about what they considered a very ordinary thing in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The outside atmosphere puzzled the leader of the Green Tribe, the leader of the Sheep Tribe, and the people of both tribes.
What were these peopleughing about? What happy event had urred?
However, amidst the confusion, many of them also felt relieved. Most of them were worried that this action would anger the rich and powerful neighboring tribe and lead to a conflict.
Seeing themughing, they knew that their worries would note true.
Some people from the two tribes, who were unclear about the situation, watched for a while and then joined in theughter, albeit cluelessly.
Chapter 183: The Proud Fire One
Chapter 183: The Proud Fire One
The gates of the Green Sparrow Tribe opened once again. After hesitating for a while, the leaders of the Green Tribe and the Sheep Tribe finally led their people into the tribe, carrying the pottery they had taken back.
The Eldest Senior Brother stood at the tribe''s entrance, warmly weing them. Initially, he had been quite displeased with the flip-flopping behavior of these two tribes. However, upon hearing the unexpected reason, his dissatisfaction mostly disappeared, and after a few whispered words from the godson, he even showed a smile, warmly weing the two tribes.
The leader of the Green Tribe widened his eyes again, looking at the twelve sheep still lying on the ground that hadn''t beenpletely processed. He was extremely surprised.
This neighboring tribe always brought surprises.
As he thought about it, his gaze fell on the Sheep Tribe standing not far away, and he suddenly realized.
No wonder the people from the Sheep Tribe could bring back so many pottery items from here at once; it turned out they had brought valuable things!
Thinking back to exchanging a lot of not-so-good food for arge jar and two pottery vessels, he couldn''t help but feel delighted. He felt that the leader of the Sheep Tribe wasn''t as capable as himself.
If he had been the one making the exchange, he could have easily traded all the pottery of this neighboring tribe for so many sheep!
Thinking this way, he also considered that in the future, his tribe would only need to use basic grass spikes they didn''t eat much and unused fur to exchange for precious pottery. Meanwhile, the people of the Sheep Tribe were still foolishly using precious food to make exchanges. This made him even more pleased.
Han Cheng, who was watching from a distance as a transmigrated person, didn''t realize that the leader of the Green Tribe was such an internally dramatic primitive man.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss."
The elderly Fire One, carrying a hand drill, entered the courtyard. He piled up a small stack of firewood at the designated location as instructed by the Eldest Senior Brother, with an evenrger pile next to it.
Fire Ones actions were not unfamiliar to the people of these tribes. They knew he would start a fire by observing Fire One''s actions.
As the tribe leader had said, they intended to use therge pot that they considered not good and cook a pot of soup to prove that there was nothing wrong with the pottery.
"Next, he will bring burning charcoal from the cave to ignite the firewood."
This was the collective thought of all the outsiders paying attention to the situation here when they saw Fire One neatly arrange the small stack of firewood. However, Fire One''s subsequent actions surprised all of them.
Instead of getting up to fetch charcoal from the cave, as they expected, Fire One took the perforated wooden stick used for drilling fire that he had brought out earlier and ced it in front of him, securing it with his foot.
Previously, this wooden stick had been ced upside down, with all the fire-drilling grooves facing the ground. Since these people hadn''t considered the possibility of drilling wood for fire, they hadn''t paid attention to the wooden stick.
It wasn''t until Fire One took the wooden stick, put it in front of him, and pressed it onto the fire starter, assuming a posture for drilling wood, that the onlookers showed surprised expressions.
Was this neighboring tribe so fierce? Did even the elderly have to drill wood for fire? Wasn''t this something that required young and strong individuals to do?
Some people recalled asional attempts at fire-drilling in their tribes, feeling ufortable at the thought. Even if this old primitive man could drill fire, it would take a long time.
They were eager to learn how to cook delicious meat soup with pottery, and just starting a fire took such a long time
"#$!"
"!"
Before their thoughts could fully materialize, they were shocked by the smoke rising from the fire starter. Some couldn''t help but shout, drawing the attention of those dealing with sheep offal, who couldn''t help but look in their direction.
Fire One felt delighted and somewhat proud. The things created by the Divine Child were beyond the imagination of these outsiders. He didn''t rush to blow on the fire starter; instead, he pressed the hand drill against his leg before picking up the fire starter to blow the fire.
This hand drill was a precious item to him. While he could use it to demonstrate wood drilling for fire to these outsiders, he didn''t want them to learn it. Seeing these people''s astonished and curious gazes when they looked at the hand drill, he naturally hid it first.
A small me flickered, igniting the small pile of firewood. When people heard themotion and saw the mes and the elderly primitive man adding more wood to the fire, they were amazed.
They didn''t understand why a fire could cause such amotion. Was it worth being so amazed?
After familiar people from their tribe exined the truth, they became like the others, wondering what kind of tribe this was that even starting a fire was so extraordinary!
"#DS!"
Someone both spoke and gestured to Fire One, wanting to learn this miraculous way of starting a fire.
Fire One, with an air of superiority, though he couldn''t understand their words, understood their meaning. He naturally wouldn''t reveal this proud skill to unrted people. Faced with their inquiries, Fire One remained focused on adding wood to the fire.
He thought to himself, fortunately, he was the one starting the fire today. If it were Fire Two, he would lose control and show them the hand drill, maybe even personally demonstrate it a few times
The fire was lit, and Fire One took the hand drill from under his leg at an age-inappropriate speed, hugged it to his chest, covered it with the animal hide he was wearing, and brought it back to the cave to ce it in a secluded spot. Then, he continued tending to the fire.
Stones had been ced around the fire, and therge pot for cooking brought back by the Green Tribe, which had been taken away and returned, was stable on the stones after being cleaned a few times. Then, someone started pouring water into the pot, pot by pot.
After filling most of the pot with water, some people began roughly cutting the cleaned sheep offal with stone knives and throwing them into the pot. After covering it with a lid, they paid no further attention and went about their business, leaving therge pot to simmer.
The leader of the Green Tribe stood nearby, unwilling to miss any details.
Seeing this, he couldn''t help scratching his head. He had done the same thing. How could the taste of what was simmered be so different?
Using sheep offal to make soup was Han Cheng''s idea. Compared to sheep meat, sheep offal was much harder to store, so it had to be eaten first. And as long as you knew how to do it, the taste of sheep offal soup wouldn''t be worse than sheep meat soup.
Of course, that was in the future.
In the present,cking various seasonings and tools, he didn''t have the skill to cook such a delicious sheep offal soup. However, it was not a problem to fool primitive people who had never eaten anything else.
Chapter 184: The Charm of the King of Flavors
Chapter 184: The Charm of the King of vors
The pot lid was lifted, dampened, and heavy with steam, and arge amount of white vapor surged, spreading a more decadent fragrance in all directions.
Many people from the Green and Sheep tribes, staring intently since the steam started rising from therge pot, couldn''t help but take a deep breath, trying to capture all the rich aroma.
Han Cheng, the Divine Child and the top chef of the Green Sparrow Tribe walked over and stood steadily on a wooden stump that was a full forty centimeters high.
Holding a spoon tied with a long stick in one hand, he stirred the soup in the pot, which was almost level with the rim, a few times. With a quick attack from the right hand holding chopsticks, he lifted a piece of sheep offal from therge spoon to check its doneness, then put it back into the spoon and pierced it with chopsticks, effortlessly piercing through.
Han Cheng nodded slightly and then asked Fire One to remove therge wood that had not burned entirely under the pot. The soup was already done, and there was no need for additional fire.
Even if the firewood was removed, the charcoal under the pot could keep the sheep offal soup simmering for a while.
Han Cheng took the pottery bowl handed over by someone nearby and scooped some of the sheep offal soup into it.
He only filled two bowls and gestured for the leaders of the Sheep and Green tribes toe and taste.
These bowls were part of the batch used by other tribes during the Joyous Celebration, now cleaned and reused to entertain them.
The leader of the Green Tribe, after taking the bowl containing some soup from Han Cheng, blew on it gently to cool it down before eagerly taking a sip. He couldn''t wait to taste the soup''s vor, wondering if it was as delicious as the one he had previously tasted here.
"Hmm?"
After the leader of the Green Tribe took a sip of the hot soup, he made a surprised sound, looking somewhat incredulous. After savoring the taste by smacking his lips, he took another sip, widening his eyes.
He moved the almost touching bowl away from his face, stared at Han Cheng with wide eyes, and waited for the Divine Child to say something.
At this moment, the leader of the Sheep Tribe also moved his bowl away from his face and, with a simr expression to the Green Tribe leader, looked at Han Cheng, waiting to hear what the Divine Child had to say.
Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, who knew what the Divine Child was nning to do, watched the leaders'' reactions of the Sheep and Green tribes and couldn''t help but hold back theirughter.
The leader of the Green Tribe paused for a moment, held the bowl, and excitedly said something to the Eldest Senior Brother.
Of course, he was not praising the deliciousness of the sheep offal soup; instead, he found that this soup, like the one he cooked in his tribe, although consumable, was far less tasty than the delicious soup he had at the Joyous Celebration.
The soup was not delicious because Han Cheng did not add salt.
The leader of the Green Tribe, who had personally cooked food, did not know about adding salt to the soup because, during the Joyous Celebration, the Green Sparrow Tribe served them much-salted fish for soup, which already contained salt.
The Eldest Senior Brother waved to the leader of the Green Tribe, gesturing for him not to speak, and pointed to Han Cheng, indicating that he should watch what the Divine Child was about to do.
Han Cheng took a small jar containing finely crushed salt and tilted the salt jar toward the leaders of the Green and Sheep tribes, allowing them to see the salt inside.
The leaders of the Green and Sheep tribes, upon seeing the white substance in the jar, were amazed. Could this nearby tribe preserve snow from winter until now?!
Han Cheng moved the jar away before they could approach for a closer look. In front of everyone, he poured some salt from the jar into the spoon and then ced the spoon into the soup pot.
He stirred vigorously along the spoon handle, and more white vapor rose with this action.
After stirring for a while and feeling it was well mixed, Han Cheng stopped and turned to look at the leaders of the Green and Sheep tribes. He gestured for them to finish the soup in their bowls and handed them to him.
The two leaders looked at each other momentarily, not understanding what the childlike Divine Child meant.
It wasn''t until the Eldest Senior Brother came over, held their hands holding the bowls, and pushed them to their mouths that they suddenly understood.
Han Cheng scooped another small spoon of sheep offal soup and poured it into the bowls held by the leaders of the Green and Sheep tribes.
This time, he did not need to gesture; they automatically lifted their bowls to start tasting the soup.
The eyes of the leader of the Green Tribe lit up again. Although the taste of the soup in his bowl was different from the fish soup he had during the Joyous Celebration, it was equally delicious.
Compared to what they had just drunk, it was like heaven and earth!
After taking a sip, he couldn''t help but speed up. The bowl didn''t contain much soup, and soon it was empty.
The leader of the Green Tribe raised his head high, tilting the bowl thoroughly.
Opening his mouth, he waited until two drops of lingering soup finally fell into his mouth before putting the bowl down. He savored the excellent taste, his eyes shining as he looked at the small jar beside the Divine Child.
If he wasn''t afraid of causing misunderstandings and that his people couldn''t beat this tribe in a fight, he would rush over, snatch the small jar, and hold it in his arms.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe had a simr reaction to the leader of the Green Tribe, also staring intently at the small jar.
What was inside that jar? How could adding a bit of it make the otherwise in soup taste so delicious?!
On the side, the members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who had been eagerly anticipating, saw the expressions of the leaders of the Green and Sheep tribes, and their hearts felt extremely satisfied. Smiles of goodwill appeared on their faces.
This feeling of astonishing other tribes with something from their tribe was genuinely excellent, even more satisfying than seeing them enjoy the delicious sheep offal soup.
The leaders of the Green and Sheep tribes, unable to resist their curiosity, hurried to the side of the Eldest Senior Brother, eagerly inquiring about salt.
Han Cheng watched everything with a smiling face. He scooped some soup into his bowl, blew on it to cool it down, and took a sip. Frowning slightly, as expected, without star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, and other spices, as well as the vorful chili oil, vinegar, andtro used in the future, this sheep offal soup tasted significantly less appealing.
After tasting a bit, he didn''t want to drink more. After sending these people away, he decided to save room in his stomach and cook somemb.
He didn''t find it particrly delicious, but the people of the Green and Sheep tribes didn''t think so. Each person held arge bowl of sheep offal soup, slurping it up as if their mouths and tongues were made of stone, oblivious to the scalding temperature.
Chapter 185: Salt as Free Gift
Chapter 185: Salt as Free Gift
The fact proved that primitive people were genuine food lovers. Therge pot of sheep offal soup from the Green Sparrow Tribe, except for Han Cheng, who tasted a bit, was left untouched by the rest. Twenty-nine people managed to finish it all!
Despite eating so much, several individuals, with their bellies full, extended their tongues to lick their bowls clean. Not satisfied with licking their bowls, they licked the bowls used by theirpanions, making sure they were spotless as if washed with water. They seemed unafraid of overeating to the point of difort.
Han Cheng turned away, unable to bear watching any longer. If he continued, he feared he might not be able to restrain the urge to hit someone.
These bowls had to be stored separately!
Anyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe who dared to eat like this or use these bowls for meals would have to endure kicks!
The leaders of the Sheep and Green tribes each held a small jar of salt and were unwilling to let go.
Inside the small jars was pure white salt.
Initially, they hesitated to touch it with their hands, fearing it might melt like snow. After much hesitation, they tentatively reached out to touch it.
The leader of the Green Tribe withdrew his hand from the jar, looking at the snowy substance inside with excitement. It was as if he had seen a bowl of hot and delicious food emitting steam.
Although his unwashed hands had discolored the surfaceyer of salt in the jar for who knows how long, the charm of these things was not diminished in his eyes.
"Salt!"
He repeated the name he had just learned from the leader of this tribe, feeling a bit awkward pronouncing it but not having much thought about it. After all, these were things he had never encountered before.
"Salt!"
The leader of the Sheep Tribe looked at the snowy substance in the jar in his hand and couldn''t help but repeat the word.
Hearing the somewhat awkward pronunciation of the leaders of the Green and Sheep tribes, Han Cheng suppressed a smile. Well, he had inadvertently influenced the pronunciation of two tribes.
They could say more words in Mandarin than just the newly learned "salt." They also learned "jar," "pottery," and "pot" from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
All were new things they had encountered through the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The leaders of the Sheep and Green tribes felt somewhat uneasy but were unwilling to put down the jars of salt.
They were uneasy because the salt in their hands was too precious. Just a bit added to the soup would make it exceptionally delicious.
In their eyes, pottery was already quite precious, and the fact that salt was stored in pottery made it even more valuable.
Thinking about the various things they had exchanged for pottery, they naturally felt uneasy facing this precious salt.
However, they couldn''t give up these jars of salt.
The delicious and nostalgic meat soup was the biggest reason they exchanged for pottery. Learning that salt was the key to making the soup delicious. They were naturally unwilling to give it up.
"Salt!"
After a moment of silence, the leader of the Sheep Tribe pointed to amb being skinned, raised two fingers, waved them, and patted the jar of salt in his hand. He spoke.
The meaning was to exchange twombs for one jar of salt.
In his view, this salt jar was more valuable than twombs, which were quitemon in their tribe.
Worried that the Eldest Senior Brother might raise the price, after stating what they were offering in exchange, he immediately took out three bowls and a pottery jar from their previously exchanged pottery, pushing them in front of the Eldest Senior Brother.
This is what he exchanged for using twombs previously.
Han Cheng, who had been watching the development of the situation nearby, couldn''t help but sniff when he saw the leader of the Sheep Tribe''s actions.
Three bowls and a pottery jar were very precious to the Sheep Tribe, but for the Green Sparrow Tribe,cking only twombs made a significant difference! After all, the Green Sparrow Tribe had long since poprized pottery.
The leader of the Green Tribe looked at the three pottery bowls and a pottery jar brought out by the leader of the Sheep Tribe, then looked at their tribe''s only pottery jar and tworge pottery jars, feeling quite conflicted.
Just as he was about to send someone to bring over the grass spikes and fur hidden at a distance from the Green Sparrow Tribe, the Eldest Senior Brother spoke up.
Seeing that the Sheep Tribe was willing to exchange twombs for a jar of salt, he was very tempted to agree. The Sheep Tribe could temporarily do without sheep and take the salt back first. When the sheep were brought next time, they could exchange them then.
However, remembering what the junior disciple had quietly said to him before, he dispelled this tempting idea. Although he hadn''t determined the junior disciple''s intentions yet, he decided not to agree to the exchange.
The Eldest Senior Brother squatted down, shaking his head, pushing the pottery jar and bowls brought by the leader of the Sheep Tribe back to him.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe felt a little disappointed at this, realizing that twombs were indeed not enough.
After a slight hesitation, he was about to bring over three more bowls, but the Eldest Senior Brother stopped him.
In his puzzled gaze, the Eldest Senior Brother waved his hands repeatedly and said, "%&Don''t%@."
Understanding the Eldest Senior Brother''s meaning, the leaders of the Sheep and Green tribes widened their eyes in surprise and disbelief.
%@$
They looked at the Eldest Senior Brother, then at the salt jar in their hands, wanting to confirm and ask about something.
"%D is"
The Eldest Senior Brother nodded vigorously while saying that to convey his meaning more clearly, he also pounded his chest.
Although in conveying this meaning, he had a vision of six-skinnedmbs suddenlying back to life and then running away without a trace
The leaders of the Sheep and Green tribes suddenly became happy. They hugged the Eldest Senior Brother one after another and pressed their foreheads against his shoulder. Learning that they were getting this precious salt for free, a gift from the intentions of the junior disciple, they came to thank the generous but seemingly young Divine Child sincerely and paid their respects to the shaman.
Having eaten their fill, each carrying a jar of salt, the leaders of the Sheep and Green tribes, along with their tribespeople and exchanging pottery, left happily.
The recently cleanedrge pot of the Green Tribe was ckened again, but they didn''t care about it. Rejecting the proposal of the Green Sparrow Tribe to wash the pot with water, they swiftly carried it away. The pot retained the delicious meat soup, and they were reluctant to wash it away.
After reaching a ce invisible to the Green Sparrow Tribe, the two tribes separated and headed in the direction of their respective tribes.
Han Cheng climbed up the woodendder until he couldn''t see the two tribes anymore, then came down from the low wall, wearing a triumphant smile.
" Divine Child"
As soon as he descended, the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother surrounded him, asking about the doubts in their hearts.
They were puzzled by the Divine Child''s insistence on giving away free salt to these two tribes.
Previously, with many people and limited time, the god hadn''t exined clearly. Now, it was time to clear up the confusion.
Chapter 186: A plan with salt
Chapter 186: A n with salt
Han Cheng knew that the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother must be very puzzled by his actions. He led them towards the inner cave when he saw the two approaching.
Before entering the cave, he instructed the others to continue working. He told the wife of Lame, who was washing the turned-over sheep intestines, to add salt to the basin and scrub again
Han Cheng made the decision to give away salt to the tribe not long ago. Although it seemed impulsive, there was a lot of careful consideration behind it. Or rather, it was something he had been thinking about for a long time and suddenly found a solution.
Thebor shortage in the Green Sparrow Tribe had been greatly alleviated with the addition of ten adults from the original Pig Tribe, led by Shang, and the recovery of injuries of people like Hua, Left Limp, and Right Limp.
However, as the nting area of rapeseed and millet expanded,bor would once again be scarce. And now, with nine new members added to the deer herd and seven pregnant does, it wouldn''t be long before several fawns were born, and the size of the deer herd would surpass thirty-five.
Rabbits continued to reproduce as before, especially after adding eight wild rabbits. Their poption increased significantly. At this point, the rabbit poption had already exceeded three hundred.
Because of this, Han Cheng had to allocate manpower to nearly double the size of the rabbit enclosure a few days ago.
The domesticated chickens hatched two broods, totaling twenty-nine chicks of different sizes.
Oh, yes, they also had to add three sheeps to the mix.
With so many mouths to feed, the demand for food was astonishing. Just providing grass for these fellows required a lot of manpower.
Not to mention, the daily consumption of over three hundred rabbits was staggering. These creatures, after eating, would defecate; after defecating, they would eat again. They were like over three hundred constantly operating grass shredders.
Two people were dedicated to harvesting grass for them just to keep up with this terrifying consumption rate.
At present, as it wasn''t yet winter, the deer lord took his tribe out to forage every day and didn''t need much feeding. However, once the snow fell and the deer lord refused to go out again, grass consumption would be even more staggering.
Two months ago, there were only four people harvesting grass. Not long after, it became six people.
After all, the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t have much grain. These creatures'' winter food depended entirely on the grass harvested and dried in advance.
As the saying goes, a full stomach leads to deep thoughts.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe did notck food and drink. In the past, they would only be particrly active in spring. Nowadays, with good food, they are not very selective about the time.
They diligently nted seeds, and thend was fertile rather than barren. Naturally, the survival rate of seeds was higher.
For example, one of the Eldest Senior Brother''s spouses gave birth when spring flowers had not bloomed. Now, her belly was growing again. It was estimated that after heavy snowfall in winter, she would give birth again.
The presence of many pregnant women and women giving birth greatly reduced the avable manpower in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Although pregnant women, women giving birth, and children were not as precious as in the future, they still affectedbor to a certain extent.
After considering all of this, one problem once again presented itself to the Green Sparrow Tribe: a manpower shortage.
Han Cheng had always considered the issue ofbor shortages in the tribe. With the example of the Pig Tribe merging into theirs, he naturally looked to the nearby tribes for solutions.
However, the opportunity for the Pig Tribe to merge was a stroke of luck and not easily replicable.
The Flying Snake Tribe suffered heavy lossesst year and was unlikely toe looking for trouble in the vicinity for a short time.
Without such a powerful external threat, it was difficult to integrate these tribes into their tribe, like the Pig Tribe.
Han Cheng had consideredunching wars and attacking neighboring tribes, killing their adult men and even children taller than a cartwheel, then plundering the remaining people into the Green Sparrow Tribe. But after much deliberation, he gave up on the idea.
Once outside the walls, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe did not have an absolute advantage over neighboring tribes. Under such circumstances, casualties among their people were inevitable and not insignificant.
Humans are emotional creatures, and Han Cheng, not a ruthless conqueror, naturally didn''t want to see people he had lived with for so long die. So, he temporarily put aside the idea ofunching battles to annex other tribes and thought of using gentler means.
Han Cheng had started preparing for this during the Joyful Gathering. Through a series of measures, he endeavored to instill in these people a desire for the prosperity and strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe, letting them yearn for it.
Then, through trade, he strengthened the connections between several tribes and the Green Sparrow Tribe, constantly reinforcing this understanding, coaxing them little by little, and slowly achieving peaceful integration.
However, these methods were not mature enough or strong enough to persuade the leaders of these tribes to abandon their tribes and lead their people to join the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng had been considering this problem all along. Still, he hadn''te up with a practical solution until today when the leader of the Green Tribe, who was returning with exchanged pottery, encountered the Sheep Tribe on the way back and returned to discuss it. Suddenly, this problem was resolved, giving Han Cheng a sense of enlightenment.
Salt!
It''s salt!
The deliciousness of salt is hard to resist for anyone who has tasted it.
In recorded history spanning thousands of years, salt has left a deep mark on every dynasty. Whether in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, or even earlier in the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, enfeoffed states profited from boiling salt. None of them were poor.
Later, after the state monopoly on salt and iron, salt taxes became a stable source of national revenue.
Later, under the bombardment of cannons and cannons, people who imed to be civilized did extremely barbaric things. Those intoxicated gradually woke up from the dream of the celestial kingdom, and the decayed dynasty was overturned. Mass production of salt and salt taxes were gradually abolished
Now, the Green Sparrow Tribe guarded the salt mountain. However, in the era in which Han Cheng had previously lived, salt had long be an extremelymon and cheapmodity. Influenced by this mindset, he had never realized the huge impact of salt in other aspects.
Now, awakened by a word from the leader of the Green Tribe, he suddenly felt enlightened.
Primitive tribes did not consume salt initially, such as the Green Sparrow Tribe and the surrounding neighboring tribes, who lived just fine without it.
These tribes, having tasted salted food at the Joyful Gathering and still resisting the temptation of delicacies upon returning, onlying back to trade after several months, provided a glimpse into the situation.
However, habits are slowly formed. Han Cheng is now providing them with salt for free, aiming to cultivate the habit of salt consumption among these tribes.
Going from frugality to luxury is easy, but going from luxury to frugality is difficult. Primitive people are still people and cannot escape this principle.
Once their taste buds and stomachs get used to the vor of salt, consuming food without it will be extremely ufortable for them.
At that time, the generous Green Sparrow Tribe, led by their kind but somewhat naive Divine Child, will begin to show their fangs
Thinking of this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but reveal a cunning smile.
After Han Cheng exined, it took quite a while for the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother to understand the intricacies of the n. They looked at their shaman with a reverent expression.
The shaman lived up to his title; he could even think of such a convoluted scheme.
They only thought that giving away salt for free was a self-sacrificing act benefiting others, but they didn''t expect the shaman to set such a huge trap with it.
With this, the Green Sparrow Tribe was bound to develop and be thergest tribe in the vicinity!
Thinking of the grand scene after several tribes joined the Green Sparrow Tribe, the shaman couldn''t help but tremble with excitement, and his elderly face flushed with excessive excitement.
The Eldest Senior Brother was also extremely excited.
He carefully recalled the scenes of drinking unsalted meat soup daily, feeling a strong aversion throughout his body.
The Divine Child''s n will surely seed!
This was their most sincere hope and their confidence in their Divine Child.
When Han Cheng arrived, the Green Sparrow Tribe had only ten able-bodied adult men, including the disabled Lame. Later, with the growth of Tie Tou and Hei Wa and the addition of six adult men from the Pig Tribe, the number of adult men experienced explosive growth, reaching eighteen.
There were initially twenty-eight adult women. With the addition of strong adults and the integration of three female war captives and four female primitives from the Pig Tribe, there are now thirty-six.
The number of elderly primitives has not increased; there are still only the shaman, Fire One, and Fire Two.
This is understandable since it is the primitive era. For various reasons, living in old age is not easy for people.
There were initially thirty-five children. Eight diedst year, leaving seven, and fourteen have been born this year. Two died, leaving twelve, and four are still in their mother''s wombs, waiting to be born.
Excluding Hei Wa, Tie Tou, and Zhuang, the Green Sparrow Tribe has fifty-one underage individuals. Among them, thergest number are children aged zero to four, who have nobor capabilities, ounting for nearly half of all underage individuals.
The Green Sparrow Tribe has fifty-four adult members with strongbor capabilities.
The total number of elderly people and children is also fifty-four, which means one adult must support one of them. Compared to modern times, this ratio isn''t low. Fortunately, at this stage, only basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter must be provided for the children, and the cost of raising them is much lower than inter times. Otherwise, both the Green Sparrow Tribe and Han Cheng would be overwhelmed.
It''s unknown if it''s a coincidence, but as of now, the Green Sparrow Tribe has one hundred and eight individuals, adults and childrenbined, which coincides with the celestial numbers in "Water Margin."
Of course, this doesn''t include Han Cheng, who serves as the Divine Child.
Except for a few infants who died shortly after birth, no one in the Green Sparrow Tribe has passed away during this period. This might seem somewhat unreasonable at first nce. Still, it bes more usible after careful consideration of the significant changes in their way of life and production methods since Han Cheng''s arrival.
This strength is considered top-tier among the nearby tribes, rivaled only by the Bone Tribe.
Of course, if we only consider the number of adults, the Bone Tribe still has a slight advantage over the Green Sparrow Tribe. However, since the arrival of Han Cheng, the measure of strength has changed.
Strength is not solely measured by the number of people but also by factors such as housing, weapons, food reserves, and cultural soft power.
In terms of overall strength, even the populous Flying Snake Tribe cannot match the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Of course, regardingbat power, the Green Sparrow Tribe cannot surpass the Snake Tribe once they leave the enclosure.
This is the aftermath of rapid development. Because too many areas need improvement and too few hands are avable, they can only focus on one aspect for now.
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s foundation has beenid. In the future, while considering development in other aspects, Han Cheng also needs to gradually shift the focus towards enhancingbat power.
Otherwise, letting the Green Sparrow Tribe follow the path of the Song Dynasty would be regrettable.
He doesn''t want to end up like Zhao La''er, whopletely squandered the winning hand left by Song Zu Zhao Da. He led the Song Dynasty straight into disaster, and even after being destroyed by the Yuan Dynasty, it took centuries to recover.
Ultimately, the problem lies with Zhao La''er, the scoundrel.
Chapter 187: The Secret Not Passed Down
Chapter 187: The Secret Not Passed Down
The three leaders of the Green Sparrow Tribe came out of the inner cave. Each was enveloped in a profound joy, leading many to secretly specte what good fortune would befall their tribe.
Their spections quickly vanished when Han Cheng, the chief chef, and the Divine Child, announced what they had discussed in the secret chamber to the crowd. Divine Child dered that he would personally prepare delicious food to share with everyone.
For the primitive people, who were true foodies, there was nothing more exciting than eating. Even clothing, housing, and humming primitive tunes had to take a backseat to eat.
"Produced by the Divine Child, it must be a masterpiece." This had long be the consensus of all the people in the Green Sparrow Tribe. Even the three-year-old primitive children knew.
Previously, they had watched people from the Green Tribe and the Sheep Tribe feasting with envy, and now, upon hearing the Divine Child''s announcement, how could they not be excited? The entire tribe instantly boiled with excitement!
Han Cheng, Shaman, and the Eldest Senior Brother looked at the lively scene and couldn''t help butugh heartily.
As per Han Cheng''s instructions, his spouse had already washed and salted three strings of sheep intestines. She knew that the Divine Child liked cleanliness, so each string of intestines had been scrubbed several times, showing her earnestness.
Recalling the days when food was scarce in the tribe and how they roast the intestines without washing them, she smiled and shook her head.
Looking at the abundance of food and the smiling faces of the people, and finally focusing on the Divine Child who was instructing people to clean therge vat, her smile grew even broader.
Those days were long gone!
The three strings of intestines, thoroughly scrubbed and kneaded, were thrown directly into therge vat without being cut.
Arge sheep skeleton with plenty of meat on it was broken into pieces by stone knives and axes and also thrown into the vat.
Then, two sets of sheep offal and half a sheep''s head were added. Without adding any water, these items alone nearly filled half the vat!
Several jars of clear water were poured into the vat, submerging the meat. The heavy lid was ced on top of the vat, and the fire, tended by Fire One, had already been lit.
The mes burned vigorously, and with his less-than-perfect teeth, Fire One blew continuously on the fire.
Fortunately, Fire One didn''t wear dentures. Otherwise, Han Cheng was worried that Fire One might identally blow out his dentures while blowing on the fire
Tie Tou returned, panting, dragging tworge branches of pine needles that had just been broken off.
Han Cheng sniffed, realizing that the primitive way of doing things was rough and bold. He had only asked for a small piece of pine branch, but Tie Tou had brought back so much.
Han Cheng nodded towards Tie Tou, who was grinning foolishly at him. He reached out and forcefully broke off two pieces of pine branches, not the kind with pine needles, and washed them with clean water. Then, he opened the lid of therge vat and threw it into the soup, which continued to simmer.
Han Chengs colleague, Li Lin, in the formers previous life, was the guy who had to apany his wife on Valentine''s Day instead of executing the mission with Han Cheng. He is the shameless guy from the Northwest.
ording to him, his family had been running amb soup restaurant since his great-grandfather''s generation, and theirmb soup was a local specialty.
It''s unclear whether Han Cheng knew that his family had been operating amb soup restaurant since his great-grandfather''s generation, but what''s for sure is that this guy''smb soup tasted really good.
If he weren''t single and didn''t love eating so much, he wouldn''t have been swayed by this guy''s promise of three meals ofmb soup. He wouldn''t have agreed to it and gone alone to find that reckless foreign friend, and he wouldn''t have be such a tragic person who crossed over
Thinking about this, Han Cheng felt a pang of bitterness and tears.
Putting pine branches in themb soup was the secret that Li Lin had inadvertently revealed to Han Cheng, who got drunk.
He had tried to cook a few times before, following Li Lin''s advice and adding pine branches to the soup, and indeed, the taste was greatly enhanced. Butpared to what that guy Li Lin cooked, it was still far inferior
A row of clean pottery bowls was ced beside therge vat as backups.
Amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, the Divine Child, standing on a wooden stump, finally announced that the soup was ready.
Everyone was excited, with anticipation, waiting to take turns to get the soup.
However, what puzzled everyone was that the Divine Child didn''t scoop the soup directly into bowls as before. Instead, he had a few people fish out therge pieces of cookedmb, offal, and intestines from the vat and ce them on a tightly woven wooden rack that had been cleaned earlier.
Then, he had people use stone and bone knives to cut these cooked meats while they were still hot.
As a few people were cutting these meats, Han Cheng picked up a pottery basin filled with the cut meat and ced severalrge pieces ofmb, a few pieces of offal, and some segments of intestines into each bowl one by one.
After cing the meat, he picked up another pottery basin containing chopped wild onions and sprinkled some onto each meat bowl.
As he sprinkled the onions, Han Cheng''s heart twitched. To make the vat of soup as good as possible, he had directly used up more than half of the scarce wild onions
After sprinkling the onions, he took a small jar of salt and, holding a pottery spoon in one hand, sprinkled salt into each bowl.
Han Cheng scooped up adleful of the boiling, creamy whitemb soup from the vat and poured it into each bowl.
The steamingmb soup met the onions,mb meat, offal, and intestines, immediately releasing a tantalizing aroma.
The white soup, the slightly red meat,plemented by the green onions, not to mention how it tasted. Just looking at it made people hungry.
"Gulp."
"Gulp!"
As they smelled the fragrance and looked at the delicious food, everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe, including the Divine Child and Shaman, couldn''t help but swallow
"Ah~"
The Eldest senior brother held up his empty bowl and exhaled, feelingpletelyfortable.
He thought the fish soup and meat soup with salt were already delicious. Today, drinking themb soup personally made by the Divine Child, he realized how shallow his previous understanding had been.
The second senior brother vigorously gnawed on a bone withmb meat in one hand, juices flowing everywhere
A deliciousmb soup feast made the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe feel like they were floating on air, feeling that happiness was both real and illusory
"Someone! Someone!"
When people arefortable and happy, a stick is always in the mud.
The shouts of the guards outside and the banging of the drums pulled the Green Sparrow Tribe back to reality as they were still savoring the aftertaste.
Instantly alert, they filed out, not knowing who wasing.
Looking at the crowd outside the tribe''s gates, Han Cheng suddenly felt the urge to facepalm. These guys had just left not long ago. Why were they back again?
When did primitive people be so troublesome?
Chapter 188: a flash of inspiration
Chapter 188: a sh of inspiration
The chief of the Green Tribe smirked smugly as he looked at the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe gathered before him, then nced at the many furs and useless grass tuftsid out in front of him, his face glowing with satisfaction.
asionally, he nced at a tribe member standing beside him, showing a hint of approval.
The people of this tribe must be very surprised at how quickly they returned and brought so many things back, right?
The chief of the Green Tribe guessed correctly; Han Cheng and the others were very surprised.
Considering the distance between the Green Sparrow Tribe and the Green Tribe, it would take about the same amount of time for the Green Tribe''s people to return by car.
Moreover, they returned with heavy pottery.
However, where did the pottery they took earlier go if they hadn''t returned? And how did they acquire these furs and grains?
The Senior Eldest Brother looked at the smirking chief of the Green Tribe, who was chatting loudly with him, his face filled with doubt.
Could it be that the world he came to wasn''t just a primitive era, but a world without fighting spirit, yet with magic and wizardry?
Could the people from the neighboring Green Tribe have magical powers?
Han Cheng''s mind raced with thoughts, and he couldn''t help but smile.
He almost fooled himself into believing it.
Han Cheng looked at the chief of the Green Tribe standing outside, looking very pleased with himself, and thought this guy was indeed cunning.
There was only one possible exnation for the current situation: when they came earlier, the people of the Green Tribe had brought these things with them. To gain as much advantage as possible from their tribe, after getting close to their tribe, they hid the fur and grains and only brought the pottery.
If therge pottery and the small pottery produced the same tasting soup, he couldn''t resolve this matter himself, and they would do the same as they are now, taking out the things they brought and exchanging them for goods.
Or perhaps they thought he was deliberately keeping secrets and then took out these hidden items to bribe him
Sure enough, interests were a good thing. Under its drive, primitive people became less primitive
The chief of the Green Tribe was a short-tempered person. After exchanging the fur and grain for two pottery jars and ten pottery bowls, he proudly exined the whole matter to the Senior Eldest Brother, confirming Han Cheng''s guess almost entirely.
Feeling like he had regained the upper hand, the chief of the Green Tribe led his people away with their newly exchanged pottery, looking extremely pleased.
Of course, he was overjoyed because, as per his original expectations, these furs and less tasty grains were meant to be exchanged for ways to make the soup taste better.
Now, not only did he obtain salt to make the soup delicious, but he also exchanged it for many precious pottery items, which were practically picked up for nothing. Naturally, he was ecstatic.
It''s unknown whether this guy would still be as happy once he learned about the intentions of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s shrewd but seemingly foolish godson.
After walking for a while, the people of the Green Tribe stopped at a considerable distance from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
They cleared away the pulled-up grass, revealing arge pottery jar and two pottery jars.
The chief of the Green Tribe patted the pottery with a happy smile and personally carried therge jar back to his tribe, looking like a triumphant general returning from victory.
Han Cheng didn''t care about the chief of the Green Tribe''s little schemes.
While the chief of the Green Tribe thought about gaining advantages from the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng nned to swallow the entire Green Tribe.
Standing at different heights naturally revealed different attitudes.
After a day of rxation, life in the Green Sparrow Tribe returned to normal. Thend was tilled, the grass was cut, rabbits were chased, and chickens'' backsides were peeped at The days were in but vorful.
The chief of the Green Tribe was cooking soup again, this time in the Green Sparrow Tribe. He carefully reviewed the steps of soup-making, remembering them all, feeling confident.
Especially when he saw the jar of snow-white salt, his heart was even more assured.
Before starting to cook the soup, he took a step ahead and pounded his chest, assuring the tribe members that they would make delicious soup this time.
The mes under therge pot were burning, and the water inside had already started to boil.
Following Han Cheng''s example, he found a thin stick and prodded the meat inside the pot. Feeling it was right, he instructed someone to remove the fire.
Then, he picked up a bowl and scooped some soup from the pot, letting those who didn''t go to the Green Sparrow Tribe this time taste it individually.
Of course, these peopleplied, but the soup tasted the same as before; it wasn''t as delicious as the chief had imed
Seeing the puzzled looks of the people after tasting the soup, the chief of the Green Tribe felt satisfied. He cleared his throat and then solemnly picked up the jar of salt.
Like Han Cheng, he tilted the jar to let the people see the pure white salt inside, then turned around mysteriously and poured the salt into the pot.
The chief of the Green Tribe had a deep memory of the failures of the previous attempts to cook soup publicly, so this time, he was determined to shock the tribe''s people with delicious soup.
While pouring the salt, he had a sudden idea.
This pure white salt made the soup taste so delicious with just a little bit. Wouldn''t it be even better if he added more?
This sudden thought brightened the chief of the Green Tribe''s eyes, and he couldn''t help but secretly apud his ingenuity.
He tilted the jar even more aggressively, and nearly half of the jar of salt fell into the boiling soup instantly, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Watching so much salt disappear from the jar all at once, the chief of the Green Tribe felt a bit heartbroken. However, considering that this salt was obtained for free, and this meat soup would be even more delicious, far surpassing the Green Sparrow Tribe''s, he felt much better.
He put down the salt jar and picked up a wooden stick to stir the tantalizing meat soup vigorously.
The other people of the Green Tribe were all eagerly watching. Their throats couldn''t help but roll in anticipation, eagerly waiting to taste the delicious meat soup cooked by their chief.
To carry on the imitation to the end, the chief of the Green Tribe suppressed his eagerness and picked up the bowl again, scooping out a half-bowl of incredibly delicious soup with added salt, letting those who had not tasted it before take turns tasting it.
A deep and confident smile appeared on his face as he looked forward to the shocked expressions of the people in the tribe after they tasted his exquisitely cooked meat soup.
"St!"
The first person who eagerly anticipated tasting the soup distorted their face and couldn''t help but spit it out, sticking out their tongue and grimacing.
The smile on the face of the chief of the Green Tribe, who had been waiting for the expressions of shock, instantly disappeared.
He snatched the bowl away and handed it to the next person to taste.
Staring at the female primitive man with dissatisfaction, he thought, even if the meat soup I cooked was extremely delicious, you shouldn''t be so impatient, right? You''ve drunk the meat soup several times; can''t you wait a bit longer without burning your mouth?
"St!"
Under his gaze, the second person, cautiously sipping the soup, twisted their face for a while before finally spitting it out.
The chief of the Green Tribe''s eyebrows raised. Was this the delicious soup he cooked, wasted like this?
He angrily snatched the bowl of soup from the second person''s hand and didn''t give it to the third person. He wanted to personally demonstrate to the impatient people in the tribe how this exquisite meat soup should be drunk!
"d!"
He raised his voice to make everyone watch him demonstrate. After everyone looked over, he slowly brought the bowl to his lips, blew gently to cool it down, and then took a strong sip. Half of the delicious meat soup had already entered his mouth.
The chief of the Green Tribe''s eyes widened instantly. At this moment, he finally understood why the first two people had shown such expressions. It wasn''t because it was too hot, but because
"St!"
"Gulp, gulp"
The chief of the Green Tribe put down the empty bowl in his hand, and before he could even catch his breath, he burped loudly.
His stomach was already full of water, but he still couldn''t resist wanting to drink more.
Not only him, but all the other people of the Green Tribe were the same.
He squatted down, scratching his head, looking at the remaining half jar of salt, full of doubts. Putting some salt would make it delicious, so putting more should make it even more delicious, right? Then why
Chapter 189: Enter the Jia Mansion, Lin Meimei
Chapter 189: Enter the Jia Mansion, Lin Meimei
The azure sky stretched endlessly overhead while the warm autumn sun bathed the earth below. In the distance, majestic mountains stood motionless, and birds soared through the sky.
Tranquility and serenity pervaded every corner as if the world was at peace.
"Baah~!"
A pitiful bleat suddenly shattered the illusion of tranquility, disrupting the peaceful scene.
With his snorting nose and swaying tail, Deer Lord casually strolled away, paying no heed to the three fellows who were no better than barking dogs.
The three littlembs gradually calmed down as the big fellow moved off. They cautiously emerged from their huddled corner, eyeing the muchrger creatures with fear and awe. After a while, they tentatively approached the green grass ced not far away on the wooden nks.
"Baah~!"
But then, several more pitiful bleats rang out, causing the three timidmbs to huddle together again, trembling in fear.
The poor little fawn, often bullied by its father and other unruly creatures when young, had grown significantly.
While its size had increased, its maturity had not, and it had be mischievous.
Of course, one could also say that it had inherited the traits of its elders.
Seeing its father intimidating the three white-coated fellows, the fawn joined in, hopping and skipping to show off. It went even further than its father, scaring the timid trio and boldly eating the grass right in front of them.
Watching them cower in fear, the fawn became even more excited.
Perhaps this behavior stemmed from the psychological trauma it endured in its youth, always being bullied and pushed around for milk.
Just as people have to bow under a roof, so too did the sheep in the deer pen. The three littlembs dared not take a step or utter a word outside their designated area.
Unaware that these three littlembs had been bullied into the "Lin Meimei" role in the Jia Mansion, Han Cheng was busy with his affairs.
Of course, it wasn''t lurking near the henhouse to peek at pants-less hens.
Today, the Green Sparrow Tribe was unusually lively, not because another tribe hade to trade but because the Green Sparrow Tribe was moving. They were officially leaving their caves and moving into the houses built some time ago.
This was cause for celebration! Of course, it had to be lively.
If it weren''t for the fact that bamboo hadn''t been found and there was no saltpeter or sulfur, Han Cheng would have set off some firecrackers to celebrate.
Moving house wasn''t much of a big deal. There were no furnishings or other odds and ends to worry about. They just needed to roll up their bedding and ce it on their assigned heated beds, and that was about it.
With twelve rooms, there was more than enough space for all the members of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After all, this wasn''t modern times. Han Cheng, the number-one Divine Child, and Shaman, the second-rate fraud, only enjoyed the luxury of single rooms. Everyone else slept on therge heated beds.
Theyout of these twelve rooms was different from Han Cheng''s room.
In Han Cheng''s room, there was only one heated bed. But in these twelve rooms, each had two veryrge heated beds.
One against the back wall and one against the front wall.
The earthen-heated beds were 1.6 meters wide and three meters long, the same width as the room. A low mud wall separated the beds, dividing the space into two heated beds, each about 1.6 meters long and nearly 1.5 meters wide.
For couples like Tie Tou and Hei Wa, who had just had a child, or for other couples expecting a child, sleeping on separate beds on either side was just right.
This not only promotes unity among the tribe members but also can stimte fighting spirit. With a low wall separating them, they exchange smiles and then engage in a "plowing"petition, which is quite nice.
Han Cheng''s design can be described as very humane.
Small couples like Hei Wa and Tie Tou can amodate four people in such a room.
For someone like Third Senior Brother, who has two spouses and several children, having one family on the front and one on the back heated beds is more than enough.
Of course, someone like Big Brother, who originally had five spouses butter gave one to Shang and now has four, can upy a room alone with their wives and children.
There is no need to worry about several families living together being inconvenient, as in the past, everyone was used to living together in a cave.
Even in an unobstructed cave, they still made the original noise of ying musical instruments, and no one felt embarrassed.
Now, living in this room with some shelter, the grade has improved. I don''t know how much.
Inside the room, apart from the front and back heated beds, there is only a middle passage over a meter wide for walking, nothing else.
People in the tribe don''t think there''s anything wrong with this because when they lived in caves, they didn''t have anything besides a ce to sleep.
They are already very satisfied with what they have now, carefully touching their allotted heated beds one by one with joy and disbelief.
Many people who have participated in erecting earth-heated beds, with a heart full of pride, speak with their spouses or children in brokennguage about when they were building these earth-heated beds.
Some children happily y on theid heated beds, flipping head over heels.
Many boys who haven''t mastered the strength will flip to the bottom of the heated bed suddenly. They are a bit naughty but don''t cry or fuss. They quickly get up from the ground, climb back onto the heated bed, and continue ying.
Girls who fall and hurt themselves may shed a few tears and cry for a while, but this crying will soon disappear. With tears on their faces, they smile and y again, having already thrown the pain out of the window.
Not every room has a door, which would be too much trouble and waste space inside the room because the ce where the door is opened cannot be used to build a heated bed.
A total of two south-facing doors were opened for the twelve rooms, one at each end of the fourth room.
With this door as the boundary, the twelve rooms can be divided into three sections, with the number of rooms from east to west being three, four, and three.
The doors are left like this as part of Han Cheng''s considerations.
These twelve connected rooms are not individual small rooms; their interiors are connected, with the ten inner doors left by the eleven mountain walls allowing passage.
People living in the three rooms at the eastern and western ends can enter and exit from the adjacent doors, while those living in the four rooms in the middle can decide which door to use depending on the situation.
Leaving these doorways like this maximizes the convenience for everyone to enter and exit.
The eleven doorways inside the rooms do not have doors, as there is no need for them, and installing them would be cumbersome.
When the skin and fur of the Green Sparrow tribe increase or when they can make cloth after finding hemp, they can hang a curtain half a meter above the ground to cover it.
Chapter 190: The Useful Charcoal
Chapter 190: The Useful Charcoal
Within the tribe, there was joy as everyoney on the heated beds, surveying their new homes. Each person wore a satisfied smile, deeply feeling that the hard work of the past six months had not been in vain.
The earth pits were smooth and dry, far superior to the uneven caves. Even withoutying down dry grass or fur, sleeping on them naked was morefortable than in a cave. Not to mention that the heated beds were covered with hay and fur that had been dried and warmed in the sun for half a day.
It wasn''t just the children who were cheering and jumping on the heated beds; even the adults in the tribe were lying there, reluctant to get up.
As for the concern that the earth-heated beds would be too hot to sleep on in the summer, that worry had long been thrown out the window. Over this period, they had already figured out how to use the earth-heated beds.
When the weather wasn''t cold, there was no need to light a fire, so the heated beds naturally wouldn''t be hot, and sleeping on them wouldn''t be ufortable.
That wasn''t the main point; the main point was the scene described by the shaman.
Outside, snow fell heavily, and the cold was biting, with even urine freezing. Inside the rooms, a faint light from the fire pit of the earth-heated bed leaked out. The thick, heated bed was warm from the mes, and lying on it with an extrayer of softened skin after being treated made one want to moan infort just thinking about it.
In the past, the people who least liked the arrival of winter and heavy snow were now eagerly anticipating the severe cold toe early. If this kind of anticipation of the Green Sparrow tribe were known to other tribes, they would surely be cursed
Even Lame had a happy expression on their faces. After lying on the heated bed for a while and feeling the beauty of the earth-heated bed with their spouse, this particrly diligent person got off the heated bed.
At this moment, he held a broken pottery shard with some smashed, unburnt ck charcoal.
He came to the edge of the newly installed door, squatted down, pinched a few small clumps of charcoal crumbs into the stone pit below the door hinge, and then used his hand to move the door back and forth.
With the movement of the door hinge, these crushed charcoal crumbs gradually spread evenly around the hinge. Some unlucky ones had already run to the bottom of the door hinge and were crushed.
Compared to before, the door was much lighter to open and close.
After doing this at one door, Lame did the same at another door.
He didn''t care about the charcoal crumbs that weren''t crushed. As time passed, with everyone''s daily opening and closing of the doors, these charcoal crumbs would gradually wear out in the friction between the door hinge and the stone pit, bing their lubricant.
As he put charcoal crumbs into the stone pit below the door hinge, Lame couldn''t help but marvel at the Divine Child''s wisdom.
He originally thought putting grease under the door hinge was a very good method, but he didn''t expect the Divine Child to develop an even better method like this!
Unburnt charcoal was very easy to obtain, andpared to delicious grease, it was not so painful to use. And the effect was even better.
With grease, you had to add some to it asionally, and it was also easy to attract small insects. Charcoal crumbs had none of these troubles; you only needed to put some in now and then at the beginning, and then you didn''t need to worry about it anymore.
Moreover, after adding charcoal crumbs, the door hinge became smoother and lighter as it wore down. Besides the reasons Lame knew, there were two other reasons why Han Cheng changed the original method of adding grease and used charcoal crumbs instead.
One reason is that Fu Jiang, the gluttonous fellow, just stumbled over to lick the door hinge and got kicked several times on the buttocks for it, but he still enjoyed it.
Another reason is that when thinking about solutions, he remembered theter generations when the lock on the front door couldn''t open and close well, and family members would scrape some pencil lead into the keyhole, then insert the key, move it back, and forth a few times, and the lock would be smooth.
There was no lead in the Green Sparrow tribe, but there was plenty of unburned charcoal, even cker than lead.
There was some resemnce between the two, so Han Cheng tried his sudden inspiration, and the effect was surprisingly good.
There was no trace of the Divine Child image when rolling around on the spacious earth-heated bed, so naturally, he didn''t know that someone was praising his wisdom behind his back.
Fortunately, this world didn''t have any capricious gods and spirits. If it were another world, Han Cheng felt that if things continued to develop like this, he might gather a lot of wishes and be a deity
No one was in the east wing room; it was empty in the room reserved for the shaman.
At first, when they saw thepleted deer fence, they associated it with a house. Those who wanted to build simr houses for the tribe suddenly became hesitant and started to regret it when it came time to move in. They said they would let everyone else move into the rooms and stay in the inner cave themselves.
This unexpected change caught Han Cheng off guard. When he asked the shaman why he didn''t want to move in, he just shook his head and refused to say, but when Han Cheng pressed him, he finally revealed the truth.
He said he had lived in the inner cave long and couldn''t bear to leave. Moreover, there were totem poles, bone wands, and feather crowns in the inner cave. These important things needed someone to guard them, and he was the shaman; he should guard them.
Han Cheng was touched and amused at the same time. After persuading him for a long time, the shaman refused, so Han Cheng had no choice but to let him be.
Since the weather wasn''t too cold, if the shaman didn''t want to leave, let him stay inside temporarily.
When the weather got colder, he would figure out a way to get him to move in.
"Time to eat! Time to eat!"
Someone shouted from outside.
Upon hearing this voice, the people in the room started to move, pouring out from the two doors and heading towards the cave.
Even though the children had short legs, they ran to the front, reminiscent of students inter generations who were ready to run to the cafeteria when the school bell rang.
Han Cheng also stepped out of the door and headed towards the cave. Influenced by the scene, his pace quickened involuntarily. Whether he walked fast or slow, the first meal was his
As people moved out of the cave to live, the once crowded and lively cave became empty and deserted. With the influx of people, it once again regained its lively atmosphere.
The empty cave would be used to store tools in the future, and it would serve as the dining hall of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Han Cheng had no ns to change the practice ofmunal dining. Not only was it convenient, but gathering together to eat also fostered camaraderie. Moreover, by determining the order of serving food, it subtly maintained and reinforced the order of the Green Sparrow tribe.
As for private ownership, that was something to consider only after the productivity had greatly improved and the size of the tribe had expanded, which was unsuitable for the current Green Sparrow tribe.
Chapter 191: Harvest song
Chapter 191: Harvest song
A grand feast is naturally indispensable since it''s a celebration of moving to a new home. All kinds of food the Green Sparrow Tribe can offer are brought out, and everyone can eat to their heart''s content.
Althoughcking various seasonings, for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, these dishes are indeed the epitome of deliciousness.
After the meal, as night falls, many people are eager to return to their new homes and sleep on the heated bed again, experiencing thatfortable feeling again, but Han Cheng stops them.
What kind of celebration would it be without a bonfire party?
Han Cheng said there should be a bonfire, so the bonfire in the courtyard was lit. Han Cheng said there should be dancing, so
So everyone was stunned. They didn''t understand what the Divine Child meant by "dancing."
But not knowing how to dance is okay, as long as there are people to teach and learn.
Street dance is cool, Latin dance is beautiful, square dance is trendy, ballet is challenging
None of these have anything to do with Han Cheng or the Green Sparrow Tribe because Han Cheng doesn''t know them.
He only knows a bit of harvest song and two sets of radio calisthenics
Radio calisthenics are too serious and not suitable for such a joyous asion. Plus, they remind Han Cheng of the fear of being controlled by the school.
So, the harvest song appeared earlier than it should have.
Without handkerchiefs or floral decorations, small pieces of animal hide are used instead. Without drums, wooden ppers and stones are used.
At first, some thought the Divine Childs steps and poses were mesmerizing, while others felt embarrassed.
But as the continuous sound of wooden ppers and stone strikes rang out and more and more people danced around the bonfire with the Divine Child, those who were initially hesitant gradually became attracted by the joyfulughter and infectious smiles of those dancing, and they became eager to join in.
Breaking through the barriers in their hearts, they joined the celebration.
The Shaman, who often dances as a deity, did not join this chaotic dance party. He stood aside, tapping the ppers, watching the joyful crowd. With missing teeth, he couldn''t close his mouth.
This event if not for Han Cheng''s announcement, even experts in harvest song dancing wouldn''t recognize it as a bonfire dance. It gradually subsided after dancing for a while, and those drenched in sweat felt incredibly refreshed.
After venting their inner joy this way, everyone felt light-hearted and invigorated.
These people, who don''t have many leisure activities on ordinary days, suddenly fell in love with this activity created by the Divine Child that brings joy to both body and mind.
Some of the less reserved ones walked toward their rooms, swaying
Han Chengy on the heated bed,yered with thick dry grass and topped with a piece of fur. Comfortably stretching, he pulled a soft and thick sheepskin over himself. Without the primitive tunes disturbing him, he soon fell asleep
"Cock-a-doodle-doo~"
Not very clear and causing some surprise from the future, the crowing of a rooster woke Han Cheng up. He opened his eyes.
With no dreams all night, he felt refreshed in the morning.
When he got up to wash, Han Cheng was startled because, as far as he could see, the eyes of the Green Sparrow Tribe adults were all red and bloodshot, looking as if they all had conjunctivitis.
Reading history makes one wise, mathematics makes one clever, but would dancing harvest song around a bonfire make everyone collectively get conjunctivitis?
Han Cheng thought absurdly like this, then hurriedly lowered his head to look at his own eyes in the basin. His gaze was clear and still carried innocence
And a bit of shamelessness.
He saw a child and found that his eyes werepletely normal, like any other day.
Han Cheng grabbed Tie Tou, whose eyes were also red, and asked what was happening, but Tie Tou stuttered and couldn''t exin.
Han Cheng instantly understood when he saw this, so he let go of Tie Tou and smiled at these troublemakers.
"It''s not"
Seeing the expression on the Divine Child''s face, Tie Tou immediately knew what the Divine Child was thinking and hurriedly shook his hands to exin.
The Divine Child seemed to know everything like a wise child, smiling as if to say I understand'' and returning to his room with his toiletries, leaving Tie Tou speechless and bewildered.
Han Cheng misunderstood Tie Tou and the others this time. They didn''t sleep wellst night, which was somewhat rted to what he thought, but not to arge extent.
The biggest reason was that these people slept in new houses on soft beds, and their spirits were too excited to sleep.
Tie Tou felt it would be embarrassing to say this before the Divine Child, so he seemed hesitant. As a result, this hesitation led to a big misunderstanding falling on his head.
He looked at the alreadyrge belly of Ru Hua, then looked at Hei Wa, who was shaking his leg and poking his teeth with a twig, appearing to be in a good mood, and beside Hei Wa, Zhuang, whose belly had shrunk after giving birth, felt even more wronged by carrying this me.
It was Hei Wa and Zhuang. He hadn''t done anything; he just peeked at the visitors in the middle of the night.
As if sensing something, Hei Wa, who had just spat out a mouthful of mouthwash, happened to turn his head.
He found Tie Tou looking at him, and without hesitation, he showed a smirk
The weather grew colder daily, with more and more leaves falling. The Green Sparrow Tribe prepared to cultivate the wastnd to nt rapeseed, and all thend was turned over with rapeseed already nted.
The first batch that was nted has already sprouted, and some of them have four leaves already.
Thend that was burned and prepared for nting millet next year has been cultivated for half of it.
Today, all the work of cultivating wastnd has stopped, and the mainbor force in the tribe is going to pick fruits.
Although the Green Sparrow Tribe is not short of food now, fruits still need to be stored, and they make excellent desserts after meals.
Nuts like pine nuts are especially delicious as snacks.
The people who went to pick fruits not only brought hooks and baskets but also took stone spears and reinforced vine shields.
For the past two autumns, when picking fruits, they have encountered the Flying Snake Tribe in the orchard. Last winter, the two tribes had another life-and-death battle, which can be said to have taken on a blood feud.
In the future, it will be difficult to reconcile if they encounter each other again, and disputes will not end like before, with both sides throwing away their weapons and fighting bare-handed.
So, they must be vignt and make sure to bring enough weapons.
In the past, there were elders and children participating in picking fruits, but this year, none of them went, as their ability to resist danger is not strong enough.
At first, Shang didn''t quite understand the seriousness of Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
It''s just picking fruits, not hunting, so why be so cautious?
But after he learned the reason behind it, his previous thoughts disappeared immediately. Not only did he bring two stone spears and a vine shield, but he also ced half of the stone bullets, especially left over from when they were picking stones to build houses, into the baskets on his back for easy throwing.
Chapter 192: Gradually drifting apart
Chapter 192: Gradually drifting apart
The sunlight filtered through, withered leaves falling to the ground, creating a faint sound, carrying a kind of serene, deathly beauty.
"Splut!"
The ripe fruits, hot to the touch, bursting with juice, couldn''t hold on any longer. With just a breeze passing by, they trembled as if electrified, tumbling from the branches, spilling their juices.
This unusual sound shattered the unique tranquility.
"Rustle, rustle"
As if that sound had opened some sort of floodgate, the forest became restless, no longer peaceful.
As the rustling drew nearer and grew louder, a group of primitive people wrapped in fur, carrying baskets and weapons, appeared near the orchard.
Seeing the fallen fruits on the ground, the Eldest Senior Brother''s eyes showed a regretful expression, followed by relief.
He didn''t rush into the vast orchard but led his men to circle it, cautiously surveying the surroundings.
Afterpleting a circuit, the Eldest Senior Brother finally rxed.
Seeing the abundance of fallen fruits and no signs of recently broken branches, it was clear that no one had visited this orchard before them.
"Pick!"
After confirming it was safe, the Eldest Senior Brother gave themand, and everyone put down their weapons and swiftly began picking fruits.
Shang, the leader of the original Pig Tribe, tightly gripped a stone spear and a rock in his hand, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a crimson tint.
Noticing Shang''s unease, the Eldest Senior Brother approached and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "We all remember!"
After a while, Shang reluctantly exhaled, nodding vigorously at the Eldest Senior Brother and then putting down the spear and stone to join the others in picking fruits.
Though they were almost certain that the hostile tribe that had caused them great losses wouldn''t return to this orchard, the Eldest Senior Brother remained cautious, ensuring that everyone gathered the fruits together after picking them, to avoid dispersing.
The appearance of hooks and baskets made transporting the fruits back to the tribe much more convenient and efficientpared tost year when they used rope-bound y pots and carrying poles.
Even with this method, efficiency surpassed the previous method of wrapping fruits in animal skins and carrying them back.
"Bang!"
A stone hit the trunk, bouncing off and rolling into the nearby dry grass. Startled, a beast, unseen in detail, fled into the thicket, leaving only a ripple in the grass before disappearing.
"Run fast!"
The second brother, carrying a basket, watched the fleeing creature and remarked as he put away the stone he had been about to throw. Then, he hoisted his basket and continued walking.
Inside his filled basket were fruits and a few small game animals, one of them a tail-wagging creature, unmistakably a squirrel known for burying things in the ground.
The people in the tribe seemed excited because they had encountered quite a few game animals on their journey, more than usual when they went hunting.
It seemed that the traps for rabbits crafted by the "Divine Child" could be ced even further from the tribe.
It could be foreseen that this would surely be another bountiful harvest!
It was strange; back when the tribecked food and clothing, these animals were nowhere to be seen. But now that the tribe''s life had improved and food was plentiful, these creatures had reemerged.
As the Eldest Senior Brother and hispanions walked back while picking fruits, they asionally discussed their doubts, vaguely concluding akin to "the rich get richer, the poor get poorer."
Seeing the small game theirpanions casually caught along the way and hearing their puzzled discussions about this phenomenon, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
Over the past year or two, the Green Sparrow Tribe had focused solely on development and rarely went hunting. With fewer predators hunting, the creatures that benefited from the opportunity to breed naturally multiplied in number, especially the species frequently hunted by the Green Sparrow Tribe, which saw even faster growth.
This was good; when the time came to focus on hunting again, they would surely have a bountiful harvest.
The orchard wasn''t too far from the Green Sparrow Tribe''s settlement. With nearly half the poption picking fruits and the improved transportation methods, it didn''t take long before the caves were filled with plenty of fruits.
Han Cheng climbed up thedder onto the tall wall, standing on top and looking at the distant forest, now much clearer and brighter after the withered leaves fell. He felt he needed to go out as well.
Not for a leisurely autumn stroll but to go to the mulberry trees.
Despite the softening effect of saltpeter on fur, his obsession with making silk trousers had diminished significantly, but Han Cheng hadn''t forgotten about it because it was indeed a treasure.
As a Han Chinese, now in this era, he naturally wanted to bring out the silkworms if possible.
The bald trees, the yellowing fallen leaves, and the struggling grass refusing to die all vividly showcased autumn winds'' might.
Compared to its master, who used to wear animal skins and wield a stick while randomly beating things, Fu Jiang, with its owner now, seemed to possess much more poetic beauty. At least it could feel this loneliness.
In the past, it used to run around the tribe joyfully, but now, walking through this deste yellowndscape, it appeared mncholic.
Han Cheng, preupied with thoughts of silkworms, didn''t notice Fu Jiangs sudden change in behavior; he was too busy carrying his basket and swinging his stick forward.
Even Han Cheng, who is closest to Fu Jiang, didn''t notice anything unusual about it. Those following, their attention focused on the surrounding sounds, were even less likely to notice its mncholy.
Han Cheng had always thought his methods were ruthless enough, butpared to the autumn wind, they were indeed insignificant.
At least the wild chickens in the tribe, after Han Cheng''s handling, still had some feathers left to cover themselves. But the mulberry trees in front of them had been stripped bare by the autumn wind
Looking up at the bald branches, Han Cheng searched inch by inch.
At themand of the Divine Child, the others also raised their heads, searching for something whose exact appearance they didn''t know.
Fu Jiang also stood under the tree, lifting its not-so-nimble eyes and, with its master, looked up at the sky fragmented by the bare branches.
A gust of wind blew, and Fu Jiang''s mncholic eyes suddenly brightened, seeming toe to life.
Tilting its head, it stood in the direction of the wind, its nostrils twitching.
After a while like this, it stepped forward in that direction.
After walking for a while, it looked back at its owner, still looking up at the sky with a sigh, and paused for a moment, seeming to hesitate about something. But eventually, it headed toward the direction of the wind, gradually disappearing into the distance, obscured by bushes and trees,pletely out of sight
Chapter 193: hanged person
Chapter 193: hanged person
Han Cheng still tilted his neck inch by inch, searching among the branches and leaves. The prolonged act of looking upwards made his neck stiff, and he felt a bit dizzy.
Would the silkworm-raising matter be postponed again?
This area wasn''t particrlyrge, with only twenty-eight mulberry trees whose trunks were thicker than a bowl. He had already looked through more than half of them but still hadn''t found any traces of silkworm cocoons.
He lowered his head, moved his stiff neck, and felt disappointed.
Where did that fellow Fu Jiang go?
He nced around, but there was no sign of Fu Jiang. Puzzled, he was about to call out a couple of times.
"Divine Child! Look!"
Mu Tou''s surprised voice suddenly rang out. Han Cheng followed the sound and saw Mu Tou under a mulberry tree with a trunk as thick as a bowl, pointing upwards with pleasant surprise on his face.
Fu Jiang always loved to run wild when he came out. He had disappeared before, but he always returned on his own after running around for a while. With such a precedent, Han Cheng didn''t think much this time. Seeing Mu Tou''s expression, he knew there must be results regarding the silkworms.
Immediately, he hurried over to Mu Tou. The matter of calling Fu Jiang was forgotten for the moment.
"Look."
Mu Tou pointed to a spot above them and spoke again.
Following his direction, Han Cheng''s gaze searched for a while until he finally spotted a small object hanging from a branch. It wasn''trge, probably thinner than his little finger, and shaped like an oval stick. The surface was a dark brown, perhaps due to long exposure to wind and sun. With the breeze, it swayed back and forth, resembling a hanging ghost not yet dead.
Han Cheng felt delighted. He was pretty sure this was it!
He didn''t need anyone else to do it; he hugged the tree, climbed up, grabbed the branch holding the "hanging ghost" of a mulberry tree, and broke it off with his hands.
As he pulled the branch, he was pleasantly surprised to find two cocoon-like silkworms hanging next to each other on the branch''s end.
Before descending the tree, he eagerly examined the branch with the cocoons. The initial excitement faded, reced by disappointment.
Compared to the silkworms he had raised in his childhood, these cocoons were much smaller and thinner. They copsed with a slight pinch.
Thinking about it, he couldn''t help but shake his head and smile. It was already excellent to find silkworm cocoons at this moment. Why bother about so much?
The silkworms of the future underwent countless generations of breeding. How could these wild silkworms, tens of thousands of years earlier,pare?
Of course, while he reasoned this way, the disappointment lingered because these silkworms would also need to be nurtured slowly, just like rapeseed, millet, and wild chickens.
Taking the branch with the cocoon, Han Cheng descended from the tree, plucked one cocoon forcefully, and turned it over to examine. One end of the cocoon was already broken, and the opening was somewhat ckened.
As expected, there was no trace of the silkworm pupae inside the cocoons, only some dried and broken skins left behind. Presumably, they had already hatched into moths, mated, and ascended to heavenpletely.
Han Cheng sniffled. It seemed he would have to continue searching for silkworms until next spring
Previously, he had only thought about finding silkworm cocoons in autumn. Still, he had forgotten that once the silkworms finished spinning their cocoons, they would emerge from them in just a few days, achieving greatness byying eggs and then dying.
But it was still good. At least it confirmed that there were indeed silkworms here. Knowing this, as long as they were willing to put in the effort, they could find the silkworms.
Of course, it was also highly possible that they hadn''t found the silkworms yet and were first ambushed by the hidden killer, the "foreign pepper," lurking beneath the green leaves.
Han Cheng looked at the three cocoons in his hand and then at the bald mulberry tree, feeling something was amiss.
ording to the speed at which silkworms went through a cycle in just over a month, their reproductive capacity should not be lower than that of rabbits. Since there were silkworms here, many cocoons should have been hanging from the mulberry trees by autumn. Yet now, they were so scarce, which was truly perplexing.
Han Cheng''s bewildermentsted only briefly before a group of noisy birds flew overhead, dropping something, which solved his doubts.
Watching Mu Tou, who touched his nose and angrily threw stones at the birds flying away, Han Cheng couldn''t help but chuckle. At the same time, his doubts about theck of wild silkworms were dispelled.
Seeing Divine Child''s joyful expression, everyone gathered around to see the object Divine Child was earnestly seeking.
Their experiences over the past year had taught them that anything Divine Child took an interest in and treated so seriously was extraordinary!
After seeing the true appearance of the object, Eldest Senior Brother and the others couldn''t help but exchange nces.
They couldn''t understand why Divine Child needed such a thing.
Someone voiced their doubts, and Han Cheng, in a good mood, said, "To make clothes."
After saying this, he pulled at the animal skin wrapped around him and added, "Like this."
After understanding Han Cheng''s meaning, everyone became even more puzzled. The fur they were wearing was already veryfortable. Why did Divine Child insist on making clothes out of this strange object? Moreover, it was so small. How could it be worn on the body?
Could it be tied to the body with thin ropes, wound around in circles?
This appearance would indeed be too strange.
But wearing this way in hot weather should be very cool
Some of the more imaginative ones, looking at the silkworm cocoons in Han Cheng''s hand, began to brainstorm.
Han Cheng didn''t know what this person was thinking. If he knew, he would be amused.
The purpose of today''s visit had been achieved, and it was time to go back.
Thinking happily, Han Cheng prepared to take everyone back. But when he turned around, he still saw no sign of Fu Jiang.
This yful fellow.
Thinking this, Han Cheng scolded with a touch of indulgence, then shouted, "Fu Jiang~!"
The voice echoed in the vast forest.
After shouting twice, Han Cheng stood still, looking around, waiting for the familiar figure that would usuallye out immediately with joy, wagging its tail and bouncing around him.
However, he didn''t see the familiar figure after waiting for a while today.
Han Cheng''s rxed heart suddenly tightened, suppressing his anxiety, telling himself not to overthink, and then continued to call out.
The voice was a bit louder than before, tinged with urgency and a hint of unease.
The forest, with its fallen leaves, was as quiet as ever. There was no other movement except for a few small animals nearby being scared away by the sound and running away.
Han Cheng''s heart was in his throat. He quickly asked if anyone had noticed where Fu Jiang had gone or when he disappeared.
Everyone had just noticed when Han Cheng called out for Fu Jiang. Now, they were all trying hard to think, but they didn''t know anything else apart from knowing that Fu Jiang had been following them until now.
Chapter 194: Feeling Empty
Chapter 194: Feeling Empty
"Fu Jiang~!"
"Fu Jiang~!"
The anxious shouts echoed continuously in the forest, making the mountains and forests seem emptier.
The joy of finding wild silkworms had long disappeared,pletely reced by the anxiety and unease brought about by Fu Jiang''s unexpected disappearance.
How could such a good fellow just vanish like that?!
"Fu Jiang~!"
Han Cheng''s face was anxious as he shouted hoarsely, his voice somewhat hoarse.
"Fu Jiang~!"
Eldest Senior Brother and the others also joined in the shouting, equally anxious.
They had witnessed how Fu Jiang had grown from a chubby little ball of fur day by day. After more than a year of living together day and night, they had fully epted this fellow who looked like a wolf but was different in every other way. One could even say they treated him as half a tribe member.
Now, suddenly disappearing like this, they felt uneasy, too.
As they walked through the forest, wielding their weapons and shouting, they looked around and noticed the surrounding movements. Wherever they went, all the beasts were startled.
Han Cheng had fantasized countless times that Fu Jiang would suddenly appear from somewhere, wagging his tail and ying around him as usual. However, when he turned to look toward his fantasy, the expected figure did not appear.
"Divine Child, let''s go back. It''s gettingte"
Eldest Senior Brother looked at the sky and then at Divine Child, who was still shouting and searching for Fu Jiang. After hesitating several times, he finally spoke up.
Han Cheng felt very ufortable, a kind of emptiness inside.
He raised Fu Jiang from a young age, and he had already developed feelings for him. How could he rest easy when he suddenly disappeared like this?
Although there were no dog thieves then, the surrounding world was far more dangerous than in the future, especially for Fu Jiang, who was alone
Han Cheng shook his head and said, "Let''s search a little longer."
Seeing Divine Child say this, Eldest Senior Brother didn''t insist anymore and could only follow Divine Child.
He didn''t want to give up the search like this, butpared to Fu Jiang, he was more concerned about the safety of the people in the tribe.
"Divine Child"
After searching for a while with no results, Eldest Senior Brother spoke again.
Han Cheng looked at the sky. Indeed, it was not early anymore. Although he felt reluctant, he could only return.
He couldn''t risk putting most of the tribe''s strength in jeopardy just to search for Fu Jiang.
"Perhaps he''s in the tribe."
After walking back for a while, Eldest Senior Brother suddenly spoke up.
Han Cheng''s spirit couldn''t help but shake. How could he forget about this possibility?!
With renewed hope and a bit of anxiety, they hurried back to the tribe with everyone else, wishing they had wings to fly faster!
As thete autumn sky darkened quickly after the sun descended, darkness immediately enveloped everything at a visible speed.
The people left in the tribe began to feel uneasy.
The shaman came out from the depths of the cave, regardless of his age, climbing thedder step by step onto the low wall over two meters high, looking towards the dim distance shrouded in dusk.
In his somewhat clouded eyes, there was unease and anticipation.
The adults in the tribe who had no other tasks to attend to had gone out with the Divine Child to search for the silkworms that had not been found before. They said it wouldn''t take too long. Now that the sun had set and darkness was about to fallpletely, neither the Divine Child nor the people from the tribe had returned
A sense of unease spread throughout the entire Green Sparrow Tribe. Even the children, who loved to y, quieted down at this time.
After waiting for a while, with the surroundings bing increasingly deste, the shaman couldn''t wait any longer. After instructing someone to make the fire outside the gate brighter, he carefully climbed down the wall and headed toward the cave.
He was going to pray to the heavenly gods, praying for the safety of the Divine Child and the other people in the tribe.
The people in the tribe were already living one day at a time, but they couldn''t withstand such cmities!
"Hey~!"
A distant shout came faintly from afar. Lame, adding firewood outside the gate, hesitated momentarily. Then, another shout came, and his hesitant expression turned into pure joy. He had already recognized the voice.
"They''re back! They''re back!"
He shouted excitedly, then picked up a burning stick and waved it vigorously above his head.
The shaman, who was halfway there, heard Lame''s shout and immediately forgot about praying to the heavenly gods. He turned around and headed towards the gate of the tribe.
The tense atmosphere dissipated, and the children, who had been as quiet as if their tongues had been tied, started cheering with the adults.
"Shaman, Fu Jiang"
After the short-lived joy of their return, Han Cheng couldn''t help but ask anxiously.
The shaman, who was overjoyed to see everyone return unharmed, was puzzled by Han Cheng''s words.
Wasn''t Fu Jiang supposed to be with you guys?
He heard the anxiety in Han Cheng''s voice and didn''t hesitate to tell him what he knew.
Han Cheng''s heart suddenly sank, and even Eldest Senior Brother and the others ying with children couldn''t help but pause.
The whole joyful scene suddenly became bleak.
Even before reaching the gate of the tribe, Han Cheng had already confirmed that Fu Jiang had not returned because if that guy were in the tribe, he would have run out to greet them from afar.
He just didn''t want to believe the news until he got the confirmation from the shaman.
Seeing Han Cheng and the others with such expressions, the shaman hurriedly asked what was happening.
Han Cheng ate very little for dinner, only drinking a few mouthfuls of soup. Without Fu Jiang eagerly waiting to share his food, Han Cheng felt ufortable.
He put down his bowl and walked out of the cave towards the gate. The shaman nced at Han Cheng, who was walking out and hurriedly finished chewing his food. After finishing the food in his bowl, he followed suit.
He came to Han Cheng''s side and looked towards the vast distance with him.
He wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing, just stood there quietly apanying Divine Child.
Gradually, more and more people stood behind them
"Let''s all go back to sleep"
Feeling both ufortable and moved, Han Cheng turned back and smiled at everyone
Lying on the kang, Han Cheng tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Fu Jiang lingered in his mind.
As the night deepened, this worry not only did not diminish but became even heavier.
Fu Jiang had grown up in the tribe since childhood, never interacting with other wolves. And Han Cheng had intentionally tamed his wildness
How could he survive in the wilderness? Probably, he would starve.
But Han Cheng was most worried that Fu Jiang, gentle and inexperienced in outdoor survival, would encounter other animals'' hostility.
He didn''t want to see such a result no matter what!
Unable to sleep, he tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.
The night was quiet, and the half-moon appeared silently at some point, casting its cold light over thend.
The closed door was suddenly pushed open, and Han Cheng, wearing only a pair of leather shorts, ran out of the room barefoot towards the gate.
Just now, he vaguely heard Fu Jiang calling and scratching at the gate.
When he arrived, the gate was as quiet as before. Where was Fu Jiang?
He stubbornly opened the gate and walked a few steps outside, looking around and calling Fu Jiang softly. Only the chirping of insects echoed around him.
He stood quietly here for a while, sighed softly, returned to the courtyard, bolted the gate, and returned to the bedroom with a sigh
The next day, Han Cheng woke up very early, and Eldest Senior Brother and the others also woke up early. They, who used never to understand Divine Child''s thoughts, all guessed right this time.
They washed up, had breakfast, grabbed their weapons, and set off.
Before they left, they instructed the people left behind to guard the tribe.
The shaman also hurried over to instruct Han Cheng and the others, reminding them to remember to return to the tribe before dark, regardless of whether they found Fu Jiang or not.
Han Cheng nodded solemnly, saying he wouldn''t forget
Chapter 195: Sabretooth?
Chapter 195: Sabretooth?
The group from the Green Sparrow Tribe set out with vine shields, stone slings, and stone spears.
First, they arrived at the mulberry forest. After not finding any trace of Fu Jiang, they used the mulberry tree as the center point, excluding the direction of the tribe to the east, and began searching in a fan shape.
After turning half a circle without finding any trace, they expanded the search area and continued to turn arger half-circle.
The calls for Fu Jiang were incessant, startling countless birds and driving away many small animals.
A leopard, concealed in the shadows, was preparing to charge at its prey not far away. The prey,pletely unaware of the danger, was startled by the sudden sound of the grass and ran off. The leopard, toote to catch its prey, stopped and looked at the intruders who disturbed its hunt from afar. In its brown eyes, there was no discernible emotion.
After seeing the intruders who disturbed it, the leopard abandoned its n to have them for lunch, turned its head to look here, and quickly climbed up a tree.
The group also saw the leopard. They protected Han Cheng in the middle, holding vine shields and stone spears while keeping a cautious eye on the leopard and trying to increase the distance between them, moving around from the side.
Even though they had vine shields and were arge group, they were unwilling to engage in conflict with such a fierce beast.
After safely bypassing the leopard, they continued their search
After passing a small mountain ridge, a somewhat hidden low-lying area appeared in front of them, possibly rted to a spring, surrounded by lush trees.
Fortunately, it was autumn, and the leaves had fallen. Otherwise, it would be difficult to see things here.
Now, blocked by tree trunks and dry grass, more than half of the area was not visible.
"Hiss~"
Stepping on the dry grass and fallen leaves, they walked a distance here, and the visibility gradually improved. After seeing the true scene here, even the experienced Eldest Senior Brother couldn''t help but inhale sharply, and his body immediately tensed up.
He made a low sound in his mouth, signaling the people around him.
Walking a bit behind, Han Cheng didn''t understand what the Eldest Senior Brother had seen at first. After seeing the look of the Eldest Senior Brother and others, he took two steps forward, and the scene there immediately appeared before his eyes.
His eyes widened, his heartbeat elerated uncontrobly, and his mouth opened slightly.
Encountering such a situation!
Around the spring was a rtively open area. To the north of the spring, two groups of wild beasts were facing off.
There were many animals in one group, roughly more than ten.
At the forefront were tworge wild boars, with their tusks protruding outward, covered with dried tree sap, mud, and a mixture of broken sand and stones, like wearing a suit of steel armor.
The two wild boars were not small, muchrger than the ones they had hunted before.
ording to Han Cheng''s visual estimation, the one with slightly smaller tusks and shorter size would also weigh upwards of one hundred and eighty kilograms.
Therger one would be no less than two hundred kilograms!
Behind the two wild boars was a group of young boars who had not fully grown, weighing about thirty to forty catties. They all looked somewhat cramped as they stood behind the tworge wild boars, seeking protection.
Two huge creatures were also on the opposite side of the tworge wild boars, about ten meters away.
Their short brown fur stuck tightly to their bodies, highlighting their powerful physique. Their hind legs were much thicker than their front legs, thicker even than the tiger legs Han Cheng had seen in the future zoo!
Their tails were not long, hanging down towards the ground, ready to exert force.
This is not the most attractive part; the most attractive part is the enormous head of this creature and the two fangs extending from the upper jaw, each at least twenty centimeters long!
These two "fangs," due to their excessive length, could not close inside the mouth and were exposed outside, making the zombie-like protruding fangs pale inparison!
Saber-toothed tiger?!
After seeing the majestic appearance of these two creatures, Han Cheng didn''t need to think deliberately. The name saber-toothed tiger leaped into his mind.
I didn''t expect to encounter these creatures that disappeared in the river of history!
Han Cheng wasn''t an archaeologist or a researcher of prehistoric creatures. After seeing the saber-toothed tiger, his initial surprise and excitement quickly faded.
When the two sides originally facing off noticed them rushing over, they all turned their spears towards them!
The two wild boars with protruding tusks, covered in "armor," stared at them with somewhat bloodshot eyes. Their hooves asionally scraped the ground. If it weren''t for the two saber-toothed tigers threatening from the opposite side, they would probably have already charged towards Han Cheng and the others!
The two saber-toothed tigers were the same. Their huge tiger heads looked over, and their long legs moved within a small range on the ground. Their mouths with protruding fangs asionally opened and closed, with the angle between the lower and upper jaw exceeding ny degrees!
This answered Han Cheng''s doubts about how these two long fangs could open their mouths to eat.
The two saber-toothed tigers asionally let out a low roar from their throats, issuing a warning to the sudden intruders.
Their dagger-like teeth shone under the sunlight like meticulously carved jade.
Imagine the feeling of these two long fangs piercing into one''s body; Han Cheng immediately didn''t find these two fangs beautiful anymore.
All the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe were tense, gripping their vine shields and stone spears, standing still in ce, confronting these two groups of fierce beasts.
Due to the terrain, when Han Cheng and his group and the two groups confronting each other suddenly discovered each other, the distance between them was less than thirty meters!
The atmosphere was particrly tense at this moment. While the three sides confronted each other, the "Wu-Shu" alliance resisting "Cao" was also forming.
The two confronting groups were very angry at the sudden appearance of the third party.
It was only because this side had many people and didn''t seem easy to provoke that they didn''tunch an attack rashly.
Han Cheng''s heart was pounding. He had never experienced anything like this before. In previous wilderness rescues, the most ferocious animals he encountered were a pair of wolves, and they left from a distance after seeing humans.
Unlike now, facing these fierce animals at close range and without any safety guarantees!
His hand holding the short stone spear was damp.
The more experienced hunters, like the Eldest Senior Brother, were calmer than Han Cheng, but they also didn''t dare to act rashly. Such arge and fierce group of beasts was beyond their ability.
They wouldn''t choose to fight these beasts if it weren''t for the extreme food shortage.
"Let''s go back!"
After the three sides confronted each other for a while and confirmed that the wild boars and saber-toothed tigers would notunch an attack rashly, the Eldest Senior Brother said in a low voice.
Following the leader''s order, the people remained vignt with their weapons against the wild boars and saber-toothed tigers, slowly and cautiously retreating
Fortunately, the wild boars and saber-toothed tigers were just moving within a small range in ce, showing no intention of attacking. This made the extremely nervous Han Cheng breathe a sigh of relief.
They retreated together, wanting to leave this extremely dangerous ce as soon as possible.
What''s that?
As Han Cheng, who was retreating, suddenly nced over, his gaze fell on a gray fur not far from the saber-toothed tiger in the grass.
There was a patch of gray fur revealed from the partially obscured grass. It seemed to be a dead beast
Han Cheng''s heart suddenly jumped.
Chapter 196: Ruyi, dont fail me now
Chapter 196: Ruyi, don''t fail me now
Han Cheng stared at the exposed patch of fur, stunned.
The retreating Eldest Senior Brother soon obscured his line of sight.
The Eldest Senior Brother bumped into Han Cheng, turned around to look, and, seeing Han Cheng''s gaze fixed straight ahead at the saber-toothed tiger, he thought he was worried about the tiger.
Just as he was about to say a few words in a low voice, Han Cheng had already started to retreat.
Though he was extremely eager to confirm whether the creature lying in the grass was indeed Fu Jiang, he couldn''t put the entire tribe at risk.
As everyone slowly backed away, the saber-toothed tiger and the slightly red-eyed wild boars disappeared, and as the tense atmosphere dissipated, the group became more active.
The Eldest Senior Brother nced back at the area and motioned for everyone to head elsewhere. However, it was at this moment that Han Cheng stepped forward.
"Divine Child!"
"Divine Child!"
Understanding Han Cheng''s intentions, everyone grew anxious and began calling out to him in low voices.
Seeing the concerned looks on their faces, Han Cheng smiled reassuringly, telling them not to worry and that he wouldn''t act rashly.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others refused to leave without Han Cheng, insisting on apanying him back.
Only after Han Cheng disyed the authority of the "Divine Child" did they fall silent, their concern evident.
Han Cheng instructed everyone to wait there and, for safety''s sake, had Mu Tou chop down several tough vines from a nearby tree with stone axes, using them to create a barrier in front and on both sides of the group.
Everyone was now located on a moderately steep slope surrounded by tall trees.
The chopped vines were entwined around these trees, forming threeyers: one about twenty centimeters off the ground, one at waist height, and the highest one about a meter above the ground.
With these threeyers of vines as a barrier, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others would be much safer even if a beast went berserk and charged.
Han Cheng picked up his slightly smaller stone spear and carried a small backpack.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others were extremely anxious. Still, under the authority of the Divine Child, they didn''t dare to stop him or follow along, only gazing at him incessantly and silently praying to the gods to protect him.
As Han Cheng looked at the gradually approaching low-lying area, he smiled wryly to himself, finding it strange that he had willingly approached it despite wanting to leave just moments before quickly.
And what''s more, he might have encountered the "white-eyed wolf" that had likely already met its end.
With these thoughts in mind, his footsteps didn''t falter as he continued toward the low-lying area.
As he neared the area, his attention became more focused, and his steps slowed.
Fortunately, this area was rtively damp, and the fallen leaves didn''t make the bone-crushing sound as they did elsewhere, which helped him conceal his movements.
Carefully reaching the edge of the depression, he cautiously peered inside. After they left, with no external factors influencing them, the two groups of beasts resumed their standoff.
He looked towards the saber-toothed tiger, but he couldn''t see the fur he had seen before due to his low position.
After looking around, Han Cheng quietly approached a nearbyrge tree.
The tree was about twenty meters away from the two groups in standoff, thick enough that an adult couldn''t reach around it.
The trunk wasn''t very smooth. It was rough and bumpy, perhaps due to some disease or scars left behind by dead branches that had withered fromck of sunlight over the years.
The past two years of primitive living hadn''t been in vain; the three pairs of leather pants worn through climbing trees weren''t just for show. Han Cheng could only look up and sigh if such a tree had been ced before they crossed over. But now, carrying a backpack, he climbed up quickly and silently.
He left his spear lying on the ground, as bringing it along would hinder his climbing and risk making noise, disturbing the two groups of "thugs" on the brink of eruption.
The tree trunk was thick enough to conceal Han Cheng''s figurepletely, so the two groups of beasts, already on the verge of exploding, didn''t notice that someone had sneaked back.
Han Cheng climbed about five or six meters in one breath before stopping.
There was a branch extending towards the center of the confrontation.
Though it was a branch, it was thick enough, about the size of a bucket.
Han Cheng flipped onto this thick branch and moved cautiously forward.
After advancing about three meters, he stopped at the fork. This spot was conducive to concealing his presence and provided stability.
With one hand holding onto the branch, Han Cheng looked towards the saber-toothed tiger. From his elevated position, he could see the lump in the grass quite clearly. His heart couldn''t help but pound at the sight, as the fur color and partial body shape resembled Fu Jiang''s!
However, the distance was still too far, and the creature had been bitten, so the details were unclear.
Feeling ufortable and hopeful, Han Cheng wished it wasn''t Fu Jiang.
He wanted to get closer but restrained himself.
As the trunk extended forward, it branched out more, and the branches ahead quickly became thinner.
While it could support his weight, it couldn''t conceal his figure, and it was very easy to make noise. It wouldn''t be good if these guys found out he was here.
He looked down at the wild boars below, making threatening noises but ultimately unwilling to attack, and at the saber-toothed tiger, only growling softly. He cursed their fussiness in his heart. Were they going to bicker like this before every battle? Bicker first, then fight?
After waiting for a while, Han Cheng couldn''t wait any longer. He quietly took off his backpack and wore it in front of him.
Inside the backpack were eight small stones, which Han Cheng had carefully selected and ced inside. Because there were only a few stones, they covered the bottom of the backpack. The stones wouldn''t fall out even if he bent over with the backpack on.
He took out a stone from inside and held it in his hand, squeezing it tightly. Thinking of the scene in Water Margin where Yan Qing shot the sparrow, he silently prayed in his heart, "If Fu Jiang''s life is not meant to end, let this stone hit the wild boar below, startling the beasts and leaving behind a broken corpse for me to inspect! If Fu Jiang cannot survive this time, the stone will miss, and the beasts will remain unmoved!"
After silently praying this way, Han Cheng raised his right hand, which he often used to practice throwing stones for fun. Looking at the stone in his hand, he whispered, "Ruyi, don''t fail me now!"
Then, with a sudden swing of his arm, he let go of the stone, which flew straight downward!
Chapter 197: Tiger roars, pig squeals
Chapter 197: Tiger roars, pig squeals
"Bang!"
This stone didn''t disappoint Han Cheng. It hit the wild boar below at an angle and struck the eye of the most significant wild boar standing side by side, perfectly and directly!
Although his original target was the smaller wild boar closer to him.
The long confrontation had made the two adult wild boars, whose size was muchrger than the ones Han Cheng''s Eldest Senior Brother had hunted, be restless.
It was only because the front male and female saber-toothed tigers were not easy to deal with characters, and they also had half-grown piglets to protect that they had been enduring and not attacking.
Now, one eye suddenly came under attack, and the pain spread instantly throughout its body. This wild boar, which had been teetering on the brink of madness, instantly exploded with anger!
It didn''t even consider when the saber-toothed tigers in front of it had learned to attack pigs from a distance. Ignoring the stone that had fallen into the nearby grass, it focused solely on the two damn saber-toothed tigers that hadid hands on it!
It snorted angrily, vigorously digging its hooves into the ground, mouth wide open, and charged straight towards the two saber-toothed tigers in front of it, like a small tank full of momentum!
With this movement, the other adult wild boar on the side also charged forward, equally fierce.
The rest of the piglets scattered in all directions.
The male and female saber-toothed tigers, furious, roared, mouths open, their long, dagger-like teeth reflecting in the sunlight like divine weapons.
Compared to the charging wild boars, the saber-toothed tigers appeared more agile. They didn''t want to confront the charging adult wild boars directly.
Upon seeing the tworge wild boars charging towards them and the scattered piglets running away, they immediately turned their bodies and chased after the nearest piglet.
One unlucky piglet, in its panic, was suddenly tackled by one of the tigers. Before it could even squeal in fear, attempting to disy its courage and struggle a few times to show its resilience, the tworge tiger teeth had already ruthlessly pierced its neck!
Under the tiger''s kiss, who could escape?
With drops of crimson blood dripping down, this piglet that hadn''t grown up was doomed!
The red-eyed adult wild boar charged forward, and the saber-toothed tiger biting the piglet sensed the danger, instinctively leaping aside. But it was a little toote; one of its hind legs was grazed by the wild boar''s fangs, leaving a bloody gash.
Watching all these from his perch in the tree, Han Cheng couldn''t help but marvel at the battle ignited by his single stone. He had heard of the ferocity of wild boars and knew that these omnivores were not to be trifled with, but he had underestimated them.
After all, he had eaten plenty of pork in his future life and had seen too many fat pigs that would grunt and squeal only when they were bound up and prepared for ughter during the New Year
Now, seeing the saber-toothed tigers struggling in this battle, unable to gain an absolute advantage, he gained a new understanding of their ferocity and understood why Wu Cheng''en wrote about Piggy as the second disciple in "Journey to the West," surpassing the monster of Flowing Sands River and the Little White Dragon!
At the same time, he was curious about how his Eldest Senior Brother and the others had managed to kill these fierce wild boars during their previous hunts.
"Squeak!"
The saber-toothed tiger suddenly turned around, dropping the dead piglet from its mouth, and fiercely bit into the hindquarters of therge wild boar chasing after it.
The massive teeth, which quickly pierced the piglet''s body, weakened significantly after encountering the "armor" on the adult wild boar''s body, barely breaking through the boar''s skin and only prating a little further inside before bing powerless.
This bite didn''t cause much damage to the wild boar; instead, it received a solid blow from the enraged wild boar
The tiger''s roar and the pig''s howl echoed here, sounding particrly fierce.
After a brief yet intense battle, one saber-toothed tiger fled empty-handed while the other carried a dead piglet and ran off. The two wild boars, now wholly enraged, chased after them with powerful strides.
Whether it was coincidence or some more profound arrangement, the two saber-toothed tigers and the wild boars ran in the direction Han Cheng had juste from.
Watching the roaring and swiftly departing tigers and boars, Han Cheng was dumbfounded and couldn''t help but worry. How could these creatures choose the same direction?
Then he realized that his Eldest Senior Brother and the others were over a mile away from here, and there was such a vast expanse to the east. These saber-toothed tigers and wild boars couldn''t just coincidentally stumble upon where his Eldest Senior Brother and the others were.
Even if they did, several vines were blocking the way, and his Eldest Senior Brother and the others were armed and experienced hunters. They shouldn''t be at a disadvantage.
Thinking like this, he felt somewhat reassured. He looked in the direction where the wild boars had left but didn''t see them returning. He then transferred the basket to his back, stood up from the tree branch, and prepared to continue sliding down the tree quickly to confirm whether it was indeed Fu Jiang.
As he slid down the trunk a bit, he suddenly hesitated again. He looked at the dead piglet left on the ground and then at the small wild boars gradually emerging from the surroundings. After hesitating for a while, he hugged therge branch of the tree and climbed back up.
Sitting against the trunk, he watched the piglets, who seemed somewhat frightened, grunting and squealing.
Not long after, a giant wild boar''s grunt came from a distance, sounding somewhat anxious, apanied by the rustling of dry branches, leaves, and grass being trampled.
Following the sound, Han Cheng saw the two wild boars that had left earlier running back.
Han Cheng inwardly eximed at the close call. Luckily, he had kept his wits about him and hadn''t gone down immediately. It would likely have been hazardous if he had encountered these two fiercely enraged creatures at this moment!
Upon hearing the familiar call, the piglets all ran over to greet them.
The previous tension quickly dissipated after the big and small wild boars met.
The big and small boars grunted at each other, then went to drink water in the spring. After drinking, they approached the dead piglet that had been bitten by the saber-toothed tiger and left under the pressure of the big wild boar.
A big wild boar gently nudged it with its mouth, grunting as if it wanted the piglet to stand up again and leave with them.
The tusks that could easily tear apart the saber-toothed tiger''s fur earlier now seemed surprisingly gentle.
After trying for a while and seeing that the piglet still couldn''t stand up and the big boars, who had suffered several injuries and had some blood seeping out, the big wild boar finally led the rest of the piglets away
"Doot!"
As if aimed explicitly at striking Han Cheng, the Great Divine Child''s face, an unusual sound rang out before he could finish his thoughts.
Holding the bow, the Third Senior Brother appeared excited and incredulous as he looked at the feathered arrow nailed to the wooden stake. He hadn''t expected to hit the target on his first attempt.
"Many words will lead to failure, and many shots will hit the mark." Shooting arrows many times doesn''t escape this rule.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel excited and curious about Third Senior Brother''s second arrow.
Third Senior Brother nocked the arrow, drew the bow, and with a release, a sharp thud resounded once again.
Two arrows were already embedded on the tree stump serving as a makeshift target.
With a mix of joy and surprise, Han Cheng watched the Third Senior Brother draw his bow again.
The third arrow missed, much to the disappointment of the onlookers and Han Cheng himself.
But upon reflection, Han Cheng''s mood lifted again.
Hitting two out of three arrows on his first attempt indicated that Third Senior Brother had considerable talent in archery.
Moreover, the stump used as a target differed from the circr targetsmonly seen inter eras. Hitting this target was much more challenging than hitting a typical bullseye.
Although the power of the bow and arrow fell far short of expectations, Han was quite satisfied. After all, this was a hastily made, rudimentary bow and arrow.
The bow and arrow were passed to the remaining people, and few managed to hit the target like the Third Senior Brother did. His consecutive hits raised expectations for the bow and arrow, among others.
Han Cheng went over to pull out the feathered arrow stuck in the stump. He wanted to gauge the power of the bow and arrow.
Compared to a real bow and arrow, the difference in power was considerable. Even though the outeryer of the stump used as a target had decayed, the arrows hadn''t prated deeply.
Despite this, Han was content. After all, these were hastily made, rudimentary weapons.
The bow and arrow circted among the rest of the people, with few managing to hit the target like the Third Senior Brother did. His consecutive hits raised expectations for the bow and arrow, among others.
When everyone cheered for Third Senior Brother, Second Brother''s expression soured slightly. After all, he used to be the best thrower in the tribe. Now, he was overshadowed by Third Senior Brother. While primitive people didn''t have theplex emotions of modern humans, many basic emotions were still present.
He picked up a few stones and approached Third Senior Brother, holding the bow and arrow, gesturing for everyone to move aside.
Then, he positioned himself next to Third Senior Brother, took a few steps back, and increased the distance from the wooden stump.
With a sudden wave of his hand holding a stone, the stone struck the wooden stump urately.
All three stones hit the mark, and thest one knocked over the stump, which wasn''t buried in the ground but supported by a few rocks.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe cheered for Second Senior Brother when they saw this.
Han Cheng also gave Second Senior Brother a thumbs-up. This guy''s title as a Pea Shooter was well-deserved.
Throwing stones was a crucial skill in this era, and eventer, after the widespread development of bows and arrows, stone-throwing remained a viable means of attacking enemies.
For example, themon practice of using slings to hurl stones.
One of the most famous instances was in the Water Margin, where Zhang Qing defeated seventeen generals of Liangshan with thrown stones in a single day.
Even Lu Zhishen, with his shiny bald head reflecting in the moonlight, was taken down by Zhang Qing''s stones.
Then there were the catapults, capable of hurling projectiles like small artillery
Even today, stone-throwing remains a simple and effective method for hunting andbat.
Han Cheng wouldn''t hesitate to praise Second Senior Brother from that perspective.
The third Senior Brother approached the area where the Second Senior Brother was and also prepared his bow and arrow. Today, the two of them seemed to have the intention ofpeting.
However, the Third Senior Brother was disadvantaged in the contest this time.
After multiple shots, the hastily made makeshift longbow had lost some sticity, naturally not matching up to Second Senior Brother, the pea shooter.
After thisparison, most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe believed that the bow and arrow made by the Divine Child were not as effective as their original stone-throwing skills.
Han Cheng didn''t mind the crowd''s attitude too much because he knew how vast the future of bows and arrows was.
This scene suddenly reminded him of the early days of experimenting with steam trains, when someone on horseback easily surpassed the train, thinking it was nothing special.
But what aboutter? No matter how hard the horse tried, it couldn''t catch up with the high-speed bullet train.
Second Senior Brother beat his chest to express that he wouldn''t use bows and arrows in the future. On the other hand, Third Senior Brother appeared somewhat disheartened as he approached Han Cheng with his bow and arrow.
Third Senior Brother liked bows and arrows. While he wasn''t very urate at throwing stones by hand, he could achieve great precision with a bow and arrow. Therefore, he was unwilling to give up on them.
Han Cheng formted a n after looking at the bow for a while. He reached out and patted Third Senior Brother''s shoulder, indicating that he shouldn''t be discouraged.
"This is just the most rudimentary bow. We can make a bow and arrow that shoots farther and with greater power with some improvements."
Third Senior Brother perked up, recalling the story of "Hou Yi shooting the sun" that the Divine Child had told himst night, looking at Han Cheng hopefully. "Can we shoot down the sun too?"
Han Cheng was speechless. He shouldn''t have told the story of "Hou Yi shooting the sun" in the first ce.
He replied seriously, "We can''t shoot down the sun, but we can shoot even farther."
Then he added, "There''s only one sun in the sky now. If you were to shoot it down, we wouldn''t be able to live."
Upon hearing this, the Third Senior Brother finally realized the problem and felt embarrassed.
Instead of dwelling on shooting down the sun, he asked Han Cheng for advice on making a stronger bow.
Han Cheng gave him explicit instructions. "Go to the mulberry forest and cut down a thick tree."
He demonstrated the size with his hands, indicating a bowl-sized circle.
"After you return, I''ll teach you how to make a more powerful bow and arrow."
Third Senior Brother received the information he needed from Han Cheng, feeling ted, and dashed off. Han Cheng called for the Second Senior Brother and the others to apany him.
After all, it''s better to havepany in the wilderness.
With the bow and arrow matter temporarily settled, Han Cheng could finally implement his sudden inspiration.
Chapter 198: Parents are stressful
Chapter 198 ¨C Parents are stressful
Han Cheng learned from his previous experience and waited for a while, ensuring the wild boars had left before descending from the tree.
First, he picked up the spear lying t on the tree trunk and held it in his hand. Then, he quickly headed towards the spot where the saber-toothed tiger had been earlier. Along the way, his heart pounded, fearing that the creature he hadn¡¯t seen before might be Fu Jiang!
¡°Phew!¡±
Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense face suddenly rxed, feeling exceptionally relieved.
The creature in front of him, mostly torn apart, was not Fu Jiang!
Although it was badly disfigured from the attack, Han Cheng could still recognize it.
After experiencing the worst-case scenario earlier, facing the continued absence of Fu Jiang, Han Cheng felt much better.
Han Cheng couldn¡¯t identify the specific species of the creature in front of him, as he had limited knowledge in this area, and the creature¡¯s injuries made it unrecognizable.
Judging by the wounds on its body, it hadn¡¯t been dead for long.
Han Cheng naturally had no qualms about picking up things found lying around. He casually picked up a handful of dried grass from the ground and used it to remove the creature¡¯s entrails, which had spilled all over the ground, making it lighter to carry.
As he dragged the half-bodied creature towards the dead piglet, Han Cheng suddenly realized a problem.
With this half-eaten creature as evidence, the two saber-toothed tigers shouldn¡¯t becking in food¡
If they weren¡¯tcking food, why would they confront this group of wild boars?
Could they just have an itch to find two tough wild boars to practice on?
Han Cheng shook his head, dismissing this unreliable idea from his mind. After the conflict that had urred earlier, the two saber-toothed tigers didn¡¯t want to confront the big wild boars directly but only seemed interested in the piglets. Their goal was to obtain food.
Could it be that they had a litter of chubby babies at home and were eager to earn ¡°milk money¡± for them, hence their desperate actions?
Even with prey already obtained, they still wanted to attract the attention of the wild boars.
Looking back at the half-dead creature he was dragging and the three to four pounds of dead piglet in front of him, Han Cheng felt it was highly likely.
As parents, the pressure of raising offspring was considerable. It was always the same from ancient times to the present, from beasts to humans.
Looking at the motionless piglet lying on the ground, Han Cheng let go of the half-eaten creature he was dragging.
Han Cheng knew about the story of the little monkeying down from the mountain empty-handed after abandoning the corn to pick watermelons. He certainly wouldn¡¯t follow the example of that guy who was used as a negative example to teach people a lesson.
He was much stronger than that little monkey.
Instead of dragging the half-eaten prey back, he would have to return with his elder martial brother and the others to take the piglet away. Since both preys were avable, why not leave both behind and go directly to find his elder martial brother and the others empty-handed?
Moreover, this ce was a water source, and he didn¡¯t know when other animals mighte to drink. Staying here alone for a long time was too unsafe for Han Cheng.
Dropping the half-obtained prey could also help him leave this ce faster.
¡°Crack, crack¡¡±
The sound of twigs being snapped suddenly rang out from a distance, startling Han Cheng, who had just taken a few steps.
Just as he was about to climb the nearest tree, he heard a familiar voice shout, ¡°Divine Child!¡±
Han Cheng immediately stopped and turned his head, seeing his elder martial brother, second elder martial brother, Sha, and the others holding wooden sticks, spears, and shields not far away, their eyes filled with surprise and concern.
Han Cheng inwardly thought he couldn¡¯t trap his Eldest Senior Brother and the others like Monkey King.
Then, he chuckled lightly, feeling like he was the master now¡
Han Cheng asked his Eldest Senior Brother and the others why they didn¡¯t follow his previous instructions and where they hade from.
His Eldest Senior Brother and the others seemed nervous, speaking cautiously in their unfamiliarmonnguage.
It turned out they had been waiting there and had seen the saber-toothed tiger carrying away the piglet and the two big wild boars chasing after them for a while.
Seeing the fierce battle between the saber-toothed tiger and the wild boars and thinking of Han Cheng alone over there, although Han Cheng had exined to them before leaving that he was just watching from the tree and wouldn¡¯t be in danger, they still couldn¡¯t rest assured.
After waiting a while without seeing Han Cheng return, they couldn¡¯t bear it any longer and crossed the boundary marked with vines¡
And then they saw Han Cheng sticking to the tree and climbing up.
Han Cheng wasn¡¯t the kind of person who didn¡¯t distinguish right from wrong. Although he intended to establish some rules through daily life, he wouldn¡¯t me his Eldest Senior Brother and the others for this matter.
Seeing that Han Cheng didn¡¯t intend to me them, everyoneughed along with him.
Second Senior brother, who loved food, was always very enthusiastic about food and didn¡¯t want others to intervene. He alone carried away the piglet weighing tens of pounds and the half-eaten prey.
Han Cheng secretly remembered this ce. In the future, if he wanted to hunt, he could set traps here to capturerge prey.
Chapter 199: Visit from the Bone Tribe
Chapter 199: Visit from the Bone Tribe
The wind blew, and some leftover leaves rose from the ground, making a rustling sound.
The bare tree branches shivered in the wind, whimpering as if crying in the cold autumn wind.
Han Cheng tightly wrapped his fur around him, nced at the setting sun in the west, its weak yellow lightcking warmth, surveyed the deste surroundings, and finally started walking back.
May the vibrant yet perilous nature be kind to this inexperienced, lost "white-eyed wolf" in the wilderness.
May this lost child find the way home to the doghouse by the hearth, where he will always be waiting.
Han Cheng poured out his heart to the howling wind, hoping that the omnipresent wind would carry his hopes to the dog, wherever it may be.
The wind whistled away, paying no heed to the disheveled bipedal creature below.
Wrapped in fur against the autumn wind, people returned from afar, joy evident in their hearts as they saw the towering walls in the distance.
But their joy was short-lived, reced by suspicion.
Because outside the tribal gate stood many people!
Seeing this scene from afar, Han Cheng and the others quickened their pace towards the tribe, weapons ready in hand.
Due to the search for Fu Jiang, apart from Tie Tou and the other four who stayed behind, only the elderly, children, and women who were either heavily pregnant or had just given birth remained in the tribe.
The tribe''s defense was severelycking!
If these people hadn''t been stationed outside as agreed but instead chose to attack the tribe now
Thinking of this, Han Cheng''s heart sank, but he also felt a sense of relief.
It seemed that they couldn''t afford to be careless in the future. The tribe must always maintain a certain level ofbat readiness, at least leaving behind enough people who could rely on the walls to defend the tribe from being taken.
If the tribe were to be plundered like the Pig Tribe after a trip outside, Han Cheng felt he would go mad!
Most of the others didn''t have such profound thoughts as he did, just feeling that there shouldn''t be so many outsiders near the tribe.
The chief of the former Pig Tribe, Shang, with slightly reddened eyes, reacted more intensely than the others, anger mixed with deep fear.
This scene reminded him of his own tribe''s plight. He had already wholeheartedly integrated into the Sparrow Tribe.
He loved everything about the Sparrow Tribe, from the houses, walls, and various foods to the snowmen piled up by the children and the polished tiles
If this tribe were to suffer a simr catastrophe
He didn''t dare to think further.
"Divine Child!"
"Chief!"
Lame, holding a spear, his palms slightly sweaty, though so, he stood tall without the slightest retreat.
Behind him were everything they had created with their hands, mixed with sweat and hard work. To protect these, he had to summon courage!
He nced sideways at the primitive men and women with weapons in their hands and the children standing on the low wall, just high enough to see outside by tiptoeing. The conviction in his heart grew stronger.
What they needed to protect wasn''t just the things they had created and the people who had been with them day and night in the tribe!
Fortunately, they could rely on the walls proposed by the Divine Child, and the people who came didn''t attack but only stopped outside the gate. Although they seemed eager to try when they saw fewer people, they didn''tunch an attack.
Hearing the shoutsing from the west, Lame quickly turned his head along with the others to see that the Divine Child and the chief, who had gone to search for blessings, were returning, heading towards the tribe.
Seeing the returning crowd, Lame breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of reliance washing over him.
The tension that had gripped the people standing on the wall, and their faces rxed instantly, with smiles appearing on the faces of the children.
"Divine Child!"
"Chief!"
They joyfully shouted out to their supporters, their reliance
The people standing in front of the gate also looked to the west, seeing a group of people approaching with spears and clubs, many of them gripping weapons.
Their weapons were mostly made of bone, and they wore many ornaments made of bone as well.
There were quite a few of them, a total of twenty-two!
These were the people from the Bone Tribe who had attended the Joyous Gathering before.
The leaders of the two tribes met,municating with each other through gestures andnguage.
It was learned that the people from the Bone Tribe hade to trade for therge pottery vessels used for cooking food.
After the Joyous Gathering, the Bone Tribe exchanged a pottery vessel with the Green Sparrow Tribe because they had brought more food.
After returning, they learned from the Green Sparrow Tribe and began to try cooking food. Although it was far from the delicious food they had tasted in the Sparrow Tribe, this new way of eating was still loved by many, especially those with poor teeth.
Having tasted the benefits, they wanted to return to exchange for arger pottery vessel to cook food.
They also needed to exchange some jars for water and small pottery vessels for food storage, as eating cooked food without them was inconvenient.
Seeing the food they had brought and that the people from the Bone Tribe hadn''t attacked the courtyard, Han Cheng and the others finally felt relieved.
They informed the people from the Bone Tribe that they could bring the food and enter the courtyard to trade once they put down their weapons.
A few people from the Bone Tribe were reluctant, but the big brother was firm, so they had no choice but to leave their weapons outside and then bring the food to the tribe through the gate that had already been opened under themand of the big brother.
Although it was already getting dark, the people from the Bone Tribe were still shocked to see everything in the courtyard.
This tribe always surprised people!
Initially, when they saw such arge group of people going out and returning at this time, only bringing back such a small wild boar and some food presumably snatched from some animal, many people in the Bone Tribe held a sense of disdain. However, after seeing everything in the tribe, that disdain waspletely shattered, leaving only thick shock and disbelief.
Primitive people were still people and had a sense ofparison, especially regarding food. When different tribes met, they would consciously or unconsciouslypare.
After shouting a few times, the leader of the Bone Tribe finally regained his senses and began toy out the food they had brought, ready to trade with the big brother.
However, he seemed absent-minded, obviously notpletely recovered from the shock.
Chapter 200: Rapeseed covered with snot
Chapter 200: Rapeseed covered with snot
The food brought by the Bone Tribe wasn''t particrly surprising; it consisted of meat, wild fruits, and some roots and tubers, making for a bnced meal.
They brought quite a lot, nearly half more than what the Green Tribe brought, but it wasn''t as extravagant as what the Sheep Tribe would offer.
After bargaining, the Bone Tribe exchanged food for arge y pot, a jar, and twelve y bowls.
Once the trade wasplete, the Bone Tribe didn''t leave immediately. Firstly, it was already dark, and secondly, they were persuaded by the Senior Brother.
The previously stingy Green Tribe, when faced with the Green Sparrow Tribe, now appeared generous and hospitable once again.
They wanted to cook food to treat the visiting tribes.
The white mist illuminated by the red firelight looked somewhat splendid.
It was like adding salt to a tasteless soup; it immediately became much more delicious.
Eldest Senior Brother looked at the surprised and eager expression of the Bone Tribe''s leader after tasting the soup with added salt, feeling particrly pleased.
Thinking about the instructions the Divine Child had given him before, he greeted the Bone Tribe while holding the salt jar, looking mysterious and proud, like a wealthyndowner.
The leader of the Bone Tribe looked carefully at the contents of the jar, called "salt," hoping everyone in the tribe could enjoy salted food. Pursuing good things was human nature, especially since salt could instantly enhance food taste. It was normal for the Bone Tribe''s leader to want salt, just like people from other tribes.
The leader of the Bone Tribe had mixed feelings. On one hand, he wanted to own this magical thing, but on the other, he was worried about its cost.
Although the tribe had stored a lot of food this year, it would be difficult to spare more food for salt after exchanging it for pottery once.
Eldest Senior Brother, at this moment, was understanding and tactful, like a very experienced salesperson.
He carefully recalled what Divine Child had told him before and, in his way, emphasized the preciousness of salt and their status in the Green Sparrow Tribe to the Bone Tribe''s leader.
After understanding Eldest Senior Brother''s intention, the leader of the Bone Tribe, first in disbelief, then suddenly jumped up from the ground, hugged Eldest Senior Brother tightly, and pressed his forehead against Eldest Senior Brother''s shoulder, showing gratitude.
The other members of the Bone Tribe who received the news were also extremely excited, constantly marveling at the friendliness and generosity of the nearby tribes.
However, friendly tribes soon became less friendly. After having their fill and discussing matters, the Bone Tribe asked if they could spend the night outside the Green Sparrow Tribe''s courtyard.
The Green Sparrow Tribe had decided, during the Joyous Gathering, that they wouldn''t allow other tribes to spend the night inside their courtyard.
They believed that one couldn''t sleep soundly with others beside their bed. If they let other tribes rest inside the walls, the Green Sparrow Tribe wouldn''t sleep well either. At least Han Cheng often imagined himself being roasted over a fire by other tribes.
It''s dark now, and it''s suicidal for the Bone Tribe to travel through the night.
They rest outside the Green Sparrow Tribe''s walls, which are tall enough to block the wind from the north. They stay here, making a fire, so it''s not too cold.
Some envy the Green Sparrow Tribe''s tall walls and fantasize about when their tribe might have such defenses.
Tonight, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s guard duty shifts from two rotations to four, as instructed by Han Cheng.
With long shifts, people doze off, especially with the Bone Tribe outside the walls.
While the primitives are generally simple, it doesn''t hurt to be cautious.
Late into the night, Han Cheng isn''t asleep. A small fire flickers in the room, casting uncertain shadows on his face.
He sits on a stool not far from the nest made for Fu Jiang, padded with dry grass.
Under Han Cheng''s guidance, Fu Jiang is clean and never relieves himself in the den or the room, mostly going outside like others in the tribe, though sometimes to where the deer reside.
So, the nest is quiet and without any particrly foul odor.
Han Cheng can''t help but sniffle. This guy, who often annoyed him when he was around, now fills him with an unstoppable longing in his absence.
He collects, pulling his gaze away from Fu Jiang''s dog bed. Unable to find a ce to rest his gaze in the room, his eyes settle on a wooden stick.
The stick is wedged onto a wooden peg on the wall, with two small silkworm cocoons hanging from it, the same stick Han Cheng brought back from the mulberry tree.
Because of Fu Jiang, this stick, which should have been cherished, has been neglected by Han Cheng and left lying around.
To shift his focus, Han Cheng stands up, takes the stick from the wall, and examines it closely in themplight.
With his fingers, he ttens and then reshapes the empty cocoons repeatedly.
Feeling some roughness in his right hand as he grips the stick, Han Cheng initially thinks it''s just small knots on the mulberry stick, not paying much attention, just gently rubbing his hand over it.
After a while, he senses something amiss because these small knots aren''t singr; they form a small patch and feel somewhat smooth.
Han Cheng turns the stick around, removes his hand, and sees what he touched moments ago.
A small patch, about two square centimeters, of small ck knots appears before him. These knots are smaller than mustard seeds and tightly connected, resembling dried snot stuck to the stick like oilseed rape seeds.
"This silkworm eggs?"
Han Cheng didn''t realize it at first, only making the connection after a while.
The food brought by the Bone Tribe wasn''t particrly surprising; it consisted of meat, wild fruits, and some roots and tubers, making for a bnced meal.
They brought quite a lot, nearly half more than what the Green Tribe brought, but it wasn''t as extravagant as what the Sheep Tribe would offer.
After bargaining, the Bone Tribe exchanged food for arge y pot, a jar, and twelve y bowls.
Once the trade wasplete, the Bone Tribe didn''t leave immediately. Firstly, it was already dark, and secondly, they were persuaded by the Senior Brother.
The previously stingy Green Tribe, when faced with the Green Sparrow Tribe, now appeared generous and hospitable once again.
They wanted to cook food to treat the visiting tribes.
The white mist illuminated by the red firelight looked somewhat splendid.
It was like adding salt to a tasteless soup; it immediately became much more delicious.
Eldest Senior Brother looked at the surprised and eager expression of the Bone Tribe''s leader after tasting the soup with added salt, feeling particrly pleased.
Thinking about the instructions the Divine Child had given him before, he greeted the Bone Tribe while holding the salt jar, looking mysterious and proud, like a wealthyndowner.
The leader of the Bone Tribe looked carefully at the contents of the jar, called "salt," hoping everyone in the tribe could enjoy salted food. Pursuing good things was human nature, especially since salt could instantly enhance food taste. It was normal for the Bone Tribe''s leader to want salt, just like people from other tribes.
The leader of the Bone Tribe had mixed feelings. On one hand, he wanted to own this magical thing, but on the other, he was worried about its cost.
Although the tribe had stored a lot of food this year, it would be difficult to spare more food for salt after exchanging it for pottery once.
Eldest Senior Brother, at this moment, was understanding and tactful, like a very experienced salesperson.
He carefully recalled what Divine Child had told him before and, in his way, emphasized the preciousness of salt and their status in the Green Sparrow Tribe to the Bone Tribe''s leader.
After understanding Eldest Senior Brother''s intention, the leader of the Bone Tribe, first in disbelief, then suddenly jumped up from the ground, hugged Eldest Senior Brother tightly, and pressed his forehead against Eldest Senior Brother''s shoulder, showing gratitude.
The other members of the Bone Tribe who received the news were also extremely excited, constantly marveling at the friendliness and generosity of the nearby tribes.
However, friendly tribes soon became less friendly. After having their fill and discussing matters, the Bone Tribe asked if they could spend the night outside the Green Sparrow Tribe''s courtyard.
The Green Sparrow Tribe had decided, during the Joyous Gathering, that they wouldn''t allow other tribes to spend the night inside their courtyard.
They believed that one couldn''t sleep soundly with others beside their bed. If they let other tribes rest inside the walls, the Green Sparrow Tribe wouldn''t sleep well either. At least Han Cheng often imagined himself being roasted over a fire by other tribes.
It''s dark now, and it''s suicidal for the Bone Tribe to travel through the night.
They rest outside the Green Sparrow Tribe''s walls, which are tall enough to block the wind from the north. They stay here, making a fire, so it''s not too cold.
Some envy the Green Sparrow Tribe''s tall walls and fantasize about when their tribe might have such defenses.
Tonight, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s guard duty shifts from two rotations to four, as instructed by Han Cheng.
With long shifts, people doze off, especially with the Bone Tribe outside the walls.
While the primitives are generally simple, it doesn''t hurt to be cautious.
Late into the night, Han Cheng isn''t asleep. A small fire flickers in the room, casting uncertain shadows on his face.
He sits on a stool not far from the nest made for Fu Jiang, padded with dry grass.
Under Han Cheng''s guidance, Fu Jiang is clean and never relieves himself in the den or the room, mostly going outside like others in the tribe, though sometimes to where the deer reside.
So, the nest is quiet and without any particrly foul odor.
Han Cheng can''t help but sniffle. This guy, who often annoyed him when he was around, now fills him with an unstoppable longing in his absence.
He collects, pulling his gaze away from Fu Jiang''s dog bed. Unable to find a ce to rest his gaze in the room, his eyes settle on a wooden stick.
The stick is wedged onto a wooden peg on the wall, with two small silkworm cocoons hanging from it, the same stick Han Cheng brought back from the mulberry tree.
Because of Fu Jiang, this stick, which should have been cherished, has been neglected by Han Cheng and left lying around.
To shift his focus, Han Cheng stands up, takes the stick from the wall, and examines it closely in themplight.
With his fingers, he ttens and then reshapes the empty cocoons repeatedly.
Feeling some roughness in his right hand as he grips the stick, Han Cheng initially thinks it''s just small knots on the mulberry stick, not paying much attention, just gently rubbing his hand over it.
After a while, he senses something amiss because these small knots aren''t singr; they form a small patch and feel somewhat smooth.
Han Cheng turns the stick around, removes his hand, and sees what he touched moments ago.
A small patch, about two square centimeters, of small ck knots appears before him. These knots are smaller than mustard seeds and tightly connected, resembling dried snot stuck to the stick like oilseed rape seeds.
"This silkworm eggs?"
Han Cheng didn''t realize it at first, only making the connection after a while.
Chapter 201: Miraculous Tribe and Shang’s Suggestion
Chapter 201: Miraculous Tribe and Shang¡¯s Suggestion
Han Cheng used a fire stick to poke the firewood in the fire basin, and the fire quickly became much brighter, making the scene clearer. After carefully examining them, he finally confirmed that the mustard-like seeds on the mulberry branches were silkworm seeds. However, they were of a different color from the ones he raised in his childhood.
He thought he had missed the chance after the Golden Silkworm broke free from its cocoon, but unexpectedly, he inadvertently caught its offspring.
That''s fine, too, saving him the trouble of searching around the mulberry trees next spring. Thinking of the taste of being tricked by foreign hot peppers, he couldn''t help but grin.
After scrutinizing the silkworm seeds for a while, the firewood in the fire basin was almost burned out, and the light became dim.
Han Cheng had no ns to add more firewood. He stood up, put the mulberry branches back in ce, and went to the earthen bed. Taking off his wide animal skin belt, hey down on the earthen bed and covered himself with the animal skin.
Nothing went wrongst night. Even if the people from the Bone Tribe had some intentions, the presence of the guards on the high walls would deter thempletely.
Early the next morning, the people from the Bone Tribe went to the Green Sparrow Tribe to borrow fire, preparing to heat their food outside the wall before setting off home.
They had brought the tools for drilling wood, but it was too troublesome. It was easier to borrow fire from the Green Sparrow Tribe, especially since there was always a fire burning in the tribe.
The Bone Tribe leader was extremely surprised to see that there was not even a spark in the Green Sparrow Tribe despite the many fires yesterday.
Seeing the Bone Tribe leader''s expression, the pride of the Green Sparrow Tribe rose involuntarily. He called out to Fire One and asked her to drill wood and provide fire for the neighboring tribe. After all, the Green Sparrow Tribe also needed fire for cooking.
When the Bone Tribe leader saw that Fire One was about to start drilling for fire, and the person drilling was an elderly person, he didn''t know what to say for a moment.
After hesitating for a moment, he waved his hand repeatedly, indicating that they would not borrow fire, and went back directly, carrying some fruit or the like.
In his heart, he thought that letting such an old person drill for fire would probably take until nightfall for a me to appear.
The Green Sparrow Tribe leader shook his head as he held him.
At this moment, Fire One had already prepared the firewood and began to drill. The Bone Tribe leader couldn''t help but be stunned by this unique drilling method for fire. Wasn''t it supposed to be done quickly with the palm-rubbing method? This
His confusion was quickly reced by shock because, at the time, he was puzzled; wisps of smoke were already rising from the firewood.
The sky was overcast, and the sun did not appear as scheduled. The Bone Tribe leader, carrying the precious pottery they had exchanged, hurried back to his tribe.
They were in a hurry, fearing that it would rain. In this season, getting caught in the rain was no joke.
He held the jar of salt close to his chest. The jar was no longer the one used to hold salt but one they had exchanged for food. The original salt jar was not given to them by the other tribe.
The meaning was clear: salt could be shared, but the jar could not be given away for free.
As they hurried back, the Bone Tribe leader seemed a little absent-minded. He wasn''t dissatisfied because the other party only gave salt and didn''t give the jar, but he was recalling everything he had seen in that tribe.
There was pottery, walls, houses, deer herds, delicious salt These were all fine, but how could such an old person easily drill fire?
Everything he saw in that tribe greatly impacted him, making him wonder if their tribe''s way of survival, which had been passed down, needed to change.
Should their tribe also build walls?
He recalled the people of that tribe standing on the high walls, holding stones and spears, looking down from above.
Thinking of the tall and majestic walls, he became hesitant. Could humans build such walls?
The people of the Bone Tribe left, and life in the Green Sparrow Tribe returned to its original state.
Eldest Senior Brother organized the food brought by the Bone Tribe, categorizing it for future consumption.
After sorting out these things, breakfast in the tribe was ready.
Shang, who usually had a good appetite, was not feeling like eating today. He hadn''t enjoyed his mealst night either; he would take a few bites and gaze towards the three tiled houses where the Divine Child resided, looking deeply troubled.
Suddenly, he sped up his eating, quickly finishing the food in his bowl and cing it in arge pottery basin filled with water. He left the cave and headed towards Han Cheng''s residence.
Han Cheng hadn''t eaten much this morning. After finishing his meal, he left the cave and returned to his room.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Shang arrived at the door, hesitated momentarily, then finally raised his hand and knocked on the closed door.
Knocking on doors was something Han Cheng specifically instructed, although he didn''t engage in anything unsightly in his room. However, others still needed to knock before entering his private space.
"Come in."
The voice of the Divine Child came from inside the room. Shang appeared somewhat nervous as he pushed the door open and walked in, then turned around and closed the door.
Han Cheng had alreadye out from the inner room. He was surprised to see Shang, as Shang had never visited him before. Usually, the shaman and Eldest Senior Brother came to his room the most.
The central room was used as a living room. In the middle, a stone pedestal was built with stones and ash, upon which a t stone b was about two feet square. Although crude, it resembled a stone table.
Around the stone table were several wooden or neatly shaped stone stools.
Han Cheng took the main seat without hesitation, allowing Shang to sit opposite him. Although Han Cheng hadn''t informed the tribe members of the rules for this room yet.
Once seated, Han Cheng asked Shang what he needed.
Facing the Divine Childs inquiry, Shang appeared somewhat nervous. He found it strange, not understanding where his nervousness came from, as the Divine Child had always been very kind
After hesitating, he spoke, using themonnguage with Han Cheng to express his thoughts.
Han Cheng understood what he meant. It was simr to what he had thought yesterday: in the future, when members of the Green Sparrow Tribe went out, they should leave behind a certain number of people to guard the tribe and prevent it from being too empty.
Han Cheng nodded approvingly at Shang''s proposal. Such behavior, thinking for the tribe''s sake, must be encouraged.
Shang was delighted that the Divine Child didn''t me him and even agreed to his suggestion. The anxiety he had been carrying sincest night was suddenly lifted.
Han Cheng watched Shang leave and nodded to himself. He had previously been a leader, with a keen insight that surpassed ordinary people. Of course, this was also closely rted to his previous experiences.
After thinking for a while in the room, Han Cheng left and found the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother to discuss the matter. Both of them agreed, and the decision regarding tribal security was thus settled.
Han Cheng used a fire stick to poke the firewood in the fire basin, and the fire quickly became much brighter, making the scene clearer. After carefully examining them, he finally confirmed that the mustard-like seeds on the mulberry branches were silkworm seeds. However, they were of a different color from the ones he raised in his childhood.
He thought he had missed the chance after the Golden Silkworm broke free from its cocoon, but unexpectedly, he inadvertently caught its offspring.
That''s fine, too, saving him the trouble of searching around the mulberry trees next spring. Thinking of the taste of being tricked by foreign hot peppers, he couldn''t help but grin.
After scrutinizing the silkworm seeds for a while, the firewood in the fire basin was almost burned out, and the light became dim.
Han Cheng had no ns to add more firewood. He stood up, put the mulberry branches back in ce, and went to the earthen bed. Taking off his wide animal skin belt, hey down on the earthen bed and covered himself with the animal skin.
Nothing went wrongst night. Even if the people from the Bone Tribe had some intentions, the presence of the guards on the high walls would deter thempletely.
Early the next morning, the people from the Bone Tribe went to the Green Sparrow Tribe to borrow fire, preparing to heat their food outside the wall before setting off home.
They had brought the tools for drilling wood, but it was too troublesome. It was easier to borrow fire from the Green Sparrow Tribe, especially since there was always a fire burning in the tribe.
The Bone Tribe leader was extremely surprised to see that there was not even a spark in the Green Sparrow Tribe despite the many fires yesterday.
Seeing the Bone Tribe leader''s expression, the pride of the Green Sparrow Tribe rose involuntarily. He called out to Fire One and asked her to drill wood and provide fire for the neighboring tribe. After all, the Green Sparrow Tribe also needed fire for cooking.
When the Bone Tribe leader saw that Fire One was about to start drilling for fire, and the person drilling was an elderly person, he didn''t know what to say for a moment.
After hesitating for a moment, he waved his hand repeatedly, indicating that they would not borrow fire, and went back directly, carrying some fruit or the like.
In his heart, he thought that letting such an old person drill for fire would probably take until nightfall for a me to appear.
The Green Sparrow Tribe leader shook his head as he held him.
At this moment, Fire One had already prepared the firewood and began to drill. The Bone Tribe leader couldn''t help but be stunned by this unique drilling method for fire. Wasn''t it supposed to be done quickly with the palm-rubbing method? This
His confusion was quickly reced by shock because, at the time, he was puzzled; wisps of smoke were already rising from the firewood.
The sky was overcast, and the sun did not appear as scheduled. The Bone Tribe leader, carrying the precious pottery they had exchanged, hurried back to his tribe.
They were in a hurry, fearing that it would rain. In this season, getting caught in the rain was no joke.
He held the jar of salt close to his chest. The jar was no longer the one used to hold salt but one they had exchanged for food. The original salt jar was not given to them by the other tribe.
The meaning was clear: salt could be shared, but the jar could not be given away for free.
As they hurried back, the Bone Tribe leader seemed a little absent-minded. He wasn''t dissatisfied because the other party only gave salt and didn''t give the jar, but he was recalling everything he had seen in that tribe.
There was pottery, walls, houses, deer herds, delicious salt These were all fine, but how could such an old person easily drill fire?
Everything he saw in that tribe greatly impacted him, making him wonder if their tribe''s way of survival, which had been passed down, needed to change.
Should their tribe also build walls?
He recalled the people of that tribe standing on the high walls, holding stones and spears, looking down from above.
Thinking of the tall and majestic walls, he became hesitant. Could humans build such walls?
The people of the Bone Tribe left, and life in the Green Sparrow Tribe returned to its original state.
Eldest Senior Brother organized the food brought by the Bone Tribe, categorizing it for future consumption.
After sorting out these things, breakfast in the tribe was ready.
Shang, who usually had a good appetite, was not feeling like eating today. He hadn''t enjoyed his mealst night either; he would take a few bites and gaze towards the three tiled houses where the Divine Child resided, looking deeply troubled.
Suddenly, he sped up his eating, quickly finishing the food in his bowl and cing it in arge pottery basin filled with water. He left the cave and headed towards Han Cheng''s residence.
Han Cheng hadn''t eaten much this morning. After finishing his meal, he left the cave and returned to his room.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Shang arrived at the door, hesitated momentarily, then finally raised his hand and knocked on the closed door.
Knocking on doors was something Han Cheng specifically instructed, although he didn''t engage in anything unsightly in his room. However, others still needed to knock before entering his private space.
"Come in."
The voice of the Divine Child came from inside the room. Shang appeared somewhat nervous as he pushed the door open and walked in, then turned around and closed the door.
Han Cheng had alreadye out from the inner room. He was surprised to see Shang, as Shang had never visited him before. Usually, the shaman and Eldest Senior Brother came to his room the most.
The central room was used as a living room. In the middle, a stone pedestal was built with stones and ash, upon which a t stone b was about two feet square. Although crude, it resembled a stone table.
Around the stone table were several wooden or neatly shaped stone stools.
Han Cheng took the main seat without hesitation, allowing Shang to sit opposite him. Although Han Cheng hadn''t informed the tribe members of the rules for this room yet.
Once seated, Han Cheng asked Shang what he needed.
Facing the Divine Childs inquiry, Shang appeared somewhat nervous. He found it strange, not understanding where his nervousness came from, as the Divine Child had always been very kind
After hesitating, he spoke, using themonnguage with Han Cheng to express his thoughts.
Han Cheng understood what he meant. It was simr to what he had thought yesterday: in the future, when members of the Green Sparrow Tribe went out, they should leave behind a certain number of people to guard the tribe and prevent it from being too empty.
Han Cheng nodded approvingly at Shang''s proposal. Such behavior, thinking for the tribe''s sake, must be encouraged.
Shang was delighted that the Divine Child didn''t me him and even agreed to his suggestion. The anxiety he had been carrying sincest night was suddenly lifted.
Han Cheng watched Shang leave and nodded to himself. He had previously been a leader, with a keen insight that surpassed ordinary people. Of course, this was also closely rted to his previous experiences.
After thinking for a while in the room, Han Cheng left and found the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother to discuss the matter. Both of them agreed, and the decision regarding tribal security was thus settled.
Chapter 202: The impoverished Donkey Tribe and the Weaver Woman wrapped in animal skins
Chapter 202: The impoverished Donkey Tribe and the Weaver Woman wrapped in animal skins
After discussing matters, the long-absent Donkey Tribe arrived before Han Cheng and the others left.
Due to the cold weather, the people of the Donkey Tribe appeared even darker.
Receiving visiting tribes was a task that the Eldest Senior Brother had mastered long ago, so he took care of everything without much instruction from Han Cheng.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe, tightly clutching the salt jar and unwilling to let go, led his people, who were carrying three y jars and several bowls, away from the Green Sparrow Tribe. They nced back at the majestic and prosperous tribe, which seemed like a dream. Even now, they felt a bit dizzy and couldn''t quite believe the smoothness and gains of this journey and the generosity of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Such precious items, given away so freely? He couldn''t help but pinch some of the snow-white salt.
And to think that they could exchange non-edible fur for valuable pottery?
He felt like his brain wasn''t enough.
But regardless, this was beneficial for his tribe.
After drinking threerge bowls of meat soup in a row, he felt warm all over and extremelyfortable. This made him appreciate pottery even more.
Originally, he had been worried about exchanging food for pottery, fearing that the tribe would suffer hunger in winter without these provisions. However, after experiencing the wonders of pottery once again, he finallypletely let go of his worries.
His confidence in trading food for pottery was strengthened.
With these pots that could cook hot soup, even if they had less food, the people of his tribe would still have a better winter than in previous years
Watching the many foods piled up in the cave, Shaman couldn''t help but smile brightly, his wrinkled face blooming like a chrysanthemum.
These foods were all obtained through trades with pottery since the beginning of autumn. To verify the effectiveness of the trades, they were separated from the Green Sparrow Tribe''s original provisions.
Even after selecting and eating some during these days, there was still so much left.
This was more than a quarter of the food stored by the Green Sparrow Tribe in previous years!
And the quality of the food was higher than in previous years.
With these foods, Shaman and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe once again realized the value of pottery.
Hei Wa, who had always enjoyed making pottery, became even more enthusiastic!
Originally, he had been anxious about only making pottery without participating in otherbor, but now that anxiety hadpletely disappeared.
Because he found that making pottery seemed more effective in obtaining food than hunting with weapons or fishing by the river.
Han Cheng also looked at these foods, but his perspective differed from Shaman''s.
From the foods exchanged by the four neighboring tribes, he could gauge their wealth.
The most surprising was the Donkey Tribe. Originally, he thought that the Bone Tribe, with thergest poption and the strongest strength, would be the richest tribe among them until the Donkey Tribe brought fifteenrge and small donkeys at once
The Bone Tribe''s traded food ranked second, followed by the Green Tribe, with the Donkey Tribe at the bottom.
Of course, if the Green Tribe and others could discover the value of the "wild grain ears" freely growing around their tribe and cultivate them artificially, they might rise to second ce or even first.
The Donkey Tribe
Han Cheng looked at the food they sent and couldn''t help but shake his head. This tribe seemed to have a weak ability to obtain food.
Thinking this, he suddenlyughed because he had juste up with a brilliant idea as to why the Donkey Tribe had a low ability to obtain food
After a busy period, they were hungry again. After lunch, Han Cheng, the Eldest Senior Brother, and the others set out again with their weapons, embarking on the road to find the Fortune Beacon.
This time, four fewer people went with them, including the second brother, the pea shooter
Adding the four people left from yesterday, such as Tie Tou and Hei Wa, there were now eight strong men in the tribe responsible for defense.
With threeme individuals, four pregnant women, and several half-grown children, the fighting force had reached nearly twenty people.
They were well-equipped to handle any danger with the wall as a fortress.
After a cloudy morning, the afternoon cleared up again. The dazzling sunlight lifted people''s moods as if the gloom in their hearts had been dispersed by the sunlight, just like the dark clouds in the sky
The night sky was clean, with no visible trace of clouds. Stars twinkled, dotting the sky. A Milky Way spanned the night sky like a jade belt, tearing through the vast horizon.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng couldn''t identify which star was The Cowherd star and which was the Weaver Girl star, so he randomly picked two rtively close and bright stars on either side of the Milky Way and forcibly named them the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
Then, he recalled the forceful opening line "I''ll return your clothes to you, be my wife" to the moment when the Queen Mother took out her hairpin and split the sky, separating the couple who worked in the fields and to their meeting on the Magpie Bridge on Qi Xi, feeling moved.
A sudden thought made Han Cheng''s face stiffen as he was deeply moved.
He thought strangely for a while, then ended his whimsical thoughts with a lightugh.
Han Cheng''s whimsy was quite simple: he suddenly thought of the unit of time where one day in the sky equaled one year on Earth.
In this case, wouldn''t Cowherd and the Weaver Girl every day? Poor Cowherd.
Now that he thought about it, it was understandable that Cowherd wasn''t as bright as the Weaver Girl
"Why are youughing, Divine Child?" asked Shi Tou, squatting beside Han Cheng and looking at the sky together.
Shi Tou used to be about the same height as Han Cheng, but in the past six months, he had shot up, surpassing Han Cheng by at least three centimeters. It was unclear if it was because he often drank deer milk.
But that didn''t seem right either. Han Cheng drank deer milk daily, even more than Shi Tou did. This discovery made Han Cheng doubt whether he had been struck by lightning and stopped growing
Han Cheng thought momentarily and then told Shi Tou the story of Cowherd and the Weaver Girl with a few modifications.
Of course, the story had been slightly altered.
Cowherd became a primitive man who was not very strong, and his tribe was broken by an evil tribe, forcing him to wander in the wilderness until he met an old cow, and the man and the cow depended on each other for survival.
Weaver Girl became a beautiful woman from the evil tribe, transformed into a witch by the Queen Mother.
During the storytelling process, Shi Tou, who liked to think, asionally asked questions.
For example, was Weaver Girl even more beautiful than Zhuang?
Thinking back to Weaver Girl''s graceful figure and imagining a muscr woman even more muscr than the average man, Han Cheng''s face twitched, feeling sorry for Weaver Girl. Then, under Shi Tou''s expectant gaze, he nodded vigorously.
Shi Tou immediately became cheerful, and thus, Weaver Girl naturally became a tall and majestic beauty wrapped in animal skins
"So beautiful!"
I don''t know when, but quite a few people had gathered around. After receiving Han Cheng''s affirmation, they couldn''t help but express sincere admiration for Weaver Girl''s beauty.
After discussing matters, the long-absent Donkey Tribe arrived before Han Cheng and the others left.
Due to the cold weather, the people of the Donkey Tribe appeared even darker.
Receiving visiting tribes was a task that the Eldest Senior Brother had mastered long ago, so he took care of everything without much instruction from Han Cheng.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe, tightly clutching the salt jar and unwilling to let go, led his people, who were carrying three y jars and several bowls, away from the Green Sparrow Tribe. They nced back at the majestic and prosperous tribe, which seemed like a dream. Even now, they felt a bit dizzy and couldn''t quite believe the smoothness and gains of this journey and the generosity of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Such precious items, given away so freely? He couldn''t help but pinch some of the snow-white salt.
And to think that they could exchange non-edible fur for valuable pottery?
He felt like his brain wasn''t enough.
But regardless, this was beneficial for his tribe.
After drinking threerge bowls of meat soup in a row, he felt warm all over and extremelyfortable. This made him appreciate pottery even more.
Originally, he had been worried about exchanging food for pottery, fearing that the tribe would suffer hunger in winter without these provisions. However, after experiencing the wonders of pottery once again, he finallypletely let go of his worries.
His confidence in trading food for pottery was strengthened.
With these pots that could cook hot soup, even if they had less food, the people of his tribe would still have a better winter than in previous years
Watching the many foods piled up in the cave, Shaman couldn''t help but smile brightly, his wrinkled face blooming like a chrysanthemum.
These foods were all obtained through trades with pottery since the beginning of autumn. To verify the effectiveness of the trades, they were separated from the Green Sparrow Tribe''s original provisions.
Even after selecting and eating some during these days, there was still so much left.
This was more than a quarter of the food stored by the Green Sparrow Tribe in previous years!
And the quality of the food was higher than in previous years.
With these foods, Shaman and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe once again realized the value of pottery.
Hei Wa, who had always enjoyed making pottery, became even more enthusiastic!
Originally, he had been anxious about only making pottery without participating in otherbor, but now that anxiety hadpletely disappeared.
Because he found that making pottery seemed more effective in obtaining food than hunting with weapons or fishing by the river.
Han Cheng also looked at these foods, but his perspective differed from Shaman''s.
From the foods exchanged by the four neighboring tribes, he could gauge their wealth.
The most surprising was the Donkey Tribe. Originally, he thought that the Bone Tribe, with thergest poption and the strongest strength, would be the richest tribe among them until the Donkey Tribe brought fifteenrge and small donkeys at once
The Bone Tribe''s traded food ranked second, followed by the Green Tribe, with the Donkey Tribe at the bottom.
Of course, if the Green Tribe and others could discover the value of the "wild grain ears" freely growing around their tribe and cultivate them artificially, they might rise to second ce or even first.
The Donkey Tribe
Han Cheng looked at the food they sent and couldn''t help but shake his head. This tribe seemed to have a weak ability to obtain food.
Thinking this, he suddenlyughed because he had juste up with a brilliant idea as to why the Donkey Tribe had a low ability to obtain food
After a busy period, they were hungry again. After lunch, Han Cheng, the Eldest Senior Brother, and the others set out again with their weapons, embarking on the road to find the Fortune Beacon.
This time, four fewer people went with them, including the second brother, the pea shooter
Adding the four people left from yesterday, such as Tie Tou and Hei Wa, there were now eight strong men in the tribe responsible for defense.
With threeme individuals, four pregnant women, and several half-grown children, the fighting force had reached nearly twenty people.
They were well-equipped to handle any danger with the wall as a fortress.
After a cloudy morning, the afternoon cleared up again. The dazzling sunlight lifted people''s moods as if the gloom in their hearts had been dispersed by the sunlight, just like the dark clouds in the sky
The night sky was clean, with no visible trace of clouds. Stars twinkled, dotting the sky. A Milky Way spanned the night sky like a jade belt, tearing through the vast horizon.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng couldn''t identify which star was The Cowherd star and which was the Weaver Girl star, so he randomly picked two rtively close and bright stars on either side of the Milky Way and forcibly named them the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
Then, he recalled the forceful opening line "I''ll return your clothes to you, be my wife" to the moment when the Queen Mother took out her hairpin and split the sky, separating the couple who worked in the fields and to their meeting on the Magpie Bridge on Qi Xi, feeling moved.
A sudden thought made Han Cheng''s face stiffen as he was deeply moved.
He thought strangely for a while, then ended his whimsical thoughts with a lightugh.
Han Cheng''s whimsy was quite simple: he suddenly thought of the unit of time where one day in the sky equaled one year on Earth.
In this case, wouldn''t Cowherd and the Weaver Girl every day? Poor Cowherd.
Now that he thought about it, it was understandable that Cowherd wasn''t as bright as the Weaver Girl
"Why are youughing, Divine Child?" asked Shi Tou, squatting beside Han Cheng and looking at the sky together.
Shi Tou used to be about the same height as Han Cheng, but in the past six months, he had shot up, surpassing Han Cheng by at least three centimeters. It was unclear if it was because he often drank deer milk.
But that didn''t seem right either. Han Cheng drank deer milk daily, even more than Shi Tou did. This discovery made Han Cheng doubt whether he had been struck by lightning and stopped growing
Han Cheng thought momentarily and then told Shi Tou the story of Cowherd and the Weaver Girl with a few modifications.
Of course, the story had been slightly altered.
Cowherd became a primitive man who was not very strong, and his tribe was broken by an evil tribe, forcing him to wander in the wilderness until he met an old cow, and the man and the cow depended on each other for survival.
Weaver Girl became a beautiful woman from the evil tribe, transformed into a witch by the Queen Mother.
During the storytelling process, Shi Tou, who liked to think, asionally asked questions.
For example, was Weaver Girl even more beautiful than Zhuang?
Thinking back to Weaver Girl''s graceful figure and imagining a muscr woman even more muscr than the average man, Han Cheng''s face twitched, feeling sorry for Weaver Girl. Then, under Shi Tou''s expectant gaze, he nodded vigorously.
Shi Tou immediately became cheerful, and thus, Weaver Girl naturally became a tall and majestic beauty wrapped in animal skins
"So beautiful!"
I don''t know when, but quite a few people had gathered around. After receiving Han Cheng''s affirmation, they couldn''t help but express sincere admiration for Weaver Girl''s beauty.
Chapter 203: Cows and Flying Dreams
Chapter 203: Cows and Flying Dreams
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t have a systematguage, so naturally, there weren''t many exciting stories. Otherwise, the simple stories like "The Tadpole Looks for Its Mother," "The Monkey Fishing for the Moon," and "The Little Monkey Descends the Mountain," which Han Cheng moved out to help the tribe learn to read, wouldn''t have caused such a stir.
Even such simple stories could captivate the people of the tribe, let alone a story like "Cowherd and the Weaver Girl," which was on apletely different level.
Everyone waspletely absorbed, their thoughts drifting along with Han Cheng''s descriptions,pletely immersed in the story.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
When the story reached the point where the evil witch from that evil tribe forcibly took Vega away, tearing the couple apart, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe who were listening to the story on the side were filled with rage. Some pounded their chests. Others breathed heavily But Shang''s reaction was the most intense. He turned and grabbed a stone spear, climbed quickly onto the courtyard wall, pointed the spear at the sky, and roared angrily at the brilliant Milky Way, wanting to stab the evil witch from that evil tribe to death with the spear!
Han Cheng looked at the people''s intense reactions, somewhat dumbfounded momentarily.
He had never expected that simply looking up at the stars and getting lost in thought because of Shi Tou''s question would lead to such anger in these people after he slightly modified the familiar story from his future life. It was much more engrossing than what he had experienced in the future.
Seeing more people climbing onto the courtyard wall, cursing at the sky like Li Yuanba, and even some throwing stones angrily into the night sky, Han Cheng couldn''t help but shrink his head.
He was worried that he might be hit on the head by the stones these guys were throwing around and also worried that he didn''t want to be falsely used by the heavens and provoke their wrath. He might be struck by lightning and taken away along with these angry folks. He stole a nce at the stars, which were still shining brightly in the night sky without a hint of cloud cover and secretly admired the broad-mindedness of the heavens. He quickly sent someone to call back these angry folks.
After venting their emotions, the people were still angry, until Han Cheng began telling stories again, and they quieted down.
It wasn''t until Han Cheng finished telling the story and mentioned that the evil witch from that evil tribe allowed the couple to meet once a year that their anger subsided somewhat.
Of course, Han Cheng would never mention the time unit where one day in the sky equaled one year on Earth to them. Even if he did, it would be difficult for them to understand the concept without the concept of "years" in their time.
As they looked up at the dazzling starry sky and followed Han Cheng''s guidance to identify the stars Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, which he had named not long ago, their thoughts drifted wildly.
"Divine Child, what is a cow?" Shi Tou, who spoke Mandarin most fluently, asked.
Han Cheng momentarily thought and began exining to Shi Tou what a cow was and its uses.
The people, who had been looking up at the stars and reminiscing about the incredibly magical and touching story, were gradually drawn back by the new stories told by the Divine Child.
There was a creature asrge as a deer, which ate grass like a deer, called a cow.
Cows could be used for eating and plowing thend much faster than a bone shovel
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who were already very familiar with plowing thend and understood the hardships involved, lit up, their eyes shining like the stars in the night sky.
They couldn''t help but think, how good would it be if their tribe had cows to plow thend?
Shi Tou''s eyes were shining brightly, but unlike the Eldest Senior Brother and others who wanted to find cows to plow thend, he wanted to drape the cowhide over himself and fly like Cowherd.
This child often liked to look at the sky at night and was fascinated by the brilliant and distant Milky Way. He had fantasized more than once about flying into the night sky.
The longing for wings, akin to birds, had always been a regret for Shi Tou. However, tonight, when he heard the magical tale of "Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" from the wise Divine Child, Shi Tou immediately became excited.
"Divine Child, let''s go find cows!" Shi Tou looked at Han Cheng, his eyes shining with infinite joy.
The Eldest Senior Brother and others also looked expectantly at Han Cheng.
Compared to the distant stars Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, which could only be seen but not touched, and the captivating story, they were more concerned about things that directly affected their interests.
From the reactions of the Senior Eldest brother and others, it was clear that they had never seen cows. The nearby tribes'' trade goods and belongings also showed no sign of cows. It seemed unlikely that there were cows nearby.
Cows were excellent at plowing thend. Before the invention of four-wheeled tractors or two-wheeled plows, they had always been the mainstay of farming, more enduring and hardworking than horses or donkeys.
Since Han Cheng wanted to go down the path of agriculture, cows naturally became an important part of it, and he certainly wanted to find them.
Han Cheng nodded vigorously. "Yes, let''s find cows!"
The people watching him couldn''t help but smile with joy.
After hearing the story of "Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" from the Divine Child and learning about the various uses of cows, they couldn''t wait to bring this magical creature into the Green Sparrow Tribe, just like the deer and rabbits.
"Not now. We''ll go find cows when we be strong," Han Cheng said.
The joy in the people''s hearts stagnated for a moment at these words.
Many people looked at the high walls and the meat hanging under the eaves, now visible as dark shadows, and recalled the many fruits piled up in the cave. They were puzzled.
Weren''t they strong enough now?
Someone asked the question on everyone''s mind, and Han Cheng smiled and said, "Compared to the neighboring tribes, we are indeed stronger, but it''s not enough"
Han Cheng then cited the example of the Bone Tribe, which had arrived while they were away yesterday.
Thinking back and forth, the people felt that what the Divine Child said made sense. Although their tribe was stronger than the surrounding ones, they were not yet strong enough to send out a group to search for cows while the rest defended the tribe from harm.
"When will we be strong enough then?" someone asked.
Han Cheng thought momentarily and said, "When we have enough adults, when we have more food than we can eat, when our weapons are sharper"
The people were initially excited, but then they became worried again.
Having more food than they could eat wasn''t too difficult, especially with the fish traps, the various animals raised in the tribe, and the crops. But weapons
Thinking about their stone spears and the vine shields the Divine Child had newly made, they felt they had enough. It was just that having enough adults was difficult!
Although there were many babies in the tribe now, it would take a very long time for them to grow into adults. Even if they did survive, many might not be suitable for venturing out.
Thinking of this, they naturally felt ufortable. They all wanted to go out and capture the cows that the Divine Child said were very useful for the tribe and contribute to the tribe.
Someone voiced this concern.
Only the three giants of the Green Sparrow Tribe knew about the n to subdue the surrounding tribes with salt slowly. The others were all clueless.
Han Cheng looked at the thick shaman wrapped in fur beside him and the eldest senior brother and the others. The three of them smiled at each other with a somewhat cunning expression.
"No!" Han Cheng gave a straightforward answer, but he didn''t borate on how to increase the number of adult tribe members without relying on babies.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe knew that the Divine Child was wise. Since he said so, there must be a way!
They stopped asking and instead raised their heads to gaze again at the brilliant night sky.
As they remembered the story told by the Divine Child and thought about the magical cow, not just Shi Tou, but many others also began to harbor thoughts of finding the cow, killing it when the time came, draping its hide over themselves, and flying into the sky.
Humans longing for the vast sky had never ceased.
Han Cheng had never expected that his story would greatly strengthen the Green Sparrow Tribe''s dream of flying.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t have a systematguage, so naturally, there weren''t many exciting stories. Otherwise, the simple stories like "The Tadpole Looks for Its Mother," "The Monkey Fishing for the Moon," and "The Little Monkey Descends the Mountain," which Han Cheng moved out to help the tribe learn to read, wouldn''t have caused such a stir.
Even such simple stories could captivate the people of the tribe, let alone a story like "Cowherd and the Weaver Girl," which was on apletely different level.
Everyone waspletely absorbed, their thoughts drifting along with Han Cheng''s descriptions,pletely immersed in the story.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
When the story reached the point where the evil witch from that evil tribe forcibly took Vega away, tearing the couple apart, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe who were listening to the story on the side were filled with rage. Some pounded their chests. Others breathed heavily But Shang''s reaction was the most intense. He turned and grabbed a stone spear, climbed quickly onto the courtyard wall, pointed the spear at the sky, and roared angrily at the brilliant Milky Way, wanting to stab the evil witch from that evil tribe to death with the spear!
Han Cheng looked at the people''s intense reactions, somewhat dumbfounded momentarily.
He had never expected that simply looking up at the stars and getting lost in thought because of Shi Tou''s question would lead to such anger in these people after he slightly modified the familiar story from his future life. It was much more engrossing than what he had experienced in the future.
Seeing more people climbing onto the courtyard wall, cursing at the sky like Li Yuanba, and even some throwing stones angrily into the night sky, Han Cheng couldn''t help but shrink his head.
He was worried that he might be hit on the head by the stones these guys were throwing around and also worried that he didn''t want to be falsely used by the heavens and provoke their wrath. He might be struck by lightning and taken away along with these angry folks. He stole a nce at the stars, which were still shining brightly in the night sky without a hint of cloud cover and secretly admired the broad-mindedness of the heavens. He quickly sent someone to call back these angry folks.
After venting their emotions, the people were still angry, until Han Cheng began telling stories again, and they quieted down.
It wasn''t until Han Cheng finished telling the story and mentioned that the evil witch from that evil tribe allowed the couple to meet once a year that their anger subsided somewhat.
Of course, Han Cheng would never mention the time unit where one day in the sky equaled one year on Earth to them. Even if he did, it would be difficult for them to understand the concept without the concept of "years" in their time.
As they looked up at the dazzling starry sky and followed Han Cheng''s guidance to identify the stars Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, which he had named not long ago, their thoughts drifted wildly.
"Divine Child, what is a cow?" Shi Tou, who spoke Mandarin most fluently, asked.
Han Cheng momentarily thought and began exining to Shi Tou what a cow was and its uses.
The people, who had been looking up at the stars and reminiscing about the incredibly magical and touching story, were gradually drawn back by the new stories told by the Divine Child.
There was a creature asrge as a deer, which ate grass like a deer, called a cow.
Cows could be used for eating and plowing thend much faster than a bone shovel
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who were already very familiar with plowing thend and understood the hardships involved, lit up, their eyes shining like the stars in the night sky.
They couldn''t help but think, how good would it be if their tribe had cows to plow thend?
Shi Tou''s eyes were shining brightly, but unlike the Eldest Senior Brother and others who wanted to find cows to plow thend, he wanted to drape the cowhide over himself and fly like Cowherd.
This child often liked to look at the sky at night and was fascinated by the brilliant and distant Milky Way. He had fantasized more than once about flying into the night sky.
The longing for wings, akin to birds, had always been a regret for Shi Tou. However, tonight, when he heard the magical tale of "Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" from the wise Divine Child, Shi Tou immediately became excited.
"Divine Child, let''s go find cows!" Shi Tou looked at Han Cheng, his eyes shining with infinite joy.
The Eldest Senior Brother and others also looked expectantly at Han Cheng.
Compared to the distant stars Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, which could only be seen but not touched, and the captivating story, they were more concerned about things that directly affected their interests.
From the reactions of the Senior Eldest brother and others, it was clear that they had never seen cows. The nearby tribes'' trade goods and belongings also showed no sign of cows. It seemed unlikely that there were cows nearby.
Cows were excellent at plowing thend. Before the invention of four-wheeled tractors or two-wheeled plows, they had always been the mainstay of farming, more enduring and hardworking than horses or donkeys.
Since Han Cheng wanted to go down the path of agriculture, cows naturally became an important part of it, and he certainly wanted to find them.
Han Cheng nodded vigorously. "Yes, let''s find cows!"
The people watching him couldn''t help but smile with joy.
After hearing the story of "Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" from the Divine Child and learning about the various uses of cows, they couldn''t wait to bring this magical creature into the Green Sparrow Tribe, just like the deer and rabbits.
"Not now. We''ll go find cows when we be strong," Han Cheng said.
The joy in the people''s hearts stagnated for a moment at these words.
Many people looked at the high walls and the meat hanging under the eaves, now visible as dark shadows, and recalled the many fruits piled up in the cave. They were puzzled.
Weren''t they strong enough now?
Someone asked the question on everyone''s mind, and Han Cheng smiled and said, "Compared to the neighboring tribes, we are indeed stronger, but it''s not enough"
Han Cheng then cited the example of the Bone Tribe, which had arrived while they were away yesterday.
Thinking back and forth, the people felt that what the Divine Child said made sense. Although their tribe was stronger than the surrounding ones, they were not yet strong enough to send out a group to search for cows while the rest defended the tribe from harm.
"When will we be strong enough then?" someone asked.
Han Cheng thought momentarily and said, "When we have enough adults, when we have more food than we can eat, when our weapons are sharper"
The people were initially excited, but then they became worried again.
Having more food than they could eat wasn''t too difficult, especially with the fish traps, the various animals raised in the tribe, and the crops. But weapons
Thinking about their stone spears and the vine shields the Divine Child had newly made, they felt they had enough. It was just that having enough adults was difficult!
Although there were many babies in the tribe now, it would take a very long time for them to grow into adults. Even if they did survive, many might not be suitable for venturing out.
Thinking of this, they naturally felt ufortable. They all wanted to go out and capture the cows that the Divine Child said were very useful for the tribe and contribute to the tribe.
Someone voiced this concern.
Only the three giants of the Green Sparrow Tribe knew about the n to subdue the surrounding tribes with salt slowly. The others were all clueless.
Han Cheng looked at the thick shaman wrapped in fur beside him and the eldest senior brother and the others. The three of them smiled at each other with a somewhat cunning expression.
"No!" Han Cheng gave a straightforward answer, but he didn''t borate on how to increase the number of adult tribe members without relying on babies.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe knew that the Divine Child was wise. Since he said so, there must be a way!
They stopped asking and instead raised their heads to gaze again at the brilliant night sky.
As they remembered the story told by the Divine Child and thought about the magical cow, not just Shi Tou, but many others also began to harbor thoughts of finding the cow, killing it when the time came, draping its hide over themselves, and flying into the sky.
Humans longing for the vast sky had never ceased.
Han Cheng had never expected that his story would greatly strengthen the Green Sparrow Tribe''s dream of flying.
Chapter 204: From Cowherd and Weaver Girl to Calendars
Chapter 204: From Cowherd and Weaver Girl to Calendars
It waste at night, and it was a bit cold outside. The members of the Sparrow Tribe, who would usually be fast asleep by now, were surprisingly wide-awake tonight, unwilling to go to bed.
This included the older members like Fire One, Fire Two, and the shaman, as well as the somewhat more mature children.
Their severeck of mental stimtion in daily life made them extremely fascinated by the stories told by the Divine Child, which had be an integral part of their evening routine.
Even the original wisest member of the Sparrow Tribe, the shaman, waspletely engrossed in the stories.
At the same time, they were extremely amazed, pondering how the Divine Child knew all these things.
After a while of contemtion, of course, there was no result, so they could only attribute it to the omnipotence of the divine.
Han Cheng himself was not sleepy either. In this world without smartphones orputers, he had plenty of time to sleep every day.
While Tie Tou, Hei Wa, and the others could engage in some physical activity to expend their excess energy and find some amusement at night, he, as a single man was truly pitiful.
Seeing these people so enthusiastic, after some contemtion, Han Cheng decided to retell the original version of "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl" from start to finish.
Although it was the second time they had heard it, the people still listened with great relish.
Divine Child, what is a year?" The one who posed the question was still Shi Tou. He always enjoyed pondering and being the heir to the next shaman; he had more contact with Han Cheng than others. Due to their status and the deer milk, he felt less distance from Han Cheng than others. (I can''te up with a suitable word to describe this moreplex feeling, s.)
Han Cheng smiled faintly. This time, he deliberately emphasized the meeting once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the original story, hoping that Shi Tou, this fellow, would finally start asking questions.
He had considered calendars before but never found a suitable opportunity. Coupled with other things to be busy with, he had temporarily put it aside.
Tonight, when he identally mentioned the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and these concepts were included, it would be easier for them to understand these unfamiliar concepts through mutual confirmation.
So, after thinking for a while, Han Cheng decided to use this as a breakthrough point and guide the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe to understand concepts such as years, months, and days, as well as corresponding calendars.
Living without a specific concept of time was unbearable.
It was manageable for now without a calendar, but as agriculture gradually developed and grew, a rtively urate calendar became particrly important.
Agricultural cultivation was a big deal. You couldn''t rely on guessing for the timing of nting, could you?
Han Cheng said, "From the melting of ice and snow to the blooming of flowers, to the shade of trees under the scorching sun, and then to the falling leaves and snowkes, and back to the melting of ice and snow, this long period is called a year."
After hearing Han Cheng''s words, the people began to ponder.
The first to show a look of enlightenment was the shaman. He had experienced many things and was clever, so he epted it more quickly than others.
The others also gradually understood the meaning of a year. After all, they had seen and experienced all these things that Han Cheng mentioned. It''s just that they had never thought about it in this way before. Hearing Han Cheng talk about it now,bined with their own experiences, it was not difficult to understand and ept this concept.
"I understand!" Shi Tou suddenly eximed in excitement, his face glowing.
"A year is just a name like my name is Shi Tou.
A year is the name for this long period from one melting of ice and snow to the next melting of ice and snow when flowers bloom!"
As he spoke, he seemed excited and hopeful as he looked at Han Cheng.
A crescent moon had risen quietly, and the cold moonlight bathed this quaint courtyard, quietly enveloping the people who refused to sleep at night.
Han Cheng smiled and stretched out both hands, giving two thumbs up to Shi Tou.
With the approval of the shaman, Shi Tou seemed particrly cheerful.
Those who hadn''t understood the meaning of year'' quickly became enlightened after Shi Tou associated it with names they were already familiar with and ustomed to.
Using this momentum, Han Cheng continued, "Everything should have a name"
He then exined the concepts of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
With the groundworkid by understanding year,'' grasping the concept of the four seasons was not difficult for them.
However, they heard too many new things at once tonight, and many couldn''t remember all the names immediately.
This wasn''t a big problem. As long as they understood the concept, the issue of names would naturally be remembered after some time.
Of course, this did not include the shaman and Shi Tou, who frequently used their brains. The two of them remembered the names of the year and the four seasons firmly.
Not only that, after receiving praise, Shi Tou, whose mind became even more agile, spoke up again, asking what July seventh'' meant.
So, Han Cheng divided the year into twelve months, with three months for each season.
Compared to the simple task of memorizing names earlier, these questions about numbers seemed much more difficult. Many people did not understand theplex connections immediately and found it exceptionally profound.
Shi Tou''s two big eyes twinkled, shining like the stars in the sky.
This child was the best at the Han Culture of the entire Sparrow Tribe and had the highest education level,'' able to count up to a thousand without error.
After blinking for a while, Shi Tou''s face lit up with joy, and his teeth, despite the gaps, looked very white in the moonlight.
"Divine Child, is the sun under the moon?" After understanding the concepts of year and month, Shi Tou remembered the meeting on July seventh of the lunar calendar in the story and seemed to understand the rtionship. Blinking his eyes, he asked Han Cheng.
Now Han Cheng finally understood why math teachers in the future always had smiles on their faces when exining problems to students who consistently ranked first in math.
Teaching such a smart student was truly a pleasant experience.
They were far better than those who would exasperate their teachers and please their mothers-inw.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but give Shi Tou a thumbs-up again.
"The sun is indeed under the moon, and each month has at least twenty-eight days"
"From sunrise to the next sunrise is one day The bright part is daytime, the dark part is nighttime, and now it''s nighttime"
Han Cheng, caught up in the moment, switched to teaching mode.
"Divine Child, why do the lengths of the months vary?" Many people around had circled in their eyes, but Shi Tou became increasingly spirited. Not only did he remember everything Han Cheng had exined before, but he could also raise his questions.
Seeing Shi Tou smiling, Han Cheng pointed to the moon, hanging like a gem in the sky. "It can enlighten you."
Everyone looked up at the half-moon in the sky, their minds muddled, not knowing what other secretsy within this familiar sight.
"What changes does this moon undergo? Compared to a few days ago." Han Cheng watched for a while and, seeing Shi Tou''s puzzled expression as he looked at the moon, reminded him.
"A few days ago, it was big and round, like the yolk in a bowl"
Shi Tou scratched his head, not understanding why the moon, which was big and round a few days ago, was now less than half. It looked like it had been bitten off by something fierce.
"In the future, draw the moon every night. When you have drawn enough moons, you will understand why the length of the month varies"
Han Cheng seemed somewhat enigmatic as he spoke.
Of course, he appeared enigmatic because he only partially understood calendars.
Even though in the future he would deal with dates every day and know about the intricacies like there being 365 days in a year, leap years urring every four years, February having 29 days in a leap year and 28 in amon year, he couldn''t create aplete Gregorian calendar based solely on this knowledge.
Compared to theplex Gregorian calendar, the lunar calendar, based on the moon, was much easier to handle. After all, the moon''s changes were significant and observable everywhere, making it much more straightforward than the Gregorian calendar.
Moreover, the lunar calendar was more suitable for agricultural production.
"This small rain in spring startles the spring in the valley, the summer is full with ripe wheat, the heat of summer continues, autumn dew signals the arrival of autumn, and winter snow brings cold winter."
He still remembered this song about the 24 sr terms he learned in elementary school very clearly. Once Shi Tou observed the moon enough and the basic lunar calendar emerged, he could insert these sr terms ording to the current climate characteristics. Then, this calendar would bepletely sufficient for guiding agricultural production.
However, creating a calendar was a meticulous task. Although he knew there was a distinction between "big leap" and "small leap," he didn''t know which month required it. This would require long-term observation and recording.
Of course, not all tasks could be done by the Divine Child. Wouldn''t that be too burdensome? So, this task fell to the extraordinary Shi Tou
Chapter 205: Knocking on the door at night
Chapter 205: Knocking on the door at night
The reality proves that stories will always be more attractive than mere preaching, not only for modern people but also for primitive ones.
The people initially excited to hear the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl quickly lost interest after encountering theplicated and difficult-to-understand calendar. Their excitement turned into drowsiness.
Han Cheng patted Shi Tou, whose eyes reflected the half-moon, signaling him to stop thinking and go back to sleep, continuing observation and recording tomorrow.
One by one, the people dispersed. With the moon''s light scattered on the ground, they entered their rooms and climbed onto their beds to rest. Some with better spirits gazed at the night sky through the uncovered windows, trying to find the two stars of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
Unfortunately, after the moon rose, many stars hid themselves, and the small window only revealed a small portion of the night sky and a few scattered stars.
After being hypnotized by the iprehensible calendar exined by Divine Child, the people felt their sleepiness disappear once they entered the house. The story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, which they had heard twice before, resurfaced in their minds.
Some watched the night sky, while othersy on the bed, embracing each other and discussing the incredibly exciting story, unwilling to fall asleep.
It can be imagined that in the future, the Green Sparrow Tribe will be immersed in the excitement of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and there will be many more "sages" who gaze at the stars in their free time.
Unfortunately, the Green Sparrow Tribe did not have paper, and the people were not in the habit of writing. Otherwise, there would be a situation where "Green Sparrow Paper is precious."
Unlike most people, what upied Shi Tou''s mind the most was not the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl but the talking bull that could fly when wearing its skin, as well as concepts like years, months, days, seasons, and the different shapes of the moon.
Although he couldn''t find the bull now, he could see the moon anytime. He had never looked forward to the arrival of the next long night as much as he did now.
Since bing the next shaman and encountering the mysterious "sky god" who nevermunicated with him, Shi Tou''s frequency and duration of looking up at the sky gradually increased.
Because that was where the sky god lived, and it was also where Divine Child came from.
Unfortunately, after observing for a long time, he only saw vastness, emptiness, mistiness, and mystery, things he could feel but couldn''t express. This made him very ufortable.
Tonight, Divine Childs words had greatly encouraged him. Things that he had no clue about before suddenly had a solution. One way was the bull, and the other was to observe and record the moon.
Although he had wondered before why the moon rose and set and why it waxed and waned, he had never thought about doing something about it until now, thanks to the Divine Child''s hint.
The moon was also something in the sky, said to have existed for a long time, just like the sky god.
He stared through the window at the moon, which had shifted considerably from its original position, lost in thought, clenching his two small fists tightly
Han Cheng was unaware of Shi Tou''s thoughts. If he knew, he would surely sigh inwardly at how this small primitive man surprisingly coincided with the method advocated by someone surnamed Wang in the future.
Of course, there were huge differences between their aspirations and methods.
Han Cheng also hadn''t fallen asleep yet. He wasn''t as engrossed in the primitive version of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl as the others, but rather, he was worried about Fu Jiang.
Only he lived in a three-room, standalone house, making it feel somewhat deserted.
The shaman still refused to move in, which also worried Han Cheng.
Han Cheng felt the chill when he escorted the shaman into the cave. Because everyone had moved out of the cave and stopped making fires, it was much colder insidepared to before.
They needed to find a way to convince the old man to move into a tiled house. Otherwise, things would be troublesome if he fell seriously ill from the cold inside the cave.
Inside the cave, lit by a smallmp, the shaman, having taken off his shoes woven from grass, had half of his body buried under thick fur.
The fur was soft and thick, made from hides outside the tribe.
The shamany there, absentmindedly stroking the fur with his hands. His cloudy old eyes looked at the smallmp, carefully pondering what he had learned from the Divine Child tonight. The more he thought about it, the more he felt amazed. There were so many things outside their tribe, and the days they lived through could be divided into years, months, and days.
If each day could be given a name, then during future celebrations, instead of using joy grass as a token, they could just remember the name of that day, right?
Lost in thought, he suddenly remembered something and quickly looked at themp. He found a small pit forming beneath the crushed and twisted rope grass under the firelight, filled with liquid resembling clear water. He hastily patted his forehead, realizing he had forgotten to extinguish the mp" first. Now, he had wasted quite a bit of precious oil!
With this thought, he leaned over and blew out the small me.
Themp was a simple creation made by Divine Child. It consisted of a small pottery bowl with a rope twisted from crushed grass ced inside. Animal fat, already melted, was then poured into the bowl. Once the rope soaked up the fat, it could be lit.
Including the Divine Child, most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe felt this was somewhat wasteful. After all, animal fat was a rare delicacy, so using it like this was a pity.
This was why most people didn''t use the mp" made by Divine Child. Firstly, they were unwilling to waste the oil. Secondly, they felt it was unnecessary. After all, since birth, they had lived ording to the cycle of sunrise and sunset. Lastly, themp''s me was too smallpared to a bonfire.
The shaman had used it a few times and found it satisfactory. Unlike a bonfire that required constant wood feeding, themp could be carried around easily. It was much more convenient, but burning oil was a heartache
Han Cheng also had amp simr to this one but didn''t use it often. It wasn''t because he was reluctant to usemp oil like the shaman but because he didn''t have a lighter or matches. He didn''t want to grope in the dark to start a fire at night, so once themp was extinguished, he wouldn''t light it again. Most of his activities at night were done in the dark.
Another reason was that themp wick was not good. Made from scattered rope grass, it didn''tst long when burning, and the me was small, not as good as one made from cotton thread.
But thinking about the origin of cotton, Han Cheng sniffed and felt it was better not to think about it again. Instead of thinking about cotton, it was better to think about how to find hemp reliably.
After some random thoughts, Han Cheng also drifted off to sleep.
After sleeping for a while, he vaguely heard the door creaking. Han Cheng woke up from his dream, remembering the experience of dreaming about Fu Jiang returningst time. So this time, instead of rushing out likest time, he waited quietly with some expectation.
The surroundings were silent, without any movement. For a while, he couldn''t tell if the sound he heard was from his dream or if it had happened.
After waiting a while, he sighed softly, closed his eyes again, and fell asleep. Just as drowsiness was about to ovee him, there was another knocking on the door, quite loud and forceful
Chapter 206: obstructed labour
Chapter 206: obstructedbour
Han Cheng was wide awake this time. The sleepiness that had just surged disappeared instantly.
Earlier, in his drowsiness, he had thought the noise was Fu Jiang returningte at night from who knows where. Now, he realized something was wrong. The outer gate was already closed and securely fastened from the inside. Even if Fu Jiang came back, he would wait outside the gate, note to knock on Han Cheng''s door.
Moreover, the knocking sound didn''t sound like something Fu Jiang could make!
Who woulde knocking on his door in the middle of the night?
"Who''s there?"
Han Cheng paused for a moment, asking aloud.
The silence that followed was deafening. Both inside and outside the house were quiet, with no movement.
Han Cheng''s heart began to race, and all the ghost stories he had heard before suddenly flooded his mind, stimting his nerves.
Could he have invoked the gods too much, and heaven couldn''t stand it anymore?
Or perhaps the fox that he had beaten to death and eaten a leg in front of could now seek revenge?
As he entertained these wild thoughts, his heartbeat elerated.
"Bang! Bang! Bang"
The knocking resumed with such force that Han Cheng could feel the gate trembling.
"Who is it!"
Han Cheng raised his voice, feeling the hairs on his body standing on end.
However, there was still no response from outside, only the persistent knocking.
Han Cheng felt increasingly uneasy and reached for the short spear ced by the bedside, gripping it tightly to bolster his courage.
This was suspicious. If it were someone from the Green Sparrow Tribe knocking, they would have answered his inquiry immediately, not remain silent like this!
"Who!"
Sitting on the edge of the heated bed, Han Cheng shouted again with increased intensity.
The knocking stopped, and both inside and outside fell into silence again. Han Cheng could hear his own heartbeat clearly, feeling as if his heart was about to burst out of his chest.
"Yoyo"
After a brief silence, a deer''s call suddenly came from outside the door.
The sound was somewhat familiar, like that of Lord Deer.
Han Cheng''s held breath was suddenly released, and his racing heart calmed down. At this moment, he realized he was somewhat relieved.
After imagining countless scenarios, Lord Deer was a surprising and somewhatughable oue.
"Bang! Bang! Bang"
"Yoyo"
The sounds rang out again. Han Cheng got up, and taking advantage of the dim moonlight seeping through the animal hide, he put on the simple animal hide clothes he often wore, then groped to open the door.
At this time, not far from here, someone in another house was also awakened by themotion. Shouts were heard, followed by the sound of a wooden door being opened.
Han Cheng groped his way to the door, opened it, and immediately saw Lord Deer''s imposing antlers.
The Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Shang, Tie Tou, and others also came out one after another. They were all puzzled to find that the cause of the disturbance was this deer. They couldn''t understand why Lord Deer was behaving like this tonight.
"Ssh."
Caught off guard, Han Cheng''s face was already licked by Lord Deer''s excited tongue as soon as he saw him.
Han Cheng leaned to one side, wiping off the deer''s saliva from his face with disgust while reaching out with his other hand to twist Lord Deer''s long face.
However, Lord Deer shook his head and gently bit Han Cheng''s arm, pulling him back towards the deer pen.
Han Cheng was puzzled. Had something happened in the deer pen? Otherwise, why would Lord Deere to find him in the middle of the night and pull him in that direction?
Han Cheng freed his arm from Lord Deer''s mouth with effort and instructed his eldest brother and others to fetch weapons. Then, they headed towards the deer pen together.
Seeing the bipedal creatures heading towards its dwelling, Lord Deer stopped biting and tugging at Han Cheng, instead following him and trotting towards the deer pen.
The gate of the deer pen was half-open, as Lord Deer, who had long mastered the art of opening and closing it, had done so himself.
Despite the bright moon, most deer were resting inside their sheds due to the gradually cold weather, so it was impossible to see what had happened.
But one thing was for sure: it wasn''t a carnivorous beast that had entered.
Han Cheng instructed someone to bring fire-making tools. Soon, Fire One, who often kept watch and couldn''t sleep well at night, arrived with a hand drill, and under the moonlight, a fire was quickly lit.
Then, they moved the bonfire into the deer pen and made it burn brightly.
Most animals feared fire and kept their distance, except for Lord Deer, who was experienced and arrogant.
The three littlembs were trembling in the corner, fearfully watching the firelight and this group of fierce monkeys.
Han Cheng''s gaze wandered around the deer pen, trying to figure out what had happened.
His gaze quickly stopped on a pregnant doe.
It wasn''t because this doe was exceptionally attractive but because there was much filth on her hindquarters, and in the firelight, traces of blood could be seen, with her fur soaked in the mess.
Behind her, something was faintly visible; closer inspection revealed it to be a small hoof.
These were signs ofbor!
The water had broken, and the hoof was already visible.
Han Cheng looked at Lord Deer, who stood not far away. Had this fellow brought him over in the middle of the night just to inform him of its impending fatherhood?
This seemed unreasonable.
After all, this fellow had be a father many times before, but he had nevere to find Han Cheng for this reason.
Could there be another hidden reason behind this?
Han Cheng thought of the stories he had heard about tigers carrying injured animals to healers and other animals seeking help from humans.
Except for the doe inbor, there was nothing unusual in the deer pen. The problem should lie with this.
Was she having difficulty giving birth?
The doe, visibly distressed frombor, couldn''t withstand the pain despite standing here for a while. Eventually, shey down on the ground, feeling somewhat clumsy.
As shey down, more of the unborn fawn''s body was revealed.
Han Cheng, Eldest Senior Brother, and others stood by, watching from a distance, not daring to approach too closely for fear of disturbing the birthing doe.
Han Cheng was now sure that the doe was having difficulty giving birth. They had been waiting here for almost half an hour, and the unborn fawn had only shown its hoof but refused toe out.
Lord Deer asionally nudged Han Cheng with his mouth as if urging him toe up with a solution quickly.
Han Cheng didn''t have time to think about whether Lord Deer would be a spirit; he was focused on finding a solution to the problem at hand.
He didn''t want a tragedy to ur, even if it was just a deer.
Liang,e here, Han Cheng called out to Liang, who was not far away. Then, they approached the doe together, prepared to assist in the birthing process.
However, the restless doe stood up and moved anxiously before they could reach her. The little legs that had just emerged retracted as she stood up.
Han Cheng and Liang had no choice but to stop, refraining from approaching the doe, who had be particrly alert due to the birthing process. They waited for her to lie down again before continuing to assist in the birth.
Han Cheng recognized this doe as the one he used to milk regrly.
This realization saddened Han Cheng. The deer that he used to milk freely now found it difficult for him even to approach
Chapter 207: Divine Child becomes a vet
Chapter 207: Divine Child bes a vet
The mother deer didn''t stay standing for long. The prolongedbor had depleted a lot of its strength, and its legs were trembling, whether from pain or exhaustion.
Seeing the mother deer lie down again, Han Cheng and Liang waited a moment before cautiously approaching.
In the natural world, giving birth is the most dangerous time for animals because of their weakness, making them vulnerable to predators. Therefore, animals inbor are especially vignt.
The mother deer watched Han Cheng and Liang, intending to stand up again when they approached.
Han Cheng quickly stopped in his tracks, and then he and Liang retreated, not daring to disturb the deer further.
Seeing the two men back away, the mother deer rxed slightly.
Han Cheng scratched his head. It was evident that the mother deer was experiencing difficultbor. Despite wanting to help, Han Cheng couldn''t get close to her. This dy endangered the fawn and left the mother deer in a precarious situation.
Han Cheng looked at Deer Lord and nudged its hindquarters, urging it to gofort its mate.
However, the Deer Lord didn''t cooperate. Despite seeking Han Cheng out earlier, it refused to approach its mate.
After waiting for a while and seeing no progress in the deer''sbor, Han Cheng attempted to approach again.
This time, he didn''t bring Liang along but approached alone. Compared to Liang, he was more familiar with these deer.
Surprisingly, the Deer Lord, who had refused to cooperate earlier, now followed Han Cheng toward the mother deer.
Although the mother deer seemed alert, she didn''t stand up this time, perhaps because she recognized the troublesome Deer Lord or remembered Han Cheng, who had often milked her.
Seeing this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel relieved. Carefully, he approached the mother deer from behind, crouching to examine the hoof protruding from the birth canal.
Due to his previous experience raising sheep and cattle, Han Cheng was not unfamiliar with animal births. Through observation and experience, he gained some knowledge.
Earlier, due to insufficient light, he couldn''t see clearly. But now, with a close-up view, he identified the problem.
Only one hoof was protruding from the birth canal.
Although Han Cheng hadn''t dealt with deer births before, he knew from experience with other animals that this situation was not ideal.
Typically, animals present two front legs during birth, followed by the head positioned between the extended front legs. This configuration makesbor easier.
What''s most feared is when the water breaks before the fetus can turn, resulting in the rear legs and hindquarters being presented first. In such cases, assistance is required, and the animal must be rushed to a veterinarian in town
Fortunately, the fawn in the deer''s belly didn''t present with hindquarters first, which relieved Han Cheng somewhat.
After all, he wasn''t a veterinarian in his past life, so he wouldn''t know what to do if the hindquarters were presented first.
If only one hoof protruded, it would be much easier to handle.
Recalling the methods he knew, Han Cheng ran his hand along the birth canal to help the deer be ustomed to his presence.
After waiting a while, Han Cheng pulled up his fur coat, exposing his right armpletely. The cold of the night began to seep in, making him shiver.
He rubbed his right hand along the edge of the birth canal and then slowly inserted his hand, followed by half of his forearm, beside the protruding hoof.
Without X-ray vision, he had to rely on touch to find the root of the problem.
Animals also have spiritual senses, and most can perceive human goodwill, especially in times of crisis.
Coupled with the mother deer''s familiarity with Han Cheng and her exhaustion from prolongedbor, Han Cheng didn''t act rashly. Therefore, the deer only shifted her body slightly but didn''t stand up.
The people of the Sparrow Tribe had only started raising livestockst winter, so they were unfamiliar with such situations. Therefore, they could only stand at a distance and watch the Divine Child''s actions. Even if they wanted to help, the deer wouldn''t allow it.
Fire Two kept adding wood to the fire, increasing its brightness, as her way of assisting the Divine Child.
Han Cheng struggled as he searched. He had found the root of the problem: one of the fawn''s front legs hadn''te out alongside the other one. Instead, it was off to the side.
With this leg obstructing the birth canal, it would be challenging for the fawn toe out smoothly.
Han Cheng tried to reposition the leg with his hand, but it wasn''t easy. The leg had been tightlypressed due to the mother deer''s forcefulbor, and Han Cheng''s strength was insufficient to correct its position.
After thinking for a while, he pulled his right hand out and pressed it against the fawn''s head. With his left hand gripping the leg that had been out for some time, he slowly pushed inward.
This process wasborious, and it took a while before Han Cheng managed to push the fawn back inside somewhat. He was already drenched in sweat.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, he quickly reached his right hand back inside and found the previous position. He grasped the fawn''s leg and, with force, slowly turned it back into position.
During this process, the mother deer was in great pain and attempted to stand up several times but ultimately endured it.
After aligning the fawn''s front hooves, Han Cheng pulled them outward with all his strength.
His hands and the fawn''s body were slippery, making it challenging to exert force.
After straightening the fawn''s leg, the mother deer could have given birth without Han Cheng''s assistance. However, considering that the amniotic sac had been ruptured for a long time and the birth was dyed, there was a risk that the fawn might not survive. Therefore, Han Cheng continued to assist as a midwife.
It was ironic that as a transmigrator, he not only had to consider childbirth for women in the tribe but also had to help deliver a deer.
Once the fawn''s position was corrected, the birth proceeded much faster.
Before long, the fawn''s mouth appeared, followed by its head.
Once half of its body was out, with a ssh, the rest followed.
Seeing this scene, everyone in the Sparrow Tribe breathed a sigh of relief.
The Sparrow Tribe had gained another deer.
Han Cheng also breathed a sigh of relief, extending his arms outward to avoid getting dirty.
However, his relief was short-lived. This fawn, which had just gone through a difficult birth, didn''t struggle to stand up like the others did after birth. Instead, ity on the ground, moving slightly.
The mother deer, who had just experienced a difficultbor, turned her head and licked the fawn clean while nudging it with her head, encouraging it to stand up as soon as possible.
As herbivores, they needed to learn to run as quickly as possible.
Chapter 208: Saving a Life
Chapter 208: Saving a Life
"Yo yo"
As the mother deer licked and nudged the fawn with her head, she called out in distress when she saw the fawn still lying on the ground, showing no sign of standing up after several attempts to nudge it.
It''s trouble brewing when you''re holding your breath too hard!
Han Cheng didn''t have time to catch his breath and quickly went over, crouching beside the fawn.
The mother deer, protective of her child, showed maternal vignce when she saw Han Cheng but then rxed slightly.
Han Cheng gently lifted the wet head of the fawn with one hand while using the other to pry open its mouth and remove some sticky strings with his fingers.
He had seen simr things in his past life but with thest-bornmb. After birth, it looked like it was about to die, so family members removed mucus from its mouth and throat, turned it over, and poured water over it upside down, ultimately saving a life on the brink of death.
The situation was very simr now, so Han Cheng improvised ordingly.
Han Cheng was still small, and the previous struggles assisting the mother deer had drained much of his energy. Moreover, a fawn was muchrger than amb, making the task even more challenging for him.
He called out to Liang for help.
The fawn had already emerged from the mother deer''s belly, so there was no need to worry about the mother''s emotional state.
Liang came over and, under Han Cheng''s direction, supported the fawn''s head with one hand while prying open its mouth with the other. Meanwhile, Han Cheng reached into the fawn''s mouth and removed the obstructing material.
It was strange how, in the womb, there was no need for air, yet once born, if unable to breathe air, death woulde swiftly.
At this moment, Han Cheng suddenly realized that being small had advantages; at least in midwifery, he had the upper hand.
He remembered hearing somewhere that women with small hands were the best midwives, especially adept at handling difficult births. Even with breech births, they could be delivered smoothly. They were called "small-handed midwives," capable of saving countless lives.
Han Cheng and Liang worked vigorously around the fawn, and the anxious mother deer became increasingly restless. After circling the fawn for a while, she suddenly lowered her head and charged at Liang, who was holding the fawn''s head and mouth.
Liang was caught off guard and stumbled back, barely managing to stay upright by propping himself up with his elbow while the fawn was well protected.
Though women may be weak, they be firm when protecting their offspring. This sentiment applied to the mother deer as well. Despite her usual docility, she showed aggressiveness when her offspring were in danger.
But this was a time to save the fawn, and they couldn''t amodate her protective instincts.
"Pull her aside!" Han Cheng ordered Senior Eldest Brother and others.
Following Han Cheng''smand, the Senior Eldest Brother and the others, who had been waiting on the sidelines, came over to drive away the fiercely protective mother deer temporarily.
But before the Senior Eldest Brother and the others could approach, Deer Lord took the initiative!
With a sudden leap, he kicked the mother deer''s body on the front side with a hoof, then called out to her with a "yo-yo," exuding the authority of the family patriarch
Under the pain, the mother deer cried out, "yo-yo." Although she desperately wanted to rush over to protect her child, she dared not approach under the intimidation of the elder deer, only anxiously calling out from the sidelines.
This scene left Han Cheng dumbfounded, secretly praising Deer Lord as formidable!
After his thorough cleaning, some of the mucus blocking the fawn''s mouth and throat had been removed. With fresh air entering its stomach, the fawn became more spirited.
Thinking that he wasn''t cautious enough, Han Cheng had the Senior Eldest Brother and others, who hade over, hold the fawn''s hind legs together with him, lift its body, and turn it upside down for the water trick.
After a while, some mucus flowed out of the fawn''s mouth. Han Cheng asked Liang to pry open the fawn''s mouth again, then reached in to clean it up. Seeing the fawn struggling more vigorously, Han Cheng let the Senior Eldest Brother and others put it down.
The fawn struggled to stand up as soon as it touched the ground, ready to leave the cruel and frightening bipeds as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, being just born, its body was still weak. Before it could stand up, it fell again.
Seeing the pitiful sight of the newborn fawn, the fawn who often had been robbed of milk by its father and the bipeds imitated its father''s sneer, revealing its incisors and straightening its neck, looking very cunning.
The fawn was now out of danger, so Han Cheng instructed the senior brother and others to walk towards the fire pit. Firstly, he needed to warm himself up as it was getting cold, and secondly, he wanted to free up some space for the mother deer and the fawn to enjoy family time.
When Han Cheng and the others left, the anxious mother deer rushed over, licking and nudging the fawn.
The Deer Lord seemed to have be indifferent, strolling to its usual resting ce without paying attention to the negligent mothers at home or Han Cheng. Ity down contentedly, disying an air of detachment as if brushing off all concerns without seeking recognition.
With the help of the mother deer, the fawn struggled to practice standing up, falling seven or eight times before finally standing up.
Although its four legs trembled severely, and it stumbled after taking a few steps, unable to control its body, it finally managed to stand up.
Han Cheng warmed himself by the fire for a while before using a ceramic basin brought by the tribe to wash the dirt off his arms. The water had cooled significantly, making Han Cheng shiver uncontrobly when it touched his body. With hardly any sleepiness left, he felt even colder.
Liang, the Senior Eldest Brother, and the others who had extended their hands also followed suit and washed themselves.
Han Cheng wrapped himself in fur and roasted by the fire for a while, still feeling cold. He sent someone to the cave to fetch a ceramic pot for boiling soup, filled it with clean water, and ced it on the fire to boil. It was unbearable to go through the night without drinking some hot water to warm up.
While boiling water and roasting by the fire, Han Cheng twisted his head to watch the fawn staggering around like it was drunk, practicing walking with its four thin legs in extreme disarray.
The fawn''s progress was rapid; it could already run a few steps gleefully, although it identally bumped into its father''s raised hindquarters once
The water in the pot boiled, and each person held arge bowl of steaming hot water to their lips, slurping it down as if it were more delicious than milk.
Seeing the greedy fawn drinking milk, everyone felt pleased. The birth of a new life always brought joy, especially since this fawn had been rescued by the shaman''s intervention and had undergone many difficulties, making its survival gratifying.
Chapter 209: The Beaten Dog
Chapter 209: The Beaten Dog
Tonight''s events are particrly numerous, but now it''s finally quiet. Some people couldn''t resist their drowsiness and went to sleep, yawning, while others, still energetic, continued to sip their bowls of hot water.
On a night like this, drinking some hot water is so wonderful.
Hearing the sentiment from the Senior Eldest Brother, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smirk inwardly, thinking, without alcohol. If there were alcohol and he let the Senior Eldest Brother take a few sips, wouldn''t he be even more intoxicated?
Thinking of alcohol, Han Cheng couldn''t help but lick his lips. He wasn''t particrly fond of drinking before, but now he couldn''t help but miss the burning sensation of fifty-six degrees sorghum liquor sliding into his stomach like a knife.
Outside, it''s the time just before dawn. Because the moon hasn''t disappeared, it doesn''t seem very dark, but the unique tranquility andforting atmosphere before dawn envelops everything.
Inside the deer pen, the orange firelight flickers slightly, and the warm y pot, tea bowls, people squatting around the fire, standing, lying down, nursing, or ruminating deer andmbs snuggled together, quietly observing the firelight
All of this is frozen before dawn, a quiet and beautiful scene that makes one feel intoxicated, with an impulse to shed tears
"Woo, woo, woo"
An indistinct sound breaks the peaceful scene.
"Crack!"
The tea bowl falls, warm water soaking the ground, white smoke rising.
The startled Senior Eldest Brother and others looked at the dazed Divine Child. Not far away, Hei Wa reached out to pick up the unbroken tea bowl that had fallen on the ground, intending to hand it to the shaman, but seeing the Divine Childs nk expression, he ultimately didn''t disturb him.
The tranquility inside the deer pen is restored, butpared to the previous heartfelt tranquility, this calm seems to suppress something, and everyone seems to be anticipating something.
"Woo, woo, woo"
The wailing sound rises again, although not very clear. More people hear it this time.
"Crack!"
There''s a slight explosion from the burning firewood in the fire; a few sparks leap out, drawing arcs and falling to the ground, causing the mes to sway slightly.
Han Cheng''s tense heart also trembles fiercely with this slight sound of mes.
He stands up abruptly, rushing out of the deer pen, out of the deer enclosure, and heading straight for the gate.
The Senior Eldest Brother and others also follow closely behind
Approaching the gate, the clear wailing can be heard, and the faint sound of the gate being wed.
The person responsible for standing guard behind the front wall also notices the movement, leaning out to look toward the gate, and recognizes some familiar silhouettes.
Just as he is about to call out in surprise, he sees the Divine Child and others rushing out like the wind from the deer pen.
Perhaps sensing Han Cheng and the other''s presence, the urgency of the paw scratching the door bes even more pronounced after they approach.
Han Cheng runs up to the door, and he sees a familiar figure through the small gap in the wooden door. The faint worry in his heart finally dissipatespletely.
He raises his foot slightly, utches the door, and pulls it open.
As soon as the door opens a crack, the guy outside has already squeezed in. He bounces and jumps around Han Cheng, making cheerful grunting noises in his mouth.
A wolf that exhibits no wolf-like'' behavior like this, besides Fu Jiang, who seems to have deviated further and further from the nature of wolves, there is no other wolf.
Han Cheng had fantasized many times before about Fu Jiang''s sudden return and his joyful appearance, but now it''s somewhat different from his imagination.
Fu Jiang''s joy at being found again quickly subsided, reced by anger. So, the joyful Fu Jiang, still wagging his tail, received several kicks on his butt.
With a downcast and despondent look, Fu Jiang squatted on the ground, resembling a child who had done something wrong, which made Han Cheng both angry, amused, and somewhat distressed.
"Alright, get up."
Han Cheng chuckled.
Fu Jiang, who had just looked pitiful, immediately revived as if charged with electricity.
The fire inside the deer pen burned brighter. The Senior Eldest Brother and others looked at this guy who had been missing for several days and had returned, feeling extremely happy. They had long been ustomed to Fu Jiang''s presence.
The Deer Lord, who had no idea how many times he had be a father, also came over, lowered his head, and butted Fu Jiang''s butt with his horns a few times, venting the loneliness of not having a sparring partner to practice with these past few days.
Fu Jiang naturally didn''t hesitate to fight back, and the two guys greeted each other in their way.
Han Cheng pulled Fu Jiang over and examined him carefully in the firelight.
During this time, this guy had lost a lot of weight. If it weren''t for the long fur on his body, his ribs would have been visible.
His fur also looked dull, and there were some wounds on his front and left hind legs, but they weren''t serious; they had all healed and scabbed over.
After experiencing the joy of returning, Fu Jiang appeared very tired. Hey beside Han Cheng''s feet, asionally rubbing his head against Han Cheng''s calf.
This guy, could it be that he, like the Deer Lord, went off to have some fun?
Watching Fu Jiang''s condition, Han Cheng suddenly had this thought, and the more he thought about it, the more usible it seemed.
Apart from this thing that could temporarily cloud his judgment, Fu Jiang had no reason to leave the tribe where he had lived since childhood.
But
But this dog is female!
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng still let Fu Jiang stand up and, after looking at his hind legs for a while, indeed found clues. He couldn''t help shaking his head andughing silently. It turns out that this matter of being swayed by beauty and forgetting loyalty can happen anywhere.
Then he felt happy again. With Fu Jiang like this, wouldn''t his tribe have a bunch of little Fu Jiangs soon?
It''s time to cultivate them all. Whether it''s hunting or herding, they''ll be good at it.
As the sky brightened, the Green Sparrow Tribe appeared very cheerful. Fu Jiang''s sudden return dispelled all the clouds outside the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Although many people didn''t sleep wellst night, everyone''s spirits were high under the stimtion of multiple events like the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, the birth of the fawn, and Fu Jiang''s return.
During joyful times, food is indispensable. The mes rose, steam billowed from therge pot, and a hearty breakfast was freshly served on the chilly morning.
Fu Jiang was hungry. After eating a lot, he finally stopped. After afortable stretch and a satisfied burp, he came to the courtyard and basked in the sun against the wall to rest. This sense of security is something that cannot be experienced outside.
After staying for a while, Han Cheng also returned to his room to catch some more sleep. He hadn''t slept much at allst night.
Now that the dog has returned and his mind is at ease, he lies on the bed and quickly falls asleep.
It wasn''t until the afternoon that he woke up, stretchingzily and feeling that this quiet time was quite nice.
Tonight''s events are particrly numerous, but now it''s finally quiet. Some people couldn''t resist their drowsiness and went to sleep, yawning, while others, still energetic, continued to sip their bowls of hot water.
On a night like this, drinking some hot water is so wonderful.
Hearing the sentiment from the Senior Eldest Brother, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smirk inwardly, thinking, without alcohol. If there were alcohol and he let the Senior Eldest Brother take a few sips, wouldn''t he be even more intoxicated?
Thinking of alcohol, Han Cheng couldn''t help but lick his lips. He wasn''t particrly fond of drinking before, but now he couldn''t help but miss the burning sensation of fifty-six degrees sorghum liquor sliding into his stomach like a knife.
Outside, it''s the time just before dawn. Because the moon hasn''t disappeared, it doesn''t seem very dark, but the unique tranquility andforting atmosphere before dawn envelops everything.
Inside the deer pen, the orange firelight flickers slightly, and the warm y pot, tea bowls, people squatting around the fire, standing, lying down, nursing, or ruminating deer andmbs snuggled together, quietly observing the firelight
All of this is frozen before dawn, a quiet and beautiful scene that makes one feel intoxicated, with an impulse to shed tears
"Woo, woo, woo"
An indistinct sound breaks the peaceful scene.
"Crack!"
The tea bowl falls, warm water soaking the ground, white smoke rising.
The startled Senior Eldest Brother and others looked at the dazed Divine Child. Not far away, Hei Wa reached out to pick up the unbroken tea bowl that had fallen on the ground, intending to hand it to the shaman, but seeing the Divine Childs nk expression, he ultimately didn''t disturb him.
The tranquility inside the deer pen is restored, butpared to the previous heartfelt tranquility, this calm seems to suppress something, and everyone seems to be anticipating something.
"Woo, woo, woo"
The wailing sound rises again, although not very clear. More people hear it this time.
"Crack!"
There''s a slight explosion from the burning firewood in the fire; a few sparks leap out, drawing arcs and falling to the ground, causing the mes to sway slightly.
Han Cheng''s tense heart also trembles fiercely with this slight sound of mes.
He stands up abruptly, rushing out of the deer pen, out of the deer enclosure, and heading straight for the gate.
The Senior Eldest Brother and others also follow closely behind
Approaching the gate, the clear wailing can be heard, and the faint sound of the gate being wed.
The person responsible for standing guard behind the front wall also notices the movement, leaning out to look toward the gate, and recognizes some familiar silhouettes.
Just as he is about to call out in surprise, he sees the Divine Child and others rushing out like the wind from the deer pen.
Perhaps sensing Han Cheng and the other''s presence, the urgency of the paw scratching the door bes even more pronounced after they approach.
Han Cheng runs up to the door, and he sees a familiar figure through the small gap in the wooden door. The faint worry in his heart finally dissipatespletely.
He raises his foot slightly, utches the door, and pulls it open.
As soon as the door opens a crack, the guy outside has already squeezed in. He bounces and jumps around Han Cheng, making cheerful grunting noises in his mouth.
A wolf that exhibits no wolf-like'' behavior like this, besides Fu Jiang, who seems to have deviated further and further from the nature of wolves, there is no other wolf.
Han Cheng had fantasized many times before about Fu Jiang''s sudden return and his joyful appearance, but now it''s somewhat different from his imagination.
Fu Jiang''s joy at being found again quickly subsided, reced by anger. So, the joyful Fu Jiang, still wagging his tail, received several kicks on his butt.
With a downcast and despondent look, Fu Jiang squatted on the ground, resembling a child who had done something wrong, which made Han Cheng both angry, amused, and somewhat distressed.
"Alright, get up."
Han Cheng chuckled.
Fu Jiang, who had just looked pitiful, immediately revived as if charged with electricity.
The fire inside the deer pen burned brighter. The Senior Eldest Brother and others looked at this guy who had been missing for several days and had returned, feeling extremely happy. They had long been ustomed to Fu Jiang''s presence.
The Deer Lord, who had no idea how many times he had be a father, also came over, lowered his head, and butted Fu Jiang''s butt with his horns a few times, venting the loneliness of not having a sparring partner to practice with these past few days.
Fu Jiang naturally didn''t hesitate to fight back, and the two guys greeted each other in their way.
Han Cheng pulled Fu Jiang over and examined him carefully in the firelight.
During this time, this guy had lost a lot of weight. If it weren''t for the long fur on his body, his ribs would have been visible.
His fur also looked dull, and there were some wounds on his front and left hind legs, but they weren''t serious; they had all healed and scabbed over.
After experiencing the joy of returning, Fu Jiang appeared very tired. Hey beside Han Cheng''s feet, asionally rubbing his head against Han Cheng''s calf.
This guy, could it be that he, like the Deer Lord, went off to have some fun?
Watching Fu Jiang''s condition, Han Cheng suddenly had this thought, and the more he thought about it, the more usible it seemed.
Apart from this thing that could temporarily cloud his judgment, Fu Jiang had no reason to leave the tribe where he had lived since childhood.
But
But this dog is female!
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng still let Fu Jiang stand up and, after looking at his hind legs for a while, indeed found clues. He couldn''t help shaking his head andughing silently. It turns out that this matter of being swayed by beauty and forgetting loyalty can happen anywhere.
Then he felt happy again. With Fu Jiang like this, wouldn''t his tribe have a bunch of little Fu Jiangs soon?
It''s time to cultivate them all. Whether it''s hunting or herding, they''ll be good at it.
As the sky brightened, the Green Sparrow Tribe appeared very cheerful. Fu Jiang''s sudden return dispelled all the clouds outside the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Although many people didn''t sleep wellst night, everyone''s spirits were high under the stimtion of multiple events like the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, the birth of the fawn, and Fu Jiang''s return.
During joyful times, food is indispensable. The mes rose, steam billowed from therge pot, and a hearty breakfast was freshly served on the chilly morning.
Fu Jiang was hungry. After eating a lot, he finally stopped. After afortable stretch and a satisfied burp, he came to the courtyard and basked in the sun against the wall to rest. This sense of security is something that cannot be experienced outside.
After staying for a while, Han Cheng also returned to his room to catch some more sleep. He hadn''t slept much at allst night.
Now that the dog has returned and his mind is at ease, he lies on the bed and quickly falls asleep.
It wasn''t until the afternoon that he woke up, stretchingzily and feeling that this quiet time was quite nice.
Chapter 210: Old age has set in, but lets reminisce about our youthful extravagance.
Chapter 210: Old age has set in, but let''s reminisce about our youthful extravagance.
Covered in a thickyer of fur, Han Cheng was awakened by the cold in the middle of the night. He considered lighting the heated bed or adding another fur, but the sleepiness and chill prevailed. Curled up in bed, he wrestled with his thoughts.
After struggling for a while, he couldn''t longer resist the cold. Gritting his teeth, he emerged from the covers, grabbed some crude clothes, quickly put them on, and then groped his way to the window. He lifted the piece of animal skin, serving as a curtain, letting in a faint light that brightened the roompared to before.
Using this light, Han Cheng fumbled to retrieve a hand-cranked drill and some tinder he had made earlier. After a while, he managed to start a fire. Then he stoked the fire, grabbed some dry wood piled in the corner, and began to burn the heated bed. He squatted by the heated bed''s edge, warming himself by the firelight.
Under his breath, he cursed the cursed weather.
It wasn''t so cold when he went to bedst night. Why was the temperature dropping so drastically now?
Even Fu Jiang emerged from his doghouse, crouching beside the heated bed, propping himself up with his front legs, and watching the firelight with Han Cheng.
After burning for a while, Han Cheng felt the warmth with his hand. It wasforting.
He added more kindling to the fire, piled it up, and used a few y pieces to block the fire pit, leaving only a small hole. He wanted to reduce air cirction and prolong the burning time of the fire. He didn''t want to wake up in the middle of the night because the heated bed had cooled down or be kept awake by the zing fire under the heated bed.
Lying in bed, with the warm heated bed underneath, the entire bed was warm. Han Cheng felt sofortable that he wanted to roll over and sing praises to the wisdom of his ancestors.
When the heated bed was warm, it was easy to feel drowsy. Han Cheng yawned widely, adjusted his position, and prepared to sleep peacefully. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly remembered the shaman left alone in the cave.
On such a cold night, even he was awakened by the cold. How could an older person like him endure it?
Thinking of this, Han Cheng lost all desire to sleep. He hurriedly got out of bed, put on his fur clothes, draped a sheepskin cloak outside, grabbed an "oilmp" from a nearby earthen tform, opened the mouth of the earthen heated bed, took out a small twig that was already burning, lit the oilmp, blocked the mouth of the earthen heated bed again, and then carried the oilmp to the outer room and opened the door to walk out of the house.
As soon as he stepped out of the house, he was surrounded by cold air. Han Cheng shivered, clutching his neck with one hand to protect the me lest the oilmp, which was already small, be blown out by the wind.
Third Senior Brother, wrapped in fur on the low wall on the west side, casually turned his head and saw this scene. He was a little surprised. Due to the distance and the darkness, he only saw some firelight and a silhouette and couldn''t recognize that it was Han Cheng.
"Who''s there?" Third Senior Brother asked, gripping his spear with gloved hands.
Fu Jiang also followed with a whimper.
Hearing Han Cheng''s voice, the Third Senior Brother stopped questioning. He found it strange that the Divine Child was not sleeping in the middle of the night, carrying amp and running to the cave.
Han Cheng walked into the cave with themp. The cave was particrly dim because people had moved out, and only the inner cave where the shaman lived was covered with animal skins.
The cave, which used to be somewhat warmer, was as cold as the outside.
The cave was cool to live in during the summer but truly torturous in the winter. Han Cheng was determined to make the shaman move out of there!
As Han Cheng walked, he thought to himself.
Before he reached the entrance to the inner cave, Han Cheng suddenly stopped, listening intently.
In the quiet night, intermittent moans could be heard, and the sound source was the inner cave where the shaman lived alone.
After listening for a while, Han Cheng''s expression suddenly became strange.
Was the shaman reliving his youth in this long night, entertaining himself to pass the sleepless night, or was there a female primitive person from the tribe
Thinking like this, Han Cheng''s expression became even stranger, and then he gave a look of sudden realization.
No wonder he insisted on not moving out of the inner cave into the new house. The real reason was here.
Han Cheng smiled like a fox who had stolen a chicken.
I didn''t expect, I didn''t expect, the shaman had such a side!
Han Cheng was full of gossip. After thinking for a while, he put down the oilmp in his hand and quietly walked towards the inner cave, wanting to hear more clearly.
As he got closer, the sound indeed became much clearer. After listening for a while, Han Cheng was already sure that only the shaman was in the inner cave.
However
He became puzzled. Shouldn''t this be a happy thing? Why did the shaman''s voice sound somewhat painful?
Could it be that he misunderstood?
He thought like this, wanting to push open the wooden nks directly. However, he was afraid that the shaman was doing something inappropriate, and if he scared him and caused him to lose his happiness, it would be a big mistake.
After thinking for a while, he retreated, picked up the oilmp from the ground, pretended to cough a few times as if his throat was ufortable, waited for a while, and then walked towards the inner cave.
When walking, he deliberately stepped heavily and walked slowly.
When he arrived at the entrance of the inner cave and listened, the moaning was still there, making Han Cheng''s heart sink, feeling that something was wrong.
He hurriedly called out, "Shaman?"
Then, he used one hand to push the wooden nks.
"Divine Child?"
The moaning, which seemed painful, stopped momentarily, and the shaman''s trembling voice came out.
The voice stopped, and then couldn''t help but moan again.
By this time, Han Cheng had entered the inner cave. The bean-sizedmp dispersed the darkness in the cave, revealing the headdress, bone staff, and numerous y tablets ced there, and the shaman curled up on the bed under the fur.
The shaman''s face was pale, with sweat and a look of pain.
He saw Han Chenge in and tried to sit up, but he couldn''t get up because of the intense pain.
Seeing the shaman like this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but be shocked, wondering how a fine person could suddenly be like this.
He put the oilmp aside and hurriedly asked the shaman what was happening.
The shaman curled up in pain and said, "Leg"
Han Cheng lifted the fur covering the shaman''s body and saw his hands tightly holding onto his left leg.
His left leg was curled up, his toes unnaturally spread, and there was a swollen lump on the calf!
Covered in a thickyer of fur, Han Cheng was awakened by the cold in the middle of the night. He considered lighting the heated bed or adding another fur, but the sleepiness and chill prevailed. Curled up in bed, he wrestled with his thoughts.
After struggling for a while, he couldn''t longer resist the cold. Gritting his teeth, he emerged from the covers, grabbed some crude clothes, quickly put them on, and then groped his way to the window. He lifted the piece of animal skin, serving as a curtain, letting in a faint light that brightened the roompared to before.
Using this light, Han Cheng fumbled to retrieve a hand-cranked drill and some tinder he had made earlier. After a while, he managed to start a fire. Then he stoked the fire, grabbed some dry wood piled in the corner, and began to burn the heated bed. He squatted by the heated bed''s edge, warming himself by the firelight.
Under his breath, he cursed the cursed weather.
It wasn''t so cold when he went to bedst night. Why was the temperature dropping so drastically now?
Even Fu Jiang emerged from his doghouse, crouching beside the heated bed, propping himself up with his front legs, and watching the firelight with Han Cheng.
After burning for a while, Han Cheng felt the warmth with his hand. It wasforting.
He added more kindling to the fire, piled it up, and used a few y pieces to block the fire pit, leaving only a small hole. He wanted to reduce air cirction and prolong the burning time of the fire. He didn''t want to wake up in the middle of the night because the heated bed had cooled down or be kept awake by the zing fire under the heated bed.
Lying in bed, with the warm heated bed underneath, the entire bed was warm. Han Cheng felt sofortable that he wanted to roll over and sing praises to the wisdom of his ancestors.
When the heated bed was warm, it was easy to feel drowsy. Han Cheng yawned widely, adjusted his position, and prepared to sleep peacefully. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly remembered the shaman left alone in the cave.
On such a cold night, even he was awakened by the cold. How could an older person like him endure it?
Thinking of this, Han Cheng lost all desire to sleep. He hurriedly got out of bed, put on his fur clothes, draped a sheepskin cloak outside, grabbed an "oilmp" from a nearby earthen tform, opened the mouth of the earthen heated bed, took out a small twig that was already burning, lit the oilmp, blocked the mouth of the earthen heated bed again, and then carried the oilmp to the outer room and opened the door to walk out of the house.
As soon as he stepped out of the house, he was surrounded by cold air. Han Cheng shivered, clutching his neck with one hand to protect the me lest the oilmp, which was already small, be blown out by the wind.
Third Senior Brother, wrapped in fur on the low wall on the west side, casually turned his head and saw this scene. He was a little surprised. Due to the distance and the darkness, he only saw some firelight and a silhouette and couldn''t recognize that it was Han Cheng.
"Who''s there?" Third Senior Brother asked, gripping his spear with gloved hands.
Fu Jiang also followed with a whimper.
Hearing Han Cheng''s voice, the Third Senior Brother stopped questioning. He found it strange that the Divine Child was not sleeping in the middle of the night, carrying amp and running to the cave.
Han Cheng walked into the cave with themp. The cave was particrly dim because people had moved out, and only the inner cave where the shaman lived was covered with animal skins.
The cave, which used to be somewhat warmer, was as cold as the outside.
The cave was cool to live in during the summer but truly torturous in the winter. Han Cheng was determined to make the shaman move out of there!
As Han Cheng walked, he thought to himself.
Before he reached the entrance to the inner cave, Han Cheng suddenly stopped, listening intently.
In the quiet night, intermittent moans could be heard, and the sound source was the inner cave where the shaman lived alone.
After listening for a while, Han Cheng''s expression suddenly became strange.
Was the shaman reliving his youth in this long night, entertaining himself to pass the sleepless night, or was there a female primitive person from the tribe
Thinking like this, Han Cheng''s expression became even stranger, and then he gave a look of sudden realization.
No wonder he insisted on not moving out of the inner cave into the new house. The real reason was here.
Han Cheng smiled like a fox who had stolen a chicken.
I didn''t expect, I didn''t expect, the shaman had such a side!
Han Cheng was full of gossip. After thinking for a while, he put down the oilmp in his hand and quietly walked towards the inner cave, wanting to hear more clearly.
As he got closer, the sound indeed became much clearer. After listening for a while, Han Cheng was already sure that only the shaman was in the inner cave.
However
He became puzzled. Shouldn''t this be a happy thing? Why did the shaman''s voice sound somewhat painful?
Could it be that he misunderstood?
He thought like this, wanting to push open the wooden nks directly. However, he was afraid that the shaman was doing something inappropriate, and if he scared him and caused him to lose his happiness, it would be a big mistake.
After thinking for a while, he retreated, picked up the oilmp from the ground, pretended to cough a few times as if his throat was ufortable, waited for a while, and then walked towards the inner cave.
When walking, he deliberately stepped heavily and walked slowly.
When he arrived at the entrance of the inner cave and listened, the moaning was still there, making Han Cheng''s heart sink, feeling that something was wrong.
He hurriedly called out, "Shaman?"
Then, he used one hand to push the wooden nks.
"Divine Child?"
The moaning, which seemed painful, stopped momentarily, and the shaman''s trembling voice came out.
The voice stopped, and then couldn''t help but moan again.
By this time, Han Cheng had entered the inner cave. The bean-sizedmp dispersed the darkness in the cave, revealing the headdress, bone staff, and numerous y tablets ced there, and the shaman curled up on the bed under the fur.
The shaman''s face was pale, with sweat and a look of pain.
He saw Han Chenge in and tried to sit up, but he couldn''t get up because of the intense pain.
Seeing the shaman like this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but be shocked, wondering how a fine person could suddenly be like this.
He put the oilmp aside and hurriedly asked the shaman what was happening.
The shaman curled up in pain and said, "Leg"
Han Cheng lifted the fur covering the shaman''s body and saw his hands tightly holding onto his left leg.
His left leg was curled up, his toes unnaturally spread, and there was a swollen lump on the calf!
Chapter 211: Innovate based on inheritance
Chapter 211: Innovate based on inheritance
After seeing this scene, Han Cheng was surprised, but at the same time, he felt relieved.
This should be a cramp for shaman, not a serious illness, but like a toothache; although it''s not a disease when it hurts, it can be excruciating.
Thinking about cramps, Han Cheng let Shaman release his hands from his legs and try to lie as t as possible on the bed.
Shaman endured the intense pain and, with Han Cheng''s help, managed to lie down as t as possible.
Han Cheng half-knelt beside Shaman''s left leg, holding his ankle from below with one hand and his foot with the other, pushing forcefully toward Shaman''s direction.
This could stretch the muscles and loosen the cramped muscles.
However, Han Cheng''s strength was too small, and his hands were too small to grasp Shaman''srge foot all at once, so the effect was not very good.
Han Cheng stopped after trying for a while and seeing little effect and Shaman''s unbearable pain.
Scratching his head, he thought of another solution.
Shaman had experienced leg cramps a few times before, but they were not severe, and they would usually go away after a while, unlike this time, which was extremely painful.
Before, he had wanted to call for help, but he was the only one left in the cave, so who could he call?
The intense pain, apanied by the surrounding darkness, filled Shaman''s heart with despair and fear, afraid that he would die.
No matter how one belittles life and death, when deathes, fear is inevitable, except for those who seek death.
Of course, Shaman didn''t want to die. Since the arrival of the Divine Child, life in the tribe has improved daily. He wanted to see how far the tribe could go under the leadership of the shaman, and he wanted to see all the surrounding tribes assimted into the Green Sparrow Tribe
Because of this, he hugged his legs, feeling both fearful and praying to the gods and then a miracle happened: the Divine Child came with amp.
For the same reason, when he saw the Divine Child, who was usually omnipotent, frown as if troubled, his heart was again filled with anxiety.
If even the Divine Child couldn''t solve this, he might be doomed
Fortunately, the Divine Child''s frown soon rxed, greatly relieving Shaman.
Following Han Cheng''s instructions, Shaman sat up with Han Cheng''s support.
Han Cheng pulled over Shaman''s fur coat from the side and helped Shaman put it on. It was too cold then, so they had to ensure proper warmth.
After putting on the coat, Han Cheng supported Shaman, trembling all over, off the bed, helping him stand on the ground as steadily as possible.
Don''t just rely on the right foot for support; the curled left foot should also touch the ground and gradually increase the force to straighten the leg.
This process was very painful, butpared to the pain, Shaman cherished his life even more. Seeing Han Cheng''s confident demeanor, he was even more determined.
Following Han Cheng''s instructions, he endured the pain, put his left foot on the ground, and tried to straighten his left leg as much as possible.
At first, it was indeed painful, but then the pain gradually eased a bit. Feeling the effectiveness, Shaman couldn''t help but feel overjoyed and exerted more force to straighten his leg.
Seeing that this method was effective and Shaman''s pain was alleviated, Han Cheng thought for a moment, said a few words to Shaman, lit Shaman''smp, and then left the cave with hismp and Fu Jiang.
The cave became quiet again, and Shaman was alone but no longer felt fear.
He looked at the oilmp not far away, his leg still in pain, but there was a faint smile on his face.
Just like the oilmp dispelled the darkness in the cave, the appearance of the shaman also dispelled all the fear in his heart.
He limped and turned his body to face the totem pole, deeply bowing, then turned towards the direction where Han Cheng left, bowing again, showing great respect and piety.
The sound of footsteps, flickering firelight and some slightly chaotic sounds, quickly spread from the cave entrance to here.
The smile on Shaman''s face grew even more pronounced.
The Eldest Senior Brother and others, awakened by Han Cheng, hurried over. They didn''t want anything to happen to the respected Shaman.
Seeing Shaman standing here with a smile, their anxious hearts were somewhat relieved.
Han Cheng inquired about Shaman''s condition and, upon learning that he still wasn''tpletely better, instructed him to lie back on the bed, turn up themp, and watch his movements carefully. Han Cheng then began the same simple and effective method he had used to deal with leg cramps.
In a tribe, not having a healer was not an option. Since Liang aspired to be a healer who could save lives, Han Cheng took every opportunity to teach Liang some basic medical knowledge.
The so-called innovation is not innovation from scratch but something that can only be developed on a certain foundation.
Starting from scratch is indeed too difficult, whether it''s starting a business or, even more so, delving into the vast andplex field of medicine.
If Liang wanted to go far on the path of medicine, Han Cheng''s guidance at the beginning was indispensable.
Only by learning and mastering the bits and pieces of medical knowledge that Han Cheng knew, which would bemon knowledge inter generations, and having a certain foundation, could Liang explore further on his own without losing his direction.
Liang was stronger than Han Cheng, and his methods were more effective.
After pushing Shaman''s foot forward for a while and confirming that it was rxed and that Shaman''s leg would no longer cramp, Liang stopped.
Liang''s eyes were bright because tonight, he had learned another way to treat illness from the Divine Child.
After his eyes shone for a while, they showed confusion and contemtion.
He was wondering why this method could cure Shaman''s leg pain
Han Cheng persuaded Shaman not to stay alone in the inner cave.
This time, it was just leg cramps, and the consequences were not serious since the cold awakened him. However, who could guarantee that the same coincidence would happen next time?
At first, Shaman disagreed, but after hearing Han Cheng''s exnation that his leg cramps tonight were most likely caused by being frozen, he became somewhat interested.
"The totem pole"
He hesitated.
It was the thing he was most reluctant to part with.
"The totem pole can also be moved into the house"
Han Cheng said straightforwardly.
Shaman wanted to say that the totem pole could not be moved casually, and there had never been an example of a totem pole being ced in a house.
But then he thought, this was what the Divine Child said. The Divine Child was closest to the gods, so if he said it was okay, it should be fine. Besides, the previous shamans had never seen a house before
In this way, Shaman was half-persuaded and half-carried out of the inner cave where he had lived most of his life and moved into the new residence.
Shaman''s leg cramps were severe andsted a long time. Although they had stopped now, it was still inconvenient to walk.
Under Han Cheng''s direction, the totem pole was carried by Tie Tou and Liang and ced in the back wall of the room used as a hall in Han Cheng''s residence.
The feather crown and bone rod, the two tools'' that the Shaman often used tomunicate with the gods, were personally carried by Han Cheng, the Divine Child.
The others took away all the hay, animal skins, and fur coversid out by Shaman.
Even Shaman''s specially used chamber pot was not left behind.
Many hands make work quick, and before long, the inner cave became empty, with only numerous y tablets used for recording things remaining here, quietly waiting.
When Shang came to take away the oilmp, darkness enveloped the cave.
Chapter 212: The lazy shaman and the people grinding sticks
Chapter 212: Thezy shaman and the people grinding sticks
The sky brightened, and the wild chickens in the chicken coop were clucking. The one with its tail feathers plucked by Han Cheng didn''t care about its appearance anymore, contentedly humming a tune.
Most of the people in the Green Sparrow Tribe were already awake. The shaman, who usually woke up early, stayed in bed.
The shaman was awake, lyingfortably on the new bed covered with soft fur, leisurely gazing at the ceiling.
There was a reason why he didn''t get up. Firstly, his legs had cramped up for most of the night, affecting his sleep and leaving lumps on his left calf, making it difficult to walk straight.
Secondly, the bed was just toofortable!
Underneath him was a thickyer of hay, topped with fur, extremely soft. But what mattered most was that the hay and fur were warmed by the earth stove below.
As soon as a persony down, it was as if they were glued down, and getting up required a painful struggle to summon the courage to face the cold.
The shaman was no exception.
He had initially thought of getting up, but before he could, Han Cheng came over, mentioning his difort in the legs fromst night''s cramping, and advised him to rest in bed a bit longer.
Originally, he could have gotten up, but with Han Cheng''s words, the shaman felt his legs were ufortable. Since there was nothing urgent for him to do, after some deliberation, he decided to stay lying down.
The shamany on the bed, looking around the room with his eyes open. The warmth underneath him made him regret not moving here earlier.
He wouldn''t have to suffer like this if he had moved earlier.
Thinking this way and recalling the prohibition against moving the totem pole, he felt relieved, lying on the bed even more peacefully.
The shaman turned his head back and forth on the bed, looking around the room. The longer he looked, the more he liked it. This new house reced the decades he had spent in the inner cave.
Yes, the "smell theory" was indeed remarkable.
Han Cheng got up quite early. Climbing up the low wall with adder, he exhaled white mist and looked outside. All he saw was a vast expanse of white.
This wasn''t snow but a thickyer of frost.
No wonder it suddenly became so coldst night. It turned out there was such heavy frost. Before the frost came cold, and after the snow came chill, the reputation was well-deserved.
The sun seemed afraid of the cold, just like the shaman lying on the bed not wanting to get up. It wavered and swayed for a while before finally rising from the east, presenting a rosy face as if it was still reminiscing about an inappropriate dream
As the sun rose, the frost quickly disappeared, and the busy and fulfilling life of the Green Sparrow Tribe continued.
After breakfast, the Eldest Senior Brother and others carried bone shovels under their armpits, shrunk their necks, and rolled up their sleeves as they left the tribe''s gate to continue working in the fields.
Most of the oilseed rape leaves, previously greenish from the frost, were now wilting and drooping on the ground.
Others, like Lame, Mu Tou, Cheng, and Hei Wa, didn''t go to the fields but followed Han Cheng''s instructions to collect tree branches about a centimeter in diameter.
Some people didn''t understand why the Divine Child needed these branches, but they still did as they were told.
Of course, Han Cheng needed these branches for a reason, and it was significant concerning the tribe''s safety.
As winter approaches, the safety issue must be taken even more seriously. Fire prevention, theft prevention, and protection against the Flying Snake tribe were not just empty words; they needed to be genuinely addressed.
Last winter, when the Flying Snake Tribe attacked, what left the deepest impression on Han Cheng wasn''t the significant role yed by the walls but rather the scattered dead trees hidden beneath the umted snow.
During that battle, these dead trees yed a crucial role, causing significant damage to the Flying Snake Tribe even before they could approach the walls. Without them, the damage suffered by the Green Sparrow Tribe in thest war would have been much greater.
With continuous consumption, most of the trees around the outer perimeter of the walls had been cleared away. This was undoubtedly a loss of a powerful barrier for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Although there were protective trenches on the outer side of the Green Sparrow Tribe, they would freeze over in the extreme cold of winter, greatly reducing their effectiveness.
Some wise individuals in the Green Sparrow Tribe had long proposed their views, wanting the Divine Child to leave these dead trees behind to defend the tribe. These people included the shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, who had detailed knowledge of the battle, and the Third Senior Brother.
Han Cheng felt it was a pity to leave so much wood here to rot, so he insisted on clearing away these trees ording to his own opinion.
However, before discussing this, he proposed a defense solution.
The solution was what Lame and others were currently working on.
Lame picked up a two-meter-long forked branch, estimated the distance, and ced it on a rtively thick trunk. Holding a stone axe of wood in his right hand, he chopped diagonally towards the trunk.
ording to Han Cheng''s requirements, the branches found by everyone were quite hard, and even a heavy axe blow barely made a dent.
Lame grasped the branch with his left hand, turned it halfway, and then chopped again. Finally, he put down the axe, grabbed the branch with both hands and broke it from the break.
Then he ced it on the left side, where there was already a pile of neatly cut branches about thirty centimeters long.
Seeing that Lame had already cut a pile of branches, Han Cheng asked the others to stop looking for suitable branches and instead started a fire not far away.
After bringing over the branches cut by Lame and putting them aside, they picked up a few, burned both ends in the fire for a while, and then began grinding them on the stones they had brought earlier.
After sharpening both ends, they stopped and put the finished wooden sticks together.
After gathering enough branches to form arge pile, Hei Wa and others also stopped and brought another stone axe to chop branches with Lame.
The rest of the people followed Han Cheng and Mu Tou''s example, grinding the cut branches.
Swinging the stone axe was not an easy task. After a while, Lame was already dripping with sweat. Even though he opened up the animal skins wrapped around his body, his head was still steaming with white mist, as if he had achieved mastery in internal energy, reaching a state of perfection.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng let Mu Tou take over Lame''s job of cutting branches and asked Lame to handle the lighter task of grinding the branches.
Hei Wa also had someone take over his task.
The sky brightened, and the wild chickens in the chicken coop were clucking. The one with its tail feathers plucked by Han Cheng didn''t care about its appearance anymore, contentedly humming a tune.
Most of the people in the Green Sparrow Tribe were already awake. The shaman, who usually woke up early, stayed in bed.
The shaman was awake, lyingfortably on the new bed covered with soft fur, leisurely gazing at the ceiling.
There was a reason why he didn''t get up. Firstly, his legs had cramped up for most of the night, affecting his sleep and leaving lumps on his left calf, making it difficult to walk straight.
Secondly, the bed was just toofortable!
Underneath him was a thickyer of hay, topped with fur, extremely soft. But what mattered most was that the hay and fur were warmed by the earth stove below.
As soon as a persony down, it was as if they were glued down, and getting up required a painful struggle to summon the courage to face the cold.
The shaman was no exception.
He had initially thought of getting up, but before he could, Han Cheng came over, mentioning his difort in the legs fromst night''s cramping, and advised him to rest in bed a bit longer.
Originally, he could have gotten up, but with Han Cheng''s words, the shaman felt his legs were ufortable. Since there was nothing urgent for him to do, after some deliberation, he decided to stay lying down.
The shamany on the bed, looking around the room with his eyes open. The warmth underneath him made him regret not moving here earlier.
He wouldn''t have to suffer like this if he had moved earlier.
Thinking this way and recalling the prohibition against moving the totem pole, he felt relieved, lying on the bed even more peacefully.
The shaman turned his head back and forth on the bed, looking around the room. The longer he looked, the more he liked it. This new house reced the decades he had spent in the inner cave.
Yes, the "smell theory" was indeed remarkable.
Han Cheng got up quite early. Climbing up the low wall with adder, he exhaled white mist and looked outside. All he saw was a vast expanse of white.
This wasn''t snow but a thickyer of frost.
No wonder it suddenly became so coldst night. It turned out there was such heavy frost. Before the frost came cold, and after the snow came chill, the reputation was well-deserved.
The sun seemed afraid of the cold, just like the shaman lying on the bed not wanting to get up. It wavered and swayed for a while before finally rising from the east, presenting a rosy face as if it was still reminiscing about an inappropriate dream
As the sun rose, the frost quickly disappeared, and the busy and fulfilling life of the Green Sparrow Tribe continued.
After breakfast, the Eldest Senior Brother and others carried bone shovels under their armpits, shrunk their necks, and rolled up their sleeves as they left the tribe''s gate to continue working in the fields.
Most of the oilseed rape leaves, previously greenish from the frost, were now wilting and drooping on the ground.
Others, like Lame, Mu Tou, Cheng, and Hei Wa, didn''t go to the fields but followed Han Cheng''s instructions to collect tree branches about a centimeter in diameter.
Some people didn''t understand why the Divine Child needed these branches, but they still did as they were told.
Of course, Han Cheng needed these branches for a reason, and it was significant concerning the tribe''s safety.
As winter approaches, the safety issue must be taken even more seriously. Fire prevention, theft prevention, and protection against the Flying Snake tribe were not just empty words; they needed to be genuinely addressed.
Last winter, when the Flying Snake Tribe attacked, what left the deepest impression on Han Cheng wasn''t the significant role yed by the walls but rather the scattered dead trees hidden beneath the umted snow.
During that battle, these dead trees yed a crucial role, causing significant damage to the Flying Snake Tribe even before they could approach the walls. Without them, the damage suffered by the Green Sparrow Tribe in thest war would have been much greater.
With continuous consumption, most of the trees around the outer perimeter of the walls had been cleared away. This was undoubtedly a loss of a powerful barrier for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Although there were protective trenches on the outer side of the Green Sparrow Tribe, they would freeze over in the extreme cold of winter, greatly reducing their effectiveness.
Some wise individuals in the Green Sparrow Tribe had long proposed their views, wanting the Divine Child to leave these dead trees behind to defend the tribe. These people included the shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, who had detailed knowledge of the battle, and the Third Senior Brother.
Han Cheng felt it was a pity to leave so much wood here to rot, so he insisted on clearing away these trees ording to his own opinion.
However, before discussing this, he proposed a defense solution.
The solution was what Lame and others were currently working on.
Lame picked up a two-meter-long forked branch, estimated the distance, and ced it on a rtively thick trunk. Holding a stone axe of wood in his right hand, he chopped diagonally towards the trunk.
ording to Han Cheng''s requirements, the branches found by everyone were quite hard, and even a heavy axe blow barely made a dent.
Lame grasped the branch with his left hand, turned it halfway, and then chopped again. Finally, he put down the axe, grabbed the branch with both hands and broke it from the break.
Then he ced it on the left side, where there was already a pile of neatly cut branches about thirty centimeters long.
Seeing that Lame had already cut a pile of branches, Han Cheng asked the others to stop looking for suitable branches and instead started a fire not far away.
After bringing over the branches cut by Lame and putting them aside, they picked up a few, burned both ends in the fire for a while, and then began grinding them on the stones they had brought earlier.
After sharpening both ends, they stopped and put the finished wooden sticks together.
After gathering enough branches to form arge pile, Hei Wa and others also stopped and brought another stone axe to chop branches with Lame.
The rest of the people followed Han Cheng and Mu Tou''s example, grinding the cut branches.
Swinging the stone axe was not an easy task. After a while, Lame was already dripping with sweat. Even though he opened up the animal skins wrapped around his body, his head was still steaming with white mist, as if he had achieved mastery in internal energy, reaching a state of perfection.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng let Mu Tou take over Lame''s job of cutting branches and asked Lame to handle the lighter task of grinding the branches.
Hei Wa also had someone take over his task.
Chapter 213: The Thorny Greenbelt
Chapter 213: The Thorny Greenbelt
"Dong, dong, dong"
After arge pile of sharpened tree stakes had been prepared, the Eldest Senior Brother and others stopped plowing the fields. Each person took a stone and hammered the sharpened wooden stakes into the ground.
The location for hammering the stakes was along the second line created on the outskirts of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
As the walls grew higher, the throwing distance of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s people extended further forward. However, the two original lines remained unchanged because the greatest throwing distance did not necessarily inflict the most powerful damage on the enemy.
It was better not to move these two lines.
Previously, when the wall was only two meters high, the people from outside the tribe couldn''t even throw their weapons over the second line, and it was not a threat to the safety of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Now that the wall had been raised much higher, the safety of the Green Sparrow Tribe was naturally assured at this distance.
After much thought and verification, Han Cheng established this defensive line here.
The Eldest Senior Brother hammered one stake until only about ten centimeters were left, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at thepleted section of the torn belt nearly four meters wide with great satisfaction.
He stood up and tried stepping on the newly hammered stake with his foot.
Because the stakes were hammered down with stones, the tips of the stakes were not very sharp. Moreover, he wore grass shoes on his feet, with animal skin socks inside, so he didn''t feel much pain even when stepping on them.
However, the Eldest Senior Brother''s joy did not diminish. There weren''t many people in other tribes who wore grass shoes and socks like him.
He imagined the scene of the attackers rushing over and being tripped up by the stakes before they could attack their tribe or falling after stepping on the sharp ends of the stakes, their faces turning pale before revealing a relieved expression.
Falling in a ce with so many rtively sharp tree stakes the consequences
Even if most people''s injuries weren''t fatal, the people defending the tribe on the wall were not puppets. They would take advantage of the opportunity to throw spears and stones
After about half a month, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribepleted this defensive system.
Rows of stakes stood here, like a green belt that had appeared out of thin air, but this kind of green belt was stained with blood.
The stakes were not densely packed; there was a distance of about forty centimeters between each row and a simr distance between stakes in the same row.
There was no need to worry about attackers from other tribes passing through the forty-centimeter gap because these stakes were for defense, not nting trees. Whether looked at horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, there was no space for a forty-centimeter-wide passage.
Each stake in the second row was hammered into the middle position between the two stakes in the first row, and each stake in the third row was hammered into the southern position after shifting from the two stakes in the second row
This way, the gaps between the stakes would be very small, making it impossible to charge straight through.
As everyone looked at this defensive line led by the Divine Child and built by themselves, smiles appeared on their faces because they felt a sense of security from it.
When everyone thought this was a great sess, the Divine Child gave new instructions regarding this defensive line. He instructed the tribe''s people to collect sturdy vines, simr to the ones used when encountering wild boars and saber-toothed tigersst time to build defenses.
While collecting the vines, if they encountered thorny bushes withrge thorns, they also tried to bring them back as much as possible.
The collected vines were wrapped around the stakes nailed into the ground one by one by Lame to be used as ropes.
They created something simr to tripwire traps using these stakes as pivot points.
The thorny bushes brought back were ced on the outer and inner perimeters of the defensive formation wrapped with vines by Lame.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, under the guidance of their Divine Child, felt a sudden pity for those who would attack their tribe in the future
Han Cheng, the Divine Child, was still somewhat dissatisfied, regretting not finding soapberry trees.
It wasn''t for washing hair or clothes but for therge thorns on soapberry trees.
Throwing those thorns down here would be extremely convenient for the primitive people who only wore shoes. Han Cheng experienced the power of soapberry thorns firsthand as a child.
He was about four or five years old and used to run barefoot in the summer. Once, he stepped on a soapberry thorn that had fallen.
He still remembered the refreshing sensation, and at that time, he had tried pulling it out twice with his hands but failed. It was another adult nearby who managed to do it
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t know what their Divine Child was thinking. Their admiration for him would be even more overwhelming if they did.
They felt even more sympathy and pity for those who might attack their tribe.
Afterpleting these tasks, winter had fully arrived.
A cold wind blew through the night, carrying dried grass with it. The temperature suddenly dropped, but the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t feel much cold. They had heated beds in their rooms, so this winter felt warmer.
Wrapped in thick fur, Shaman walked out from the east room, opened the door, and stepped outside, exhaling white breath fiercely shivering.
It was like two different worlds outside and inside the house!
If it weren''t for the need to deal with thest batch of rabbits that needed to be executed today, Shaman would have turned around and returned to the warm, heated bed.
Shaman stood there, looking at the chimneys beside the house, thick at the bottom and thin at the top, emitting wisps of smoke, with a smile on his face. This was a good thing.
Han Cheng also got up, simrly wrapped in thick fur, wearing a primitive version of a hat that covered his entire head, ears, and half of his face. He stood beside Shaman, watching him knock rabbits with a small stick.
Shaman''s hands and feet were so agile it was unbelievable. One stick, one rabbit. His movements were as smooth as flowing water. In no time, there was a pile of rabbits at his feet.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were always enthusiastic about food. This enthusiasm couldn''t be stifled even by the harsh cold. The Eldest Senior Brother and others were peeling rabbit fur while breathing out white breath, chatting happily.
Skilled people could peel off a "tube skin," which, when tanned, could be transformed into excellent socks or gloves. These cylindrical rabbit skins were durable andfortable, much better than those sewn from ropes. They were rare treasures.
With many hands, the work progressed quickly. After nearly a hundred rabbits were processed, the sun was still far from directly south. Seeing there was still time, Han Cheng called a few people, including Hei Wa, and left the courtyard, walking towards a nearby ce.
"Dong, dong, dong"
After arge pile of sharpened tree stakes had been prepared, the Eldest Senior Brother and others stopped plowing the fields. Each person took a stone and hammered the sharpened wooden stakes into the ground.
The location for hammering the stakes was along the second line created on the outskirts of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
As the walls grew higher, the throwing distance of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s people extended further forward. However, the two original lines remained unchanged because the greatest throwing distance did not necessarily inflict the most powerful damage on the enemy.
It was better not to move these two lines.
Previously, when the wall was only two meters high, the people from outside the tribe couldn''t even throw their weapons over the second line, and it was not a threat to the safety of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Now that the wall had been raised much higher, the safety of the Green Sparrow Tribe was naturally assured at this distance.
After much thought and verification, Han Cheng established this defensive line here.
The Eldest Senior Brother hammered one stake until only about ten centimeters were left, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at thepleted section of the torn belt nearly four meters wide with great satisfaction.
He stood up and tried stepping on the newly hammered stake with his foot.
Because the stakes were hammered down with stones, the tips of the stakes were not very sharp. Moreover, he wore grass shoes on his feet, with animal skin socks inside, so he didn''t feel much pain even when stepping on them.
However, the Eldest Senior Brother''s joy did not diminish. There weren''t many people in other tribes who wore grass shoes and socks like him.
He imagined the scene of the attackers rushing over and being tripped up by the stakes before they could attack their tribe or falling after stepping on the sharp ends of the stakes, their faces turning pale before revealing a relieved expression.
Falling in a ce with so many rtively sharp tree stakes the consequences
Even if most people''s injuries weren''t fatal, the people defending the tribe on the wall were not puppets. They would take advantage of the opportunity to throw spears and stones
After about half a month, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribepleted this defensive system.
Rows of stakes stood here, like a green belt that had appeared out of thin air, but this kind of green belt was stained with blood.
The stakes were not densely packed; there was a distance of about forty centimeters between each row and a simr distance between stakes in the same row.
There was no need to worry about attackers from other tribes passing through the forty-centimeter gap because these stakes were for defense, not nting trees. Whether looked at horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, there was no space for a forty-centimeter-wide passage.
Each stake in the second row was hammered into the middle position between the two stakes in the first row, and each stake in the third row was hammered into the southern position after shifting from the two stakes in the second row
This way, the gaps between the stakes would be very small, making it impossible to charge straight through.
As everyone looked at this defensive line led by the Divine Child and built by themselves, smiles appeared on their faces because they felt a sense of security from it.
When everyone thought this was a great sess, the Divine Child gave new instructions regarding this defensive line. He instructed the tribe''s people to collect sturdy vines, simr to the ones used when encountering wild boars and saber-toothed tigersst time to build defenses.
While collecting the vines, if they encountered thorny bushes withrge thorns, they also tried to bring them back as much as possible.
The collected vines were wrapped around the stakes nailed into the ground one by one by Lame to be used as ropes.
They created something simr to tripwire traps using these stakes as pivot points.
The thorny bushes brought back were ced on the outer and inner perimeters of the defensive formation wrapped with vines by Lame.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, under the guidance of their Divine Child, felt a sudden pity for those who would attack their tribe in the future
Han Cheng, the Divine Child, was still somewhat dissatisfied, regretting not finding soapberry trees.
It wasn''t for washing hair or clothes but for therge thorns on soapberry trees.
Throwing those thorns down here would be extremely convenient for the primitive people who only wore shoes. Han Cheng experienced the power of soapberry thorns firsthand as a child.
He was about four or five years old and used to run barefoot in the summer. Once, he stepped on a soapberry thorn that had fallen.
He still remembered the refreshing sensation, and at that time, he had tried pulling it out twice with his hands but failed. It was another adult nearby who managed to do it
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t know what their Divine Child was thinking. Their admiration for him would be even more overwhelming if they did.
They felt even more sympathy and pity for those who might attack their tribe.
Afterpleting these tasks, winter had fully arrived.
A cold wind blew through the night, carrying dried grass with it. The temperature suddenly dropped, but the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t feel much cold. They had heated beds in their rooms, so this winter felt warmer.
Wrapped in thick fur, Shaman walked out from the east room, opened the door, and stepped outside, exhaling white breath fiercely shivering.
It was like two different worlds outside and inside the house!
If it weren''t for the need to deal with thest batch of rabbits that needed to be executed today, Shaman would have turned around and returned to the warm, heated bed.
Shaman stood there, looking at the chimneys beside the house, thick at the bottom and thin at the top, emitting wisps of smoke, with a smile on his face. This was a good thing.
Han Cheng also got up, simrly wrapped in thick fur, wearing a primitive version of a hat that covered his entire head, ears, and half of his face. He stood beside Shaman, watching him knock rabbits with a small stick.
Shaman''s hands and feet were so agile it was unbelievable. One stick, one rabbit. His movements were as smooth as flowing water. In no time, there was a pile of rabbits at his feet.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were always enthusiastic about food. This enthusiasm couldn''t be stifled even by the harsh cold. The Eldest Senior Brother and others were peeling rabbit fur while breathing out white breath, chatting happily.
Skilled people could peel off a "tube skin," which, when tanned, could be transformed into excellent socks or gloves. These cylindrical rabbit skins were durable andfortable, much better than those sewn from ropes. They were rare treasures.
With many hands, the work progressed quickly. After nearly a hundred rabbits were processed, the sun was still far from directly south. Seeing there was still time, Han Cheng called a few people, including Hei Wa, and left the courtyard, walking towards a nearby ce.
Chapter 214: The Unreliable burning of charcoal
Chapter 214: The Unreliable burning of charcoal
Hei Wa and the others followed eagerly, not knowing what the Divine Child wanted to do, but because, in such situations, the Divine Child could always perform miracles.
The winter here was colder than where Han Cheng lived in hister life. Although the sun had risen, the temperature hadn''t risen much yet. As they walked out of the Blue Sparrow Tribe, their breaths turned into white clouds, like monsters swallowing clouds and spitting mist.
Han Cheng instructed someone to dig a rectangr pit here using a bone shovel.
The pit didn''t need to be too deep. About twenty centimeters would do.
Despite the cold weather, the ground hadn''t frozen much due to theck of rain or snow during this period. Digging with a bone shovel was still possible, albeit chilly on the hands.
Physical activity warmed them up, and after digging a shallow pit over a meter long and half a meter wide, the people involved were already sweating.
Everyone spected about the Divine Childs purpose in digging this pit.
Was he going to set up another line of defense here?
It seemed very likely because it wasn''t too far from the defensive line made of stakes, thorns, and vines.
However, this idea quickly disappeared because the pit was too narrow. With just a little effort, one could easily cross it. It wouldn''t serve much purpose in blocking the enemy.
After the pit was dug, Han Cheng was about to proceed to the next step when he heard someone from the tribe shouting for food.
In times like this, eating was the most important thing. This was the creed of food lovers, especially in such cold weather. Having a bowl of hot soup was incrediblyforting.
Han Cheng immediately stopped what he was doing and returned to the tribe with everyone to eat.
Having dealt with a batch of rabbits in the morning, rabbits naturally became the main dish for lunch.
After drinking a steaming rabbit soup, all the cold was dispelled, and they felt warm. Holding a golden-roasted rabbit leg and slowly tearing and chewing it was incredibly satisfying.
After lunch, Han Cheng used a pottery jar to carry half of the remaining charcoal from cooking. He led the people out of the cave, which was used as a storage room and dining hall, towards the outside of the tribe.
More people followed this time. In addition to Hei Wa and the others who had dug the pit in the morning, Shaman, who had satisfied his rabbit craving, and the children who were not afraid of the cold.
Tie Tou, Mu Tou, and Qi Qiu left after watching for a while, heading east.
They carried stone sickles and ropes with hooks under their arms.
Such ropes were very convenient for tying things. They would ce the rope on the ground with things in the middle, wrap it around it, and then hook the end without a wooden hook onto a wooden hook and pull it in the opposite direction.
Tie Tou and the others climbed up the hill where the cave was located, removed the rope, spread it on the ground, and began cutting with the stone sickles.
They were harvestingpletely dried thatch.
Before the widespread use of tiles, thatch had always been very useful. The thatch grew very well this year, and Han Cheng naturally didn''t want to waste it. This thatch would be of great use to him.
The golden thatch collided with each other when standing on the ground, making a "pipi boba" sound.
Those assigned to harvest the thatch were ustomed to cutting grass regrly, so they were very familiar with using stone sickles to harvest things over time.
Tie Tou, the grass-cutting enthusiast, was the fastest. While others hadn''t finished bundling one batch, he had already started bundling the thatch.
One leg half-kneeling, pressing down on the bundle of thatch. With each press, the hand holding the rope''s end pulls forcefully.
With his exertion, the gap just squeezed out by the leg disappeared. After repeating this several times, the whole bundle of thatch was securely tied up. The excess rope was tied to the taut rope so the thatch bundle wouldn''t loosen. Then, a rough rope made of straw was used to wrap around the rope, tying it tightly. After securing the knot, the rope with the hook was untied.
This was done to save rope, as using well-woven rope to tie thatch was too wasteful.
The rough rope made of straw was not convenient for tying, and it took quite a bit of effort to tie the thatch securely without loosening. This method perfectly solved this problem.
Han Cheng did not devise this method but Tie Tou himself.
Indeed,bor can make people smarter.
However, Han Cheng devised the method of tying the rope with a hook on one end.
At first, when tying, one end of the rope was looped and wrapped around, and then the other was pulled back through the loop.
The process was the same as with the grooved rope.
However, there were many inconveniences to this method. When untying, the rope was prone to getting stuck, and after numerous pulls, the loop would break.
Always breaking the rope, Tie Tou was quite distressed. Initially, to prevent the rope from breaking, he didn''t dare to use much force when tying things up.
The result was even more troublesome. If the grass and other things weren''t tied securely, it was very ufortable to transport them. Sometimes, they wouldn''t be able to walk far before the bundle of grass would loosen, and the grass would slide off
Han Cheng didn''t pay attention at first, and it wasn''t until two or three dayster that he realized something was wrong. Tie Tou had returned from cutting grass with high spirits in the past, and the grass bundles were neatly tied. Now, it was as if someone else had done it.
After inquiring about the reason and knowing the whole story, the rope with the hook was born.
The hook was not afraid of the rope wearing out; the more it wore, the stronger and even smoother it became.
After Han Cheng solved this problem, Tie Tou''s enthusiasm for cutting grass was once again aroused
While Tie Tou was tying thatch, Han Cheng also directed people to use a bone shovel to fill the hole dug out in the morning with soil from the pile at the pit''s edge.
Inside the pit was a pile of burning firewood.
The people had no idea what the purpose of the Divine Child burying the fire with soil was. Lighting a fire in the wilderness was one thing, but burying a perfectly good fire with soil?
With this, wouldn''t all the fires be extinguished?
While the people were puzzled, their hands didn''t stop moving. Shoveling soil one shovel at a time, they covered the burning fire with soil. The fire, which was burning brightly, was hit by this sudden attack and was quickly extinguished, not even struggling before it was buried alive.
After it was buried, Han Cheng, still unsatisfied, had people jump on top topact the soil further.
It was almost as if they were burying the army of General Dan Xiongxin by themand of Niu Jin, then leading three thousand iron riders to trample it half the night.
Even now, the people still couldn''t figure out what the shaman wanted to do, and the Shaman had been pondering for a long time, but he still couldn''t understand the Divine Childs intentions.
Of course, they couldn''t figure it out because even Han Cheng, the initiator, had no idea if the seemingly unreliable method could produce charcoal.
Chapter 215: Plant a Divine Child in Spring and Autumn…
Chapter 215: nt a Divine Child in Spring and Autumn¡
When the Divine Child walked away after burying these unburned firewood, showing no further interest, Shaman finally couldn''t contain his curiosity and asked Han Cheng about the purpose of this action.
At the same time, he was also pondering in his mind. Could it be that after nting them here, the next year would bring forth more firewood, just like the rapeseed?
Thinking about this, the eyes of this old primitive man, who had already experienced the tremendous benefits of agriculture, suddenly lit up.
If firewood could be grown like this, did it mean that burying rabbits in the ground would produce many more rabbits the following year?
Would burying deer in the ground result in many more deer the next year?
Burying people
Shaman became even more excited. This sudden sh of inspiration made him discover a great path for the tribe to be prosperous.
Unable to suppress the joy in his heart, he eagerly looked at the Divine Child, hoping to get confirmation from him.
Han Cheng found it strange in his heart. He didn''t know what Shaman was thinking in showing such an expression.
There was nothing to hide about making charcoal. If charcoal could be produced, the entire tribe would benefit.
He immediately exined his intention to Shaman and the various benefits of charcoal and admitted that he didn''t know much about making charcoal and could only explore slowly.
In the past, whenever Shaman heard of something beneficial to the tribe, he would be very happy, but today was different.
After Han Cheng listed the various benefits of charcoal, Shaman not only didn''t feel happy but showed an unmistakable disappointment.
His reaction puzzled Han Cheng. When did Shaman''s vision be so high? Charcoal was such a good thing, but it failed to move him and even made him show a deep disappointment.
Who exactly was the one with broad vision and experience in the modern world?
"Divine Child,an''t firewood be grown?"
In addition to disappointment, Shaman was unwilling to let go of the great path he had just thought of. After hesitating for a while, he asked Han Cheng.
"No."
Han Cheng found it strange that Shaman, who was usually quite wise, would ask such a question.
But it was strange, and he didn''t think deeply about it. Of course, he didn''t know about the bold idea Shaman had just had.
If he knew, he wouldn''t be so calm. What if Shaman suddenly thought of nting a Divine Child and expecting to harvest many more Divine Childs when the time came
After burying the firewood, Han Cheng had these people go to the back mountain to transport the thatch harvested by Tie Tou and others.
Transporting the thatch back was also convenient. There was no need to carry the thatch bundles down the mountain and then take a detour to enter through the front gate of the tribe, which was too troublesome. They only needed to carry the thatch bundles in the direction closer to the tribe for a while, throw them at the edge, and the thatch bundles would bounce and roll down to the courtyard of the Green Sparrow tribe below.
The thatch bundles were tied very securely, and only a small part would be scattered when thrown while the rest remained intact.
After the thatch bundles were thrown down, someone in the courtyard would stack them up to the side where they didn''t obstruct.
While others were handling these, the Lame didn''t idle either. ording to Han Cheng''s instructions, he cut many half-meter-long branches from the tree branches left over from constructing the "wooden stick defense system" a few days ago.
The end of the sticks was also sharpened after being burned by fire.
The daytime in winter was short, and not much work was done before the sky darkened.
Sharpening sticks, arranging thatch, and simr tasks were not urgent, so Han Cheng instructed people not to work by the light of oilmps.
However, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe were not idle either. After drinking soup, they returned to their rooms, sitting on the edges of the warm beds. By the light of the unsealed bed opening, they used various types of rope for spinning tops.
Rope was a highly consumed item in the Green Sparrow tribe, used in many aspects of daily life. From sewing socks and gloves to setting traps for catching prey, ropes were indispensable. The Divine Child had mentioned that the demand for thin ropes would increase significantly in a few days, so they needed to spin ropes tonight.
Generally, women took on this task more often. Many men in the tribe were willing to dobor-intensive tasks likepacting soil, digging pits, and tilling thend. Still, they found these meticulous, less tiring activities somewhat tedious.
The small spindle felt awkward in their hands.
Perhaps due to nature, women showed great patience for repetitive tasks like this, calmly spinning the threads and showing no signs of impatience.
Therefore, spinning ropes at night was mainly done by the tribe''s women.
Of course, there were exceptions. For example, under Han Cheng''s guidance, the "stone craftsman," who usually worked with stones, forcefully ground a bone into a bone needle.
Possibly due to personality, he appeared enthusiastic when doing tasks that most men were unwilling to do, and he spun ropes faster and with better quality than most women.
Han Cheng sat cross-legged on the warm, heated bed, listening to the sound of the wind moving the wooden doors and windows. He constantly calcted the charcoal-burning process.
Learning from the experience of making pottery, although he was eager to know the results, he didn''t immediately dig open the sealed earth to check.
Let''s wait. Wait until tomorrow to see the specific results. If it''s feasible, expand the production scale ording to this method. If not, think of another solution.
After some fruitless contemtion, Han Cheng had to console himself and quickly removed his clothes, slipping into the warm bedding to sleep.
That''s life. There''s always unfinished work and unsolved problems. If you worry about everything, life will be too exhausting. It''s important to sleep when it''s time to sleep and eat when it''s time to eat. Taking care of one''s physical and mental health is essential for facing challenges.
Shaman did not understand the true essence of life. He buried himself in a pile of fur, keeping his eyes open, looking at the roompletely covered in darkness, unwilling to sleep.
He was still thinking about that idea that excited him just by thinking about it, trembling all over
The night wind shook the doors and windows, trying toe in, tearing apart thest bit of warmth, making the whole world shiver under its cover.
Unfortunately, both sides of the wooden door and the window were tightly wrapped with imprable fur, blocking its power. Despite roaring and tearing for most of the night, it couldn''t destroy this small house built by human hands and finally had to give up.
The people who slept soundly on the warm bed,pletely unaffected by the cold wind, slept deeply and peacefully
It wasn''t too cold this winter.
When the Divine Child walked away after burying these unburned firewood, showing no further interest, Shaman finally couldn''t contain his curiosity and asked Han Cheng about the purpose of this action.
At the same time, he was also pondering in his mind. Could it be that after nting them here, the next year would bring forth more firewood, just like the rapeseed?
Thinking about this, the eyes of this old primitive man, who had already experienced the tremendous benefits of agriculture, suddenly lit up.
If firewood could be grown like this, did it mean that burying rabbits in the ground would produce many more rabbits the following year?
Would burying deer in the ground result in many more deer the next year?
Burying people
Shaman became even more excited. This sudden sh of inspiration made him discover a great path for the tribe to be prosperous.
Unable to suppress the joy in his heart, he eagerly looked at the Divine Child, hoping to get confirmation from him.
Han Cheng found it strange in his heart. He didn''t know what Shaman was thinking in showing such an expression.
There was nothing to hide about making charcoal. If charcoal could be produced, the entire tribe would benefit.
He immediately exined his intention to Shaman and the various benefits of charcoal and admitted that he didn''t know much about making charcoal and could only explore slowly.
In the past, whenever Shaman heard of something beneficial to the tribe, he would be very happy, but today was different.
After Han Cheng listed the various benefits of charcoal, Shaman not only didn''t feel happy but showed an unmistakable disappointment.
His reaction puzzled Han Cheng. When did Shaman''s vision be so high? Charcoal was such a good thing, but it failed to move him and even made him show a deep disappointment.
Who exactly was the one with broad vision and experience in the modern world?
"Divine Child,an''t firewood be grown?"
In addition to disappointment, Shaman was unwilling to let go of the great path he had just thought of. After hesitating for a while, he asked Han Cheng.
"No."
Han Cheng found it strange that Shaman, who was usually quite wise, would ask such a question.
But it was strange, and he didn''t think deeply about it. Of course, he didn''t know about the bold idea Shaman had just had.
If he knew, he wouldn''t be so calm. What if Shaman suddenly thought of nting a Divine Child and expecting to harvest many more Divine Childs when the time came
After burying the firewood, Han Cheng had these people go to the back mountain to transport the thatch harvested by Tie Tou and others.
Transporting the thatch back was also convenient. There was no need to carry the thatch bundles down the mountain and then take a detour to enter through the front gate of the tribe, which was too troublesome. They only needed to carry the thatch bundles in the direction closer to the tribe for a while, throw them at the edge, and the thatch bundles would bounce and roll down to the courtyard of the Green Sparrow tribe below.
The thatch bundles were tied very securely, and only a small part would be scattered when thrown while the rest remained intact.
After the thatch bundles were thrown down, someone in the courtyard would stack them up to the side where they didn''t obstruct.
While others were handling these, the Lame didn''t idle either. ording to Han Cheng''s instructions, he cut many half-meter-long branches from the tree branches left over from constructing the "wooden stick defense system" a few days ago.
The end of the sticks was also sharpened after being burned by fire.
The daytime in winter was short, and not much work was done before the sky darkened.
Sharpening sticks, arranging thatch, and simr tasks were not urgent, so Han Cheng instructed people not to work by the light of oilmps.
However, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe were not idle either. After drinking soup, they returned to their rooms, sitting on the edges of the warm beds. By the light of the unsealed bed opening, they used various types of rope for spinning tops.
Rope was a highly consumed item in the Green Sparrow tribe, used in many aspects of daily life. From sewing socks and gloves to setting traps for catching prey, ropes were indispensable. The Divine Child had mentioned that the demand for thin ropes would increase significantly in a few days, so they needed to spin ropes tonight.
Generally, women took on this task more often. Many men in the tribe were willing to dobor-intensive tasks likepacting soil, digging pits, and tilling thend. Still, they found these meticulous, less tiring activities somewhat tedious.
The small spindle felt awkward in their hands.
Perhaps due to nature, women showed great patience for repetitive tasks like this, calmly spinning the threads and showing no signs of impatience.
Therefore, spinning ropes at night was mainly done by the tribe''s women.
Of course, there were exceptions. For example, under Han Cheng''s guidance, the "stone craftsman," who usually worked with stones, forcefully ground a bone into a bone needle.
Possibly due to personality, he appeared enthusiastic when doing tasks that most men were unwilling to do, and he spun ropes faster and with better quality than most women.
Han Cheng sat cross-legged on the warm, heated bed, listening to the sound of the wind moving the wooden doors and windows. He constantly calcted the charcoal-burning process.
Learning from the experience of making pottery, although he was eager to know the results, he didn''t immediately dig open the sealed earth to check.
Let''s wait. Wait until tomorrow to see the specific results. If it''s feasible, expand the production scale ording to this method. If not, think of another solution.
After some fruitless contemtion, Han Cheng had to console himself and quickly removed his clothes, slipping into the warm bedding to sleep.
That''s life. There''s always unfinished work and unsolved problems. If you worry about everything, life will be too exhausting. It''s important to sleep when it''s time to sleep and eat when it''s time to eat. Taking care of one''s physical and mental health is essential for facing challenges.
Shaman did not understand the true essence of life. He buried himself in a pile of fur, keeping his eyes open, looking at the roompletely covered in darkness, unwilling to sleep.
He was still thinking about that idea that excited him just by thinking about it, trembling all over
The night wind shook the doors and windows, trying toe in, tearing apart thest bit of warmth, making the whole world shiver under its cover.
Unfortunately, both sides of the wooden door and the window were tightly wrapped with imprable fur, blocking its power. Despite roaring and tearing for most of the night, it couldn''t destroy this small house built by human hands and finally had to give up.
The people who slept soundly on the warm bed,pletely unaffected by the cold wind, slept deeply and peacefully
It wasn''t too cold this winter.
Chapter 216: Feel like reciting a poem
Chapter 216: Feel like reciting a poem
Han Cheng looked at the unearthed, partially burnt wooden sticks with a hint of disappointment.
This method, indeed, couldn''t produce charcoal.
The sticks that were dug out looked simr to those that were burning and suddenly extinguished by water both had ayer of ckened charcoal on the outside, but the inside remained unburnt wood.
This substance was far from the charcoal Han Cheng had seen in his future life. It couldn''t even be called charcoal.
Although he had felt skeptical about this method before uncovering it, there was still some expectation. Now, with the truth revealed, a sense of disappointment was inevitable.
Shaman, who was watching from the side, also felt disappointed. He had hoped overnight that these pieces of firewood buried by the Divine Child with such solemnity would undergo some change, preferably growing more firewood. Seeing the results now was ufortable for him, too.
He felt that the grand road he had envisioned for the tribe had moved further away. There were signs of it beingpletely blocked by thorns
Han Cheng felt a bit troubled. He only had a partial understanding of charcoal production, and this first attempt had failed. He didn''t have a good solution at the moment.
Seeing the people around him looking at him in confusion, he instructed them to continue with the tasks from the previous day.
Tie Tou and others went to harvest thatch while Lame cut wood pieces and burned them in the fire pit before polishing them.
Han Cheng squatted by the messy fire pit, picked up a charred piece of wood, and studied it carefully, a pensive look in his eyes.
In this situation, Han Cheng suddenly felt like reciting a poem, the famous "Selling Firewood" written by Bai Juyi.
Not toment the hardships of making charcoal, sympathize with the old man''s difficulties, or express indignation at the disturbances of the court, but because it reminded him of some experiences of the firewood seller in the poem.
"The firewood seller chops wood and burns charcoal in the southern mountains. His face is covered in dust, and his fingers are ck from the smoke"
These opening lines vividly depict the hardships of the firewood seller, but Han Cheng saw something else through them.
His method of making charcoal truly wouldn''t work.
From the experiences of the firewood seller, he was likely a solitary old man, frail and weak. If he had used the method Han Cheng had employed, even just covering the burning firewood with sand would have been difficult to achieve.
Because if the covering were too slow, the branches would all be burnt by the fire. Where would the charcoale from, then?
Han Cheng didn''t know what others read from "Selling Firewood," but at this moment, he saw that his method wouldn''t work, although he couldn''t exin the reason clearly.
Shaman stayed with Han Cheng for a while before returning to the tribe. After hesitating, he finally came to the edge of the rabbit enclosure and began to skin rabbits as usual.
However,pared to before, he seemed distracted while skinning the rabbits today.
Han Cheng squatted there, lost in thought for a long time. When he stood up, his legs felt numb. He stayed in ce for a while before gradually shaking off the feeling and moving on from this sour moment.
Han Cheng called for Hei Wa, and together, they carried the firewood towards the earthen kiln near the river.
As the weather grew colder, Hei Wa hadn''t made any pottery y for several days.
Hei Wa and Han Cheng ced the firewood they were carrying next to the earthen kiln. He couldn''t help but feel puzzled. Thest batch of pottery had been fired a few days ago, so what was the Divine Child doing bringing firewood to the kiln now?
Could it be for making charcoal?
Hei Wa wasn''t a foolish person. Considering what the Divine Child had done before, he quickly guessed Han Cheng''s intentions.
But his confusion only deepened.
He was one of the few in the tribe who had dealt extensively with the kiln. It had excellent venttion, and once the wood was ced inside and lit, it would burn fiercely.
With the Divine Child bringing so much firewood, wouldn''t it all burn up once ced inside the kiln? Where would the charcoal the Divine Child spoke of be left?
Han Cheng also pondered this matter but didn''t have many clues. He could only experiment bit by bit and seek experience from each failure.
With Hei Wa''s help, the kiln, originally used for firing pottery, was filled with firewood inside and underneath. The top of the kiln was covered with tworge y tiles.
After Han Cheng nodded slightly in confirmation, Hei Wa didn''t hesitate. He first lit the hay and then the dry branches. Before long, the fire at the hearth of the kiln below was roaring.
Soon, the firewood ced inside the kiln also caught fire.
With so much firewood burning together, the mes were intense. Even though the top of the kiln was covered with y tiles, the scorching mes spewed out from the surrounding gaps, leaping high into the air.
Watching this, Hei Wa suddenly remembered the Divine Child''s instructions to cover the burning firewood with sand yesterday, feeling slightly anxious.
After all, the kiln was of great use, and he had put much effort into building it. It would be a pity if it were buried like this.
Looking around, he realized that only the Divine Child and he were there, and they hadn''t brought a shovel. They wouldn''t be burying the kiln. This reassured him, a lover of firing kilns.
But then he realized something was wrong. If they didn''t use sand to cover it, wouldn''t the firewood inside the kiln burn uppletely?
Han Cheng had already considered this. The burning of mes required oxygen this was the most basicmon sense.
After observing the fire for a while, he instructed Hei Wa to move some discardedrge pottery shards and stones to the edge of the kiln.
Then, after a while, he asked Hei Wa to use these items to gradually block the fire hole at the bottom of the kiln.
As the fire hole narrowed, the air entering it gradually decreased, and the mes became much smaller.
However, the mes inside the kiln still didn''tpletely extinguish, likely due to the gaps at the fire hole below. After all, Hei Wa used pottery shards to block it, so it was impossible not to leave some gaps.
Han Cheng now looked conflicted. He feared the firewood inside would turn to ashes if he didn''tpletely seal the fire hole. But if he did seal itpletely, he worried that the firewood would end up like the half-burnt pieces he had dug out today, which was also uneptable.
After much deliberation, he let this burn continue and see what happened. If it didn''t work, he would seal the fire hole with y next time.
Chapter 217: Dawn
Chapter 217: Dawn
Han Cheng originally nned to open the kiln the next day, but it was opened in the afternoon.
It wasn''t because he couldn''t wait, but because he noticed through the cracks in the kiln that the firewood inside mainly had turned to ashes, and the temperature inside the kiln had also dropped. So, he decided to open it early.
Han Cheng stirred the ashes in the now empty kiln with a stick, breaking apart the remnants of the firewood.
Feeling helpless, he asked Hei Wa to reopen the sealed fire hole and clear away the ashes. Afterward, they brought more firewood into the kiln.
Once the fire was lit again, they prepared a pile of y with a shovel and a y pot.
After burning for a while, Han Cheng had Hei Wa seal the fire hole again with stones and pottery shards, and then he applied a thickyer of fresh y over it,pletely sealing the gaps.
Once the fire hole was sealed, the fire quickly went out due to ack of oxygen.
By this time, it was getting dark, and although Han Cheng was eager to know the results, it wasn''t suitable to stay outside any longer. So, he and Hei Wa went back together.
The next day, after washing up with hot water heated over an early morning fire, Han Cheng tightened his clothes, put on his hat, and went out with Hei Wa.
Some people who had finished washing up and had nothing else to do followed them.
Tie Tou had be increasingly diligent, perhaps because of the little calf born half a month ago.
Early in the morning, he and two others who often cut grass to feed the deer used wooden forks, shovels, and brooms to clean the deer pen. They piled the deer dung far from the wall to form arge heap. This dung was an excellent fertilizer and shouldn''t be wasted.
Han Cheng had once thought about making a hole in the wall to allow for easy disposal of the dung, but he abandoned the idea. It would be difficult to make a hole in the thick wall,promise the wall''s solidity, and pose a security risk. In his experience, thieves could use such holes to steal cattle.
After clearing the pen, Tie Tou used the shovel to scatter some dry "mulch" evenly over the wet areas. Mulch was made of finely ground dry soil, crushed leaves, and trimmed grass leaves, which helped keep the pen clean andfortable for the deer.
Once these tasks werepleted, Tie Tou fed the deer and threembs before leaving the courtyard toward the kiln by the river, where many people had already gathered.
After a night in the cold, the kiln had cooled downpletely.
Han Cheng felt a bit nervous as he had someone open the kiln, and the sight inside disappointed him again.
Most of it was unburned firewood, with many pieces barely charred and some not even touched by the mes.
In the central area, some pieces had been wholly reduced to ashes.
After observing for a while, Han Cheng removed the ruined firewood from the kiln, stacking it by the side.
Seeing Han Cheng''s expression, many people refrained from speaking. They already knew that the charcoal had not been sessfully produced without him saying anything.
What kind of good thing was Han Cheng trying to make? Even with his abilities, he kept failing.
The curiosity of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe was piqued even more.
"Haha."
Han Cheng suddenlyughed as he held a piece of charred wood.
This piece of charcoal, located near the center of the kiln, was much lighter than the unburned wood. Unlike regr charcoal that quickly crumbled, this piece retains its original shape.
A rough analogy would be a person suddenly turning ck several times over; although the color changed drastically, the previous appearance could still be discerned.
Tapping it with a stick produced a clear, crisp sound.
This charcoal was not much different from what Han Cheng had seen in hister years!
In addition to this piece of charcoal, there were scattered pieces in the transition zone between the center and the outer parts of the kiln. Han Cheng had Hei Wa quickly retrieve them.
Seeing Han Cheng''s excited expression, Hei Wa and the others knew he had progressed with his task.
They joined in the excitement, quickly removing the scattered charcoal.
Han Cheng selected a few pieces that hadn''t burned well and set them aside, smiling at the small amount of charcoal produced.
The efficiency was abysmally low, with so much firewood yielding so little charcoal, but it was still excellent news for Han Cheng.
It proved that his approach was not wrong, and he only needed to continue improving upon it in the future.
Someone in the tribe informed them that breakfast was ready, so Han Cheng carried the charcoal in a small basket and returned with everyone else.
After rewashing his hands with warm water, he finally began to eat.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were now more diligent in washing their hands than in the summer because they had discovered the benefits of keeping their hands clean in winter.
Before Han Cheng''s arrival, most people''s hands would crack in the winter. The cracks, coupled with the dirt, made their hands unsightly and painful.
Since Han Cheng had instructed them to wash their hands diligently, their hands hardly cracked in the winter anymore.
Even if one- or two peoples hands got cold, it was nowhere near as bad as in previous years.
Children who used to be reluctant to wash their hands in winter were now washing them very seriously after discovering this benefit.
After breakfast, Han Cheng brought a fire basin and retrieved charcoal from therge jar underneath. He lit the charcoal from the basket and examined its quality.
The charcoal was excellent, producing almost no smoke when burning.
Because it burned slowly in a smoldering state, itsted longer than regr firewood.
Han Cheng nodded satisfactorily, skewering two chicken wings on thin sticks and grilling them over the charcoal. After they were cooked, he gave one to Shaman and kept the other for himself.
Taking a bite, he found the taste delightful, devoid of the usual smoky vor, making it much more ptable.
Han Cheng originally nned to open the kiln the next day, but it was opened in the afternoon.
It wasn''t because he couldn''t wait, but because he noticed through the cracks in the kiln that the firewood inside mainly had turned to ashes, and the temperature inside the kiln had also dropped. So, he decided to open it early.
Han Cheng stirred the ashes in the now empty kiln with a stick, breaking apart the remnants of the firewood.
Feeling helpless, he asked Hei Wa to reopen the sealed fire hole and clear away the ashes. Afterward, they brought more firewood into the kiln.
Once the fire was lit again, they prepared a pile of y with a shovel and a y pot.
After burning for a while, Han Cheng had Hei Wa seal the fire hole again with stones and pottery shards, and then he applied a thickyer of fresh y over it,pletely sealing the gaps.
Once the fire hole was sealed, the fire quickly went out due to ack of oxygen.
By this time, it was getting dark, and although Han Cheng was eager to know the results, it wasn''t suitable to stay outside any longer. So, he and Hei Wa went back together.
The next day, after washing up with hot water heated over an early morning fire, Han Cheng tightened his clothes, put on his hat, and went out with Hei Wa.
Some people who had finished washing up and had nothing else to do followed them.
Tie Tou had be increasingly diligent, perhaps because of the little calf born half a month ago.
Early in the morning, he and two others who often cut grass to feed the deer used wooden forks, shovels, and brooms to clean the deer pen. They piled the deer dung far from the wall to form arge heap. This dung was an excellent fertilizer and shouldn''t be wasted.
Han Cheng had once thought about making a hole in the wall to allow for easy disposal of the dung, but he abandoned the idea. It would be difficult to make a hole in the thick wall,promise the wall''s solidity, and pose a security risk. In his experience, thieves could use such holes to steal cattle.
After clearing the pen, Tie Tou used the shovel to scatter some dry "mulch" evenly over the wet areas. Mulch was made of finely ground dry soil, crushed leaves, and trimmed grass leaves, which helped keep the pen clean andfortable for the deer.
Once these tasks werepleted, Tie Tou fed the deer and threembs before leaving the courtyard toward the kiln by the river, where many people had already gathered.
After a night in the cold, the kiln had cooled downpletely.
Han Cheng felt a bit nervous as he had someone open the kiln, and the sight inside disappointed him again.
Most of it was unburned firewood, with many pieces barely charred and some not even touched by the mes.
In the central area, some pieces had been wholly reduced to ashes.
After observing for a while, Han Cheng removed the ruined firewood from the kiln, stacking it by the side.
Seeing Han Cheng''s expression, many people refrained from speaking. They already knew that the charcoal had not been sessfully produced without him saying anything.
What kind of good thing was Han Cheng trying to make? Even with his abilities, he kept failing.
The curiosity of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe was piqued even more.
"Haha."
Han Cheng suddenlyughed as he held a piece of charred wood.
This piece of charcoal, located near the center of the kiln, was much lighter than the unburned wood. Unlike regr charcoal that quickly crumbled, this piece retains its original shape.
A rough analogy would be a person suddenly turning ck several times over; although the color changed drastically, the previous appearance could still be discerned.
Tapping it with a stick produced a clear, crisp sound.
This charcoal was not much different from what Han Cheng had seen in hister years!
In addition to this piece of charcoal, there were scattered pieces in the transition zone between the center and the outer parts of the kiln. Han Cheng had Hei Wa quickly retrieve them.
Seeing Han Cheng''s excited expression, Hei Wa and the others knew he had progressed with his task.
They joined in the excitement, quickly removing the scattered charcoal.
Han Cheng selected a few pieces that hadn''t burned well and set them aside, smiling at the small amount of charcoal produced.
The efficiency was abysmally low, with so much firewood yielding so little charcoal, but it was still excellent news for Han Cheng.
It proved that his approach was not wrong, and he only needed to continue improving upon it in the future.
Someone in the tribe informed them that breakfast was ready, so Han Cheng carried the charcoal in a small basket and returned with everyone else.
After rewashing his hands with warm water, he finally began to eat.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were now more diligent in washing their hands than in the summer because they had discovered the benefits of keeping their hands clean in winter.
Before Han Cheng''s arrival, most people''s hands would crack in the winter. The cracks, coupled with the dirt, made their hands unsightly and painful.
Since Han Cheng had instructed them to wash their hands diligently, their hands hardly cracked in the winter anymore.
Even if one- or two peoples hands got cold, it was nowhere near as bad as in previous years.
Children who used to be reluctant to wash their hands in winter were now washing them very seriously after discovering this benefit.
After breakfast, Han Cheng brought a fire basin and retrieved charcoal from therge jar underneath. He lit the charcoal from the basket and examined its quality.
The charcoal was excellent, producing almost no smoke when burning.
Because it burned slowly in a smoldering state, itsted longer than regr firewood.
Han Cheng nodded satisfactorily, skewering two chicken wings on thin sticks and grilling them over the charcoal. After they were cooked, he gave one to Shaman and kept the other for himself.
Taking a bite, he found the taste delightful, devoid of the usual smoky vor, making it much more ptable.
Chapter 218: Dogs that cant eat bones and crazy earth walls
Chapter 218: Dogs that can''t eat bones and crazy earth walls
The Shaman, with fewer teeth, slowly gnawed on the chicken wings. The chicken wings cooked with charcoal tasted better than those cooked with ordinary firewood, but the improvement in taste was nowhere near the terrifying level it had reached when salt was first introduced.
Plus, he had been preupied with something these past two days, so he didn''t feel the same joy and excitement as before.
Although charcoal was more efficient than firewood in their current life, it didn''t make a significant difference.
One major reason the people in the tribe didn''t cheer and celebrate like before when Han Cheng produced charcoal was their limited perspective due to their environment.
Han Cheng didn''t mind. He knew it was due to the limitations of their living conditions.
When the time came to find iron or copper ore, the tremendous value of charcoal would be immediately apparent.
Looking back then, people would realize their foresight.
This was what the shameless "Divine Child" thought.
Just as he was about to throw the gnawed chicken wings to Fu Jiang, he suddenly remembered something and quickly stopped his motion.
Fu Jiang looked at the bone that had nearly reached his mouth flying away and couldn''t help but feel anxious, looking at Han Cheng expectantly.
However, unlike when Fu Jiang''s owner would always give him bones to gnaw on whenever they ate meat, this time, despite Fu Jiang''s eager expression, Han Cheng forcefully threw the chicken wing bones into the charcoal brazier.
He even instructed the Shaman to throw the gnawed chicken wing bones into the charcoal brazier, never letting Fu Jiang have them.
This instruction was because he suddenly remembered something he had heard in his childhood. It was said that a certain family''s dog got pregnant, and since the family didn''t want the puppies, they stewed chicken bones and fed them to the dog.
After the mother dog ate the chicken bones, the puppies in her belly dissolved
This was hearsay, and Han Cheng wasn''t sure if it was true. After thinking for a moment, he still felt it was better to believe it than to dismiss it.
Fu Jiang, that rascal, had been sneaking out and fooling around for a few days. There was a good chance she was pregnant now, although it wasn''t evident yet. But Han Cheng had to be cautious.
If chicken bones really could dissolve puppies, it would be truly regrettable.
Han Cheng pulled Fu Jiang, who was circling the brazier, as if wanting to grab the chicken bones from the fire, and left, heading towards the riverbank, then began to search for burning charcoal.
The appearance of charcoal had given him great confidence.
The mes soared atop the kiln, radiating intense heat that even the winter chill didn''t dare to approach.
Considering that many of the woods weren''t fully burnedst time, Han Cheng, risking the chance of singeing his eyebrows and hair, approached the kiln to inspect how the firewood was burning inside.
After seeing that most of the firewood was covered by mes, he instructed Hei Wa to seal the entire firing port.
Han Cheng waited here for a while, and gradually, the mes inside the kiln extinguished.
At this moment, Lame walked out from inside thepound.
He said the wooden sticks had been polished many times and asked Han Cheng what they should do next.
Seeing the mes extinguished in the kiln, Han Cheng knew it wasn''t time to open it yet, and there was no point in waiting there. So, he walked back to the tribe with Hei Wa and Lame.
It must be said that with Lame, the carpenter, and ck Wa, the stonemason, working together, their speed was indeed fast.
One of them cut the wooden sticks, and the other polished them. With their cooperation, they worked very smoothly.
Han Cheng instructed Hei Wa, Lame, and Mu Tou to bring a dozen or so polished wooden sticks, as well as rope, a measuring tape, and a stone hammer made with a wooden handle ording to the method of a stone axe.
The group climbed the woodendder and walked along the low wall on the west side until they reached the northernmost point, which connected to the mountain wall.
The ce where the Green Sparrow Tribe is located receives quite a bit of rain during the summer and autumn seasons.
And since the wall is made of rammed earth, due to Han Cheng''s rush to build houses, once the wall was rammed, it was neglected after that.
Due to theck of necessary rainproof measures, traces left by wind and rain appeared on the top of the wall.
Some walls have been eroded by rainwater running down, forming shallow grooves.
Given the thickness of the wall, it wouldn''t be a problem for it tost three to five years without any attention.
However, Han Cheng was reluctant to let this thing, which was of great use to the tribe and had cost the Green Sparrow Tribe a great deal of effort to make decay on its own.
The things he had the people make these days were to solve this problem.
After measuring for a while, he made a mark every 1.5 meters at the center of the top of the wall.
Then, Lame used a stone hammer to pound the sharpened wooden sticks brought up along these marks.
Because the wall was wide enough and the tree sticks were not too thick, driving these sticks into the center of the wall wouldn''t affect the solidity of the wall.
When the wall was built, it was rammed forcefully, so it was difficult to drive wooden sticks into it. It was much more difficult than driving them into the ground. Fortunately, Han Cheng directed Mu Tou to create a stone hammer specifically for smashing things, imitating the method of a stone axe. Otherwise, it would have been even more difficult.
After the wooden sticks were driven into about ten centimeters, they stopped. At this depth, the wooden sticks were firmly wedged into the top of the wall.
Watching this scene, Han Cheng couldn''t help but recall a story he had heard about constructing rammed-earth walls in the Western Kingdom.
It was said that after a section of the city wall was rammed, people were instructed to nail it into the wall. If the nail went in an inch, the person who rammed the earth would be killed; if the nail didn''t, the person who nailed it would be killed.
Looking at the wooden sticks firmly wedged into the top of the wall, Han Cheng couldn''t help but snort. If, ording to such a bizarre standard, he and the others wouldn''t have survived!
After Lame had driven in six wooden sticks in a row, Han Cheng instructed him to stop temporarily. He then took a ruler to measure for a while and asked Lame to cut six sticks that were 70 centimeters long and twelve sticks that were 55 centimeters long.
He asked Mu Tou to help Lame.
Hei Wa brought twisted ropes and a thin stone knife.
Before long, Lame and Mu Tou brought up the cut wooden sticks, and Hei Wa had already brought up the ropes and stone knife.
The three looked at Han Cheng together, waiting for their Divine Childs next move.
They had already learned from the Divine Child that he would make something like a hat and put it on top of the wall so that the wall wouldn''t get wet from the rain.
Although they knew what the Divine Child would do, they didn''t quite understand the specific method, so they all seemed a bit expectant, wanting to see how the Divine Child would use these materials to put a hat on the wall.
Han Cheng didn''t let them wait long. He immediately picked up a stick 70 centimeters long from the low wall and ced it horizontally on top of the wall, next to the wooden stick that Lame had just nailed into ce, forming a right angle.
Because the width of the wall was only 60 centimeters, this stick ced horizontally was wider than the wall, protruding about five centimeters on one side.
Han Cheng firmly tied this stick to the post with a rope and used a stone knife like a saw to cut off the excess rope.
Chapter 219: Covering the wall
Chapter 219: Covering the wall
After tying down the bottom horizontal stick, Han Cheng picked up two 55-centimeter sticks.
He joined one end of each stick with the top of the vertical stick already nailed in ce while having Lame tie them together with a rope, supporting him as he worked.
Once secured, he used the rope to tie the other ends of these two sticks, which served as the nted sides of the triangle, to the ends of the bottom horizontal stick.
Triangles are inherently stable, and the solidity was beyond question with three triangles constructed by Han Cheng.
The process wasn''tplicated. Once Han Cheng and Lame tied down one triangle, Mu Tou and Hei Wa followed suit with the other two.
In no time, all six were securely tied.
Looking at the mountain'' shapes every 1.5 meters on top of the wall and then at the houses they lived in, Lame suddenly realized the simrity between what they were doing and the roofs of their homes.
When they built the houses, after raising the walls, the next step was to put up the roof beams. Would it be the same now?
He shared his thoughts with Han Cheng, who nodded in agreement, pleased with Lame''s insight.
This primitive carpenter was straying further and further from his ancestral path. Who knew if he''d eventually make a flying wooden kite
As Lame had leg trouble, Han Cheng didn''t ask him to go down this time. Instead, he sent Hei Wa and Mu Tou to find straight branches, about 1 to 3 centimeters in diameter, to serve as roof beams.''
Such branches were abundant in the Green Sparrow Tribe''s area, and it didn''t take long for them to gather a small bundle.
Han Cheng first selected the straightest ones and set them aside. These would be used for the topmost beams, serving as the ridge'' of the roof. When he tied the triangr beams earlier, Han Cheng deliberately carved a minor groove at the top where the top beam could snugly fit. With a quick tie of the rope, it was secure.
Then, on the bottom and middle of each tripod,'' he tied two long sticks, simr to when they constructed the roofs of the houses.
With these in ce, the frame for this 7.5-meter wall section wasplete.
Han Cheng then instructed Mu Tou and Hei Wa to fetch two bundles of thatch.
Now that the frame was ready, the two understood the purpose of their task and were delighted. After listening to Han Cheng''s instructions, they hurried to fetch the thatch.
Lame, however, hesitated a bit. Based on experience building roofs, the next step should be to tie rafters,yth, apply mud, and add thatch. So why skip all these steps and jump straight to thest one?
After some thought, he voiced his question.
Han Cheng exined that they were only building this to keep the rain out; no one would be living underneath, so there was no need for such high-quality construction. Furthermore, the roof on top of the wall was very small in scale, with the length of one slope not surpassing the growth of the thatch. The frame alone was sufficient; they didn''t need so much else.
Lame nodded in agreement after hearing Han Cheng''s exnation, realizing the wisdom in adapting to specific circumstances.
Of course, this was just a vague awareness; he couldn''t say it.
Bundles of thatch were densely tied onto the frame with ropes, leaving no gaps, somewhat resembling the process of thatching a hat.
The final step of thatching was meticulous work, and it took several people a good while to finish this 7.5-meter-long section.
With the addition of the golden thatch,'' this wall section immediately appeared remarkable. Compared to the surrounding walls without thatch,'' it looked much more noble.
Indeed, just as people rely on clothes to enhance appearance, walls also rely on thatch'' to add charm.
The thatch'' extended beyond both sides of the wall, so when it rained again, the water would drip directly to the ground along the edges of the thatch,'' preventing the wall from getting wet.
Shaman, who had spent more and more time watching the rabbits by the rabbit pen, stood there looking over from a distance. With the presence of houses and deer pens, he quickly understood the significance of what Han Cheng and the others were doing.
Shaman couldn''t help but p his head. If the deer pen and the houses could have roofs, why couldn''t the wall have one, too?
Why hadn''t he and the others thought of such a simple idea and solution before the Divine Child did?
Han Cheng''s addition of a roof to the wall temporarily caught Shaman''s attention, diverting his gaze from the rabbits in the pen. He and Shi Tou, who stayed upte at night, often gazed at the stars and drew moon shapes on pottery, and went to Han Cheng and Lame to inquire about adding a roof to the wall.
After getting the details, he entrusted Shi Tou with recording the information and returned to look at the rabbits.
With this demonstration of the 7.5-meter-long wall roof, Han Cheng didn''t have to worry about the rest. The Eldest Senior Brother and others, who had built more than ten houses, would have no trouble with such a small-scale project once they knew the specifics.
As Han Cheng was on his way to check on the charcoal burning, he suddenly realized a problem regarding the wall.
While adding the roof could protect the outside of the wall from rain, it wouldn''t help the inside.
Because right next to the wall''s inside was another wall, wider than the wall itself.
When it rained, water inside the wall would drip directly onto this wider inner wall.
Han Cheng smiled helplessly. Damn, he had neglected one thing while focusing on another.
They seemed to have to wait until the elder brothers finished the roof atop the wall. Then, they could create a small ditch on the top of the inner eaves'' of the wider wall and have Hei Wa burn some arched tiles andy them upside down inside, using y cement to seal them, creating a drainage system on the top of the wider wall to guide the water down.
Fortunately, it was now winter, with less rain and more snow, so there was no rush to make the drainage ditch.
With this n in mind, Han Cheng stopped thinking about it. He reached out and felt that there was not much heat left in the kiln and on the pottery boards covering it. Together with Hei Wa, who hade with him, he removed the pottery boards covering the kiln.
With just a nce inside, Han Cheng knew that the wood in this kiln had burned out again.
In the middle, arge area of firewood had turned into ashes, and some pieces still hadn''t burned yet. Along the edges were some well-burnt charcoal and many pieces of wood that hadn''t entirely burned
Chapter 220: Sheep Tribe was led astray
Chapter 220: Sheep Tribe was led astray
Han Cheng looked at the sparse charcoal in the basket, the ashes in the kiln, and the pile of wood next to him that hadn''t burned through or hadn''t burned at all, feeling somewhat distressed as he grabbed his hair.
This was already his eighth failed attempt at making charcoal in the kiln.
None of these attempts had been sessful, despite him continuously adjusting the timing of sealing the kiln and starting the fire based on past experiences of making charcoal. However, there hadn''t been much progress.
In this eighth firing,pared to the second attempt, he had only produced a few more pieces of charcoal
He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, profoundly feeling the difficulty of picking apples without standing on the shoulders of giants.
Han Cheng wasn''t the only one troubled in such a vast world. The chief of the Sheep Tribe was equally distressed at this moment.
Like Han Cheng, he squatted on the ground, asionally running his hands through his messy hair.
Before him was a corner of the cave.
What used to be connected to the rest of the cave was now separated by a rough wall made of some piled stones, creating a rtively independent space.
The Sheep Tribe chief, d in sheepskin, squatted on the ground, catching a whiff of some unpleasant smell from the crevices in the stone wall.
Of course, he wasn''t bothered by the smell; in fact, his scent wasn''t much better.
After squatting there for a while, he stood up.
The scene in this isted space appeared before him.
Twelve sheep, almost indistinguishable in color due to being covered in dirt, were startled by the sudden movement of the Sheep Tribe chief, bleating and huddling together, trembling.
These sheep were thin, almost like skeletal frames covered in fur.
The Sheep Tribe chief''s distress stemmed from these sheep.
Of course, at first, the chief and the tribe members were delighted with these sheep.
Every autumn, for tribes living on this vastnd, it was a harvest season, especially for the Sheep Tribe.
Because every autumn, they could harvest enough sheep.
These sheep upied arge part of their future food supply.
In the past, to prevent captured sheep from escaping, they would choose to ughter all the sheep they caught.
As a result, uneaten sheep meat often spoiled, even in the cold winter weather, because there was a considerable period between capturing the sheep and the arrival of winter.
In the past, although the people of the Sheep Tribe were troubled by this, they had no reasonable solutions. Because as far back as they could remember, this was how their tribe had always done things.
Food was precious, especially in winter, when even spoiled and rotten food became extremely valuable, and no one was willing to discard it.
The Sheep Tribe, a tribe whose meat supply ounted for half of their winter food, was even more reluctant to discard it because if they did, many people in their tribe would starve to death!
During autumn, the Sheep Tribe could quickly obtain arge amount of meat, ensuring they had enough food for the winter. The reason why the poption of the tribe had never been among the top in the nearby tribes was because every winter, as it was about to end, the Sheep Tribe would lose some people, mostly elderly and young children.
The Sheep Tribe would mourn the deceased, but there was also a sense of resignation along with the sorrow.
Or, you could say, helplessness.
A particr saying has been circting within the sheep tribe. Even the oldest person in their tribe doesn''t know when this saying began to spread.
It is said that the people of their tribe had it too easy to obtain food, so the gods punished them
The people of the sheep tribe firmly believe this. In their eyes, it is indeed a punishment because the deceased be extremely emaciated, even though they eatrge amounts of food
Of course, the people of the sheep tribe do not know that this is due to eating too much rotten food. Starting this year, they began to leave some live sheep behind, not to solve the problem.
They do this mainly because they were inspired by seeing therge group of deer owned by the neighboring prosperous tribe and partly because they received promises from the leaders of neighboring tribes that they would get more pottery for live sheep than dead ones.
This discovery from neighboring tribes delighted the people of the sheep tribe because they suddenly realized they had found a way to prevent sheep meat from spoiling in the future.
Dead sheep, over time, would rot, while live sheep would not.
This is a very simple truth, which they also understand, but they had never considered associating it with the sheep they captured in their tribe.
Every year, following the passed-down experience, they would kill all the sheep they captured until this year when they saw therge group of deer owned by the neighboring tribe during the joyous gathering
Whates quickly also goes easily. In the beginning, the idea of raising sheep did excite the entire sheep tribe because after starting to raise sheep, they realized another benefit: after the cold weather passed, their tribe would still have sheep, unlike in the past, when if they wanted to eat mutton after the cold season, they would have to wait until the following autumn
To raise these sheep, they also built sheep pens imitating the deer pens of the neighboring tribe.
They didn''t have those high courtyards, so they built the sheep pens into their living caves.
They couldn''t build sturdy sheep pens out of wood, so after seeing that the nearby tribe had built something simr to where the deer lived using stones, they came back and started building sheep pens with stones
Everything seemed fine, but troubles arose as the weather gradually got colder.
The trouble was with gathering grass or the sheep''s deaths.
At first, they thought raising sheep was a good idea; they only needed to give them grass daily.
But after some time, it became impossible because they had too many sheep in their tribe, and they needed a lot of grass daily to feed them.
As the weather got colder and the grass around the tribe was depleted, the burden of gathering grass became heavier and heavier.
These sheep couldn''t eat their fill and drank old, dry grass daily, so they started visibly losing weight.
Moreover, as time passed, sheep began to die continuously.
The sheep tribe would not let these dead sheep go to waste, butpared to autumn, there was not much meat left on their bodies.
Raising sheep not only meant losing meat but also brought suffering to the people in the tribe.
In previous years, when the cold winter arrived, they could block the cave entrance with stone bs and sit around the fire for a long winter.
But not this year because they still had to go out and gather grass for the sheep, and each one froze to the bone. Some people''s hands and feet had already started to develop frostbite.
The leader of the sheep tribe was troubled.
He didn''t quite understand why what seemed like a good path was like this once implemented.
The neighboring tribe had so many deer. How did they get through the winter?
After scratching his head again, the leader of the sheep tribe began to prepare food. He decided to go and find out what was happening in the nearby friendly tribe.
Han Cheng looked at the sparse charcoal in the basket, the ashes in the kiln, and the pile of wood next to him that hadn''t burned through or hadn''t burned at all, feeling somewhat distressed as he grabbed his hair.
This was already his eighth failed attempt at making charcoal in the kiln.
None of these attempts had been sessful, despite him continuously adjusting the timing of sealing the kiln and starting the fire based on past experiences of making charcoal. However, there hadn''t been much progress.
In this eighth firing,pared to the second attempt, he had only produced a few more pieces of charcoal
He took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, profoundly feeling the difficulty of picking apples without standing on the shoulders of giants.
Han Cheng wasn''t the only one troubled in such a vast world. The chief of the Sheep Tribe was equally distressed at this moment.
Like Han Cheng, he squatted on the ground, asionally running his hands through his messy hair.
Before him was a corner of the cave.
What used to be connected to the rest of the cave was now separated by a rough wall made of some piled stones, creating a rtively independent space.
The Sheep Tribe chief, d in sheepskin, squatted on the ground, catching a whiff of some unpleasant smell from the crevices in the stone wall.
Of course, he wasn''t bothered by the smell; in fact, his scent wasn''t much better.
After squatting there for a while, he stood up.
The scene in this isted space appeared before him.
Twelve sheep, almost indistinguishable in color due to being covered in dirt, were startled by the sudden movement of the Sheep Tribe chief, bleating and huddling together, trembling.
These sheep were thin, almost like skeletal frames covered in fur.
The Sheep Tribe chief''s distress stemmed from these sheep.
Of course, at first, the chief and the tribe members were delighted with these sheep.
Every autumn, for tribes living on this vastnd, it was a harvest season, especially for the Sheep Tribe.
Because every autumn, they could harvest enough sheep.
These sheep upied arge part of their future food supply.
In the past, to prevent captured sheep from escaping, they would choose to ughter all the sheep they caught.
As a result, uneaten sheep meat often spoiled, even in the cold winter weather, because there was a considerable period between capturing the sheep and the arrival of winter.
In the past, although the people of the Sheep Tribe were troubled by this, they had no reasonable solutions. Because as far back as they could remember, this was how their tribe had always done things.
Food was precious, especially in winter, when even spoiled and rotten food became extremely valuable, and no one was willing to discard it.
The Sheep Tribe, a tribe whose meat supply ounted for half of their winter food, was even more reluctant to discard it because if they did, many people in their tribe would starve to death!
During autumn, the Sheep Tribe could quickly obtain arge amount of meat, ensuring they had enough food for the winter. The reason why the poption of the tribe had never been among the top in the nearby tribes was because every winter, as it was about to end, the Sheep Tribe would lose some people, mostly elderly and young children.
The Sheep Tribe would mourn the deceased, but there was also a sense of resignation along with the sorrow.
Or, you could say, helplessness.
A particr saying has been circting within the sheep tribe. Even the oldest person in their tribe doesn''t know when this saying began to spread.
It is said that the people of their tribe had it too easy to obtain food, so the gods punished them
The people of the sheep tribe firmly believe this. In their eyes, it is indeed a punishment because the deceased be extremely emaciated, even though they eatrge amounts of food
Of course, the people of the sheep tribe do not know that this is due to eating too much rotten food. Starting this year, they began to leave some live sheep behind, not to solve the problem.
They do this mainly because they were inspired by seeing therge group of deer owned by the neighboring prosperous tribe and partly because they received promises from the leaders of neighboring tribes that they would get more pottery for live sheep than dead ones.
This discovery from neighboring tribes delighted the people of the sheep tribe because they suddenly realized they had found a way to prevent sheep meat from spoiling in the future.
Dead sheep, over time, would rot, while live sheep would not.
This is a very simple truth, which they also understand, but they had never considered associating it with the sheep they captured in their tribe.
Every year, following the passed-down experience, they would kill all the sheep they captured until this year when they saw therge group of deer owned by the neighboring tribe during the joyous gathering
Whates quickly also goes easily. In the beginning, the idea of raising sheep did excite the entire sheep tribe because after starting to raise sheep, they realized another benefit: after the cold weather passed, their tribe would still have sheep, unlike in the past, when if they wanted to eat mutton after the cold season, they would have to wait until the following autumn
To raise these sheep, they also built sheep pens imitating the deer pens of the neighboring tribe.
They didn''t have those high courtyards, so they built the sheep pens into their living caves.
They couldn''t build sturdy sheep pens out of wood, so after seeing that the nearby tribe had built something simr to where the deer lived using stones, they came back and started building sheep pens with stones
Everything seemed fine, but troubles arose as the weather gradually got colder.
The trouble was with gathering grass or the sheep''s deaths.
At first, they thought raising sheep was a good idea; they only needed to give them grass daily.
But after some time, it became impossible because they had too many sheep in their tribe, and they needed a lot of grass daily to feed them.
As the weather got colder and the grass around the tribe was depleted, the burden of gathering grass became heavier and heavier.
These sheep couldn''t eat their fill and drank old, dry grass daily, so they started visibly losing weight.
Moreover, as time passed, sheep began to die continuously.
The sheep tribe would not let these dead sheep go to waste, butpared to autumn, there was not much meat left on their bodies.
Raising sheep not only meant losing meat but also brought suffering to the people in the tribe.
In previous years, when the cold winter arrived, they could block the cave entrance with stone bs and sit around the fire for a long winter.
But not this year because they still had to go out and gather grass for the sheep, and each one froze to the bone. Some people''s hands and feet had already started to develop frostbite.
The leader of the sheep tribe was troubled.
He didn''t quite understand why what seemed like a good path was like this once implemented.
The neighboring tribe had so many deer. How did they get through the winter?
After scratching his head again, the leader of the sheep tribe began to prepare food. He decided to go and find out what was happening in the nearby friendly tribe.
Chapter 221: The deeply moving sentiment that tears ones eyes.
Chapter 221: The deeply moving sentiment that tears one''s eyes.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe held a bowl of steaming hot meat soup, happily slurping it by the fire. The soup, seasoned with salt, was delicious, and he could never get enough of it.
Warm spread through his body as he drank the hot soup, deepening his affection for the pottery. Even though their tribe needed to tighten their belts this winter due to the exchange for pottery, he felt it was entirely worth it.
After finishing the soup and meat, he handed the bowl to another tribe member eagerly waiting for it. The Donkey Tribe had few pottery bowls, so they had to take turns using them.
Compared to the leader, the others had much less to eat. It was rare to find meat in their bowls; usually, each person would have one or two fruits cooked with the meager amount of meat avable.
The joy of obtaining pottery made them want to cook anything edible in the pots. And indeed, it was a suitable method. Previously, one person couldn''t feel full even after eating three fruits, but now, just one fruit was enough to satisfy.
The only downside was that they got hungry quickly and needed to relieve themselves frequently
Compared to previous years, the Flying Snake Tribe seemed rather deste. The battlest year resulted in the loss of many adults in their tribe. Even though they had plundered some people from other tribes, it didn''t entirelypensate for their losses.
Because the captives they obtained were mostly underage children and female primitives, to prevent rebellion, the adult males had to be killed and eaten
The second leader of the Snake Tribe sat in a corner, nibbling on some frozen fruits. He nced over to where the Shaman and several other leaders had gathered not far away, unable to stop himself from salivating at the scent of meat emanating from there, especially the juicy piece of meat the Shaman was holding.
He used to be one of the daily meat-eaters in the past, but now, he could only silently nibble on fruits here.
All of this was because of that damned tribe!
He thought bitterly.
However, recalling the terrifying scene of that day filled him with fear.
He mumbled curses at the damned tribe while silently nibbling on fruits, all the while pondering how to regain his position as leader.
If only he couldpletely conquer that damned tribe
The world was vast, and countless things were happening every moment. Han Cheng wasn''t a high and mighty god who ignored everything. He had his busy affairs to attend to. And even if he wanted to know, he didn''t have the ability. After all, he was just a pseudo-god,cking the power to know everything.
If he did have such great power, he wouldn''t be so troubled by such trivial matters as charcoal.
Two of the three giants of the Green Sparrow Tribe had problems: the Divine Child had be obsessed with making charcoal and paid little attention to other matters, focusing solely on producing charcoal.
The Shaman was even more frightening; his time spent in the rabbit pen grew longer and longer each day.
Just the day before yesterday, the Shaman had dug a hole in a sunny spot and buried a rabbit.
Buried with it was the dried grass that the rabbit loved to eat.
Han Cheng knew about this incident; he had just returned from outside with a handful of ck ash when he saw the Shaman doing this. Seeing the Shaman engaged in such activities, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of sadness and worry. He deliberately stayed here to apany the Shaman for a while longer because the rabbit that the Shaman buried was the one with dark circles around its eyes that he often petted.
The Shaman, an old primitive who prioritized eating above all else and cherished food exceptionally, decided not to eat the dead rabbit but to bury it instead, indicating the significance of this rabbit in his heart.
The death of this rabbit brought great pain to the Shaman.
Moreover, the Shaman carefully buried the rabbit with its favorite grass and a few freshly plucked small vegetables. He even meticulously smoothed the soil covering it, fearing thatrger clumps of earth might crush the rabbit This demonstrated the Shaman''s reluctance to part with it.
Watching the Shaman earnestly carry out these actions without saying a word, Han Cheng could deeply understand and empathize with the Shaman''s feelings.
Recalling his feelings when Fu Jiang went missing some time ago, the sentimental Han Cheng shed a sympathetic tear for this prematurely deceased rabbit with dark circles around its eyes and for the Shaman''s deep affection.
In modern times, he had seen some elderly people who relied on their cats and dogs forpanionship and emotional support.
Although the Shaman was primitive, he was also elderly. After spending a long time together, just like the elderly in modern times, he developed feelings for the things he raised, which was unsurprising.
However, what the Shaman did next puzzled Han Cheng.
After carefully burying the rabbit, the Shaman didn''t stop there. Instead, he carefully poured half a jar of water with some ice chips over the grave.
After staring dumbfounded, Han Cheng quickly understood the Shaman''s intentions.
Perhaps he did this out of concern that the rabbit would get thirsty, or maybe it was a unique mourning ritual within the Green Sparrow Tribe for the deceased.
Indeed, the death of this rabbit caused profound psychological trauma to the Shaman. After burying the rabbit with dark circles around its eyes, the Shaman, who used to run to the rabbit pen daily, no longer went there.
Instead, he often stayed at the burial site of the rabbit with dark circles around its eyes, lost in thought for a long time. He only left when it was time to eat; sometimes, he mutters quietly.
This deeply moved Han Cheng and worried him about the Shaman''s well-being.
Who would have thought that even primitive people would have such deep feelings for the animals they raised?
Han Cheng, with some mud in his fingernails from outside the tribe, returned and saw the Shaman squatting motionless at the burial site of the rabbit with dark circles around its eyes, like a statue. His heart was deeply moved, and he sighed.
Indeed, there were passionate people everywhere.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng decided to go andfort the deeply saddened, primitive old man. After all, once a rabbit dies, it cannot be returned to life. Being sad at this time was not helpful.
As Han Cheng approached, the Shaman spoke first before he could say theforting words he had nned.
This brought a slight joy to Han Cheng''s heart. He could console him correctly if he were willing to speak.
He looked at the Shaman with a smile, but before he could utter a few words, the smile on his facepletely froze as if struck by lightning, both externally and internally fried.
Had he been blindly moved by emotions these past few days?
At this moment, Han Cheng, who knew the truth, almost shed tears.
"Shaman, why are you"
The Shaman, who was eagerly expressing his thoughts while full of confusion, noticed the unusual expression on the god''s face and stopped, asking with concern.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe held a bowl of steaming hot meat soup, happily slurping it by the fire. The soup, seasoned with salt, was delicious, and he could never get enough of it.
Warm spread through his body as he drank the hot soup, deepening his affection for the pottery. Even though their tribe needed to tighten their belts this winter due to the exchange for pottery, he felt it was entirely worth it.
After finishing the soup and meat, he handed the bowl to another tribe member eagerly waiting for it. The Donkey Tribe had few pottery bowls, so they had to take turns using them.
Compared to the leader, the others had much less to eat. It was rare to find meat in their bowls; usually, each person would have one or two fruits cooked with the meager amount of meat avable.
The joy of obtaining pottery made them want to cook anything edible in the pots. And indeed, it was a suitable method. Previously, one person couldn''t feel full even after eating three fruits, but now, just one fruit was enough to satisfy.
The only downside was that they got hungry quickly and needed to relieve themselves frequently
Compared to previous years, the Flying Snake Tribe seemed rather deste. The battlest year resulted in the loss of many adults in their tribe. Even though they had plundered some people from other tribes, it didn''t entirelypensate for their losses.
Because the captives they obtained were mostly underage children and female primitives, to prevent rebellion, the adult males had to be killed and eaten
The second leader of the Snake Tribe sat in a corner, nibbling on some frozen fruits. He nced over to where the Shaman and several other leaders had gathered not far away, unable to stop himself from salivating at the scent of meat emanating from there, especially the juicy piece of meat the Shaman was holding.
He used to be one of the daily meat-eaters in the past, but now, he could only silently nibble on fruits here.
All of this was because of that damned tribe!
He thought bitterly.
However, recalling the terrifying scene of that day filled him with fear.
He mumbled curses at the damned tribe while silently nibbling on fruits, all the while pondering how to regain his position as leader.
If only he couldpletely conquer that damned tribe
The world was vast, and countless things were happening every moment. Han Cheng wasn''t a high and mighty god who ignored everything. He had his busy affairs to attend to. And even if he wanted to know, he didn''t have the ability. After all, he was just a pseudo-god,cking the power to know everything.
If he did have such great power, he wouldn''t be so troubled by such trivial matters as charcoal.
Two of the three giants of the Green Sparrow Tribe had problems: the Divine Child had be obsessed with making charcoal and paid little attention to other matters, focusing solely on producing charcoal.
The Shaman was even more frightening; his time spent in the rabbit pen grew longer and longer each day.
Just the day before yesterday, the Shaman had dug a hole in a sunny spot and buried a rabbit.
Buried with it was the dried grass that the rabbit loved to eat.
Han Cheng knew about this incident; he had just returned from outside with a handful of ck ash when he saw the Shaman doing this. Seeing the Shaman engaged in such activities, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of sadness and worry. He deliberately stayed here to apany the Shaman for a while longer because the rabbit that the Shaman buried was the one with dark circles around its eyes that he often petted.
The Shaman, an old primitive who prioritized eating above all else and cherished food exceptionally, decided not to eat the dead rabbit but to bury it instead, indicating the significance of this rabbit in his heart.
The death of this rabbit brought great pain to the Shaman.
Moreover, the Shaman carefully buried the rabbit with its favorite grass and a few freshly plucked small vegetables. He even meticulously smoothed the soil covering it, fearing thatrger clumps of earth might crush the rabbit This demonstrated the Shaman''s reluctance to part with it.
Watching the Shaman earnestly carry out these actions without saying a word, Han Cheng could deeply understand and empathize with the Shaman''s feelings.
Recalling his feelings when Fu Jiang went missing some time ago, the sentimental Han Cheng shed a sympathetic tear for this prematurely deceased rabbit with dark circles around its eyes and for the Shaman''s deep affection.
In modern times, he had seen some elderly people who relied on their cats and dogs forpanionship and emotional support.
Although the Shaman was primitive, he was also elderly. After spending a long time together, just like the elderly in modern times, he developed feelings for the things he raised, which was unsurprising.
However, what the Shaman did next puzzled Han Cheng.
After carefully burying the rabbit, the Shaman didn''t stop there. Instead, he carefully poured half a jar of water with some ice chips over the grave.
After staring dumbfounded, Han Cheng quickly understood the Shaman''s intentions.
Perhaps he did this out of concern that the rabbit would get thirsty, or maybe it was a unique mourning ritual within the Green Sparrow Tribe for the deceased.
Indeed, the death of this rabbit caused profound psychological trauma to the Shaman. After burying the rabbit with dark circles around its eyes, the Shaman, who used to run to the rabbit pen daily, no longer went there.
Instead, he often stayed at the burial site of the rabbit with dark circles around its eyes, lost in thought for a long time. He only left when it was time to eat; sometimes, he mutters quietly.
This deeply moved Han Cheng and worried him about the Shaman''s well-being.
Who would have thought that even primitive people would have such deep feelings for the animals they raised?
Han Cheng, with some mud in his fingernails from outside the tribe, returned and saw the Shaman squatting motionless at the burial site of the rabbit with dark circles around its eyes, like a statue. His heart was deeply moved, and he sighed.
Indeed, there were passionate people everywhere.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng decided to go andfort the deeply saddened, primitive old man. After all, once a rabbit dies, it cannot be returned to life. Being sad at this time was not helpful.
As Han Cheng approached, the Shaman spoke first before he could say theforting words he had nned.
This brought a slight joy to Han Cheng''s heart. He could console him correctly if he were willing to speak.
He looked at the Shaman with a smile, but before he could utter a few words, the smile on his facepletely froze as if struck by lightning, both externally and internally fried.
Had he been blindly moved by emotions these past few days?
At this moment, Han Cheng, who knew the truth, almost shed tears.
"Shaman, why are you"
The Shaman, who was eagerly expressing his thoughts while full of confusion, noticed the unusual expression on the god''s face and stopped, asking with concern.
Chapter 222: Dangerous Primitive Era
Chapter 222: Dangerous Primitive Era
What''s wrong? How dare you ask me what''s wrong?
Looking at the old primitive man in front of him, who was known for his wisdom but now looked at him with concern and innocence, Han Cheng didn''t know what to say or how to express his feelings.
This
The reversal was too significant, and the turn was too abrupt.
Caught off guard, even a seasoned driver like him was overturned
"It''s it''s nothing"
Han Cheng smiled forcedly, his expression somewhat stiff because he didn''t know what to say.
"Then the rabbits?"
From the Divine Child''s reaction, the shaman confirmed that his idea was not feasible. However, he still had some lingering doubts and wanted to confirm again because if this thing seeded, it was too tempting.
After Han Cheng recovered, he felt a mix of crying andughter. He didn''t expect such a thing to happen to the shaman.
But he quickly stopped smiling because he sensed danger from what seemed like childish behavior.
In order to test if rabbits could be nted and harvested, the shaman buried his favorite ck-eyed rabbit.
If this idea were applied to people
Han Cheng dared not think further, fearing that the shaman mighte up with
nting him in spring and harvesting many Divine Child in autumn.
To avoid being suddenly treated as a seed by the benevolent shaman for the tribe while he was sleeping, Han Cheng did his best to prove the error of this matter and dispel the shaman''s terrifying idea.
Otherwise, it would be too dangerous.
God knows how the shaman came up with this terrifying idea from burying wood.
Is it as imaginative as he got from "The Charcoal Seller''s Father"?
"Shaman, you can''t"
Han Cheng solemnly began to enlighten the shaman.
He exined the rules of growth to the shaman in a way he could understand, emphasizing that only nts that initially grew in the soil could be treated in this way and nothing else.
There would be no other result if animals were forcibly buried in the soil apart from death and decay.
The shaman listened to Han Cheng''s words and, after careful consideration, also felt that this method was not feasible based on what he had seen and heard over the years.
He was not a stupid person. He had been stubbornly trying to solve this problem and had fallen into the wrong path because this idea was too tempting, and he wanted the tribe to develop rapidly.
After Han Cheng''s exnation and contemtion, he finally abandoned this tempting but impractical idea.
However, it was inevitable that he felt a sense of loss because this not only marked the failure of his thoughts over the past period but also meant that the rabbit he often fondled had died in vain.
Han Cheng, who had lived two lives, naturally noticed the shaman''s low spirits.
Elderly people couldn''t afford to indulge in such low spirits too often, so Han Cheng''s tone changed to begin empathizing with the shaman.
He first praised the shaman''s wholehearted efforts for the tribe''s development and then focused on the hope for the tribe to be more prosperous and vital, emphasizing the tribe''s expansion n based on salt.
Then he listed the fish cages, rabbit traps, and exchange of pottery in the Green Sparrow tribe, which could bring in arge amount of wild meat, as well as therge-scale animal husbandry of deer, chickens, and rabbits, the cultivation of rapeseed and millet, and the future expectations.
Combining reality with such a big picture, the sad shaman suddenly became excited because his dream was shattered.
Yes, with so many good things in his tribe, it was inevitable that the tribe would grow and be stronger in the current situation.
So why should he feel down because of that unrealistic idea?
Watching the shaman, who had be cheerful again,ughingly pick up a rabbit and put it back in the rabbit cage, Han Cheng, the great Divine Child, quietly wiping the sweat from his forehead.
This primitive tribe was indeed dangerous enough. If one wasn''t careful, they could be nted as seeds
Primitive society was indeed dangerous. Just after Han Cheng''s reflections, the person responsible for standing guard on the low wall shouted, "Someone''s here! Someone''s here!" and banged the gong.
The thatched grass on the back hill had already been harvested, and many tribe members were currently making hats for the low wall. When they heard the rm, they didn''t panic.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others quickly dropped their work and rushed to the front wall while Hei Wa quickly secured the tribe''s gate from the inside.
The rm was soon lifted because the visitors were from the Sheep Tribe.
The people from the Sheep Tribe brought arge number of furs, indicating they came to trade.
After somemunication, the people from the Sheep Tribe left their weapons outside and brought the fur inside.
As expected, the Sheep Tribe was wealthy. Among the many furs they brought, there were primarily sheepskins!
Receiving visiting tribes for trade was generally the responsibility of the Eldest Senior Brother, the leader. Unless there were exceptional circumstances, Han Cheng usually wouldn''t directly intervene. After all, how could hefortably act as a behind-the-scenes maniptor like a big shot in open trading?
Han Cheng fantasized about positioning himself this way, having seen it too many times in his previous life.
This time, the leader of the Sheep Tribe didn''t immediately go to exchange pottery with the Eldest Senior Brother. Instead, he first went to the deer pen and leaned in to see the deer inside.
This group of deer had certainly brought pride to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The saying "wealth cannot be brought back to one''s hometown like a night-blooming cereus" was not spoken by the Eldest Senior Brother, but he did have such intentions.
Seeing the people from nearby tribes continuously surprised by the wealth of their tribe, the feeling was beautiful.
When he heard that the leader of the Sheep Tribe wanted to see their deer herd first, Eldest Senior Brother readily agreed.
The herd had added a few more calves during this time, making it evenrger.
While the leader of the Sheep Tribe looked at the deer in the pen, the Eldest Senior Brother watched the leader of the Sheep Tribe. Seeing the expression of astonishment on the leader''s face, Eldest Senior Brother smiled modestly.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe''s astonishment was genuine. It was not only because of therge group of deer but also because of how fat and healthy they looked.
As someone who had been raising sheep for quite some time, the leader of the Sheep Tribe knew very well how difficult it was to achieve this.
When he saw the three snow-white, significantly grownmbs mixed among the deer in the pen, the look of astonishment on his face became even stronger. The difference between the sheep raised in his tribe and those in the neighboring tribe was too vast
What''s wrong? How dare you ask me what''s wrong?
Looking at the old primitive man in front of him, who was known for his wisdom but now looked at him with concern and innocence, Han Cheng didn''t know what to say or how to express his feelings.
This
The reversal was too significant, and the turn was too abrupt.
Caught off guard, even a seasoned driver like him was overturned
"It''s it''s nothing"
Han Cheng smiled forcedly, his expression somewhat stiff because he didn''t know what to say.
"Then the rabbits?"
From the Divine Child''s reaction, the shaman confirmed that his idea was not feasible. However, he still had some lingering doubts and wanted to confirm again because if this thing seeded, it was too tempting.
After Han Cheng recovered, he felt a mix of crying andughter. He didn''t expect such a thing to happen to the shaman.
But he quickly stopped smiling because he sensed danger from what seemed like childish behavior.
In order to test if rabbits could be nted and harvested, the shaman buried his favorite ck-eyed rabbit.
If this idea were applied to people
Han Cheng dared not think further, fearing that the shaman mighte up with
nting him in spring and harvesting many Divine Child in autumn.
To avoid being suddenly treated as a seed by the benevolent shaman for the tribe while he was sleeping, Han Cheng did his best to prove the error of this matter and dispel the shaman''s terrifying idea.
Otherwise, it would be too dangerous.
God knows how the shaman came up with this terrifying idea from burying wood.
Is it as imaginative as he got from "The Charcoal Seller''s Father"?
"Shaman, you can''t"
Han Cheng solemnly began to enlighten the shaman.
He exined the rules of growth to the shaman in a way he could understand, emphasizing that only nts that initially grew in the soil could be treated in this way and nothing else.
There would be no other result if animals were forcibly buried in the soil apart from death and decay.
The shaman listened to Han Cheng''s words and, after careful consideration, also felt that this method was not feasible based on what he had seen and heard over the years.
He was not a stupid person. He had been stubbornly trying to solve this problem and had fallen into the wrong path because this idea was too tempting, and he wanted the tribe to develop rapidly.
After Han Cheng''s exnation and contemtion, he finally abandoned this tempting but impractical idea.
However, it was inevitable that he felt a sense of loss because this not only marked the failure of his thoughts over the past period but also meant that the rabbit he often fondled had died in vain.
Han Cheng, who had lived two lives, naturally noticed the shaman''s low spirits.
Elderly people couldn''t afford to indulge in such low spirits too often, so Han Cheng''s tone changed to begin empathizing with the shaman.
He first praised the shaman''s wholehearted efforts for the tribe''s development and then focused on the hope for the tribe to be more prosperous and vital, emphasizing the tribe''s expansion n based on salt.
Then he listed the fish cages, rabbit traps, and exchange of pottery in the Green Sparrow tribe, which could bring in arge amount of wild meat, as well as therge-scale animal husbandry of deer, chickens, and rabbits, the cultivation of rapeseed and millet, and the future expectations.
Combining reality with such a big picture, the sad shaman suddenly became excited because his dream was shattered.
Yes, with so many good things in his tribe, it was inevitable that the tribe would grow and be stronger in the current situation.
So why should he feel down because of that unrealistic idea?
Watching the shaman, who had be cheerful again,ughingly pick up a rabbit and put it back in the rabbit cage, Han Cheng, the great Divine Child, quietly wiping the sweat from his forehead.
This primitive tribe was indeed dangerous enough. If one wasn''t careful, they could be nted as seeds
Primitive society was indeed dangerous. Just after Han Cheng''s reflections, the person responsible for standing guard on the low wall shouted, "Someone''s here! Someone''s here!" and banged the gong.
The thatched grass on the back hill had already been harvested, and many tribe members were currently making hats for the low wall. When they heard the rm, they didn''t panic.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others quickly dropped their work and rushed to the front wall while Hei Wa quickly secured the tribe''s gate from the inside.
The rm was soon lifted because the visitors were from the Sheep Tribe.
The people from the Sheep Tribe brought arge number of furs, indicating they came to trade.
After somemunication, the people from the Sheep Tribe left their weapons outside and brought the fur inside.
As expected, the Sheep Tribe was wealthy. Among the many furs they brought, there were primarily sheepskins!
Receiving visiting tribes for trade was generally the responsibility of the Eldest Senior Brother, the leader. Unless there were exceptional circumstances, Han Cheng usually wouldn''t directly intervene. After all, how could hefortably act as a behind-the-scenes maniptor like a big shot in open trading?
Han Cheng fantasized about positioning himself this way, having seen it too many times in his previous life.
This time, the leader of the Sheep Tribe didn''t immediately go to exchange pottery with the Eldest Senior Brother. Instead, he first went to the deer pen and leaned in to see the deer inside.
This group of deer had certainly brought pride to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The saying "wealth cannot be brought back to one''s hometown like a night-blooming cereus" was not spoken by the Eldest Senior Brother, but he did have such intentions.
Seeing the people from nearby tribes continuously surprised by the wealth of their tribe, the feeling was beautiful.
When he heard that the leader of the Sheep Tribe wanted to see their deer herd first, Eldest Senior Brother readily agreed.
The herd had added a few more calves during this time, making it evenrger.
While the leader of the Sheep Tribe looked at the deer in the pen, the Eldest Senior Brother watched the leader of the Sheep Tribe. Seeing the expression of astonishment on the leader''s face, Eldest Senior Brother smiled modestly.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe''s astonishment was genuine. It was not only because of therge group of deer but also because of how fat and healthy they looked.
As someone who had been raising sheep for quite some time, the leader of the Sheep Tribe knew very well how difficult it was to achieve this.
When he saw the three snow-white, significantly grownmbs mixed among the deer in the pen, the look of astonishment on his face became even stronger. The difference between the sheep raised in his tribe and those in the neighboring tribe was too vast
Chapter 223: Kidnap the Divine Child? This is a dangerous idea
Chapter 223: Kidnap the Divine Child? This is a dangerous idea
Why are the differences so significant between tribes?
Why is there such a big difference even though we both raise sheep?
The chief of the Sheep Tribe looked at the scene before him, feeling as if something had stabbed his heart.
He wanted to ask the chief of this tribe how they managed it, but then he remembered thest time he asked about their method of building fences, and he dismissed the thought, thinking it would be more reliable to see with his own eyes.
To avoid another conversation about "what kind of sheep to raise."
Green grass, wooden things for holding grass, pottery jars for water
The chief of the Sheep Tribe carefully noted down what he saw at the deer pen.
After waiting for a while and seeing that the people from the Sheep Tribe were still looking around as if they hadn''t seen enough, the chief smiled faintly and started urging them on.
Apanied by the chief, the people from the Sheep Tribe followed the chief to trade. However, as they walked, they couldn''t help but keep looking at the hands of the Eldest Senior Brother and the other people from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
There was a purpose behind his actions.
Their tribe only raised a few sheep, and many people''s hands were cracked from feeding them grass. Now, this tribe raised so many animals for grazing that their hands must be in terrible condition, right?
However, what he saw surprised him once again.
Because the hands of the people in this tribe, exposed to the elements, not only had no cracks, but they were also very fair.
That''s right, fair.
It waspletely different from the scene of misery he had imagined.
This discovery astonished him. Why was this happening?
Was it because their tribe didn''t have shamans or Divine Child?
As he searched for answers, he quickly found the problem.
In this tribe, everyone''s necks were adorned with a rope, with a strange object made of fur hanging from each end.
He saw these people put their hands into these strange objects when they had nothing to do and then take them out when they needed to work.
And they didn''t have to worry about the strange objects falling off; it was pretty convenient.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe lifted a corner of the sheepskin he was wrapped in and quietly wrapped one hand inside. Immediately, he felt much warmer.
Then, he revealed an expression of realization and regret.
If his body was cold, he could wrap it in fur, so why couldn''t he do the same for his hands?
He understood such a simple principle, so why hadn''t he considered this solution?
This trip to the Green Sparrow Tribe had been very beneficial for the chief of the Sheep Tribe. It made him even more curious about this neighboring tribe, and he also had some unspoken aspirations.
Initially, he thought that as long as they had pottery and salt, they wouldn''t interact much with this tribe.
However, after raising sheep, he brought people here again.
Now that the issue of raising sheep hadn''t been entirely resolved, he had discovered more things to learn from this tribe.
In addition to the strange objects tied around their necks with ropes and the fur-made things used to warm their hands, there were also things made of fur that covered their heads, leaving only half of their faces and ears exposed, which enlightened him.
This, indeed, was a tribe full of novelty and ingenious ideas.
However, this tribe used to be no different from their tribe
The chief of the Sheep Tribemented with a sense of powerlessness and envy. Suddenly, he remembered what the chief of the Joyous Meeting tribe had expressed when he came here before, saying that the reason their tribe had undergone such a significant change was all because they had a Shaman.
If his tribe had a Divine Child, would they be asfortable and wealthy as this neighboring tribe?
He thought this way but then shook his head to dismiss the idea because there was only one Divine Child, and he was already in this neighboring tribe, destined to have no connection with their tribe.
He withdrew his wandering thoughts and prepared to examine the pottery carefully, but a thought suddenly jumped into his mind.
What if he brought people to snatch the Divine Child back to his tribe?
"$#^$^#&!"
Seeing the chief of the Sheep Tribe staring at the pottery with a fascinated expression, the Eldest Senior Brother smiled faintly. The Divine Child was right; the pottery unique to their tribe was indeed attractive. They had seen it so many times, yet the chief of the Sheep Tribe still looked at it so seriously.
After waiting for a while and seeing that the chief of the Sheep Tribe was only focused on the pottery and not mentioning the sheepskin they brought or the trade, the Eldest Senior Brother took the initiative to remind him.
The Eldest Senior Brother didn''t have much time to waste; he wanted to finish putting "hats" on all the fences before the snow started falling. This way, they wouldn''t have much outdoor work to do after the heavy snowfall and could stay in the warm house. Even if they didn''t go to bed, it would still be morefortable than being outside.
Seeing the chief of the Sheep Tribe jump in surprise, almost sitting on the ground, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t think much of it. He thought that the chief of the Sheep Tribe was as timid as the three littlembs in the deer pen.
Whether it was because the chief of the Sheep Tribe thought the sheepskin, which couldn''t be eaten, was not very valuable, this exchange, in the Eldest Senior Brother''s view, still gave the Green Sparrow Tribe a great advantage.
Eightrge sheepskins could only be exchanged for one pottery jar, a widespread item in the Green Sparrow Tribe, and five small sheepskins could only be exchanged for one pottery bowl.
The Green Sparrow Tribe only spent a minimal price to obtain many high-quality sheepskins.
After the transaction waspleted, the chief of the Sheep Tribe hurriedly left with a smaller jar, a pottery jar, and four pottery bowls they had exchanged for.
The recent thoughts and the timely words of the Eldest Senior Brother made his heart still notpletely calm down. He felt as if someone had discovered his thoughts, and he just wanted to leave this neighboring tribe as soon as possible.
He even forgot to pay his respects to the Divine Child who was standing far away and watching them.
This was probably what they called a guilty conscience
"Wait!"
Just as he was about to leave the tribe, the heart that the chief of the Sheep Tribe had just put down suddenly rose again. However, at this moment, a voice rang out from behind him.
He had already distinguished that this voice belonged to the chief of this tribe!
Feeling guilty, the chief of the Sheep Tribe, who had the impulse to run away with his tribe members, restrained himself and turned around slowly.
The Eldest Senior Brother couldn''t read minds, so he naturally didn''t know about the thoughts that had urred to the chief of the Sheep Tribe earlier. If he did, he would use spears and other means to deal with the people of the Sheep Tribe rather than smiling and pouring two jars of salt into the small jar that the Sheep Tribe had just obtained, enthusiastically telling the chief of the Sheep Tribe that they could eat as much as they wanted ande back for more for free when they were done.
Why are the differences so significant between tribes?
Why is there such a big difference even though we both raise sheep?
The chief of the Sheep Tribe looked at the scene before him, feeling as if something had stabbed his heart.
He wanted to ask the chief of this tribe how they managed it, but then he remembered thest time he asked about their method of building fences, and he dismissed the thought, thinking it would be more reliable to see with his own eyes.
To avoid another conversation about "what kind of sheep to raise."
Green grass, wooden things for holding grass, pottery jars for water
The chief of the Sheep Tribe carefully noted down what he saw at the deer pen.
After waiting for a while and seeing that the people from the Sheep Tribe were still looking around as if they hadn''t seen enough, the chief smiled faintly and started urging them on.
Apanied by the chief, the people from the Sheep Tribe followed the chief to trade. However, as they walked, they couldn''t help but keep looking at the hands of the Eldest Senior Brother and the other people from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
There was a purpose behind his actions.
Their tribe only raised a few sheep, and many people''s hands were cracked from feeding them grass. Now, this tribe raised so many animals for grazing that their hands must be in terrible condition, right?
However, what he saw surprised him once again.
Because the hands of the people in this tribe, exposed to the elements, not only had no cracks, but they were also very fair.
That''s right, fair.
It waspletely different from the scene of misery he had imagined.
This discovery astonished him. Why was this happening?
Was it because their tribe didn''t have shamans or Divine Child?
As he searched for answers, he quickly found the problem.
In this tribe, everyone''s necks were adorned with a rope, with a strange object made of fur hanging from each end.
He saw these people put their hands into these strange objects when they had nothing to do and then take them out when they needed to work.
And they didn''t have to worry about the strange objects falling off; it was pretty convenient.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe lifted a corner of the sheepskin he was wrapped in and quietly wrapped one hand inside. Immediately, he felt much warmer.
Then, he revealed an expression of realization and regret.
If his body was cold, he could wrap it in fur, so why couldn''t he do the same for his hands?
He understood such a simple principle, so why hadn''t he considered this solution?
This trip to the Green Sparrow Tribe had been very beneficial for the chief of the Sheep Tribe. It made him even more curious about this neighboring tribe, and he also had some unspoken aspirations.
Initially, he thought that as long as they had pottery and salt, they wouldn''t interact much with this tribe.
However, after raising sheep, he brought people here again.
Now that the issue of raising sheep hadn''t been entirely resolved, he had discovered more things to learn from this tribe.
In addition to the strange objects tied around their necks with ropes and the fur-made things used to warm their hands, there were also things made of fur that covered their heads, leaving only half of their faces and ears exposed, which enlightened him.
This, indeed, was a tribe full of novelty and ingenious ideas.
However, this tribe used to be no different from their tribe
The chief of the Sheep Tribemented with a sense of powerlessness and envy. Suddenly, he remembered what the chief of the Joyous Meeting tribe had expressed when he came here before, saying that the reason their tribe had undergone such a significant change was all because they had a Shaman.
If his tribe had a Divine Child, would they be asfortable and wealthy as this neighboring tribe?
He thought this way but then shook his head to dismiss the idea because there was only one Divine Child, and he was already in this neighboring tribe, destined to have no connection with their tribe.
He withdrew his wandering thoughts and prepared to examine the pottery carefully, but a thought suddenly jumped into his mind.
What if he brought people to snatch the Divine Child back to his tribe?
"$#^$^#&!"
Seeing the chief of the Sheep Tribe staring at the pottery with a fascinated expression, the Eldest Senior Brother smiled faintly. The Divine Child was right; the pottery unique to their tribe was indeed attractive. They had seen it so many times, yet the chief of the Sheep Tribe still looked at it so seriously.
After waiting for a while and seeing that the chief of the Sheep Tribe was only focused on the pottery and not mentioning the sheepskin they brought or the trade, the Eldest Senior Brother took the initiative to remind him.
The Eldest Senior Brother didn''t have much time to waste; he wanted to finish putting "hats" on all the fences before the snow started falling. This way, they wouldn''t have much outdoor work to do after the heavy snowfall and could stay in the warm house. Even if they didn''t go to bed, it would still be morefortable than being outside.
Seeing the chief of the Sheep Tribe jump in surprise, almost sitting on the ground, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t think much of it. He thought that the chief of the Sheep Tribe was as timid as the three littlembs in the deer pen.
Whether it was because the chief of the Sheep Tribe thought the sheepskin, which couldn''t be eaten, was not very valuable, this exchange, in the Eldest Senior Brother''s view, still gave the Green Sparrow Tribe a great advantage.
Eightrge sheepskins could only be exchanged for one pottery jar, a widespread item in the Green Sparrow Tribe, and five small sheepskins could only be exchanged for one pottery bowl.
The Green Sparrow Tribe only spent a minimal price to obtain many high-quality sheepskins.
After the transaction waspleted, the chief of the Sheep Tribe hurriedly left with a smaller jar, a pottery jar, and four pottery bowls they had exchanged for.
The recent thoughts and the timely words of the Eldest Senior Brother made his heart still notpletely calm down. He felt as if someone had discovered his thoughts, and he just wanted to leave this neighboring tribe as soon as possible.
He even forgot to pay his respects to the Divine Child who was standing far away and watching them.
This was probably what they called a guilty conscience
"Wait!"
Just as he was about to leave the tribe, the heart that the chief of the Sheep Tribe had just put down suddenly rose again. However, at this moment, a voice rang out from behind him.
He had already distinguished that this voice belonged to the chief of this tribe!
Feeling guilty, the chief of the Sheep Tribe, who had the impulse to run away with his tribe members, restrained himself and turned around slowly.
The Eldest Senior Brother couldn''t read minds, so he naturally didn''t know about the thoughts that had urred to the chief of the Sheep Tribe earlier. If he did, he would use spears and other means to deal with the people of the Sheep Tribe rather than smiling and pouring two jars of salt into the small jar that the Sheep Tribe had just obtained, enthusiastically telling the chief of the Sheep Tribe that they could eat as much as they wanted ande back for more for free when they were done.
Chapter 224: Didn’t bring enough leather? You can put it on the tabs
Chapter 224: Didn¡¯t bring enough leather? You can put it on the tabs
The enthusiastic reception from the Eldest Senior Brother made the chief of the Sheep Tribe, who had been feeling guilty, suddenly calm down.
He stopped rushing to leave and instead looked at the primitive version of the Lei Feng hat the Eldest Senior Brother wore and the gloves with ropes hanging around his neck.
Then, he danced around and asked the Eldest Senior Brother if they could exchange these two items.
To show his sincerity, he took out a pottery bowl from the pile of pottery they had just obtained.
This bowl could be exchanged for five small sheepskins or tworge ones.
The Eldest Senior Brother received instructions from the Divine Child a few days ago, saying that pottery was very durable. Once the tribes had exchanged it a few times and had inventory in their tribes, they would no longer use food to exchange for pottery.
To maintain this primitive trading system, exploit neighboring tribes, andy the foundation for the slowly expanding salt policy, it was necessary to continually develop new things for these tribes to exchange, making them even poorer.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe focused on the gloves and hat worn by the Green Sparrow Tribe, in addition to their own need for protection due to their hands being cracked from raising sheep. Frequently inserting and pulling out of hands into the gloves and asionally adjusting the hat were rted to this.
Han Cheng decided to promote leather gloves and hats to these visiting tribes this winter.
It was an excellent time to have gloves and a hat for warmth in such cold weather.
As for whether the people of these tribes would not exchange due to the price, this
This was non-existent because Han Cheng demanded things for exchange, not necessarily their life-saving food, but also a considerable amount of fur.
Although these tribes were unwilling to exchange food for gloves and hats, they were willing to exchange fur.
With the continuous development of the uses of fur, the demand for fur in the Green Sparrow Tribe was now very high.
Apart from anything else, just bedding alone required a lot of furs.
Developing two more items for trading was also beneficial to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe thought he was very generous to exchange a pottery bowl for a hat and gloves. However, to his surprise, the person who had just spoken to them with a smile and had told them they coulde for salt, shook his head.
Seeing him touch the hat on his head and the gloves hanging around his neck and then pointing at the pottery bowl while raising two fingers to himself, the chief of the Sheep Tribe felt extremely angry.
He felt they had been significantly taken advantage of by this exchange.
"!"
He danced around, bargaining with the Eldest Senior Brother.
But the Eldest Senior Brother, who was very generous with the salt, surprisingly became stingy regarding the leather hat and gloves. He stubbornly insisted on not budging from the price of one bowl for one hat or a pair of gloves.
After a round of bargaining with the chief of the Sheep Tribe, he became even more furious.
In his opinion, such hats and gloves didn''t require too much fur, yet the people of this tribe wanted them to exchange two bowls that cost a lot of fur for them. This was simply uneptable!
"$%#$*^$^^"
He growled to the Eldest Senior Brother, then turned around firmly with the pottery bowl in his hands, indicating that he would not exchange anymore.
The Eldest Senior Brother, now looking like a cunning merchant, was not in a hurry after the negotiation fell apart.
He stopped the chief of the Sheep Tribe, took off the hat he was wearing, and put it on the chief of the Sheep Tribe''s head while it was still warm.
The Eldest Senior Brother was cautious, even tying the ropes underneath the "ear ps" of the hat around the chief of the Sheep Tribe''s chin.
His actions were gentle, not even showing such tenderness when dealing with his spouse.
At first, the chief of the Sheep Tribe was hesitant, but as the warmth spread, he soon stopped resisting.
Because his ears, which had been exposed to the cold air and were aching from the cold, were now firmly protected by the warm "ear ps" of the hat pressed against his cheeks. It felt a bit cool initially, followed by a slightly itchy sensation, but overall, it was extremelyfortable.
Sofortable that the chief of the Sheep Tribe didn''t want to take them off!
The Eldest Senior Brother then removed the gloves hanging around his neck and put them on the chief of the Sheep Tribe''s neck, carefully covering his hands, which had many cracks from not washing them often and not wearing gloves for protection.
Once again, a warm sensation enveloped his hands, which were freezing and somewhat numb.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe''s eyes lit up. He tried to flex his hands continuously, feeling that these fur-made items were very soft and did not hinder the movement of his hands much.
For a pair of hands that had not been warm since winter began, except when ced in his pants or hugged by his spouse, feeling warmth from this small fur-made item was a pleasant surprise.
Seeing their chief enjoying himself like this, the people of the Sheep Tribe couldn''t help but be curious and hopeful. Was this thing really that good?
As it turned out, these two items were so good that even the chief of the Sheep Tribe didn''t want to take them off.
After hesitating, he took off the hat, feeling a shiver from the cold air. His skin, which had just felt warm, now felt even colder, especially his ears, which had frostbite.
He put the hat back on and then brought two pottery bowls to the Eldest Senior Brother.
Pottery was already verymon in the Green Sparrow Tribe, and they needed more fur. The Eldest Senior Brother pushed back the two bowls brought by the chief of the Sheep Tribe.
This puzzled the chief of the Sheep Tribe greatly.
They had argued so fiercely just now for the exchange, insisting on using two pottery bowls, so why didn''t they want them now? Could it be that this guy suddenly had a conscience?
Of course, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t suddenly have a conscience. He pointed to the hat on the chief of the Sheep Tribe''s head, then to the bowls he was holding, patted the sheepskin wrapped around him, and then raised one hand, extending all five fingers, indicating that one hat required five small sheepskins in exchange.
He then patted the sheepskin wrapped around him again, making an enormous gesture, and then held up two fingers, indicating that it could also be exchanged for tworge sheepskins.
At the same time, he said some words to assist inmunication.
The Eldest Senior Brother, who liked to use their tribe''s less valuable items to exchange for many things from other tribes, now felt a bit troubled.
In their tribe, expressing the number of things was easy; they could say "one, two, three, four, five" directly taught by the Divine Child. But when trading with these tribes, they could only use fingers. When too many items and fingers weren''t enough, they also needed to use small stones or tree branches, which was troublesome.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe couldn''t understand the meaning of "five" and "two" in the Eldest Senior Brother''s mouth, but he could understand the fingers the Eldest Senior Brother was holding up.
After understanding the Eldest Senior Brother''s meaning, the chief of the Sheep Tribe seemed a bit discouraged because they had used all the sheepskins they brought this time to exchange for pottery. Now, the neighboring tribe''s chief was asking for sheepskins to exchange for these things they called "hats" and "gloves," which they couldn''t afford.
It seemed they could only wait until next time to exchange.
If it started snowing heavily, they might not be able to have these two items for the entire cold season.
This made him quite distressed.
After thinking for a while, he reluctantly took off the hat and gloves and handed them to the Eldest Senior Brother, expressing his intentions.
He initially thought that ording to the personality of this tribal chief, he would take back the hat and gloves and exchange them on the spot. But he didn''t expect the chief to smile and put the hat and gloves back on him. The chief then told him that he could take these two items back first and bring the sheepskins needed to exchange for these two items next time.
After some contemtion, the chief of the Sheep Tribe, who understood the Eldest Senior Brother''s meaning, was both surprised and delighted.
He raised the hand with the glove and touched the hat on his head, then walked over to hug the Eldest Senior Brother forcefully, pressing his forehead against the Eldest Senior Brother''s shoulder to express his joy and gratitude.
Then, he thumped his chest to reassure the Eldest Senior Brother that they would bring the fur and let the Eldest Senior Brother rest assured.
This kind of deferred payment behavior, which was verymon inter generations, immediately had a good effect after being used in advance.
Because once the facade of increasing sales volume is stripped away, it still carries an implicit trust rtionship. While most people inter generations are not very sensitive to this aspect of rtionships, it is highly valued by simple and primitive people. This is also why the leader of the Sheep Tribe reacted the way he did after understanding the intentions of the Eldest Senior Brother.
The enthusiastic reception from the Eldest Senior Brother made the chief of the Sheep Tribe, who had been feeling guilty, suddenly calm down.
He stopped rushing to leave and instead looked at the primitive version of the Lei Feng hat the Eldest Senior Brother wore and the gloves with ropes hanging around his neck.
Then, he danced around and asked the Eldest Senior Brother if they could exchange these two items.
To show his sincerity, he took out a pottery bowl from the pile of pottery they had just obtained.
This bowl could be exchanged for five small sheepskins or tworge ones.
The Eldest Senior Brother received instructions from the Divine Child a few days ago, saying that pottery was very durable. Once the tribes had exchanged it a few times and had inventory in their tribes, they would no longer use food to exchange for pottery.
To maintain this primitive trading system, exploit neighboring tribes, andy the foundation for the slowly expanding salt policy, it was necessary to continually develop new things for these tribes to exchange, making them even poorer.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe focused on the gloves and hat worn by the Green Sparrow Tribe, in addition to their own need for protection due to their hands being cracked from raising sheep. Frequently inserting and pulling out of hands into the gloves and asionally adjusting the hat were rted to this.
Han Cheng decided to promote leather gloves and hats to these visiting tribes this winter.
It was an excellent time to have gloves and a hat for warmth in such cold weather.
As for whether the people of these tribes would not exchange due to the price, this
This was non-existent because Han Cheng demanded things for exchange, not necessarily their life-saving food, but also a considerable amount of fur.
Although these tribes were unwilling to exchange food for gloves and hats, they were willing to exchange fur.
With the continuous development of the uses of fur, the demand for fur in the Green Sparrow Tribe was now very high.
Apart from anything else, just bedding alone required a lot of furs.
Developing two more items for trading was also beneficial to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe thought he was very generous to exchange a pottery bowl for a hat and gloves. However, to his surprise, the person who had just spoken to them with a smile and had told them they coulde for salt, shook his head.
Seeing him touch the hat on his head and the gloves hanging around his neck and then pointing at the pottery bowl while raising two fingers to himself, the chief of the Sheep Tribe felt extremely angry.
He felt they had been significantly taken advantage of by this exchange.
"!"
He danced around, bargaining with the Eldest Senior Brother.
But the Eldest Senior Brother, who was very generous with the salt, surprisingly became stingy regarding the leather hat and gloves. He stubbornly insisted on not budging from the price of one bowl for one hat or a pair of gloves.
After a round of bargaining with the chief of the Sheep Tribe, he became even more furious.
In his opinion, such hats and gloves didn''t require too much fur, yet the people of this tribe wanted them to exchange two bowls that cost a lot of fur for them. This was simply uneptable!
"$%#$*^$^^"
He growled to the Eldest Senior Brother, then turned around firmly with the pottery bowl in his hands, indicating that he would not exchange anymore.
The Eldest Senior Brother, now looking like a cunning merchant, was not in a hurry after the negotiation fell apart.
He stopped the chief of the Sheep Tribe, took off the hat he was wearing, and put it on the chief of the Sheep Tribe''s head while it was still warm.
The Eldest Senior Brother was cautious, even tying the ropes underneath the "ear ps" of the hat around the chief of the Sheep Tribe''s chin.
His actions were gentle, not even showing such tenderness when dealing with his spouse.
At first, the chief of the Sheep Tribe was hesitant, but as the warmth spread, he soon stopped resisting.
Because his ears, which had been exposed to the cold air and were aching from the cold, were now firmly protected by the warm "ear ps" of the hat pressed against his cheeks. It felt a bit cool initially, followed by a slightly itchy sensation, but overall, it was extremelyfortable.
Sofortable that the chief of the Sheep Tribe didn''t want to take them off!
The Eldest Senior Brother then removed the gloves hanging around his neck and put them on the chief of the Sheep Tribe''s neck, carefully covering his hands, which had many cracks from not washing them often and not wearing gloves for protection.
Once again, a warm sensation enveloped his hands, which were freezing and somewhat numb.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe''s eyes lit up. He tried to flex his hands continuously, feeling that these fur-made items were very soft and did not hinder the movement of his hands much.
For a pair of hands that had not been warm since winter began, except when ced in his pants or hugged by his spouse, feeling warmth from this small fur-made item was a pleasant surprise.
Seeing their chief enjoying himself like this, the people of the Sheep Tribe couldn''t help but be curious and hopeful. Was this thing really that good?
As it turned out, these two items were so good that even the chief of the Sheep Tribe didn''t want to take them off.
After hesitating, he took off the hat, feeling a shiver from the cold air. His skin, which had just felt warm, now felt even colder, especially his ears, which had frostbite.
He put the hat back on and then brought two pottery bowls to the Eldest Senior Brother.
Pottery was already verymon in the Green Sparrow Tribe, and they needed more fur. The Eldest Senior Brother pushed back the two bowls brought by the chief of the Sheep Tribe.
This puzzled the chief of the Sheep Tribe greatly.
They had argued so fiercely just now for the exchange, insisting on using two pottery bowls, so why didn''t they want them now? Could it be that this guy suddenly had a conscience?
Of course, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t suddenly have a conscience. He pointed to the hat on the chief of the Sheep Tribe''s head, then to the bowls he was holding, patted the sheepskin wrapped around him, and then raised one hand, extending all five fingers, indicating that one hat required five small sheepskins in exchange.
He then patted the sheepskin wrapped around him again, making an enormous gesture, and then held up two fingers, indicating that it could also be exchanged for tworge sheepskins.
At the same time, he said some words to assist inmunication.
The Eldest Senior Brother, who liked to use their tribe''s less valuable items to exchange for many things from other tribes, now felt a bit troubled.
In their tribe, expressing the number of things was easy; they could say "one, two, three, four, five" directly taught by the Divine Child. But when trading with these tribes, they could only use fingers. When too many items and fingers weren''t enough, they also needed to use small stones or tree branches, which was troublesome.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe couldn''t understand the meaning of "five" and "two" in the Eldest Senior Brother''s mouth, but he could understand the fingers the Eldest Senior Brother was holding up.
After understanding the Eldest Senior Brother''s meaning, the chief of the Sheep Tribe seemed a bit discouraged because they had used all the sheepskins they brought this time to exchange for pottery. Now, the neighboring tribe''s chief was asking for sheepskins to exchange for these things they called "hats" and "gloves," which they couldn''t afford.
It seemed they could only wait until next time to exchange.
If it started snowing heavily, they might not be able to have these two items for the entire cold season.
This made him quite distressed.
After thinking for a while, he reluctantly took off the hat and gloves and handed them to the Eldest Senior Brother, expressing his intentions.
He initially thought that ording to the personality of this tribal chief, he would take back the hat and gloves and exchange them on the spot. But he didn''t expect the chief to smile and put the hat and gloves back on him. The chief then told him that he could take these two items back first and bring the sheepskins needed to exchange for these two items next time.
After some contemtion, the chief of the Sheep Tribe, who understood the Eldest Senior Brother''s meaning, was both surprised and delighted.
He raised the hand with the glove and touched the hat on his head, then walked over to hug the Eldest Senior Brother forcefully, pressing his forehead against the Eldest Senior Brother''s shoulder to express his joy and gratitude.
Then, he thumped his chest to reassure the Eldest Senior Brother that they would bring the fur and let the Eldest Senior Brother rest assured.
This kind of deferred payment behavior, which was verymon inter generations, immediately had a good effect after being used in advance.
Because once the facade of increasing sales volume is stripped away, it still carries an implicit trust rtionship. While most people inter generations are not very sensitive to this aspect of rtionships, it is highly valued by simple and primitive people. This is also why the leader of the Sheep Tribe reacted the way he did after understanding the intentions of the Eldest Senior Brother.
Chapter 225: Zhang Liangs Plan and the Ladder Over the Wall
Chapter 225: Zhang Liang''s n and the Ladder Over the Wall
The chief of the sheep tribe left with the exchanged pottery, feeling deeply touched. The other members of the sheep tribe looked at the chief, who was wearing a hat and gloves, feeling somewhat ufortable.
"#$SE!"
On the way back, someone from the sheep tribe spoke up to the chief, feeling that they had been somewhat cheated in this trade. ording to their estimation, the two items, when separated, didn''t even amount to onerge sheepskin, yet they had to exchange so many sheepskins for them.
The chief of the sheep tribe took off his hat and ced it on the head of the person who had spoken. Feeling this warmth, the person who had just voicedints immediately fell silent.
The hat went around the heads of everyone from the sheep tribe this time and finally returned to the chief''s head. The two gloves followed suit.
After experiencing the benefits of these two items firsthand, the members of the sheep tribe looked at them with eager eyes, especially those who often suffered frostbite on their hands, faces, and ears while out in the cold, giving grass to the sheep.
If everyone had such a hat and gloves, how good would that be?
However, the thought of the high cost of these two items made them feel uneasy.
Having one or two of these items in their tribe was eptable, but everyone couldn''t have them, like in that wealthy tribe.
But
They wanted them!
Seeing the expressions of the tribe members, the chief of the sheep tribe already knew what they were thinking. He patted the hat on his head with the gloved hand and said to them in the tribe''snguage, "You will all have them!"
After hearing this, the people of the sheep tribe became delighted. However, two people who liked to think deeply felt a bit worried.
Today, they saw that in addition to the pottery used for feeding the sheep, they also needed some long pottery from the nearby tribe. They still didn''t have these items in their tribe.
When it came time to exchange, they would need a lot of fur or food. Moreover, their tribe was stillcking some pottery bowls, and they couldn''t afford to have one for each person.
If the chief used arge amount of fur to exchange for these hats and gloves, would there be enough fur left in their tribe when it came time to exchange for pottery?
One of them expressed his concerns to the chief, who smiled and patted him on the shoulder. Then he proposed his solutionnot to exchange, but to make their hats and gloves using fur, following the example of these two items.
The chief''s words, like a ray of sunlight, dispelled the fog lingering in the minds of these people, making them all feel relieved and cheerful.
They cheered around the chief, deeply admiring his wisdom.
The chief of the sheep tribe also felt that he was indeed intelligent and able toe up with such a solution, and he epted the praise of the tribe members with a clear conscience.
Upon careful reflection of this trip to the Green Sparrow tribe, the chief of the sheep tribe felt very satisfied. His original idea was to take advantage of the trading opportunity to observe how this tribe cultivated things carefully and to exchange for some pottery.
Now, both of these goals had been achieved, and on top of that, they had brought back two jars of delicious salt, a hat, and two gloves.
Furthermore, from now on, their tribe would also have many gloves and hats, so when the tribe members went out again, they wouldn''t feel as cold as they do now
While the chief of the sheep tribe imagined this fantastic future, the Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman of the Green Sparrow tribe furrowed their brows slightly, showing signs of worry.
They also realized the severe issue of the hats and gloves being quickly learned from.
These items are the crystallization of the wisdom of the Divine Child, created by him and everyone else in the Green Sparrow tribe. They are unique to their tribe, and they do not want other tribes to learn how to make them.
Moreover, once these tribes learn how to make gloves and hats, they will no longer use fur to exchange with their tribe
As they encounter more and more things, their horizons are gradually expanding. With the influence, intentional or unintentional, of Han Cheng, a time traveler, the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother of the Green Sparrow tribe are now considering more and more things.
Of course, due to the limitations of their perspectives, misunderstandings still ur asionally, such as the recent sudden idea from the shaman to start nting rabbits.
But regardless, they are growing at a much faster pace than before.
Not only them but also the surrounding tribes that frequently interact with the Green Sparrow tribe are showing signs of being influenced by Han Cheng.
The course of history has quietly elerated with the appearance of this time traveler.
Han Cheng cleaned his hands with warm water, stained with ck ash, and then dried them by the fire pit while listening to the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother expressing their concerns.
After listening to their words, Han Cheng was delighted. This showed that they were all thinking for the tribe and constantly brainstorming.
If this had happened when Han Cheng first arrived, they would not have thought of so many things as they do now.
Han Cheng already considered the concerns of the Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman. In his previous life, he had seen many pirated products, such as "Yue Li Yue" and "Zhong Hui Shi Hua," as well as those that could keep up with the updates of the genuine ones
With his extensive experience, how could he quickly release items like hats and gloves, which are extremely easy to imitate, without a corresponding countermeasure?
Han Cheng smiled at the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother and told them not to worry. He almost took out a feather fan and gently shook it, saying, "I have a way."
He picked up arge piece of animal hide from the bed and showed it to the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother.
The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother carefully examined the animal hide.
It was a piece of sheepskin with fine fur, washed very clean, and felt veryfortable to touch. It would be excellent for covering oneself or making into hats and gloves.
However the Green Sparrow tribe had plenty of fur like this, and the sheep tribe had even more. What did the Divine Child mean by showing them this piece of fur? What was the connection with the method he had just mentioned?
The Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman felt like circles shed before their eyes.
After looking carefully twice and confirming that there were no signs of defects, they looked at each other, and the Eldest Senior Brother asked the shaman about the purpose of showing them this piece of fur.
Seeing that they couldn''t figure it out, Han Cheng no longer kept them guessing. He took the piece of fur outside andpared it with the piece just brought by the sheep tribe. The difference immediately became apparent.
Inparison, the piece brought by the sheep tribe could only be discarded. It was dirty but also had a strong smell. Most importantly, the fur was stiff, unlike the soft one in Han Cheng''s hand.
The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother suddenly realized.
The three of them looked at each other and smiled. They could be as cunning and sly as they wanted
The chief of the sheep tribe left with the exchanged pottery, feeling deeply touched. The other members of the sheep tribe looked at the chief, who was wearing a hat and gloves, feeling somewhat ufortable.
"#$SE!"
On the way back, someone from the sheep tribe spoke up to the chief, feeling that they had been somewhat cheated in this trade. ording to their estimation, the two items, when separated, didn''t even amount to onerge sheepskin, yet they had to exchange so many sheepskins for them.
The chief of the sheep tribe took off his hat and ced it on the head of the person who had spoken. Feeling this warmth, the person who had just voicedints immediately fell silent.
The hat went around the heads of everyone from the sheep tribe this time and finally returned to the chief''s head. The two gloves followed suit.
After experiencing the benefits of these two items firsthand, the members of the sheep tribe looked at them with eager eyes, especially those who often suffered frostbite on their hands, faces, and ears while out in the cold, giving grass to the sheep.
If everyone had such a hat and gloves, how good would that be?
However, the thought of the high cost of these two items made them feel uneasy.
Having one or two of these items in their tribe was eptable, but everyone couldn''t have them, like in that wealthy tribe.
But
They wanted them!
Seeing the expressions of the tribe members, the chief of the sheep tribe already knew what they were thinking. He patted the hat on his head with the gloved hand and said to them in the tribe''snguage, "You will all have them!"
After hearing this, the people of the sheep tribe became delighted. However, two people who liked to think deeply felt a bit worried.
Today, they saw that in addition to the pottery used for feeding the sheep, they also needed some long pottery from the nearby tribe. They still didn''t have these items in their tribe.
When it came time to exchange, they would need a lot of fur or food. Moreover, their tribe was stillcking some pottery bowls, and they couldn''t afford to have one for each person.
If the chief used arge amount of fur to exchange for these hats and gloves, would there be enough fur left in their tribe when it came time to exchange for pottery?
One of them expressed his concerns to the chief, who smiled and patted him on the shoulder. Then he proposed his solutionnot to exchange, but to make their hats and gloves using fur, following the example of these two items.
The chief''s words, like a ray of sunlight, dispelled the fog lingering in the minds of these people, making them all feel relieved and cheerful.
They cheered around the chief, deeply admiring his wisdom.
The chief of the sheep tribe also felt that he was indeed intelligent and able toe up with such a solution, and he epted the praise of the tribe members with a clear conscience.
Upon careful reflection of this trip to the Green Sparrow tribe, the chief of the sheep tribe felt very satisfied. His original idea was to take advantage of the trading opportunity to observe how this tribe cultivated things carefully and to exchange for some pottery.
Now, both of these goals had been achieved, and on top of that, they had brought back two jars of delicious salt, a hat, and two gloves.
Furthermore, from now on, their tribe would also have many gloves and hats, so when the tribe members went out again, they wouldn''t feel as cold as they do now
While the chief of the sheep tribe imagined this fantastic future, the Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman of the Green Sparrow tribe furrowed their brows slightly, showing signs of worry.
They also realized the severe issue of the hats and gloves being quickly learned from.
These items are the crystallization of the wisdom of the Divine Child, created by him and everyone else in the Green Sparrow tribe. They are unique to their tribe, and they do not want other tribes to learn how to make them.
Moreover, once these tribes learn how to make gloves and hats, they will no longer use fur to exchange with their tribe
As they encounter more and more things, their horizons are gradually expanding. With the influence, intentional or unintentional, of Han Cheng, a time traveler, the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother of the Green Sparrow tribe are now considering more and more things.
Of course, due to the limitations of their perspectives, misunderstandings still ur asionally, such as the recent sudden idea from the shaman to start nting rabbits.
But regardless, they are growing at a much faster pace than before.
Not only them but also the surrounding tribes that frequently interact with the Green Sparrow tribe are showing signs of being influenced by Han Cheng.
The course of history has quietly elerated with the appearance of this time traveler.
Han Cheng cleaned his hands with warm water, stained with ck ash, and then dried them by the fire pit while listening to the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother expressing their concerns.
After listening to their words, Han Cheng was delighted. This showed that they were all thinking for the tribe and constantly brainstorming.
If this had happened when Han Cheng first arrived, they would not have thought of so many things as they do now.
Han Cheng already considered the concerns of the Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman. In his previous life, he had seen many pirated products, such as "Yue Li Yue" and "Zhong Hui Shi Hua," as well as those that could keep up with the updates of the genuine ones
With his extensive experience, how could he quickly release items like hats and gloves, which are extremely easy to imitate, without a corresponding countermeasure?
Han Cheng smiled at the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother and told them not to worry. He almost took out a feather fan and gently shook it, saying, "I have a way."
He picked up arge piece of animal hide from the bed and showed it to the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother.
The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother carefully examined the animal hide.
It was a piece of sheepskin with fine fur, washed very clean, and felt veryfortable to touch. It would be excellent for covering oneself or making into hats and gloves.
However the Green Sparrow tribe had plenty of fur like this, and the sheep tribe had even more. What did the Divine Child mean by showing them this piece of fur? What was the connection with the method he had just mentioned?
The Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman felt like circles shed before their eyes.
After looking carefully twice and confirming that there were no signs of defects, they looked at each other, and the Eldest Senior Brother asked the shaman about the purpose of showing them this piece of fur.
Seeing that they couldn''t figure it out, Han Cheng no longer kept them guessing. He took the piece of fur outside andpared it with the piece just brought by the sheep tribe. The difference immediately became apparent.
Inparison, the piece brought by the sheep tribe could only be discarded. It was dirty but also had a strong smell. Most importantly, the fur was stiff, unlike the soft one in Han Cheng''s hand.
The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother suddenly realized.
The three of them looked at each other and smiled. They could be as cunning and sly as they wanted
Chapter 226: The suffering Sheep Tribe and the distressed Han Cheng
Chapter 226: The suffering Sheep Tribe and the distressed Han Cheng
Han Cheng guessed right. The leader of the Sheep Tribe and the people of the tribe were indeed distressed.
On the journey back to the Green Sparrow Tribe with the hats and gloves, cutting the leather was already quite difficult for them.
Using stone and bone knives alternately, they struggled for a long time before finally splitting a piece of leather in half.
The split leather looked miserable. The part where it was cut, had many hairs falling out.
Then, they had to make holes along the edges of the leather and find sturdy grass to thread through
After much effort, they finally made one glove eight dayster.
Looking at the extremely ugly glove they had made, the leader of the Sheep Tribe and the others couldn''t help butugh.
This glove made by them was passed around among them non-stop.
However, when they looked at the two gloves they had exchanged from the Green Sparrow Tribe, their joy couldn''t help but falter.
The difference between the two was simply too great
Encouraging the others, the leader of the Sheep Tribe said they would be able to make gloves as good as those from the Green Sparrow Tribe, and then
And now he was sitting among a pile of gloves, lost in thought.
Some of these gloves were already quite simr to the ones brought back from the Green Sparrow Tribe in appearance (which was also somewhat rted to them feeling the Green Sparrow Tribe''s gloves in the dark). Still, as soon as you touched them, you could immediately feel the vast difference between them.
The gloves exchanged from the Green Sparrow Tribe were soft and smooth, allowing for flexibility, while the ones they made were tough and prone to shedding.
Because of their hardness, they quickly aggravated the cracks or frostbite on their hands, which was even more ufortable than not wearing gloves at all.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe scratched his head vigorously, unable to understand why there was such a big difference between the two.
They could slowly solve problems like splitting the leather, making holes, and threading grass, but how to make the stiff leather soft was a baffling problem.
How did that tribe manage to do it?
This was already the umpteenth time he had asked himself this question.
As two people from the tribe ran over to report that another sheep had died, the leader of the Sheep Tribe, who had be ustomed to such news, waved them away to skin the emaciated sheep.
When he had just left the Green Sparrow Tribe, he thought he had learned a lot and could significantly improve the life of his tribe.
However, as he began to implement one thing after another, he realized that what he knew didn''t make much difference to the current situation of his tribe. Instead, it brought about a lot of additional troubles.
At least in previous years, when the weather turned cold, they could stay in their caves without going out, but not this year
He thought he knew everything, but when he returned, he found that things werepletely different from what he had imagined
How did that tribe manage to do it?!
The leader of the Sheep Tribe once again asked himself this question, and with his question, the panic-inducing thought that he had suppressed earlier suddenly resurfaced, making his heart pound
To enjoy civilization, one must first endure the pain brought by civilization. What the Sheep Tribe is experiencing now is necessary for civilization.
It''s just that they don''t know if their path will deviate
Eldest Senior Brother''s dream of quickly putting hats on all the fences would have to be postponed again.
Shortly after the people of the Sheep Tribe left and Han Cheng and Shaman discussed the method of pirating the fence, another tribe arrived.
This tribe was the distinctive Donkey Tribe.
Compared to the Sheep Tribe, who carriedrge bundles of fur, the Donkey Tribe appeared much more rxed.
They didn''t bring anything else besides twelve pieces of leather, food for their journey, and an empty pottery jar.
They exchanged these twelve pieces of leather for arge pottery jar, and with this jar and the one they brought, they took away two jars of salt from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Eldest Senior Brother was prepared to sell their hats and gloves to the people of the Donkey Tribe using the same approach he used with the Sheep Tribe, but Han Cheng stopped him.
"Divine Child, why not give them"
Watching the Donkey Tribe depart with the salt, Eldest Senior Brother asked Han Cheng, somewhat puzzled.
He was puzzled because the Divine Child had agreed to it before, so why did he suddenly change his mind?
Among the nearby tribes, the Donkey Tribe was the poorest, which Han Cheng had concluded before.
Seeing how they only brought back twelve pieces of leather after traveling such a long and cold journey to exchange, their poverty was even more severe than Han Cheng had imagined.
For tribes like the Donkey Tribe, they could be drained just with pottery, let alone hats and gloves, to avoid ovemitting resources.
Han Cheng, who treated the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe exceptionally well, was quite stingy when it came to people not belonging to their tribe.
Even asional generosity was calcted.
As a nobody in his past life, Han Cheng might not have survived beyond three episodes in another world, but in the primitive era, he didn''t have to worry too much. In terms of cunning schemes, Han Cheng was confident he could outsmart the people of this era by arge margin.
From this perspective, throwing him into primitive society wasn''t necessarily bad.
Perhaps even the heavens were a little disgusted with this guy bullying primitive people, so when it came to the charcoal he desperately wanted to produce, they gave him enough hardships.
Looking at the almost wholly burnt firewood before him and the remaining charcoal, Han Cheng felt like crying without tears.
The sense of superiority he had felt from intellectually and experientially overwhelming primitive people was utterly shattered.
Han Cheng also felt pressed down and rubbed against the ground.
After failing multiple times to burn charcoal using the y oven built by Hei Wa, Han Cheng seriously summarized his experience and logically shifted the me to the y oven.
The implication was that it wasn''t his method that didn''t work but that the y oven used for firing ceramics wasn''t suitable for burning charcoal.
This bluntly shifted me left Hei Wa, who was following along, dumbfounded.
After listening to the Divine Childs detailed analysis of the uneven heating of the y oven leading to the repeated failure to burn charcoal, Hei Wa, who had been sessfully brainwashed by the Divine Child, enthusiastically adopted a new method to burn charcoal.
This method was the same as Han Cheng used to fire ceramicspiling up the firewood for charcoal and then covering it with a thickyer of mud outside.
To address the problem of uneven heating fully, Han Cheng directly opened twelve fire holes under the pile of firewood after applying the mud.
Then, after giving the order, he let the people nearby light the fire together.
After the wood in the pile, sealed with mud, was burned through from the top, showing that even the wood in the middle was burning, Han Cheng, with the demeanor of a great general, gave the order to plug up all twelve fire holes and the venttion hole on top with everyone''s help at the fastest speed.
Han Cheng carefully considered this method. In his n, such operations should not have many mistakes.
Because he had already calcted beforehand, he appeared calm and unhurried in his actions.
As a prominent figure in the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng''s actions were bound to attract attention.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe knew about the Divine Child repeated failures in charcoal burning, despite his all-knowing and all-powerful image. Seeing the Divine Child''s confident demeanor yesterday and his return to his usual calm andposed self, they knew he would seed this time. Furthermore, with the "hats" already in ce on the fences, they all came to support the Divine Child.
They wanted to share the joy of sess with the Divine Child and witness the miracle together.
And then
And then, as they watched the unexpected scene before them, everyone looked at each other in astonishment.
Even though Han Cheng had long trained his poker face, he couldn''t help but feel a little flushed under the current circumstances.
What the hell was going on here?
Chapter 227: Chang Er should die
Chapter 227: Chang Er should die
The cold moonlight sprinkled down, making the tree branches, stripped of their leaves, appear even colder in the moonlit night.
In a row of houses, the orange firelight was blocked by the animal hide covering the windows, casting a reddish glow on the hide but not letting any light through.
asionally, vague figures were reflected on the hide, indicating someone was moving inside the room.
Although the dense fur blocked the firelight, it couldn''t muffle the sounds. Laughter and chatter asionally drifted out from the row of connected houses, adding a touch of liveliness and warmth to the peaceful yet cold night.
On top of the low wall, three people were on guard duty. Wrapped in thick fur, wearing gloves and hats, they paced within a small area, asionally stomping their feet to ward off the cold.
In the courtyard, two people and a dog squatted side by side in the moonlight, their breath visible in the cold air as they looked up at the sparkling starry sky together.
If these two people were excluded, it would be a real-life version of "Dogs Looking at the Stars."
Wrapped in thick fur, these two people appeared like fluffy balls as they squatted there. One was Shi Tou, who harbored dreams of flying and was preparing to achieve his dreams through unconventional means. The other was Han Cheng, who, after today''s failed attempt at firing charcoal, was feeling stimted and wanted some quiet time.
After gazing for a while, Shi Tou lowered his head and withdrew his hands from the warm gloves. He picked up a piece of tile that had been polished and was more suitable for writing, carefully moved the y tablet, which was standing vertically, t in front of him, then leaned over and began to sketch on it using the tile, illuminated by the moonlight.
It was a gradually rounding circle, simr to the half-moon hanging in the sky.
In front of this circle were five rows of circles of different shapes.
At the tenth position in front of this circle was an "x," not just one, but three in a row. This was the solution that Shi Tou obtained after failing to see the moon for three consecutive days and not knowing how to record it when he came to ask the Divine Child.
Shi Tou was a "questioning" youth, with even more questions than the "questioning" elder, Shaman. He would often ask the Divine Child about things he didn''t understand.
When it came to writing and recording things, Shi Tou had once asked the Divine Child why they wrote from left to right horizontally instead of vertically from top to bottom or from right to left.
Of course, Han Cheng wouldn''t tell Shi Tou that it was a habit he had developed since childhood, nor would he say anything like "writing vertically nods frequently while reading, indicating agreement with the words of the sages; writing horizontally shakes the head frequently while reading, indicating disrespect for the sages."
Han Cheng''s solution was simple: he asked Shi Tou to write two versions of "The Tadpole Looks for Its Mother" on the y tablet, one horizontally and one vertically, and then try to read them.
After reading both versions a few times, which were inevitably influenced by Han Cheng, Shi Tou felt morefortable reading from left to right horizontally and stopped asking this question.
Han Cheng looked at the precious y tablet in Shi Tou''s hands, which already had more than forty irregr circles sketched on it.
He nodded slightly. After a while longer of sketching, he could start guiding Shi Tou to summarize the patterns.
Once the moon''s waxing and waning pattern was summarized, a lunar calendar could be preliminarily established.
With the general framework in ce, terms like "big month," "small month," and "leap month" could gradually be added, and adjustments could be made ording to actual circumstances.
With him as the time traveler and Shi Tou as the next shaman, whom he had brought into the field of "astronomy," they could alwayse up with a calendar system that was more suitable for their ce.
Shi Tou meticulously depicted the imperfect circle, carefullyparing it to the bright moon in the sky and making some adjustments before finally stopping his movements.
He carefully stored the tile-turned "pen" in the side pocket of his makeshift clothes, then carefully stood the y tablet upright before continuing to gaze up at the moon that made all the stars in the sky pale inparison.
"Divine Child, are there trees on the moon? Do tribes also live there?" Shi Tou finally voiced the thoughts in his mind after gazing for a while.
This was what he had discovered about the moon during this period and the beautiful yearning it had sparked within him.
At this moment, no worries were clouding his mind, no shy distractions, and no heavy academic burdens to strain his eyes, so he could see the shadows on the bright moon more clearly.
As someone from the future, Han Cheng knew that there was nothing on the moon except destion, but when he saw Shi Tou''s eyes filled with longing and anticipation, he resisted the urge to shatter this cold reality.
Sometimes, a beautiful and well-intentioned lie was more needed than a discouraging reality.
Han Cheng nodded.
With anticipation and anxiety in his heart, Shi Tou looked at Han Cheng, and his face suddenly lit up with a smile.
However, his smile quickly froze because Han Cheng shook his head again after nodding.
Seeing Shi Tou''s bewilderment and disappointment, Han Cheng smiled and said, "There are trees up there, and people too, but no tribes."
The rigid smile returned to Shi Tou''s face.
He looked at Han Cheng with hope-filled eyes, hoping the Divine Child would exin a little more.
Han Cheng pointed to the bright moon and said, "See, there''s a big cassia tree up there, and under the cassia tree, there''s a rabbit making medicine."
Shi Tou listened, his eyes widening. He carefully looked at the bright moon, and after hearing Han Cheng''s words, he seemed to see a big tree and a rabbit moving on top.
He didn''t understand what Han Cheng meant by "making medicine," so he automatically interpreted it as some activity.
But as he continued to look, another question arose: Why was there a rabbit up there? What was it doing "making medicine"?
Looking up at the moon, Shi Tou began to ask Han Cheng with extreme anticipation, his body trembling slightly, unsure if it was from excitement or cold.
Han Cheng secretly apologized to Hou Yi and Chang''e, knowing he was about to make them suffer like Vega.
Then he thought momentarily and decided to tell Shi Tou the primitive version of Chang''e flying to the moon and Hou Yi shooting the sun.
Seeing Shi Tou staring at him dumbfounded, unable to say a word, Han Cheng''s gloomy mood from his consecutive failed attempts at charcoal burning improved significantly.
"Chang''e should die!" A voice of anger suddenly came from nearby, making Han Cheng jump in shock.
The cold moonlight sprinkled down, making the tree branches, stripped of their leaves, appear even colder in the moonlit night.
In a row of houses, the orange firelight was blocked by the animal hide covering the windows, casting a reddish glow on the hide but not letting any light through.
asionally, vague figures were reflected on the hide, indicating someone was moving inside the room.
Although the dense fur blocked the firelight, it couldn''t muffle the sounds. Laughter and chatter asionally drifted out from the row of connected houses, adding a touch of liveliness and warmth to the peaceful yet cold night.
On top of the low wall, three people were on guard duty. Wrapped in thick fur, wearing gloves and hats, they paced within a small area, asionally stomping their feet to ward off the cold.
In the courtyard, two people and a dog squatted side by side in the moonlight, their breath visible in the cold air as they looked up at the sparkling starry sky together.
If these two people were excluded, it would be a real-life version of "Dogs Looking at the Stars."
Wrapped in thick fur, these two people appeared like fluffy balls as they squatted there. One was Shi Tou, who harbored dreams of flying and was preparing to achieve his dreams through unconventional means. The other was Han Cheng, who, after today''s failed attempt at firing charcoal, was feeling stimted and wanted some quiet time.
After gazing for a while, Shi Tou lowered his head and withdrew his hands from the warm gloves. He picked up a piece of tile that had been polished and was more suitable for writing, carefully moved the y tablet, which was standing vertically, t in front of him, then leaned over and began to sketch on it using the tile, illuminated by the moonlight.
It was a gradually rounding circle, simr to the half-moon hanging in the sky.
In front of this circle were five rows of circles of different shapes.
At the tenth position in front of this circle was an "x," not just one, but three in a row. This was the solution that Shi Tou obtained after failing to see the moon for three consecutive days and not knowing how to record it when he came to ask the Divine Child.
Shi Tou was a "questioning" youth, with even more questions than the "questioning" elder, Shaman. He would often ask the Divine Child about things he didn''t understand.
When it came to writing and recording things, Shi Tou had once asked the Divine Child why they wrote from left to right horizontally instead of vertically from top to bottom or from right to left.
Of course, Han Cheng wouldn''t tell Shi Tou that it was a habit he had developed since childhood, nor would he say anything like "writing vertically nods frequently while reading, indicating agreement with the words of the sages; writing horizontally shakes the head frequently while reading, indicating disrespect for the sages."
Han Cheng''s solution was simple: he asked Shi Tou to write two versions of "The Tadpole Looks for Its Mother" on the y tablet, one horizontally and one vertically, and then try to read them.
After reading both versions a few times, which were inevitably influenced by Han Cheng, Shi Tou felt morefortable reading from left to right horizontally and stopped asking this question.
Han Cheng looked at the precious y tablet in Shi Tou''s hands, which already had more than forty irregr circles sketched on it.
He nodded slightly. After a while longer of sketching, he could start guiding Shi Tou to summarize the patterns.
Once the moon''s waxing and waning pattern was summarized, a lunar calendar could be preliminarily established.
With the general framework in ce, terms like "big month," "small month," and "leap month" could gradually be added, and adjustments could be made ording to actual circumstances.
With him as the time traveler and Shi Tou as the next shaman, whom he had brought into the field of "astronomy," they could alwayse up with a calendar system that was more suitable for their ce.
Shi Tou meticulously depicted the imperfect circle, carefullyparing it to the bright moon in the sky and making some adjustments before finally stopping his movements.
He carefully stored the tile-turned "pen" in the side pocket of his makeshift clothes, then carefully stood the y tablet upright before continuing to gaze up at the moon that made all the stars in the sky pale inparison.
"Divine Child, are there trees on the moon? Do tribes also live there?" Shi Tou finally voiced the thoughts in his mind after gazing for a while.
This was what he had discovered about the moon during this period and the beautiful yearning it had sparked within him.
At this moment, no worries were clouding his mind, no shy distractions, and no heavy academic burdens to strain his eyes, so he could see the shadows on the bright moon more clearly.
As someone from the future, Han Cheng knew that there was nothing on the moon except destion, but when he saw Shi Tou''s eyes filled with longing and anticipation, he resisted the urge to shatter this cold reality.
Sometimes, a beautiful and well-intentioned lie was more needed than a discouraging reality.
Han Cheng nodded.
With anticipation and anxiety in his heart, Shi Tou looked at Han Cheng, and his face suddenly lit up with a smile.
However, his smile quickly froze because Han Cheng shook his head again after nodding.
Seeing Shi Tou''s bewilderment and disappointment, Han Cheng smiled and said, "There are trees up there, and people too, but no tribes."
The rigid smile returned to Shi Tou''s face.
He looked at Han Cheng with hope-filled eyes, hoping the Divine Child would exin a little more.
Han Cheng pointed to the bright moon and said, "See, there''s a big cassia tree up there, and under the cassia tree, there''s a rabbit making medicine."
Shi Tou listened, his eyes widening. He carefully looked at the bright moon, and after hearing Han Cheng''s words, he seemed to see a big tree and a rabbit moving on top.
He didn''t understand what Han Cheng meant by "making medicine," so he automatically interpreted it as some activity.
But as he continued to look, another question arose: Why was there a rabbit up there? What was it doing "making medicine"?
Looking up at the moon, Shi Tou began to ask Han Cheng with extreme anticipation, his body trembling slightly, unsure if it was from excitement or cold.
Han Cheng secretly apologized to Hou Yi and Chang''e, knowing he was about to make them suffer like Vega.
Then he thought momentarily and decided to tell Shi Tou the primitive version of Chang''e flying to the moon and Hou Yi shooting the sun.
Seeing Shi Tou staring at him dumbfounded, unable to say a word, Han Cheng''s gloomy mood from his consecutive failed attempts at charcoal burning improved significantly.
"Chang''e should die!" A voice of anger suddenly came from nearby, making Han Cheng jump in shock.
Chapter 228: From Change Flying to the Moon to Archery
Chapter 228: From Chang''e Flying to the Moon to Archery
Caught up in the joy of fooling primitive people, Han Cheng was suddenly startled by an angry voice.
Not only he but even the nearby Shi Tou and the somewhatzy dog, Fu Jiang, had the same reaction.
After the startle, Han Cheng had already recognized the voice''s owner.
Turning his head, sure enough, not far away stood the Eldest Senior Brother, the tribe''s leader.
The Eldest Senior Brother hade out to use the bathroom earlier, and seeing the Divine Child and Shi Tou here looking at the moon, freezing and shivering, he wanted toe over to tell them and Shi Tou to go back to sleep to avoid being frozen.
As a result, after walking in, he heard the Divine Child telling a story to Shi Tou.
The Eldest Senior Brother slowed down his pace and listened attentively.
At first, he thought that the Divine Child was telling the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, but after listening for a while, he realized this was apletely new story.
And it was a story that was no less moving and imaginative than the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
The Eldest Senior Brother couldn''t help but bepletely absorbed in this magical story.
Hepletely forgot abouting to call the Divine Child and Shi Tou to go back to the house, just standing here quietly listening, forgetting even the ubiquitous cold.
As the story unfolded, his chest began to rise and fall continuously, and the amplitude of the rise and fall becamerger andrger.
When the story ended, he couldn''t bear it anymore and finally shouted out angrily, his voice filled with anger.
Seeing the Divine Child startled by him just now, he finally came to his senses from the infuriating story.
The fierce and majestic appearance from just now disappeared in an instant, reced by a kind of embarrassment.
Han Cheng carefully recalled the shout from the Eldest Senior Brother just now, feeling quite strange, and called the Eldest Senior Brother over to ask why he said Chang''e deserved to die.
Because he had scared the Divine Child just now, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t dare to speak too loudly now, but his words were inevitably filled with anger as he spoke.
"Chang''e stole the elixir and ate it. She deserves to die!"
This was the answer given by the Eldest Senior Brother.
Han Cheng found this different view from the Eldest Senior Brother quite strange. He had only heard praises for Chang''e in the past, but here he heard a different voice.
Following the Eldest Senior Brother''s thoughts, Chang''e''s behavior was improper.
" Divine Child, was the jade rabbit pounding medicine to treat Chang''e''s injury? Did Hou Yi shoot Chang''e with an arrow?"
Shi Tou, who had previously asked what "pounding medicine" meant, spoke up.
Han Cheng hadn''t thought about it this way before, but now that Shi Tou mentioned it, it was pretty reasonable to use the jade rabbit-pounding medicine to exin. After all, the story of Hou Yi shooting the sun had been interspersed before.
Discovering that the immortality elixir shared by the two was consumed by Chang''e alone, it was also reasonable for Hou Yi to shoot Chang''e with an arrow.
But how did such a good story turn sour?
Han Cheng clicked his tongue, looking helpless.
Someone came out of the room, asking what had happened.
These people had been alerted by the Eldest Senior Brother''s shout just now.
Everyone immediately became excited after hearing that the Divine Child had just told another story.
The Divine Child''s stories were their favorite.
They were still talking about the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl that had been told before, and now, hearing that the Divine Child was telling another story, how could they not be happy?
Those who hadn''t heard the story felt an itch in their hearts, a feeling more ufortable than having a bowl of steaming hot delicious meat soup right in front of them but unable to eat it.
Han Cheng looked at the group of people with eager eyes staring at him, sniffed, and then called everyone back to the house to listen to the story. After all, it was too cold in the courtyard.
The crowd cheered, seeming happier than catching a big game animal.
The three guards understood from the crowd cheers what the Divine Child and others would do, feeling jealous to the extreme, wishing they could run to the house now to enjoy the story.
But they still had to stand guard, enduring the torment as if their hearts were being scratched.
"Divine Child, what is a bow and arrow?!"
The third Senior brother looked at Han Cheng expectantly.
The others also remained silent, staring at their Divine Child, wanting his answer.
The sun hung so high in the sky that people could only look up, but Hou Yi could use a bow and arrow to shoot it down, which made them unimaginable!
After not daring to imagine, they also had the idea that if the tribe had such a weapon, how powerful it would be.
This is a weapon that can even shoot down the sun!
With such a weapon, they would not fear any danger, and their tribe would be the most powerful tribe in the area!
When the timees, leaving some people to guard the tribe with bows and arrows, the rest can go out to find cattle, an animal they had never seen before but had longed for.
Looking at the bright eyes of the people in the tribe, Han Cheng wondered if he had brought out the bow and arrow toote.
He had indeed considered the bow and arrow, but he had not brought it out for a reason.
Firstly, the Green Sparrow Tribe could obtain enough food without going out to hunt, and secondly, the Green Sparrow Tribe had been busy with things like walls and houses, rarely going out to hunt, so there was rarely a need for bows and arrows. Moreover, making bows and arrows with a long enough range was difficult, so they had never been made.
Seeing the unusually bright eyes of the tribe looking at him, even the Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother were no exception; Han Cheng thought for a moment and then began to exin to everyone what a bow and arrow was.
"Can can we make it"
When Third Senior Brother asked this question, his throat was a little dry, and his heart was pounding.
The others also held their breath, all looking at their Divine Child.
After seeing Han Cheng nod, the people crowded in the three rooms cheered again.
Some impatient ones were already thinking about asking the Divine Child to make the bow and arrow.
Limping and sitting on the edge of the heated bed, Lame looked at Han Cheng with shining eyes because he realized he would follow the Divine Child to make that unimaginably powerful weapon.
Such a powerful weapon,ing from his own hands; just thinking about it made Lame tremble with excitement.
It was already evening, and it was dark all around, so of course, they couldn''t make bows and arrows at this time; they could only wait until tomorrow.
Third Senior Brother and the others immediately assured the Divine Child that he didn''t need to worry about it. They could light a massive fire to illuminate the surroundings, and the Divine Child could safely make the bows and arrows.
After thinking about it, Han Cheng still shook his head. He rejected the group of people deeply stimted by the mighty power of bows and arrows in the story, saying that they should go to sleep and discuss making bows and arrows tomorrow.
Chapter 229: Bound to disappoint bow and arrow
Chapter 229: Bound to disappoint bow and arrow
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe once again found themselves sleepless, with some reminiscing about the stories told by the Divine Child, deeply immersed in their thoughts.
More were pondering the mighty weapon- the bow and arrowable to shoot down the sun from the sky, which was unimaginable!
Thoughts of the Divine Child crafting such a weapon tomorrow filled their hearts with excitement, continuously imagining what the bow and arrow might look like.
Would such a powerful weapon be too big to handle?
Their aesthetic viewpoint remained pure, admiring things that were big and round.
You could tell this from the word "" (beauty).
A big sheep was beautiful; a big sheep was delicious to eat and very filling. This feeling was good. The concept of beauty slowly developed from this most basic and intuitive feeling.
Many couldn''t sleep,pletely distracted by thoughts of the shaman, while Shi Tou, who had been entirely led astray by Han Cheng, was also tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
But what he was thinking about was different from most people. It wasn''t the powerful bow and arrow but that kind of miraculous elixir that could make people fly to the sky after consuming it.
Where could he find such a powerful tribe Shaman like the Queen Mother of the West?
Thinking about this matter, he was full of conflict.
Yet amid the conflict, there was also an unbearable excitement because he had once again received a way to fly from the shaman, namely the Queen Mother and her elixir.
Unlike adults who had much greater life pressures, Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and Cheng hadn''t been hungry since the Divine Child arrived. In addition to some girls'' natural tendencies, what they considered most was not the bow and arrow that excited the adults but Chang''e, who lived alone on the moon with a rabbit and asionally danced.
Dancing, they hadn''t had this concept before. Only after the night they moved into their new home when the Divine Child led everyone in a dance around the fire, did they realize what dancing was. Dancing turned out to be such a fun thing.
So, in their minds, there automatically appeared a vision of a tall woman, taller than a strong man, wrapped in fur, holding a rabbit, and dancing on the moon.
As for what kind of dancethe dance that the Divine Child had taught them.
Thinking like this, Xing suddenly shook her head, feeling sorry for Chang''e. She danced alone, without thepany of fire. How could she be as happy as their tribe when dancing together?
Han Cheng naturally wouldn''t know the bizarre thoughts of the people in the tribe. Lying on the warm, heated bed, he had already pulled his mind out of the stories of Chang''e flying to the moon and Hou Yi shooting down the sun, which were familiar to him.
Lying on the warm, heated bed, he still thought about how to make charcoal.
This was indeed a troublesome matter.
Damn it, next time, I''ll start the fire from the top!
After carefully recalling the continuous failures in charcoal burning over the past few days, Han Cheng, who felt increasingly confused, also became restless.
After thinking for a while, he became agitated, thinking this was ridiculous. Why was he sometimes still as impatient as a child?
After a self-deprecating moment, he decided not to think about it anymore. Instead, he focused on the bow and arrow since everyone awaited it.
Hey like this for a while, but eventually, he didn''t think about the bow and arrow anymore. That unintentional thought kept rotating in his mind, bing increasingly entrenched.
To Han Cheng''s surprise, he wanted to get up and try burning another kiln.
After so many attempts at burning charcoal, he had never tried starting the fire from the top, so it wouldn''t take too much firewood to burn another kiln.
After all the previous failures, burning one more kiln wouldn''t hurt.
With this decision made, Han Cheng''s chaotic mind gradually calmed down, drowsiness washed over him, and soon he drifted into dreams.
Early the following day, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were already up, determined even by the warmth of the heated bed.
" Divine Child!"
After waiting a while, they called out to Han Cheng with excitement and anticipation as he emerged from his room.
After a moment of slight surprise, Han Cheng smiled. These people were enthusiastic about the bow and arrow, much more than himself, the shaman who was only thinking about burning charcoal.
However
However, they were destined to be disappointed because even the most advanced bow and arrow couldn''t shoot down the sun, let alone rockets fromter generations.
If only he had told them the legend of Hou Yi shooting down the sun after making the bow and arrow, then they wouldn''t have such a significant psychological gap after seeing the bow and arrow he made.
Han Cheng thought helplessly like this, asking everyone to wait for him.
After solving his biological issues and a simple wash, he began crafting bows and arrows amidst the crowd''s anticipation.
With a group of people, they searched around the tribe and found a kind of tree that was more flexible in texture. Pointing at a tree branch about the thickness of a baby''s arm, without him having to do anything, the people who couldn''t sleep because they were thinking about bows and arrows immediately pounced on it fiercely.
They didn''t chop down the branch but directly began to work on the tree with a diameter of over thirty centimeters.
Last night, they had imagined the bow and arrow. Although they couldn''t imagine the specific appearance of the bow and arrow, one thing was everyone''s consensus: it had to be big!
No one would believe it wasn''t big if something could bring down the sun.
So they directly ignored the tree branch, thinking that the Divine Child was referring to this tree
Han Cheng looked at the few people continuously wielding their stone axes and being fierce as if they were going to cut down this big tree and couldn''t help but stare in amazement.
How big of a bow were these guys trying to make?
Moreover, cutting down such a big tree would take a long time. He was still thinking about quickly making the bow and arrow and then experimenting with his stubborn charcoal-burning idea. He couldn''t afford to waste time like this.
He hurriedly called out to the Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother, pointing again at the tree branch above, indicating that they only needed to cut it down, not the whole tree.
Everyone was surprised. They looked at the small tree branch and then at the Divine Child, wearing expressions of confusion. Could something like this make a bow and arrow to shoot down the sun?
Han Cheng understood what these guys were thinking and couldn''t help but cry andugh. "Chop down this big tree to make weapons. Who among you can handle it?"
Upon hearing Han Cheng''s words, the crowd couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. They had only considered making it big but had forgotten about this point.
The tree branch with the thickness of a baby''s arm was cut down. Han Cheng, apanied by the restless crowd, returned to the tribe and began making the first bow and arrow in the history of the Green Sparrow Tribe, destined to disappoint.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe once again found themselves sleepless, with some reminiscing about the stories told by the Divine Child, deeply immersed in their thoughts.
More were pondering the mighty weapon- the bow and arrowable to shoot down the sun from the sky, which was unimaginable!
Thoughts of the Divine Child crafting such a weapon tomorrow filled their hearts with excitement, continuously imagining what the bow and arrow might look like.
Would such a powerful weapon be too big to handle?
Their aesthetic viewpoint remained pure, admiring things that were big and round.
You could tell this from the word "" (beauty).
A big sheep was beautiful; a big sheep was delicious to eat and very filling. This feeling was good. The concept of beauty slowly developed from this most basic and intuitive feeling.
Many couldn''t sleep,pletely distracted by thoughts of the shaman, while Shi Tou, who had been entirely led astray by Han Cheng, was also tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
But what he was thinking about was different from most people. It wasn''t the powerful bow and arrow but that kind of miraculous elixir that could make people fly to the sky after consuming it.
Where could he find such a powerful tribe Shaman like the Queen Mother of the West?
Thinking about this matter, he was full of conflict.
Yet amid the conflict, there was also an unbearable excitement because he had once again received a way to fly from the shaman, namely the Queen Mother and her elixir.
Unlike adults who had much greater life pressures, Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and Cheng hadn''t been hungry since the Divine Child arrived. In addition to some girls'' natural tendencies, what they considered most was not the bow and arrow that excited the adults but Chang''e, who lived alone on the moon with a rabbit and asionally danced.
Dancing, they hadn''t had this concept before. Only after the night they moved into their new home when the Divine Child led everyone in a dance around the fire, did they realize what dancing was. Dancing turned out to be such a fun thing.
So, in their minds, there automatically appeared a vision of a tall woman, taller than a strong man, wrapped in fur, holding a rabbit, and dancing on the moon.
As for what kind of dancethe dance that the Divine Child had taught them.
Thinking like this, Xing suddenly shook her head, feeling sorry for Chang''e. She danced alone, without thepany of fire. How could she be as happy as their tribe when dancing together?
Han Cheng naturally wouldn''t know the bizarre thoughts of the people in the tribe. Lying on the warm, heated bed, he had already pulled his mind out of the stories of Chang''e flying to the moon and Hou Yi shooting down the sun, which were familiar to him.
Lying on the warm, heated bed, he still thought about how to make charcoal.
This was indeed a troublesome matter.
Damn it, next time, I''ll start the fire from the top!
After carefully recalling the continuous failures in charcoal burning over the past few days, Han Cheng, who felt increasingly confused, also became restless.
After thinking for a while, he became agitated, thinking this was ridiculous. Why was he sometimes still as impatient as a child?
After a self-deprecating moment, he decided not to think about it anymore. Instead, he focused on the bow and arrow since everyone awaited it.
Hey like this for a while, but eventually, he didn''t think about the bow and arrow anymore. That unintentional thought kept rotating in his mind, bing increasingly entrenched.
To Han Cheng''s surprise, he wanted to get up and try burning another kiln.
After so many attempts at burning charcoal, he had never tried starting the fire from the top, so it wouldn''t take too much firewood to burn another kiln.
After all the previous failures, burning one more kiln wouldn''t hurt.
With this decision made, Han Cheng''s chaotic mind gradually calmed down, drowsiness washed over him, and soon he drifted into dreams.
Early the following day, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were already up, determined even by the warmth of the heated bed.
" Divine Child!"
After waiting a while, they called out to Han Cheng with excitement and anticipation as he emerged from his room.
After a moment of slight surprise, Han Cheng smiled. These people were enthusiastic about the bow and arrow, much more than himself, the shaman who was only thinking about burning charcoal.
However
However, they were destined to be disappointed because even the most advanced bow and arrow couldn''t shoot down the sun, let alone rockets fromter generations.
If only he had told them the legend of Hou Yi shooting down the sun after making the bow and arrow, then they wouldn''t have such a significant psychological gap after seeing the bow and arrow he made.
Han Cheng thought helplessly like this, asking everyone to wait for him.
After solving his biological issues and a simple wash, he began crafting bows and arrows amidst the crowd''s anticipation.
With a group of people, they searched around the tribe and found a kind of tree that was more flexible in texture. Pointing at a tree branch about the thickness of a baby''s arm, without him having to do anything, the people who couldn''t sleep because they were thinking about bows and arrows immediately pounced on it fiercely.
They didn''t chop down the branch but directly began to work on the tree with a diameter of over thirty centimeters.
Last night, they had imagined the bow and arrow. Although they couldn''t imagine the specific appearance of the bow and arrow, one thing was everyone''s consensus: it had to be big!
No one would believe it wasn''t big if something could bring down the sun.
So they directly ignored the tree branch, thinking that the Divine Child was referring to this tree
Han Cheng looked at the few people continuously wielding their stone axes and being fierce as if they were going to cut down this big tree and couldn''t help but stare in amazement.
How big of a bow were these guys trying to make?
Moreover, cutting down such a big tree would take a long time. He was still thinking about quickly making the bow and arrow and then experimenting with his stubborn charcoal-burning idea. He couldn''t afford to waste time like this.
He hurriedly called out to the Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother, pointing again at the tree branch above, indicating that they only needed to cut it down, not the whole tree.
Everyone was surprised. They looked at the small tree branch and then at the Divine Child, wearing expressions of confusion. Could something like this make a bow and arrow to shoot down the sun?
Han Cheng understood what these guys were thinking and couldn''t help but cry andugh. "Chop down this big tree to make weapons. Who among you can handle it?"
Upon hearing Han Cheng''s words, the crowd couldn''t help but feel embarrassed. They had only considered making it big but had forgotten about this point.
The tree branch with the thickness of a baby''s arm was cut down. Han Cheng, apanied by the restless crowd, returned to the tribe and began making the first bow and arrow in the history of the Green Sparrow Tribe, destined to disappoint.
Chapter 230: Archery’s greatest insult
Chapter 230: Archery¡¯s greatest insult
The bow and arrow are not unfamiliar to people inter generations. They are ubiquitous in both film and martial arts novels.
Before the emergence of firearms, the bow and arrow had always been the most convenient and effective long-range weapon.
As time went on, many different types of bows also appeared.
From horn bows, steel bows, andposite bows to Scottish longbows there were indeed quite a few types.
However, these bows and arrows, with their diverse styles and names left in the annals of history due to their respective advantages, had little to do with Han Cheng and the current Green Sparrow Tribe.
Because Han Cheng couldn''t make any of these bows, this was limited by the harsh conditions and his limited knowledge of bow-making.
What he could do now was only to erge the most straightforward kind of bow he used to y with in his childhood.
The straight tree branch chosen by Han Cheng had already been stripped bare.
Afterparing his height with his Eldest Senior Brother''s, Han Cheng made a mark about twenty centimeters lower than his Eldest Senior Brother''s height. Then he instructed Lame to cut it off from there carefully.
He then used a stone knife to carve notches on both ends of the branch, which would be used to hang the bowstring.
After carving the notches, Han Cheng had his Eldest Senior Brother press the branch against the ground and push down forcefully.
The branch was bent into a crescent shape by his Eldest Senior Brother, and Han Cheng took the opportunity to tie the rope that had been brought over earlier to both ends of the bent stick.
After tightening the rope, Han Cheng let his Eldest Senior Brother release his grip. The rope, which had been loose before, immediately tightened.
This bow was too big for Han Cheng. When he picked it up with his hand and pulled it, he could only pull it a little.
The bow was heavy, and its sticity was not good.
The people watching on the sidelines couldn''t help but exchange nces when they saw this bow and arrow, which was far from what they had imagined.
Did Hou Yi use this thing to shoot down the sun?
Even Second Senior Brother, who was the best at throwing things the farthest and most urately, couldn''t throw this thing too far, could he?
"Divine Child, this"
Someone couldn''t help but ask the doubts in their hearts. Han Cheng smiled and said that it wasn''t finished yet.
He took some chicken feathers from Tie Tou while picking up some small straight branches that had just been cut from the tree branch and put them into the fire, sharpening one end as much as possible on a stone.
At this time, Tie Tou also brought over some wild chicken feathers.
Han Cheng took them, aligned them, ced them on the wood, and used a stone knife to cut them off with effort.
Then, he picked up two pieces, aligned them, and tied them at the end of the arrow shaft with a thin rope. This simple arrow was thenpleted.
Han Cheng wanted to let his Eldest Senior Brother or other adults shoot with the bow and arrow, but they had never touched these things before and didn''t know how to use them. So, shooting the first arrow fell on Han Cheng, the Divine Child.
The bow and arrow were not much shorter than Han Cheng. He held the bow in his right hand, struggled to lift it, and held the arrow in his other hand. He ced the groove carved on the top end of the arrow shaft onto the bowstring and pulled it with all his might.
In front of him, there were no longer any people. The crowd had left ample space for the Divine Child to perform.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe all focused on the Divine Child, who looked very awkward holding arge bow.
Although the bow and arrow made by the Divine Child were far from what they had imagined, the story they heardst night about Hou Yi shooting down the sun made them not dare to underestimate the bow and arrow in the Divine Child''s hands.
Some timid people suddenly became afraid.
They were worried that the sun in the sky would fall after the Divine Child shot this arrow.
There was only one sun in the sky. If the Divine Child shot it down, what would they do in the future?
Thinking about the days without the sun, which would forever be shrouded in darkness, they couldn''t help but feel fear and even wanted to speak out, not allowing the Divine Child to shoot this arrow.
"Twang!"
With the sound of the bowstring, the feathered arrow attached to the bow flew out.
Everyone widened their eyes. Some timid ones had already raised their heads to look at the sky, afraid that the sun, which was so scared that their little faces turned pale, would fall.
After looking for a while, seeing that the sun was still hanging in the sky without any signs of falling, Cheng sighed a sigh of relief but couldn''t help feeling disappointed.
Relieved, she then noticed that it was hushed around her. She thought that perhaps the Divine Child had done something earth-shattering with this arrow. She quickly leaned over to look. After seeing the situation there clearly, she was also stunned!
Just like the others, she was strangely quiet.
Following her gaze, the arrow was quietly lying there about five or six meters in front of the shaman.
Whether it was due to exerting too much force, the weather was too cold, or some other reason, the Divine Child''s face and neck appeared slightly red.
Han Cheng put down the bow, looked at the petrified crowd, and then at the disobedient arrow. He sniffed and cursed softly to himself, "Damn it."
He looked a bit embarrassed.
The power of the bow and arrowpletely exceeded the people''s expectations of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Not only could it not shoot down the sun, but it couldn''t even reach as far as throwing something with its hands
Han Cheng called over the still dumbfounded Eldest Senior Brother, who hadn''t recovered from the immense power of the bow and arrow and asked him to pick up the arrow several meters away, imitating what he had just done to shoot the arrow.
After Han Cheng''s demonstration, which could be called a humiliation in the history of archery, the Eldest Senior Brother and others also learned how to use the bow and arrow.
With Han Cheng''s technical guidance on the side, the Eldest Senior Brother''s second attempt at shooting the arrow went smoothly.
He pulled the bowstring forcefully at Han Cheng''s signal, then loosened his grip on the arrow. With a swoosh'' sound, the arrow was gone when they looked again.
Cheng instinctively looked four or five meters in front of the Eldest Senior Brother, but this time it was empty.
"It''s over there!"
Someone eximed in surprise.
Cheng hurriedly followed everyone''s gaze and saw someone holding the arrow far away, raising it high above the crowd.
The distance was about thirty meters, which was still far from being able to shoot down the sun, but it was still helpful.
At least many people in the tribe couldn''t throw something this far.
Han Cheng had someone set up a tree stump thirty meters away and had the adults in the tribe take turns shooting arrows at the stump, wanting to see if there were any naturally talented archers among them who were better than the Divine Child.
The Eldest Senior Brother missed all three arrows, and the Second Senior brother''s aim was even worse. He missed and hit the rabbit enclosure.
Simrly, Shang''s three arrows also missed the stump.
This made Han Cheng sigh inwardly and then smile. He realized that his idea was too idealistic. It wasn''t easy to find a natural archer. With only so many people in their tribe, the probability of such talent was small
The bow and arrow are not unfamiliar to people inter generations. They are ubiquitous in both film and martial arts novels.
Before the emergence of firearms, the bow and arrow had always been the most convenient and effective long-range weapon.
As time went on, many different types of bows also appeared.
From horn bows, steel bows, andposite bows to Scottish longbows there were indeed quite a few types.
However, these bows and arrows, with their diverse styles and names left in the annals of history due to their respective advantages, had little to do with Han Cheng and the current Green Sparrow Tribe.
Because Han Cheng couldn''t make any of these bows, this was limited by the harsh conditions and his limited knowledge of bow-making.
What he could do now was only to erge the most straightforward kind of bow he used to y with in his childhood.
The straight tree branch chosen by Han Cheng had already been stripped bare.
Afterparing his height with his Eldest Senior Brother''s, Han Cheng made a mark about twenty centimeters lower than his Eldest Senior Brother''s height. Then he instructed Lame to cut it off from there carefully.
He then used a stone knife to carve notches on both ends of the branch, which would be used to hang the bowstring.
After carving the notches, Han Cheng had his Eldest Senior Brother press the branch against the ground and push down forcefully.
The branch was bent into a crescent shape by his Eldest Senior Brother, and Han Cheng took the opportunity to tie the rope that had been brought over earlier to both ends of the bent stick.
After tightening the rope, Han Cheng let his Eldest Senior Brother release his grip. The rope, which had been loose before, immediately tightened.
This bow was too big for Han Cheng. When he picked it up with his hand and pulled it, he could only pull it a little.
The bow was heavy, and its sticity was not good.
The people watching on the sidelines couldn''t help but exchange nces when they saw this bow and arrow, which was far from what they had imagined.
Did Hou Yi use this thing to shoot down the sun?
Even Second Senior Brother, who was the best at throwing things the farthest and most urately, couldn''t throw this thing too far, could he?
"Divine Child, this"
Someone couldn''t help but ask the doubts in their hearts. Han Cheng smiled and said that it wasn''t finished yet.
He took some chicken feathers from Tie Tou while picking up some small straight branches that had just been cut from the tree branch and put them into the fire, sharpening one end as much as possible on a stone.
At this time, Tie Tou also brought over some wild chicken feathers.
Han Cheng took them, aligned them, ced them on the wood, and used a stone knife to cut them off with effort.
Then, he picked up two pieces, aligned them, and tied them at the end of the arrow shaft with a thin rope. This simple arrow was thenpleted.
Han Cheng wanted to let his Eldest Senior Brother or other adults shoot with the bow and arrow, but they had never touched these things before and didn''t know how to use them. So, shooting the first arrow fell on Han Cheng, the Divine Child.
The bow and arrow were not much shorter than Han Cheng. He held the bow in his right hand, struggled to lift it, and held the arrow in his other hand. He ced the groove carved on the top end of the arrow shaft onto the bowstring and pulled it with all his might.
In front of him, there were no longer any people. The crowd had left ample space for the Divine Child to perform.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe all focused on the Divine Child, who looked very awkward holding arge bow.
Although the bow and arrow made by the Divine Child were far from what they had imagined, the story they heardst night about Hou Yi shooting down the sun made them not dare to underestimate the bow and arrow in the Divine Child''s hands.
Some timid people suddenly became afraid.
They were worried that the sun in the sky would fall after the Divine Child shot this arrow.
There was only one sun in the sky. If the Divine Child shot it down, what would they do in the future?
Thinking about the days without the sun, which would forever be shrouded in darkness, they couldn''t help but feel fear and even wanted to speak out, not allowing the Divine Child to shoot this arrow.
"Twang!"
With the sound of the bowstring, the feathered arrow attached to the bow flew out.
Everyone widened their eyes. Some timid ones had already raised their heads to look at the sky, afraid that the sun, which was so scared that their little faces turned pale, would fall.
After looking for a while, seeing that the sun was still hanging in the sky without any signs of falling, Cheng sighed a sigh of relief but couldn''t help feeling disappointed.
Relieved, she then noticed that it was hushed around her. She thought that perhaps the Divine Child had done something earth-shattering with this arrow. She quickly leaned over to look. After seeing the situation there clearly, she was also stunned!
Just like the others, she was strangely quiet.
Following her gaze, the arrow was quietly lying there about five or six meters in front of the shaman.
Whether it was due to exerting too much force, the weather was too cold, or some other reason, the Divine Child''s face and neck appeared slightly red.
Han Cheng put down the bow, looked at the petrified crowd, and then at the disobedient arrow. He sniffed and cursed softly to himself, "Damn it."
He looked a bit embarrassed.
The power of the bow and arrowpletely exceeded the people''s expectations of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Not only could it not shoot down the sun, but it couldn''t even reach as far as throwing something with its hands
Han Cheng called over the still dumbfounded Eldest Senior Brother, who hadn''t recovered from the immense power of the bow and arrow and asked him to pick up the arrow several meters away, imitating what he had just done to shoot the arrow.
After Han Cheng''s demonstration, which could be called a humiliation in the history of archery, the Eldest Senior Brother and others also learned how to use the bow and arrow.
With Han Cheng''s technical guidance on the side, the Eldest Senior Brother''s second attempt at shooting the arrow went smoothly.
He pulled the bowstring forcefully at Han Cheng''s signal, then loosened his grip on the arrow. With a swoosh'' sound, the arrow was gone when they looked again.
Cheng instinctively looked four or five meters in front of the Eldest Senior Brother, but this time it was empty.
"It''s over there!"
Someone eximed in surprise.
Cheng hurriedly followed everyone''s gaze and saw someone holding the arrow far away, raising it high above the crowd.
The distance was about thirty meters, which was still far from being able to shoot down the sun, but it was still helpful.
At least many people in the tribe couldn''t throw something this far.
Han Cheng had someone set up a tree stump thirty meters away and had the adults in the tribe take turns shooting arrows at the stump, wanting to see if there were any naturally talented archers among them who were better than the Divine Child.
The Eldest Senior Brother missed all three arrows, and the Second Senior brother''s aim was even worse. He missed and hit the rabbit enclosure.
Simrly, Shang''s three arrows also missed the stump.
This made Han Cheng sigh inwardly and then smile. He realized that his idea was too idealistic. It wasn''t easy to find a natural archer. With only so many people in their tribe, the probability of such talent was small
Chapter 231: The contest between the Pea Shooter and the Marksman
Chapter 231: The contest between the Pea Shooter and the Marksman
"Doot!"
As if aimed explicitly at striking Han Cheng, the Great Divine Child''s face, an unusual sound rang out before he could finish his thoughts.
Holding the bow, the Third Senior Brother appeared excited and incredulous as he looked at the feathered arrow nailed to the wooden stake. He hadn''t expected to hit the target on his first attempt.
"Many words will lead to failure, and many shots will hit the mark." Shooting arrows many times doesn''t escape this rule.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel excited and curious about Third Senior Brother''s second arrow.
Third Senior Brother nocked the arrow, drew the bow, and with a release, a sharp thud resounded once again.
Two arrows were already embedded on the tree stump serving as a makeshift target.
With a mix of joy and surprise, Han Cheng watched the Third Senior Brother draw his bow again.
The third arrow missed, much to the disappointment of the onlookers and Han Cheng himself.
But upon reflection, Han Cheng''s mood lifted again.
Hitting two out of three arrows on his first attempt indicated that Third Senior Brother had considerable talent in archery.
Moreover, the stump used as a target differed from the circr targetsmonly seen inter eras. Hitting this target was much more challenging than hitting a typical bullseye.
Although the power of the bow and arrow fell far short of expectations, Han was quite satisfied. After all, this was a hastily made, rudimentary bow and arrow.
The bow and arrow were passed to the remaining people, and few managed to hit the target like the Third Senior Brother did. His consecutive hits raised expectations for the bow and arrow, among others.
Han Cheng went over to pull out the feathered arrow stuck in the stump. He wanted to gauge the power of the bow and arrow.
Compared to a real bow and arrow, the difference in power was considerable. Even though the outeryer of the stump used as a target had decayed, the arrows hadn''t prated deeply.
Despite this, Han was content. After all, these were hastily made, rudimentary weapons.
The bow and arrow circted among the rest of the people, with few managing to hit the target like the Third Senior Brother did. His consecutive hits raised expectations for the bow and arrow, among others.
When everyone cheered for Third Senior Brother, Second Brother''s expression soured slightly. After all, he used to be the best thrower in the tribe. Now, he was overshadowed by Third Senior Brother. While primitive people didn''t have theplex emotions of modern humans, many basic emotions were still present.
He picked up a few stones and approached Third Senior Brother, holding the bow and arrow, gesturing for everyone to move aside.
Then, he positioned himself next to Third Senior Brother, took a few steps back, and increased the distance from the wooden stump.
With a sudden wave of his hand holding a stone, the stone struck the wooden stump urately.
All three stones hit the mark, and thest one knocked over the stump, which wasn''t buried in the ground but supported by a few rocks.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe cheered for Second Senior Brother when they saw this.
Han Cheng also gave Second Senior Brother a thumbs-up. This guy''s title as a Pea Shooter was well-deserved.
Throwing stones was a crucial skill in this era, and eventer, after the widespread development of bows and arrows, stone-throwing remained a viable means of attacking enemies.
For example, themon practice of using slings to hurl stones.
One of the most famous instances was in the Water Margin, where Zhang Qing defeated seventeen generals of Liangshan with thrown stones in a single day.
Even Lu Zhishen, with his shiny bald head reflecting in the moonlight, was taken down by Zhang Qing''s stones.
Then there were the catapults, capable of hurling projectiles like small artillery
Even today, stone-throwing remains a simple and effective method for hunting andbat.
Han Cheng wouldn''t hesitate to praise Second Senior Brother from that perspective.
The third Senior Brother approached the area where the Second Senior Brother was and also prepared his bow and arrow. Today, the two of them seemed to have the intention ofpeting.
However, the Third Senior Brother was disadvantaged in the contest this time.
After multiple shots, the hastily made makeshift longbow had lost some sticity, naturally not matching up to Second Senior Brother, the pea shooter.
After thisparison, most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe believed that the bow and arrow made by the Divine Child were not as effective as their original stone-throwing skills.
Han Cheng didn''t mind the crowd''s attitude too much because he knew how vast the future of bows and arrows was.
This scene suddenly reminded him of the early days of experimenting with steam trains, when someone on horseback easily surpassed the train, thinking it was nothing special.
But what aboutter? No matter how hard the horse tried, it couldn''t catch up with the high-speed bullet train.
Second Senior Brother beat his chest to express that he wouldn''t use bows and arrows in the future. On the other hand, Third Senior Brother appeared somewhat disheartened as he approached Han Cheng with his bow and arrow.
Third Senior Brother liked bows and arrows. While he wasn''t very urate at throwing stones by hand, he could achieve great precision with a bow and arrow. Therefore, he was unwilling to give up on them.
Han Cheng formted a n after looking at the bow for a while. He reached out and patted Third Senior Brother''s shoulder, indicating that he shouldn''t be discouraged.
"This is just the most rudimentary bow. We can make a bow and arrow that shoots farther and with greater power with some improvements."
Third Senior Brother perked up, recalling the story of "Hou Yi shooting the sun" that the Divine Child had told himst night, looking at Han Cheng hopefully. "Can we shoot down the sun too?"
Han Cheng was speechless. He shouldn''t have told the story of "Hou Yi shooting the sun" in the first ce.
He replied seriously, "We can''t shoot down the sun, but we can shoot even farther."
Then he added, "There''s only one sun in the sky now. If you were to shoot it down, we wouldn''t be able to live."
Upon hearing this, the Third Senior Brother finally realized the problem and felt embarrassed.
Instead of dwelling on shooting down the sun, he asked Han Cheng for advice on making a stronger bow.
Han Cheng gave him explicit instructions. "Go to the mulberry forest and cut down a thick tree."
He demonstrated the size with his hands, indicating a bowl-sized circle.
"After you return, I''ll teach you how to make a more powerful bow and arrow."
Third Senior Brother received the information he needed from Han Cheng, feeling ted, and dashed off. Han Cheng called for the Second Senior Brother and the others to apany him.
After all, it''s better to havepany in the wilderness.
With the bow and arrow matter temporarily settled, Han Cheng could finally implement his sudden inspiration.
"Doot!"
As if aimed explicitly at striking Han Cheng, the Great Divine Child''s face, an unusual sound rang out before he could finish his thoughts.
Holding the bow, the Third Senior Brother appeared excited and incredulous as he looked at the feathered arrow nailed to the wooden stake. He hadn''t expected to hit the target on his first attempt.
"Many words will lead to failure, and many shots will hit the mark." Shooting arrows many times doesn''t escape this rule.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel excited and curious about Third Senior Brother''s second arrow.
Third Senior Brother nocked the arrow, drew the bow, and with a release, a sharp thud resounded once again.
Two arrows were already embedded on the tree stump serving as a makeshift target.
With a mix of joy and surprise, Han Cheng watched the Third Senior Brother draw his bow again.
The third arrow missed, much to the disappointment of the onlookers and Han Cheng himself.
But upon reflection, Han Cheng''s mood lifted again.
Hitting two out of three arrows on his first attempt indicated that Third Senior Brother had considerable talent in archery.
Moreover, the stump used as a target differed from the circr targetsmonly seen inter eras. Hitting this target was much more challenging than hitting a typical bullseye.
Although the power of the bow and arrow fell far short of expectations, Han was quite satisfied. After all, this was a hastily made, rudimentary bow and arrow.
The bow and arrow were passed to the remaining people, and few managed to hit the target like the Third Senior Brother did. His consecutive hits raised expectations for the bow and arrow, among others.
Han Cheng went over to pull out the feathered arrow stuck in the stump. He wanted to gauge the power of the bow and arrow.
Compared to a real bow and arrow, the difference in power was considerable. Even though the outeryer of the stump used as a target had decayed, the arrows hadn''t prated deeply.
Despite this, Han was content. After all, these were hastily made, rudimentary weapons.
The bow and arrow circted among the rest of the people, with few managing to hit the target like the Third Senior Brother did. His consecutive hits raised expectations for the bow and arrow, among others.
When everyone cheered for Third Senior Brother, Second Brother''s expression soured slightly. After all, he used to be the best thrower in the tribe. Now, he was overshadowed by Third Senior Brother. While primitive people didn''t have theplex emotions of modern humans, many basic emotions were still present.
He picked up a few stones and approached Third Senior Brother, holding the bow and arrow, gesturing for everyone to move aside.
Then, he positioned himself next to Third Senior Brother, took a few steps back, and increased the distance from the wooden stump.
With a sudden wave of his hand holding a stone, the stone struck the wooden stump urately.
All three stones hit the mark, and thest one knocked over the stump, which wasn''t buried in the ground but supported by a few rocks.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe cheered for Second Senior Brother when they saw this.
Han Cheng also gave Second Senior Brother a thumbs-up. This guy''s title as a Pea Shooter was well-deserved.
Throwing stones was a crucial skill in this era, and eventer, after the widespread development of bows and arrows, stone-throwing remained a viable means of attacking enemies.
For example, themon practice of using slings to hurl stones.
One of the most famous instances was in the Water Margin, where Zhang Qing defeated seventeen generals of Liangshan with thrown stones in a single day.
Even Lu Zhishen, with his shiny bald head reflecting in the moonlight, was taken down by Zhang Qing''s stones.
Then there were the catapults, capable of hurling projectiles like small artillery
Even today, stone-throwing remains a simple and effective method for hunting andbat.
Han Cheng wouldn''t hesitate to praise Second Senior Brother from that perspective.
The third Senior Brother approached the area where the Second Senior Brother was and also prepared his bow and arrow. Today, the two of them seemed to have the intention ofpeting.
However, the Third Senior Brother was disadvantaged in the contest this time.
After multiple shots, the hastily made makeshift longbow had lost some sticity, naturally not matching up to Second Senior Brother, the pea shooter.
After thisparison, most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe believed that the bow and arrow made by the Divine Child were not as effective as their original stone-throwing skills.
Han Cheng didn''t mind the crowd''s attitude too much because he knew how vast the future of bows and arrows was.
This scene suddenly reminded him of the early days of experimenting with steam trains, when someone on horseback easily surpassed the train, thinking it was nothing special.
But what aboutter? No matter how hard the horse tried, it couldn''t catch up with the high-speed bullet train.
Second Senior Brother beat his chest to express that he wouldn''t use bows and arrows in the future. On the other hand, Third Senior Brother appeared somewhat disheartened as he approached Han Cheng with his bow and arrow.
Third Senior Brother liked bows and arrows. While he wasn''t very urate at throwing stones by hand, he could achieve great precision with a bow and arrow. Therefore, he was unwilling to give up on them.
Han Cheng formted a n after looking at the bow for a while. He reached out and patted Third Senior Brother''s shoulder, indicating that he shouldn''t be discouraged.
"This is just the most rudimentary bow. We can make a bow and arrow that shoots farther and with greater power with some improvements."
Third Senior Brother perked up, recalling the story of "Hou Yi shooting the sun" that the Divine Child had told himst night, looking at Han Cheng hopefully. "Can we shoot down the sun too?"
Han Cheng was speechless. He shouldn''t have told the story of "Hou Yi shooting the sun" in the first ce.
He replied seriously, "We can''t shoot down the sun, but we can shoot even farther."
Then he added, "There''s only one sun in the sky now. If you were to shoot it down, we wouldn''t be able to live."
Upon hearing this, the Third Senior Brother finally realized the problem and felt embarrassed.
Instead of dwelling on shooting down the sun, he asked Han Cheng for advice on making a stronger bow.
Han Cheng gave him explicit instructions. "Go to the mulberry forest and cut down a thick tree."
He demonstrated the size with his hands, indicating a bowl-sized circle.
"After you return, I''ll teach you how to make a more powerful bow and arrow."
Third Senior Brother received the information he needed from Han Cheng, feeling ted, and dashed off. Han Cheng called for the Second Senior Brother and the others to apany him.
After all, it''s better to havepany in the wilderness.
With the bow and arrow matter temporarily settled, Han Cheng could finally implement his sudden inspiration.
Chapter 232: The adobe kiln that nurtures treasure
Chapter 232: The adobe kiln that nurtures treasure
Recently, Han Cheng built an adobe kiln to burn charcoal using a simple mud method simr to the one used for making pottery in the beginning. However, instead of scraping it off every time, which was too troublesome, he slightly modified the mud method.
He started by making a hollow cylinder on the ground using well-prepared mud. At the bottom of the cylinder, twelve evenly spaced fire vents were left. When burning charcoal, they ce vertically broken or smashed wood inside the cylinder. Then, they would use mud to form a conical top, simr to thest time.
When it was time to open the kiln, they would need to break open the conical top without touching the cylinder below, which could be reused. This significantly reduced the workload and improved efficiency.
Han Cheng and Hei Wa also neatly arranged the firewood they had brought inside the cylinder.
"Divine Child, why arrange it like this?" Hei Wa, seeing Han Cheng cing the thickest firewood in the middle of the cylinder, asked, somewhat puzzled.
Due to the previous method of igniting from the edge of the cylinder, to minimize the situation where the wood on the edges had turned into ashes while the wood inside had not burned yet, after some thinking, Han Cheng ced the thickest firewood on the edges.
This method proved to be somewhat effective. So when Hei Wa saw Han Cheng doing the opposite of what he usually did, he couldn''t help but speak up.
Han Cheng exined his idea of igniting the fire from the top to Hei Wa.
Hei Wa was quite puzzled as he had never heard of igniting a fire from the top before. Wanting to ask Han Cheng for the reasoning behind it, but seeing that Han Cheng didn''t want to discuss it further, he stopped asking and followed Han Cheng''s instructions to arrange the firewood.
Han Cheng naturally wouldn''t delve into details with Hei Wa. After all, he couldn''t tell him that it was his impulsive decision, right?
As it was getting cold, the well-prepared mud needed to be applied quickly, or it would freeze after a while.
Han Cheng and Hei Wa quickly applied the icy mud to the cylinder and then eagerly warmed their frozen hands in a nearby hot pottery basin, feeling relieved once they felt warmth returning to their hands.
As someone with dreams, Han Cheng was always spirited and passionate when doing things.
Not long after Han Cheng dried his hands by the fire, and while most of the kiln hadn''t burned yet, the Eldest Senior Brother and others had returned from afar.
Among the crowd, Third Senior Brother carried a freshly cut mulberry tree on his left shoulder. Some unnecessary branches had been removed from the mulberry tree, but instead of being discarded, they were bundled together and brought back.
Bringing back a mulberry tree as thick as a bowl rim directly, Third Senior Brother certainly didn''t have the strength for that; he wasn''t Lu Zhishen, after all.
When it''s said to carry, it''s just carrying the thick end of the tree trunk on the shoulder while the rest is dragged on the ground. This way, it saves a lot of effort.
Although Han Cheng was eager to ignite from the top to burn charcoal this time, he didn''t hold too much hope for the result.
Human thoughts are sometimes strange andplicated. It''s likeing in high spirits but leaving disappointed.
Therefore, after seeing the Third Senior Brother carrying the mulberry tree back and looking at the kiln that still needed some time to seal after instructing Hei Wa, Han Cheng happily became a bystander and went to make bows and arrows using mulberry wood.
The best wood for making bows and arrows is purple cedar, reportedly because of its unique hardness, which naturally produces the effect of aposite bow.
Han Cheng hadn''t seen purple cedar, but the next best thing, mulberry trees, were not in short supply.
This time, the bow Han Cheng was going to make wasn''t the simple kind made by bending a branch but rather, he nned to use the image of bows he had seen in movies and TV shows, making a bow body out of a mulberry tree trunk.
Because the trunk of the mulberry tree was wide enough, as long as there were no human errors, the bow body made from it wouldn''t be like the one made in the morning from a stick with uneven thickness on both ends, causing the apex of the bent bow to not be in the middle, thus affecting shooting uracy.
Han Cheng measured out a length of 1.2 meters with a ruler, made a mark, and then asked Lame to cut it off from there using a stone axe.
A freshly cut tree was easier to cut with a stone axe.
While Han Cheng and the others were doing this, Hei Wa had begun to block the hole left under the mud kiln.
They could already see the firelight from these lower holes, which meant the mes had reached this point.
At this point, they needed to block the venttion holes. Otherwise, after a while, the firewood inside would be wholly burned.
Although they had failed many times before when burning charcoal, Han Cheng and Hei Wa had also gained much experience from this series of failures.
With Divine Child gone, Hei Wa naturally cared for the charcoal kiln. After blocking all the venttion holes around, he directly sealed the top of the conical kiln with mud, without, as in the past, taking a look inside before sealing it, taking advantage of the diminishing fire.
Therefore, they didn''t notice that the wood at the ignition point this time didn''t turn into ashes like before after the wood elsewhere had burned, but remained glowing red, still retaining its previous shape.
Hei Wa loved firing kilns, but it depended on what was inside.
If it was pottery inside, he could stay up all night without sleeping, but it was a different story if it was firewood.
He also wanted to see the bows and arrows made by Divine Child again. Because in the past two years, he had primarily dealt with y and pottery and wasn''t very skilled in throwing. He liked the bows made by Divine Child, which could shoot arrows far away just by releasing the string.
He felt that such things were just right for him to use, even though, in the morning, his arrows were far from hitting the target
The neglected adobe kiln was not even emitting smoke, quietly staying there, nurturing its treasures.
Chapter 233: The First Snow
Chapter 233: The First Snow
Within the tribe, Han Cheng was directing Lame, who was proficient with the stone knife and a specially prepared wooden club suitable for pounding, to split the sawn mulberry tree trunk in half.
Lame had be quite skilled at this, and although the tools were rudimentary, his superb techniquepensated for this drawback. Now, the wood split by him generally wouldn''t have the uneven width at both ends.
After splitting the wood, one half was set aside. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Han Cheng fetched a piece of charcoal and sharpened one end on a stone before beginning to write on the other half.
The onlookers were puzzled. Why would someone making bows and arrows need to write? Moreover, the writing looked strange, and it seemed pretty challenging to write, even for the most proficient in a divine script like Divine Child, who had to erase and rewrite constantly.
Of course, Han Cheng wasn''t writing; he was drawing.
He was sketching the approximate outline of the bow on the trunk with charcoal, and then Lame would use the drawn lines as a guide for shaping.
For something as new and demanding as a bow, it was difficult to convey its shape just by describing it verbally. Drawing directly on the split trunk made it much clearer and faster.
After outlining, shaping along those lines was simple and less prone to errors.
It was a good idea, but Han Cheng''s hands were not cooperative. In his previous life, he hadn''t learned sketching or other drawing techniques, so it wasn''t easy for him to draw the shape of the bow that existed in his mind.
Thus, he could only make continuous revisions until his hands were covered in ck soot and half of the trunk was dyed ck. Only then did the outline of the bow finally appearplete on the trunk.
However, by this time, the outline was not very clear due to the surrounding area being ckened by the charcoal. Moreover, it was easy to wear away during the subsequent shaping process. So, Han Cheng warmed his hands by the fire for a while before taking them back and picking up a small, cold stone knife to carve along the outline, firmly leaving it on the trunk.
Afterpleting these tasks, it was time for Lame''s performance.
Having received specific requirements from Han Cheng, Lame began to shape the trunk with the stone knife.
It wasn''t easy to turn such arge trunk into a bow with a stone knife. Even though Lame''s skills were good, progress couldn''t be too fast without convenient tools.
Watching for a while, Han Cheng remembered the charcoal burning outside and prepared to go out and check, although he knew very well that it probably wouldn''t seed this time.
"Divine Child, I" He hadn''t left yet, and Third Senior Brother, who had been watching Lame make bows and arrows until now, finally spoke after much thought.
Pointing to the other half of the mulberry trunk ced aside, he expressed his thoughts to Han Cheng.
In the entire Green Sparrow tribe, the Third Senior Brother was probably the most enthusiastic about bows and arrows. The consecutive hits in the morning had made him develop a deep affection for this new weapon, which appeared and was touted by Divine Child as having endless prospects.
Since Han Cheng began preparing to make bows and arrows, he had been watching here all the time, feeling that it wasn''t too tricky. A solid desire to personally make a bow and arrow arose in his heart, and this desire became stronger and stronger.
Han Cheng, who didn''t hold much hope for the charcoal kiln, naturally didn''t hesitate to put aside the matter of checking the charcoal after hearing the Third Senior Brother''s words.
After Han Cheng finished the final stroke on the trunk, the weather gradually darkened.
Firstly, his drawing skills were notmendable. It would be a simple task in the hands of a skilled person, but for him, it was challenging. Secondly, after the Third Senior Brother expressed his desire to make bows and arrows, others who were enthusiastic about them also expressed their desire to make one.
Previously, Third Senior Brother and the others had directly brought back a mulberry tree, which could at least be cut into three segments of 1.2 meters each. So, after outlining these, it was almost dark.
Han Cheng washed his hands with warm water, warmed his hands by the fire, and looked towards the gate while calcting that he would go and checkter.
However, the sound of finishing dinner rang out before he could dry his hands by the fire.
After dinner, the night had fallen entirely, and the cold wind was rising. Han Cheng tightened his clothes around him and ultimately headed towards the room with the burning heated bed, ignoring the now icy earth kiln outside the door.
"Bang, bang, bang"
Inside the warm room, there was the somewhat harsh sound of knocking.
The Eldest Senior Brother, Lame, Third Senior Brother, Shang, and Hei Wa, were each squatting on the aisle next to their allocated heated beds, knocking with stone knives and wooden clubs. Fine wood chips constantly fell from the mulberry trunk under their feet.
As they continued knocking, the mulberry trunk under their feet gradually changed and began to show the outline of the bow.
Among them, Lame, a professional carpenter, made the fastest progress, not only because of his skill but also because he started first.
The second Senior Brother''s room was next to the Third Senior Brother''s, and at this moment, he was lying half on the heat bed against the wall, looking veryfortable.
He tilted his head to look through the gap and saw Third Senior Brother squatting on the ground, knocking with a stone knife. He silently smiled.
Compared to these troublesome bows and arrows, he trusted his arms more.
With this thought in mind, he suddenly lifted a half-grown child somersaulting on the heated bed over the low wall.
Seeing the bewildered child, the Second Senior Brotherughed and put him back down.
He raised his arms and looked at them confidently. His conviction that his strong arms couldn''t be matched by something made of a bent stick and rope grew stronger.
After looking for a while, he put his arms down, nced at Third Senior Brother still knocking there, shook his head, and pulled over hispanion, starting to untie the rope from his body with his hands
Third Senior Brother, squatting on the ground, heard the primitive tuneing from not far away but didn''t turn his head to peek. He was already ustomed to such things.
At this moment, he was focused entirely on the wooden stick beneath his feet.
Lame, seeing that most of the bow had beenpleted, put down the stone knife and wooden club, rubbed his sore hands, and started to lie down on the heated bed.
The others who wanted to make bows and arrows also went to bed one after another, leaving only Third Senior Brother still squatting there, knocking one after another.
Later, as the noise awakened more and more children, the Third Senior Brother took these things and the fire starter and went all the way to the cave that was now empty. There, he lit a pile of fire and continued knocking persistently.
Indeed, interest is the best teacher. With it, one can erupt with great enthusiasm without needing reminders from others.
The wind outside stopped blowing at some point, and the whole world seemed to quiet down suddenly. In this sudden silence, some faint noises seemed to emerge.
As the night deepened, the firelight flickered, and the person squatting knocked the stone knife one after another, making the night quieter.
After an unknown amount of time, the person finally stood up, nced at the bow before him, and felt quite satisfied.
Then, he extinguished the fire, ensured no mes would ignite again, and groped his way out in the dark.
Only at this moment did he feel the overwhelming fatigue. His legs and feet were somewhat numb, and there was pain in his fingers and wrists.
Outside the cave was not the darkness he had imagined. Something fell on his neck, chilling him to the bone.
The first snow of the year had fallen
Chapter 234: Ice Crystal and Wind Chime
Chapter 234: Ice Crystal and Wind Chime
In the past, Han Cheng was usually awakened by the noisy crowing of the rooster, which didn''t bother to bully the hens but squawked loudly like a broken gong. However, this morning was an exception.
He opened his sleepy eyes, lying in the warm quilt, feeling a slight pain in his abdomen. He listened to the children''s cheerful voices, smiled for a while, then quickly got up from the heated bed, put on his clothes and shoes, and ran outside.
His love for snow far exceeded his fear of the cold.
As he opened the door, a rush of cold air greeted him. The pristine white outside brightened his eyes, making him feel like the whole world had be cleaner.
Snowkes continued to fall silently from the sky, blending into the whitendscape. The children in the tribe, excited by the snow, chased and yed in the snow.
Wrapped in thick fur, they looked like chubby bear cubs.
There were no old farmers; otherwise, they would have expressed their anticipation, saying phrases like "A timely snow promises a good harvest" or "Threeyers of wheat straw this year means a sound sleep next year." These expressions conveyed their longing for a better life.
Han Cheng stood at the door for a while, then happily ran out into the pristine white.
With a slightly bulging belly but still agile, he frolicked in the snow, leaving behind patterns resembling plum blossoms.
Xing, Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and several other girls did not chase and wrestle in the snow like the boys did. Instead, they stood in front of the house, looking at the row of translucent icicles hanging from the eaves, their mouths slightly agape, full of astonishment and longing.
Many adults, like the children, were amazed by this sight they had never seen before. When they saw Han Cheng wake up, they all crowded around, pointing to the eaves and asking about it.
Han Cheng, who had been too busy watching the snow, only then noticed the row of beautiful and spectacr icicles hanging from the eaves.
The entire courtyard and the distance were covered in silver-white, except for one ce: the rooftops of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Because the rooms in the Green Sparrow Tribe were heated with heated beds, the roofs were warmer than in other ces. The snow melted into a spring water pool when it fell on them.
Flowing down like fish scales, it slowly solidified at the eaves.
This was a good thing; there was no need to worry about the weight of heavy snow causing the roofs to copse, nor did they have to constantly sweep the snow off the roofs, saving them some work.
After exining the reason to everyone, Han Cheng had several adults break off the icicles at the entrance.
These things were a safety hazard. If an icicle happened to fall from above when someone passed by the entrance, being hit by this hard icicle would be unpleasant, especially if it pierced someone with its sharp tip.
The broken icicles became the favorite of the children. Each of them held them in their hands. They refused to let go even if their hands turned red from the cold.
For those who couldn''t resist the temptation of these translucent objects, they quietly put the icicles in their mouths, crunching on them with their white teeth.
As their Divine Child, Han Cheng naturally knew how to have more fun than these children.
Amidst the regretful gazes of Xing, Xiao Mei, and others, Han Cheng broke the giant and good icicle in his hand.
The children who received the icicles for the first time couldn''t help but hide them behind their backs, fearing that the Divine Child would break them, too.
Amidst everyone''s extreme confusion, Han Cheng came back with ten small tree branches about thirty centimeters long, some ropes, and a few bunches of straw. He then tied the branches in an irregr circle and broke the straw into pieces from the middle, putting them in his mouth to blow air into the icicle.
Warm air flowed through the hollow straw from the other end. Soon, a small dent appeared on the solid icicle.
Han Cheng had done this kind of thing many times as a child, but he used pen caps instead of straws back then.
Whether it was because his body had shrunk or his mental age had also decreased, he was excited to do these things with childlike enthusiasm.
The children watching on the side widened their eyes. They had never thought there could be such a way to y.
The Divine Child was the Divine Child; not only was he unmatched in serious matters, but he was also far superior when it came to ying.
Seeing this, Han Cheng gave each of these children a straw and let them blow holes in the icicles like him.
The children, eager to try, cheered and took the straw, squatting down to start this fun activity.
Han Cheng then stopped and threaded the icicles with the thin ropes. After tying them up, he hung them on the circr wooden frame he had made, wrapping them three times.
Han Cheng lifted the icicle wind chime by holding the left ropes on the frame. The translucent icicles collided with each other, emitting a pleasant and melodious sound.
The children around him stared with wide eyes, looking at the beautiful object in the Divine Child''s hands whose name they didn''t know, but they were all amazed.
They couldn''t imagine that the icicles they held in their hands, afraid of breaking, would undergo such a beautiful transformation after the Divine Child''s actions.
Even the boys who loved moving and disliked being still were amazed. Not to mention the girls who naturally loved these kinds of things. Looking at this crystal-clear and lovely wind chime, their hearts melted.
Han Cheng stepped on a wooden stump and hung the wind chime on a wooden stick nailed to the wall under the eaves. He pped his hands and looked at the result of his morning''s work, feeling very satisfied.
The appearance of the icicle wind chimes suddenly opened a new window for these children in the tribe.
The boys who used to run around in the snow and throw snowballs at each other quieted down, focusing on drilling holes in the icicles. The girls who had thought of making snowmen when the snow got thicker had also put aside the idea, focusing only on making wind chimes as beautiful as the Divine Child''s.
Han Cheng also forgot about the charcoal matter. Firstly, he was excited to see the first snow, and secondly, shortly after he finished making the wind chime, Third Senior Brother, with red eyes, came to find him.
In the past, Han Cheng was usually awakened by the noisy crowing of the rooster, which didn''t bother to bully the hens but squawked loudly like a broken gong. However, this morning was an exception.
He opened his sleepy eyes, lying in the warm quilt, feeling a slight pain in his abdomen. He listened to the children''s cheerful voices, smiled for a while, then quickly got up from the heated bed, put on his clothes and shoes, and ran outside.
His love for snow far exceeded his fear of the cold.
As he opened the door, a rush of cold air greeted him. The pristine white outside brightened his eyes, making him feel like the whole world had be cleaner.
Snowkes continued to fall silently from the sky, blending into the whitendscape. The children in the tribe, excited by the snow, chased and yed in the snow.
Wrapped in thick fur, they looked like chubby bear cubs.
There were no old farmers; otherwise, they would have expressed their anticipation, saying phrases like "A timely snow promises a good harvest" or "Threeyers of wheat straw this year means a sound sleep next year." These expressions conveyed their longing for a better life.
Han Cheng stood at the door for a while, then happily ran out into the pristine white.
With a slightly bulging belly but still agile, he frolicked in the snow, leaving behind patterns resembling plum blossoms.
Xing, Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and several other girls did not chase and wrestle in the snow like the boys did. Instead, they stood in front of the house, looking at the row of translucent icicles hanging from the eaves, their mouths slightly agape, full of astonishment and longing.
Many adults, like the children, were amazed by this sight they had never seen before. When they saw Han Cheng wake up, they all crowded around, pointing to the eaves and asking about it.
Han Cheng, who had been too busy watching the snow, only then noticed the row of beautiful and spectacr icicles hanging from the eaves.
The entire courtyard and the distance were covered in silver-white, except for one ce: the rooftops of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Because the rooms in the Green Sparrow Tribe were heated with heated beds, the roofs were warmer than in other ces. The snow melted into a spring water pool when it fell on them.
Flowing down like fish scales, it slowly solidified at the eaves.
This was a good thing; there was no need to worry about the weight of heavy snow causing the roofs to copse, nor did they have to constantly sweep the snow off the roofs, saving them some work.
After exining the reason to everyone, Han Cheng had several adults break off the icicles at the entrance.
These things were a safety hazard. If an icicle happened to fall from above when someone passed by the entrance, being hit by this hard icicle would be unpleasant, especially if it pierced someone with its sharp tip.
The broken icicles became the favorite of the children. Each of them held them in their hands. They refused to let go even if their hands turned red from the cold.
For those who couldn''t resist the temptation of these translucent objects, they quietly put the icicles in their mouths, crunching on them with their white teeth.
As their Divine Child, Han Cheng naturally knew how to have more fun than these children.
Amidst the regretful gazes of Xing, Xiao Mei, and others, Han Cheng broke the giant and good icicle in his hand.
The children who received the icicles for the first time couldn''t help but hide them behind their backs, fearing that the Divine Child would break them, too.
Amidst everyone''s extreme confusion, Han Cheng came back with ten small tree branches about thirty centimeters long, some ropes, and a few bunches of straw. He then tied the branches in an irregr circle and broke the straw into pieces from the middle, putting them in his mouth to blow air into the icicle.
Warm air flowed through the hollow straw from the other end. Soon, a small dent appeared on the solid icicle.
Han Cheng had done this kind of thing many times as a child, but he used pen caps instead of straws back then.
Whether it was because his body had shrunk or his mental age had also decreased, he was excited to do these things with childlike enthusiasm.
The children watching on the side widened their eyes. They had never thought there could be such a way to y.
The Divine Child was the Divine Child; not only was he unmatched in serious matters, but he was also far superior when it came to ying.
Seeing this, Han Cheng gave each of these children a straw and let them blow holes in the icicles like him.
The children, eager to try, cheered and took the straw, squatting down to start this fun activity.
Han Cheng then stopped and threaded the icicles with the thin ropes. After tying them up, he hung them on the circr wooden frame he had made, wrapping them three times.
Han Cheng lifted the icicle wind chime by holding the left ropes on the frame. The translucent icicles collided with each other, emitting a pleasant and melodious sound.
The children around him stared with wide eyes, looking at the beautiful object in the Divine Child''s hands whose name they didn''t know, but they were all amazed.
They couldn''t imagine that the icicles they held in their hands, afraid of breaking, would undergo such a beautiful transformation after the Divine Child''s actions.
Even the boys who loved moving and disliked being still were amazed. Not to mention the girls who naturally loved these kinds of things. Looking at this crystal-clear and lovely wind chime, their hearts melted.
Han Cheng stepped on a wooden stump and hung the wind chime on a wooden stick nailed to the wall under the eaves. He pped his hands and looked at the result of his morning''s work, feeling very satisfied.
The appearance of the icicle wind chimes suddenly opened a new window for these children in the tribe.
The boys who used to run around in the snow and throw snowballs at each other quieted down, focusing on drilling holes in the icicles. The girls who had thought of making snowmen when the snow got thicker had also put aside the idea, focusing only on making wind chimes as beautiful as the Divine Child''s.
Han Cheng also forgot about the charcoal matter. Firstly, he was excited to see the first snow, and secondly, shortly after he finished making the wind chime, Third Senior Brother, with red eyes, came to find him.
Chapter 235: The steady Divine Child
Chapter 235: The steady Divine Child
Han Cheng looked at the bow in Third Senior Brother''s hand, which had a thick middle and slightly thinner ends with a slight curve, and he was pretty surprised.
ording to his estimation, even with the fastest progress, it would still take until noon for Lame to finish making the bow.
Looking up at Third Senior Brother''s eyes, filled with bloodshot veins, Han Cheng knew what was going on.
When someone is particrly fond of something and, within their abilities, it is possible they will burst out with great enthusiasm, just like Third Senior Brother did.
The bow was made well, even better than Han Cheng had expected.
To make such a bow under these conditions, it had to be said that Third Senior Brother had put in a lot of effort.
Han Cheng took the bow and carefully examined it for a while. Then, he nodded approvingly towards Third Senior Brother, indicating his approval. Third Senior Brother''s tired and tense face immediately broke into a smile.
Afterward, Han Cheng taught him to carve grooves for the bowstring at both ends of the bow using a stone knife. Then, he brought appropriate thickness ropes and had the Third Senior Brother hold the bow while he strung the bow.
At this point, without any cattle, if there were cattle, using cow tendons to make the bowstring would result in a better bow.
Han Cheng thought to himself, chuckling. He was being a bit greedy.
Lame and several others who made bows and arrows were surprised to see the bow in Third Senior Brother''s hand. Most of them hadn''t even made half their bows, yet Third Senior Brother had already finished making his bow. The difference was indeed quite significant.
The third Senior Brother pulled the bowstring forcefully and then released it. The bow trembled slightly, emitting a buzzing sound, demonstrating the power of the bow.
His expression became very excited, unable to contain his desire to go outside and shoot a couple of arrows to test the power of this bow and arrow.
"Let''s go try it out!"
Han Cheng also wanted to know how the wooden bow he had crudely made based on the images from his memory would perform.
The same was true for the eldest brother and the others. After taking the three feather arrows made yesterday, they went outside, covered in white snow.
Only the Second Senior Brother didn''t pay much attention to the people who went out. He didn''t think the newly made bow would be powerful.
When they went out to test the arrows, he even deliberately took a few stones, preparing topare with the new bow again.
Han Cheng estimated a distance of about twenty-five meters, drew a horizontal line on the snowy ground with his foot, and then had Third Senior Brother stand here to shoot the arrow.
Twenty-five meters was the distance Third Senior Brother had used for arrow testing yesterday.
Third Senior Brother took a deep breath, nocked the arrow, aimed after drawing the bow, and released it with a snap.
"Thud!"
Third Senior Brother''s archery did not disappoint. The first arrow did not miss; it was firmly embedded in the tree stump used as a target, causing the stump to sway.
The crowd cheered while the Second Senior Brother snorted and tightened his grip on the stones in his hand.
The wooden feather arrow was firmly embedded in the tree stump, and even after pulling it twice, it still didn''te out. It was Third Senior Brother''s handiwork.
The excitement of the crowd was evident.
The distance for the shooting was moved back about five meters, and the Third Senior Brother continued to shoot. The first arrow missed, but the second arrow hit.
The crowd cheered again, and those who, like Second Senior Brother, had thought poorly of the bow and arrow after witnessing it yesterday began to waver in their thoughts.
When the distance was pulled back to sixty meters, and Third Senior Brother shot the feather arrow into the tree stump again, those who doubted this new type of weapon were convinced.
Second Senior Brother pondered momentarily, then quietly threw the few stones he held onto the snowdrift. At this distance, it was no longer something he could throw with his arm.
Faced with this fact, he had to admit that the bow and arrow were remarkable even if he was unwilling.
Just yesterday, he could easily surpass the bow and arrow, but now, after just one night, he had been far surpassed. This
The emergence of the improved bow and arrow immediately refreshed everyone in the tribe''s understanding of bows and arrows. ording to this trend, creating a bow and arrow that could shoot down the sun wouldn''t be impossiblesome people thought to themselves.
As for the Eldest Senior Brother and the others who received the wood yesterday, were filled with excitement and went eagerly to continue making bows and arrows.
Hei Wa knocked on wood in the room for a while, then suddenly remembered something. He put down what he held, left the room, and walked towards the main gate.
The courtyard quickly became quiet. After a while, Second Senior Brother, who had already returned to his room, came out. He found the stones he had thrown into the snowdrift not long ago, looked around, and came to the spot marked sixty meters away. He set a stance, raised his throwing arm high, and exerted force.
The stone flew out, traced an arc in the air, and fell onto the snow.
From here, it didn''t look very far from the tree stump, but when he reached it, he found it was still far away. Second Senior Brother felt even more discouraged
"Divine Child! Divine Child!"
Han Cheng stood by the window in the room, lifted a corner of the animal hide covering the window, and watched Second Senior Brother vigorously throwing stones into the snow with some sighs. He could understand Second Senior Brother''s feelings at this moment.
Just as he felt emotional, Heiwa''s voice suddenly rang out from a distance, filled with excitement.
This guyhit the jackpot? Such joy? He''s already a father, yet he''s still so unstable.
Han Cheng thought to himself.
"Bang!"
The door was suddenly pulled open, hitting the wall behind it and bouncing back. A figure shed in from the doorway and rushed into the snow. It was Han Cheng, who had just been thinking about being stable.
Of course, Han Cheng couldn''t remain calm because, just now, a thought suddenly shed through his mind.
"Charcoal! Charcoal! Charcoapleted"
Han Cheng ran a short distance outside and saw Hei Wa running towards him. Before Heiwa reached him, he saw Han Cheng and shouted.
Han Cheng''s tense heart suddenly rxed, and his footsteps stopped involuntarily.
Charcoal!
It was charcoal!
He didn''t know how to describe his feelings at that moment.
"How much was destroyed?"
Han Cheng suppressed his excitement and asked Heiwa, who had rushed to his side.
"Nnothingdestroyedallfine"
Hei Wa was panting heavily, out of breath, but the excitement on his face was hard to hide.
Nothing was destroyed?
Han Cheng''s eyes widened instantly.
How is that possible?!
After learning from Heiwa that charcoal was indeed produced, he only thought that this time, a lot of charcoal was produced. As for the fact that no firewood was destroyed, he didn''t dare to think about it in that direction.
Now, hearing Hei Wa say this, Han Cheng became unbelieving.
"Are you sure no firewood was destroyed?"
"Rereallynothingdestroyed, allcharcoal!"
Heiwa nodded vigorously.
Chapter 236: Finally produced charcoal.
Chapter 236: Finally produced charcoal.
"Ha ha ha"
kes of snow fluttered down like willow catkins, covering the earth in white. All around was silent, with no birds to be seen.
It seemed as though the snow and cold hadpletely sealed everything off.
In this environment, a group of people suddenly poured out from the gates of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Leading the way was a young person.
They hurried towards the west side of the wall,ing to a raised area.
This protrusion had already been dug open, and the scattered y and the ck substance inside the protrusion were even more conspicuous against the surrounding white snow.
The visibly respected young person didn''t mind the dirtiness and directly entered the darkness.
As his hand moved, the ck substance made a crisp sound, as pleasant to the ears as the joy in his heart.
Hei Wa wasn''t wrong. The firewood hadnt been destroyed by the kiln. All the firewood inside had turned into charcoal, which was of the best quality!
"Ha ha ha!"
Han Cheng finally couldn''t suppress the joy in his heart, lifting his two ckened ws andughing heartily.
The heavens seemed unwilling to hear his unpleasantughter and sent snowkes into his mouth, attempting to shut it, but to little effect.
A series of joyfulughter continued to emanate from his mouth.
What an unexpected joy! This was indeed an unexpected joy!
Originally just an idea out of desperation, who would have thought it would actually result in such fine charcoal?
A problem that had troubled him so long was unexpectedly resolved in such an unforeseen manner
Thinking carefully, it was somewhat simr to the story of Yu Zhan''ao in "Red Sorghum", urinating into the wine mash and brewing excellent sorghum wine. It felt eerily simr to what he was experiencing nowunintentional sess.
Reflecting on it, some things in this world are indeed quite helpless. The harder one tries to obtain something, the more difficult it bes. On the other hand, some things that were not paid much attention to bloomed and bore fruit.
Han Cheng suppressed hisughter and realized that the people around him were looking at him bewildered.
He inwardly sniffed, thinking, "These guys haven''t seen such carefreeughter before?"
Then, heposed himself and instructed people to return to fetch grass baskets and carriers to collect the charcoal.
He also had some people gather firewood here. He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and burn another batch. If this kiln could still produce good charcoal, then the matter of making charcoal was truly resolved by himself.
Hei Wa stood aside, looking at the Divine Child with endless admiration. To him, the Divine Child unexpectedly solved a problem that had seemed unsolvable.
Such a significant change urred just by simply changing the order of lighting the fire. The wisdom of the Divine Child was truly admirable.
Little did he know that what he admired resulted from Han Cheng''s desperation.
If he knew the truth, I wonder if Hei Wa would be dumbfounded and cough up three liters of blood and if he would think about starting a fire from above when they started firing pottery next year
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were thrilled today. Not long ago, they had just witnessed the power of the bow and arrow, and now they received news of the Divine Child''s sessful charcoal burning, which made them all smile from ear to ear.
Including the ice wind chimes the children loved can be considered three pieces of good news.
Of course, the most joyful thing among them is still the bow and arrow, a very useful weapon for the tribe. As for the charcoal burning, they just followed the Divine Child and enjoyed the fun.
Among the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, even the wisest shaman didn''t think that the charcoal the Divine Child tried so hard to make, in the presence of firewood as a readily avable substitute, would have much significance.
However, Han Cheng had already developed a blind obedience mentality, and it was quite normal for them to follow the godson and enjoy some silly fun together.
This time, much charcoal was produced to fill tworge grass baskets, more than all the previous batchesbined.
The cold and falling snow dampened Han Cheng''s enthusiasm for charcoal burning. The cylindrical earthen kiln that had just been emptied was soon filled with firewood again.
Next was stering the top of the cylinder with y, leaving only a hole the size of a bowl.
The problem of y was easily solved. The dried y peeled off from the kiln earlier needed to be crushed and mixed with water, and it could be reused repeatedly.
Learning from the experience of freezing hands when stering the top, Han Cheng used hot water to mix the y this time.
After mixing the y, they quickly started stering with Hei Wa, which was much better.
The mes were sent in from above and soon ignited the firewood inside the kiln. As time passed, the mes inside the kiln began to descend.
Han Cheng stood on a stone, watching this happen, pondering why there was such a big difference between igniting the fire from below and igniting it from above using the same method.
After thinking for a while, apart from understanding that it had something to do with oxygen, he knew nothing else.
At this moment, he regretted being a liberal arts student in his previous life. If he were a science or technology enthusiast, he would encounter fewer difficulties in these aspects, right?
Thinking like this, he shook his head with a smile. Then, he felt fortunate because he remembered the approximate proportions of bronze.
He had seen this inprehensive history books when studying the history of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Since the proportions were all integers, Han Cheng wrote them down.
This gave him some confidence in the uing tasks.
The proportions of bronze recorded in the book were somewhat inurate, but the general framework was there, which would significantly reduce the workload in the future.
Experiments could be conducted based on these proportions to achieve better bronze performance.
Han Cheng didn''t remember the proportions of bronze at first. It was only after continuous recollectionter that the memories of that period suddenly surfaced.
Worried that he might forgetter, Han Cheng recorded them on a piece of pottery.
From about a year ago, Han Cheng asionally wrote things on pottery.
A good memory is no better than a bad pen. This saying is quite true. As he gradually adapted to life here, when he recalled the future, sometimes it felt very close, and sometimes it felt very distant.
But one undeniable fact was that many things were gradually bing fuzzy in his mind.
This was the most fundamental reason why Han Cheng recorded some valuable things that he could remember and were helpful in this era.
Because this era is too far from the future, many things that seem very ordinary in the future are groundbreaking here. By recording more of them, he could avoid many detours in certain aspects in the future.
For example, the remembered proportions of bronze, the vaguely remembered but existent steelmaking method from somewhere, the curved plow for cultivatingnd, the primitive plow, and the ox-drawn hoe used for weeding and tilling the fields
These are all essential things for this era that will make his and the Green Sparrow Tribe''s future path broader and easier.
Chapter 237: Secret Weapon – Han Yu Pin Yin
Chapter 237: Secret Weapon ¨C Han Yu Pin Yin
The knowledge brought from the future, or what can be calledmon sense, is the foundation of his existence in this era.
There is a truth that will never change, no matter when, which is that a person who can bring benefits and usefulness to others will be far more weed and respected than others and can more easily integrate into a collective.
There is no need to look far. Just think about Han Cheng''s process from being the meat the Second Senior Brother wanted to eat to bing the highly respected Divine Child of the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
In his mind, these things are his most significant wealth and the reason for him to live better in this era.
For such essential things, how could he treat them casually?
As for recording them on pottery, the possibility of others seeing them, and the consequences he would face as a Divine Child, Han Cheng had already considered it when he decided to record the things in his mind and took corresponding measures using Chinese Pinyin.
He recorded all these things using Chinese Pinyin. In his era, apart from him, no one could really understand these things.
Even the three suicidal foreign friends who came over couldn''t figure it out. Faced with something that looks simr to English but is entirely different, they were equally at a loss.
This is the insurance that Han Cheng added for himself.
He is not a great person, nor is he a selfless person. It is impossible for him not to n for himself.
The Green Sparrow Tribe is in high spirits; everyone is huddling together to keep warm, and everyone respects him as the Divine Child. But this is only for now. Who knows what will happen in the future?
The butterfly''s wings have already fluttered, the original historical process has quietly changed, and the entire Green Sparrow Tribe has been led astray by him. Who knows what will happen in such rapid development?
No matter from which perspective, he has to leave himself such a way out
"Divine Child, the kiln"
The voice of Hei Wa beside him pulled Han Cheng out of this trance. When Han Cheng reacted, he saw Hei Wa looking at him.
He was asking him about sealing the air inlet.
Han Cheng shook his head slightly, not letting himself think about these messy things anymore. Thinking about these things too much always felt like something was wrong somewhere.
He bent down and saw the fire spread to the air inlet. He nodded to Hei Wa, indicating that he could seal it up.
After sealing the top hole of the kiln, all they could do was wait.
Due to the snowfall, the days became shorter. Han Cheng finally gave up the idea of opening the kiln today to see the results. He walked back to the tribe with Hei Wa and a few others.
The fluttering snowkes fell on the warm kiln and immediately disappeared without a trace.
The dinner in the Green Sparrow Tribe is still soup. Since Han Cheng introduced the practice of making soup with pottery and cooking soup after bringing out pottery, the proportion of soup in the diet of the Green Sparrow Tribe has gradually increased.
And as the weather gets colder, more and more soup is cooked. By now, there is soup to drink for all three meals.
"ng"
The sound of chopsticks falling to the ground rang out, and Second Senior Brother, holding a bowl in one hand, bent down with difficulty picking up the chopsticks.
This is already the fourth time he has dropped his chopsticks tonight.
He tapped the picked-up chopsticks twice on the bottom of the bowl to shake off some dirt on them. After picking up the chopsticks, he prepared to continue picking up the meat in the bowl to eat.
As a result, his hand holding the chopsticks started shaking uncontrobly, and there was a tendency for the chopsticks to fall again.
After trying this a couple of times, he had to give up and hold the chopsticks in his hand without using them, just leaning over the bowl to drink the soup first before eating the meat.
Tonight, the Second Senior Brother was acting very strangely. In the past, he would at least have three bowls of this kind of meat soup, but tonight, he only ate one bowl before putting it down, got up, left the cave, and walked towards the sleeping quarters, stepping through the snow.
Because of the snow covering the ground, tonight was much brighter than other nights.
The second Senior Brother cleared a space before the door and covered it with sand. After shaking off the snow on his grass shoes by stomping his feet vigorously, he entered the house.
His room was adjacent to the Third Senior Brothers room, and to enter his room, he had to pass through the Third Senior Brother''s room.
When passing Third Senior Brother''s room, he stopped in his tracks, raised his head slightly, and looked at the wall above the kang.
Two wooden sticks were nailed to the wall, with a curved piece of wood with a rope on top.
This was the bow that the Third Senior Brother had newly made today, and it was also the source of pain and inner conflict for the Second Senior Brother.
He stood there for a while, wanting to take the bow down, but in the end, he didn''t do it. Instead, he reluctantly returned to his room.
After removing his shoes and socks, he crawled into bed and pulled the covers over his head to sleep.
Han Cheng had long noticed Second Senior Brother''s abnormality and knew why his chopsticks kept falling tonight.
No one would be stronger than the Second Senior Brother, who could throw stones with all his strength for nearly a day.
It seems that the appearance of the bow and arrow has dealt a considerable blow to Second Senior Brother, the pea shooter of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng chewed his food slowly while pondering over this matter.
Han Cheng deliberately slowed his eating speed, not because he had terrible teeth like the shaman, but because he wanted a good stomach.
In the future, due to various reasons, he had developed a habit of eating very fast. Over the years, this had taken a toll on his stomach.
Now, in the primitive society he hade to, finally freed from the daily life of being chased by vicious dogs, he naturally wanted to try to change this bad habit.
Thinking about things while eating to distract his attention or counting the number of times he chewed while eating were suitable methods.
After swallowing thest soup in three small sips, he put down the bowl, left without looking for Second Senior Brother, and returned to his room.
He hadn''t figured out how to handle this matter yet, so he could only wait a little longer.
"Hoo!"
The fur covering his head was lifted, revealing Second Senior Brother''s chubby face underneath. Due to the poor lighting in the room, his expression couldn''t be seen clearly.
By now, it waste at night. Usually, he would have been sound asleep after eating and sleeping well, but tonight, he had been unable to sleep all along.
This person, who could usually fall asleep shortly after lying down, was experiencing insomnia for the first time tonight.
Chapter 238: Shi Tou that flies further
Chapter 238: Shi Tou that flies further
Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Second Senior Brother simply got up and sat on the heated bed, just like the posture he saw Third Senior Brother adopt while making arrows yesterday evening.
However, his mood at this moment was vastly different from yesterday evening.
His worries were not unfounded.
Although he was a rtively agile fat man, hisrge belly still caused him many inconveniences.
His ability to hold such a high position within the tribe was not just due to brute strength but also because of his excellent throwing skills, which he was most proud of.
However, the appearance of the bow and arrow shattered his pride.
If Third Senior Brother could shoot arrows farther than his throws, that would be one thing, but now, practically anyone with decent strength could surpass him with a bow and arrow.
This kind of difort and loss could not be resolved with just a word
On this cold and silent night, the snow outside the window seemed somewhat white, and in another room, the fur-covered heated bed suddenly moved, and a person crawled out.
This person was not very tall, looking like a half-grown child. People who woke up and got up at this time had personal matters to attend to.
The rooms in the Green Sparrow Tribe were equipped with covered "urine buckets," brought in before sleeping and taken out in the morning. Urinating could be done indoors, but for defecation, one had to brave the cold and go to thetrine
Surprisingly, this middle-of-the-night riser didn''t go down to look for the bucket but instead turned to the front window covered with fur and lifted the brick on the window sill pressing the fur curtain, pulling back the fur curtain by arge portion
It was a good idea but also a dangerous move. If the Divine Child discovered it, a beating was inevitable.
However, this kid didn''t take out his "equipment" to relieve himself but instead leaned his head out of the open window and looked out incessantly.
Through the reflection of the white snow, the face of this child could be discerned. It was Shi Tou.
Shi Tou had a worried expression on his face.
It could be said that he had been quite mncholic these past two days because it had be cloudy, unable to see the moon, and without seeing the moon, he couldn''t draw the shape of the moon.
He woke up in the middle of the night because he kept thinking about whether the moon woulde out at midnight. Seeing the room so bright, he thought the moon hade out. However, when he joyfully opened the curtain, all he saw was the white snow and the dim night sky. Where was the slightest shadow of the moon?
He stubbornly looked for a while again and finally gave up.
But he didn''t seal the fur curtain, but instead, using the iing light, looked at the ceramic board leaning against the heated bed.
The moon shapes he had carved on the ceramic board during this period.
Afterparing them, Shi Tou scratched his head in distress.
Thest moon on the ceramic board was a half-circle he had drawn the day before yesterday.
Since there was no moonst night and tonight, ording to reason, he should mark an X, but Shi Tou was unwilling to do so.
Because based on the shapes of the moon he had recorded before, he knew that the moon''s changes wouldn''t be this fast. There should have been a moonst night and tonight, just like these two.
He pondered and finally left his finger resting below the two moons separated by two rows.
In front of these two moons was one that was highly simr to the moon he had drawn the day before yesterday.
Shi Tou took out his "y pen" from the side, eager to imitate the shapes of the two moons he had just pointed out, intending to draw yesterday''s and today''s moons one after the other. After thinking about it for a while, he still didn''t start but instead drew a symbol like a hanging hook on it and ced a dot below the hook.
He had learned this symbol from the Divine Child to represent doubt or something unknown.
After finishing these, Shi Tou moved the ceramic board aside, pressed the bottom of the fur curtain with bricks again, and crawled back into the fur to sleep.
"Come with me."
The following day, Han Cheng woke early to check the earth kiln. After digging it open, there was primarily good-quality charcoal inside. At this point, Han Cheng finally fully rxed.
With the charcoal burning issue resolved, they now had the most basic conditions for smelting steel or refining copper in the future.
In a great mood, Han Chengmanded someone to remove the charcoal from the kiln and put more wood on it to continue burning. He called out to him when he saw Second Senior Brother, whose eyes were bloodshot and tired.
Han Cheng finished the lukewarm soup in his bowl, stood up, and addressed Second Senior Brother, who had been looking at the wooden stakes in the snow as targets outside for a while.
Second Senior Brother was stunned, watching the Divine Child, who had already turned and walked towards the room, hesitate for a moment before finally taking a step to follow him.
"Feeling ufortable?"
Han Cheng sat on the main seat, looking at the Second Senior Brother, who seemed awkward and nervous and asked casually.
The second Senior Brother hadplex feelings about the bow and arrow incident. Firstly, his pride had been ruthlessly shattered by the bow and arrow, and secondly, his previous attitude towards the bow and arrow had not been friendly. Moreover, the bow and arrow were made under the Divine Child''s orders, giving him aplex feeling akin to guilt, especially when facing Han Cheng.
This matter had been weighing heavily on his mind these past two days, afraid of being mentioned by others. Now, being summoned by the Divine Child and directly asked about what he had been hiding in his heart made his face flush instantly, and his eyes avoided Han Cheng''s gaze.
Standing here, a man muchrger than Han Cheng, the Second Senior Brother, looked more like a child than Han Cheng when facing the child-like Han Cheng.
It''s bizarre how people are, like Second Senior Brother, who used to eat and sleep, sleep and eat, and work whenever there was work, never thinking much about anything. Still, he had such a big reaction to the bow and arrow incident, with suchplex emotions.
"DivineDivine Child."
After hesitating, he called out and didn''t know what else to say.
Watching the Second Senior Brother''s appearance, Han Cheng suddenly felt like a parent facing a child who had made a mistake.
Except this child was a bit too big.
"Sit down."
Han Cheng smiled and pointed to a wooden stool beside him, much taller than an ordinary wooden stool, and said to the Second Senior Brother.
After the Second Senior Brother sat down, Han Cheng continued, "You don''t have to feel this ufortable. Although the bow and arrow can shoot farther than your throws, your throwing skills are still useful"
Han Cheng was telling the truth. The bow and arrow had many advantages, but throwing could not be entirely reced.
For example, throwing was better than the bow and arrow in terms of speed and simplicity.
As for shooting three arrows at once and hitting the target with each arrow, that only existed in movies and TV shows, and Han Cheng didn''t dare to expect that.
These were not the most important things. The most important thing was that most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe were used to throwing. Using a bow and arrow might not necessarily be as urate as throwing, just like Second Senior Brother, who was like a pea shooter.
Of course, exceptions like Third Senior Brother needed to be excluded.
The second Senior Brother, uneasy and anxious, gradually calmed down. After Han Cheng finished speaking, there was a smile on his face.
As long as it was helpful for the tribe, that was his most simple-minded idea.
However, when he thought about the distance of the bow and arrow, which was far beyond his reach, Second Senior Brother still felt a little ufortable in his heart.
How could Han Cheng not understand the Second Senior Brother''s thoughts? He was prepared for this long ago, patting Second Senior Brother''s hand and saying, "I can create a weapon. With it, you can throw stones very far, and it won''t be inferior to a bow and arrow."
"Really?!"
Second Senior Brother became excited, suddenly stood up, looked at Han Cheng with shining eyes, and didn''t even bother to pay attention to the wooden stool he had knocked over while sitting.
"Of course it''s true."
Han Cheng looked at the Second Senior Brother''s reaction, smiled, and affirmed.
Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, Second Senior Brother simply got up and sat on the heated bed, just like the posture he saw Third Senior Brother adopt while making arrows yesterday evening.
However, his mood at this moment was vastly different from yesterday evening.
His worries were not unfounded.
Although he was a rtively agile fat man, hisrge belly still caused him many inconveniences.
His ability to hold such a high position within the tribe was not just due to brute strength but also because of his excellent throwing skills, which he was most proud of.
However, the appearance of the bow and arrow shattered his pride.
If Third Senior Brother could shoot arrows farther than his throws, that would be one thing, but now, practically anyone with decent strength could surpass him with a bow and arrow.
This kind of difort and loss could not be resolved with just a word
On this cold and silent night, the snow outside the window seemed somewhat white, and in another room, the fur-covered heated bed suddenly moved, and a person crawled out.
This person was not very tall, looking like a half-grown child. People who woke up and got up at this time had personal matters to attend to.
The rooms in the Green Sparrow Tribe were equipped with covered "urine buckets," brought in before sleeping and taken out in the morning. Urinating could be done indoors, but for defecation, one had to brave the cold and go to thetrine
Surprisingly, this middle-of-the-night riser didn''t go down to look for the bucket but instead turned to the front window covered with fur and lifted the brick on the window sill pressing the fur curtain, pulling back the fur curtain by arge portion
It was a good idea but also a dangerous move. If the Divine Child discovered it, a beating was inevitable.
However, this kid didn''t take out his "equipment" to relieve himself but instead leaned his head out of the open window and looked out incessantly.
Through the reflection of the white snow, the face of this child could be discerned. It was Shi Tou.
Shi Tou had a worried expression on his face.
It could be said that he had been quite mncholic these past two days because it had be cloudy, unable to see the moon, and without seeing the moon, he couldn''t draw the shape of the moon.
He woke up in the middle of the night because he kept thinking about whether the moon woulde out at midnight. Seeing the room so bright, he thought the moon hade out. However, when he joyfully opened the curtain, all he saw was the white snow and the dim night sky. Where was the slightest shadow of the moon?
He stubbornly looked for a while again and finally gave up.
But he didn''t seal the fur curtain, but instead, using the iing light, looked at the ceramic board leaning against the heated bed.
The moon shapes he had carved on the ceramic board during this period.
Afterparing them, Shi Tou scratched his head in distress.
Thest moon on the ceramic board was a half-circle he had drawn the day before yesterday.
Since there was no moonst night and tonight, ording to reason, he should mark an X, but Shi Tou was unwilling to do so.
Because based on the shapes of the moon he had recorded before, he knew that the moon''s changes wouldn''t be this fast. There should have been a moonst night and tonight, just like these two.
He pondered and finally left his finger resting below the two moons separated by two rows.
In front of these two moons was one that was highly simr to the moon he had drawn the day before yesterday.
Shi Tou took out his "y pen" from the side, eager to imitate the shapes of the two moons he had just pointed out, intending to draw yesterday''s and today''s moons one after the other. After thinking about it for a while, he still didn''t start but instead drew a symbol like a hanging hook on it and ced a dot below the hook.
He had learned this symbol from the Divine Child to represent doubt or something unknown.
After finishing these, Shi Tou moved the ceramic board aside, pressed the bottom of the fur curtain with bricks again, and crawled back into the fur to sleep.
"Come with me."
The following day, Han Cheng woke early to check the earth kiln. After digging it open, there was primarily good-quality charcoal inside. At this point, Han Cheng finally fully rxed.
With the charcoal burning issue resolved, they now had the most basic conditions for smelting steel or refining copper in the future.
In a great mood, Han Chengmanded someone to remove the charcoal from the kiln and put more wood on it to continue burning. He called out to him when he saw Second Senior Brother, whose eyes were bloodshot and tired.
Han Cheng finished the lukewarm soup in his bowl, stood up, and addressed Second Senior Brother, who had been looking at the wooden stakes in the snow as targets outside for a while.
Second Senior Brother was stunned, watching the Divine Child, who had already turned and walked towards the room, hesitate for a moment before finally taking a step to follow him.
"Feeling ufortable?"
Han Cheng sat on the main seat, looking at the Second Senior Brother, who seemed awkward and nervous and asked casually.
The second Senior Brother hadplex feelings about the bow and arrow incident. Firstly, his pride had been ruthlessly shattered by the bow and arrow, and secondly, his previous attitude towards the bow and arrow had not been friendly. Moreover, the bow and arrow were made under the Divine Child''s orders, giving him aplex feeling akin to guilt, especially when facing Han Cheng.
This matter had been weighing heavily on his mind these past two days, afraid of being mentioned by others. Now, being summoned by the Divine Child and directly asked about what he had been hiding in his heart made his face flush instantly, and his eyes avoided Han Cheng''s gaze.
Standing here, a man muchrger than Han Cheng, the Second Senior Brother, looked more like a child than Han Cheng when facing the child-like Han Cheng.
It''s bizarre how people are, like Second Senior Brother, who used to eat and sleep, sleep and eat, and work whenever there was work, never thinking much about anything. Still, he had such a big reaction to the bow and arrow incident, with suchplex emotions.
"DivineDivine Child."
After hesitating, he called out and didn''t know what else to say.
Watching the Second Senior Brother''s appearance, Han Cheng suddenly felt like a parent facing a child who had made a mistake.
Except this child was a bit too big.
"Sit down."
Han Cheng smiled and pointed to a wooden stool beside him, much taller than an ordinary wooden stool, and said to the Second Senior Brother.
After the Second Senior Brother sat down, Han Cheng continued, "You don''t have to feel this ufortable. Although the bow and arrow can shoot farther than your throws, your throwing skills are still useful"
Han Cheng was telling the truth. The bow and arrow had many advantages, but throwing could not be entirely reced.
For example, throwing was better than the bow and arrow in terms of speed and simplicity.
As for shooting three arrows at once and hitting the target with each arrow, that only existed in movies and TV shows, and Han Cheng didn''t dare to expect that.
These were not the most important things. The most important thing was that most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe were used to throwing. Using a bow and arrow might not necessarily be as urate as throwing, just like Second Senior Brother, who was like a pea shooter.
Of course, exceptions like Third Senior Brother needed to be excluded.
The second Senior Brother, uneasy and anxious, gradually calmed down. After Han Cheng finished speaking, there was a smile on his face.
As long as it was helpful for the tribe, that was his most simple-minded idea.
However, when he thought about the distance of the bow and arrow, which was far beyond his reach, Second Senior Brother still felt a little ufortable in his heart.
How could Han Cheng not understand the Second Senior Brother''s thoughts? He was prepared for this long ago, patting Second Senior Brother''s hand and saying, "I can create a weapon. With it, you can throw stones very far, and it won''t be inferior to a bow and arrow."
"Really?!"
Second Senior Brother became excited, suddenly stood up, looked at Han Cheng with shining eyes, and didn''t even bother to pay attention to the wooden stool he had knocked over while sitting.
"Of course it''s true."
Han Cheng looked at the Second Senior Brother''s reaction, smiled, and affirmed.
Chapter 239: Slingshot
Chapter 239: Slingshot
Many tools, such as slingshots and catapults, can throw stones far. However, those with high requirements are not what Han Cheng intends to make for Second Senior Brother. What he wants to create for Second Senior Brother is a convenient and powerful tool like a slingshot, which has few restrictions on usage.
The power of a slingshot is not inferior to that of a bow and arrow, but its uracy is not as good. Han Cheng once saw data about slingshots in his past life, iming that the farthest distance shot by a slingshot was close to five hundred meters, even farther than the farthest distance of a bow and arrow. Of course, such distances were more like legends, and not many people could achieve them. Nevertheless, Second Senior Brother could quickly shoot stones seventy to eighty meters away with a slingshot,parable to a bow and arrow.
The Second Senior Brother was ecstatic after receiving urate information from Han Cheng. He didn''t want to wait any longer and immediately wanted to get the new weapon the Divine Child mentioned.
When Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and others saw Second Senior Brother, who was radiant andpletely different from before, they were amazed. They wondered what the Divine Child had done to Second Senior Brother in such a short time to transform himpletely.
Second Senior Brother was not one to keep his words to himself, especially regarding good news. When the Eldest Senior Brother and others inquired, he immediately revealed what Han Cheng had just said about creating a new type of weapon.
After understanding his meaning, everyone was skeptical. After all, dealing with stones was very different from dealing with arrows. They knew how difficult it was to throw a stone as far as an arrow. It was somewhat unbelievable.
Eldest Senior Brother could no longer contain his excitement and approached Han Cheng to inquire further, followed by the others. When they received confirmation from Han Cheng, led by Eldest Senior Brother, they couldn''t help but cheer.
The appearance of the bow and arrow had alreadypletely refreshed their understanding, greatly enhancing the overall strength of the Green Sparrow tribe. Now, knowing about a new weapon that could throw stones even farther, how could they suppress their joy and excitement?
Compared to the bow and arrow unfamiliarity, more than half of the people were inclined towards a weapon that could make stones fly even farther. After all, they were more familiar with stones, and most people tended to have a psychological aversion to unfamiliar things.
The shaman hurried over after hearing the news, eagerly asking Han Cheng. The matter of the slingshot had only urred to Han Chengst night. After eating, he had nned to discuss it with the shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, but seeing the Second Senior Brother''s appearance, he first told him about it. Therefore, the shaman did not know in advance.
After confirming the news, the shaman quickly had someone call Stone, who had been staring at the y board on the heated bed in a daze, toe and watch the Divine Child create the new weapon. Stone understood these things faster than the shaman and recorded them better.
By now, the shaman rarely wrote anything down.
The emergence of news about the slingshot was like throwing a boulder into ake, immediately stirring up the Green Sparrow tribe. Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Shang, and others looked spiritedly at Han Cheng, pounding their chests, indicating their readiness to do whatever the Divine Childmanded.
Even Lame rolled up his fur, revealing his arms, signaling he would closely follow the Divine Child''s footsteps.
As the top carpenter of the Green Sparrow tribe, Lame was not the first toplete the bow and arrow, which stimted him. So today, he was full of energy and eager topete.
Even Han Cheng, ustomed to leadership, was somewhat surprised by the momentum disyed by everyone at this moment, resembling a group ready to tackle a tiger on the mountain or capture a dragon in the sea.
How could making a slingshot stir up such amotion?
As everyone prepared to make a considerable effort and produce this new type of weapon, Han Cheng began to give orders.
This lifted everyone''s spirits, making them feel it was time to exert themselves.
However, Han Cheng''s following words almost made the eager crowd stumble. Instead of assigning tasks like chopping wood or splitting stones, which required a lot of strength, he had people bring in some ropes.
The weaving of a slingshot was notplicated. Under Han Cheng''s guidance, Lamebined ten ropes into five pairs, then interwove these five pairs to create a thick rope, leaving a loop at one end to be worn around the wrist to prevent the slingshot from flying out.
In the middle of the rope, about ten centimeters were left unbraided.
Here, the five ropes were separated and used as warp threads, while under Han Cheng''s guidance, Lame used a thinner rope as a weft thread to weave back and forth, creating a-like structure.
This was used to hold the stone projectiles.
Of course, there were different methods of making a slingshot, but this one produced a sturdier result because it was a unified piece.
Compared to a bow and arrow, making a slingshot was much easier with the presence of ropes. In less than half a day, the slingshot waspleted under Lame''s hands and presented before the people of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Seeing this thing, which was vastly different from their imagination, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe appeared somewhat quiet, quite different from their previous enthusiastic preparations to take action.
They found it hard to imagine throwing a stone far with such a thing.
If it weren''t for the Divine Child''s words but someone else''s, they would have left long ago, shaking their heads.
Faced with thispletely new weapon, Han Cheng naturally took the lead.
He first deliberately slipped the loop left on one end of the slingshot onto his wrist, wrapped it around, and secured it.
Then, he selected a stone the size of an egg from the ones Second Senior Brother had prepared in a bamboo tube and ced it between the in the middle of the slingshot. Folding the slingshot, he gripped the other end in his hand.
Then he ordered everyone to move far away in front and behind.
Unlike with a bow and arrow, where Han Cheng could ensure that the arrow would go forward, he couldn''t guarantee anything with the slingshot until familiar with it.
Han Cheng, the Divine Child, began his performance with no one within thirty meters.
Gripping the slingshot with his right arm, he suddenly exerted force, rotating the slingshot with his hand before letting go.
Leveraging this strong inertia, the stone flew out.
Chapter 240: Going to Tsinghua University or Peking University?
Chapter 240: Going to Tsinghua University or Peking University?
The slingshot''s power was so formidable that the stone disappearedpletely from Han Cheng''s line of sight¡
Or rather, it never appeared in his line of sight in the first ce.
Han Cheng, upon realizing this, muttered a word of dismay and quickly covered his head with his hands, and then¡
And then, the next moment, he felt relieved.
Because a crisp sound rang out, followed by a series of rumbling noises.
Han Cheng turned his head toward the sound and saw the stone projectile rolling down from the roof, falling into the snow below.
Well, the newly built house would need to rece some tiles now.
The onlookers, who were watching from afar, were dumbfounded. At this moment, they fully understood why the Divine Child had asked them to stand so far away.
They truly experienced the terrifying power of the slingshot.
The Divine Child was right; this thing''s lethality was significant, almost to the point of not distinguishing between friend and foe.
Han Cheng looked at the stunned crowd, sniffed slightly, and thought, damn it, apart from being a little off target and smashing some tiles, my shot was perfect. Do you have to look at me with such eyes?
It was just slightly off, hitting the house behind and to the side¡
But regardless, Han Cheng had demonstrated the power of the slingshot. With his current physique, under normal circumstances, he could only throw a stone about twenty meters, and that was if it was the right size and feltfortable to throw.
But now, with the help of the slingshot, the stone he just threw had exceeded thirty meters¡
The Second Senior Brother eagerly held the slingshot, and the onlookers moved farther away. Han Cheng even considered flipping a pottery basin over his head to use as a helmet.
In the strange atmosphere of anticipation and alertness among the onlookers, the Second Senior Brother sShamanng his arm, and the slingshot made a sharp sound as it cut through the air.
Before Han Cheng and the others could see clearly, they saw smoke rising from a point more than forty meters away, followed by the stump standing there, tilting backward and making a crashing sound.
The Second Senior Brother''s shot perfectly demonstrated the power of the slingshot.
The onlookers, seeing this scene, had eyes shining with excitement.
Only Han Cheng was sniffling. Damn it, can the difference be any more obvious?
The Second Senior Brother was even more excited. He trotted over to prop up the fallen stump and then returned to where he had just stood, stepping back another ten meters or so.
He loaded a stone into the slingshot, sShamanng it, and released one end into the air, and the stone flew out swiftly.
Although he didn''t hit the stump this time, the stone flew nearly eighty meters beforending.
This scene left the onlookers even more dumbfounded, their eyes gleaming with amazement.
It was hard to imagine that stones could be thrown so far with such a simple tool.
Even though this scene was happening before their eyes, they still found it hard to believe.
Next, the slingshot circted among the hands of the onlookers.
Among them, the one who threw the stone the farthest and most urately with the slingshot was still the Second Senior Brother, the slingshot master. His farthest throw reached an astonishing one hundred and three meters!
The distance achieved by the Second Senior Brother''s slingshot was nearly twenty meters farther than the farthest distance shot by the Third Senior Brother using a bow and arrow!
However, Third Senior Brother wasn''t discouraged because he had learned from the Divine Child that the bow wasrge and thick enough as long as the materials used were suitable. The strength was sufficient, and arrows could be shot even farther.
Hou Yi shot down the sun with a bow and arrow, not a slingshot.
Furthermore, although the slingshot could throw farther, it wasn''t as urate as shooting with arrows. If used for hunting, the noise the slingshot makes would easily scare away prey¡
Few people were as steadfast in their belief in using bows and arrows as Third Senior Brother. After Han Cheng brought out the slingshot and everyone saw its power, many who were initially enthusiastic about bows and arrows began to waver.
Take Tie Tou, for example. At this moment, he was torn between his bow and a slingshot, one in each hand.
He didn''t need to be so indecisive, he would soon realize.
After hesitating for a long time and finally choosing to use the slingshot, he discovered the massive gap between him and the Second Senior Brother.
So, he gave up the slingshot and switched to using a bow and arrow, only to be beaten badly by Third Senior Brother¡
Tie Tou sat on the ground, feeling somewhat dejected, watching Third Senior Brother and the Second Senior Brother shooting arrows and ying with slingshots not too far away, feeling helpless.
Han Cheng could empathize with Tie Tou''s current mood. When he was younger, he had agonized over whether to go to Tsinghua University or Peking University when he grew up, only to suddenly realize after entering high school that neither of these schools had anything to do with him¡
The emergence of the slingshot, which served as a substitute for bows and arrows to some extent, disrupted the firm determination of the people in the Green Sparrow tribe to pursue bows and arrows, just like Tie Tou. Many people were now torn.
Han Cheng saw all of this, but besides urging everyone to elerate the production of bows, arrows, and slingshots and dedicate time to practice every day, he said little else.
People each had their strengths. It was impossible for everyone to reach the proficiency levels of the Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother in both weapons.
Han Cheng''s idea was simple: first, let everyone be familiar with these two new types of weapons. Then, after some time, ssify them based on their mastery of these two weapons.
Those better at shooting arrows would use bows and arrows in the future, while those who excelled with slingshots would specialize in slingshots. If one or two individuals were equally skilled in both weapons, they could choose one as their main weapon based on their interest, with the other as a secondary weapon.
He had other ns for those who weren''t proficient in either weapon and wouldn''t let them idle.
After ssification, they would spend time training every day.
Once the tribe''s people became proficient in using these two weapons, relying on the hedgehog-like walls built by Han Cheng, they wouldn''t need many people to firmly guard the tribe.
Then, Han Cheng could confidently lead other people to do other things.
Han Cheng shared this idea with Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, who naturally agreed with Han Cheng''s proposal.
Shaman extended his tree-root-like hand and groped back and forth on the bows, arrows, and slingshots, his face filled with anticipation and piety.
He expressed to Han Cheng his intention to sacrifice to the gods and thank them for protecting the tribe.
He had this idea since yesterday when he witnessed the power of the bow and arrow, but he hadn''t had a chance to say it before Han Cheng brought out the slingshot, a weapon that was just as powerful as the bow and arrow.
With weapons like this, possessing just one was enough to keep the tribe strong. And now, thanks to the Divine Child, their tribe suddenly had two!
How could such a thing not be reported to the gods? The harsh cold of winter couldn''t extinguish Shaman''s fiery heart.
The slingshot''s power was so formidable that the stone disappearedpletely from Han Cheng''s line of sight¡
Or rather, it never appeared in his line of sight in the first ce.
Han Cheng, upon realizing this, muttered a word of dismay and quickly covered his head with his hands, and then¡
And then, the next moment, he felt relieved.
Because a crisp sound rang out, followed by a series of rumbling noises.
Han Cheng turned his head toward the sound and saw the stone projectile rolling down from the roof, falling into the snow below.
Well, the newly built house would need to rece some tiles now.
The onlookers, who were watching from afar, were dumbfounded. At this moment, they fully understood why the Divine Child had asked them to stand so far away.
They truly experienced the terrifying power of the slingshot.
The Divine Child was right; this thing''s lethality was significant, almost to the point of not distinguishing between friend and foe.
Han Cheng looked at the stunned crowd, sniffed slightly, and thought, damn it, apart from being a little off target and smashing some tiles, my shot was perfect. Do you have to look at me with such eyes?
It was just slightly off, hitting the house behind and to the side¡
But regardless, Han Cheng had demonstrated the power of the slingshot. With his current physique, under normal circumstances, he could only throw a stone about twenty meters, and that was if it was the right size and feltfortable to throw.
But now, with the help of the slingshot, the stone he just threw had exceeded thirty meters¡
The Second Senior Brother eagerly held the slingshot, and the onlookers moved farther away. Han Cheng even considered flipping a pottery basin over his head to use as a helmet.
In the strange atmosphere of anticipation and alertness among the onlookers, the Second Senior Brother sShamanng his arm, and the slingshot made a sharp sound as it cut through the air.
Before Han Cheng and the others could see clearly, they saw smoke rising from a point more than forty meters away, followed by the stump standing there, tilting backward and making a crashing sound.
The Second Senior Brother''s shot perfectly demonstrated the power of the slingshot.
The onlookers, seeing this scene, had eyes shining with excitement.
Only Han Cheng was sniffling. Damn it, can the difference be any more obvious?
The Second Senior Brother was even more excited. He trotted over to prop up the fallen stump and then returned to where he had just stood, stepping back another ten meters or so.
He loaded a stone into the slingshot, sShamanng it, and released one end into the air, and the stone flew out swiftly.
Although he didn''t hit the stump this time, the stone flew nearly eighty meters beforending.
This scene left the onlookers even more dumbfounded, their eyes gleaming with amazement.
It was hard to imagine that stones could be thrown so far with such a simple tool.
Even though this scene was happening before their eyes, they still found it hard to believe.
Next, the slingshot circted among the hands of the onlookers.
Among them, the one who threw the stone the farthest and most urately with the slingshot was still the Second Senior Brother, the slingshot master. His farthest throw reached an astonishing one hundred and three meters!
The distance achieved by the Second Senior Brother''s slingshot was nearly twenty meters farther than the farthest distance shot by the Third Senior Brother using a bow and arrow!
However, Third Senior Brother wasn''t discouraged because he had learned from the Divine Child that the bow wasrge and thick enough as long as the materials used were suitable. The strength was sufficient, and arrows could be shot even farther.
Hou Yi shot down the sun with a bow and arrow, not a slingshot.
Furthermore, although the slingshot could throw farther, it wasn''t as urate as shooting with arrows. If used for hunting, the noise the slingshot makes would easily scare away prey¡
Few people were as steadfast in their belief in using bows and arrows as Third Senior Brother. After Han Cheng brought out the slingshot and everyone saw its power, many who were initially enthusiastic about bows and arrows began to waver.
Take Tie Tou, for example. At this moment, he was torn between his bow and a slingshot, one in each hand.
He didn''t need to be so indecisive, he would soon realize.
After hesitating for a long time and finally choosing to use the slingshot, he discovered the massive gap between him and the Second Senior Brother.
So, he gave up the slingshot and switched to using a bow and arrow, only to be beaten badly by Third Senior Brother¡
Tie Tou sat on the ground, feeling somewhat dejected, watching Third Senior Brother and the Second Senior Brother shooting arrows and ying with slingshots not too far away, feeling helpless.
Han Cheng could empathize with Tie Tou''s current mood. When he was younger, he had agonized over whether to go to Tsinghua University or Peking University when he grew up, only to suddenly realize after entering high school that neither of these schools had anything to do with him¡
The emergence of the slingshot, which served as a substitute for bows and arrows to some extent, disrupted the firm determination of the people in the Green Sparrow tribe to pursue bows and arrows, just like Tie Tou. Many people were now torn.
Han Cheng saw all of this, but besides urging everyone to elerate the production of bows, arrows, and slingshots and dedicate time to practice every day, he said little else.
People each had their strengths. It was impossible for everyone to reach the proficiency levels of the Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother in both weapons.
Han Cheng''s idea was simple: first, let everyone be familiar with these two new types of weapons. Then, after some time, ssify them based on their mastery of these two weapons.
Those better at shooting arrows would use bows and arrows in the future, while those who excelled with slingshots would specialize in slingshots. If one or two individuals were equally skilled in both weapons, they could choose one as their main weapon based on their interest, with the other as a secondary weapon.
He had other ns for those who weren''t proficient in either weapon and wouldn''t let them idle.
After ssification, they would spend time training every day.
Once the tribe''s people became proficient in using these two weapons, relying on the hedgehog-like walls built by Han Cheng, they wouldn''t need many people to firmly guard the tribe.
Then, Han Cheng could confidently lead other people to do other things.
Han Cheng shared this idea with Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, who naturally agreed with Han Cheng''s proposal.
Shaman extended his tree-root-like hand and groped back and forth on the bows, arrows, and slingshots, his face filled with anticipation and piety.
He expressed to Han Cheng his intention to sacrifice to the gods and thank them for protecting the tribe.
He had this idea since yesterday when he witnessed the power of the bow and arrow, but he hadn''t had a chance to say it before Han Cheng brought out the slingshot, a weapon that was just as powerful as the bow and arrow.
With weapons like this, possessing just one was enough to keep the tribe strong. And now, thanks to the Divine Child, their tribe suddenly had two!
How could such a thing not be reported to the gods? The harsh cold of winter couldn''t extinguish Shaman''s fiery heart.
Chapter 241: Adding an instrument for the ceremony – Drums
Chapter 241: Adding an instrument for the ceremony ¨C Drums
Regarding how to conduct the sacrifice this time, Shaman is consulting Han Cheng''s opinion.
In the past, Shaman never asked others about this matter, even if it was Han Cheng, who was treated like a god.
But things are different now because, under Han Cheng''s earnest assurance, the totem pole has been moved from the inner cave to the house, changing the environment. Shaman is now uncertain.
After a conversation, Han Cheng understands Shaman''s intention.
He wants to move the totem pole back to the inner cave for the sacrifice and then back to the house after the ritual isplete.
Because the space inside the room is too small and unsuitable for a proper sacrifice.
However, they have never done this before, and Shaman is undecided because he is worried that moving the totem pole back and forth like this might offend the gods.
Han Cheng might have considered it carefully if he were a true god. However, he is just a time traveler pretending to be god, naturally fearless, and doing things as conveniently as possible.
After receiving affirmation from Han Cheng, Shaman suddenly bes enthusiastic.
While arranging for the cave to be cleaned, he prepares to move the totem pole, but Han Cheng stops him.
Han Cheng tells Shaman that the totem pole cannot be moved so quickly; it needs something else to apany it.
Shaman has never experienced such a situation before, and previous Shamans leave no precedents on how to handle such matters, so he must obey Han Cheng''smand.
At the same time, he is curious about what the Divine Child mentioned that needs to apany the totem pole.
Han Cheng mentioned a drum, a standard item inter times.
Adding drama to the totem pole was a spur-of-the-moment idea by Han Cheng.
Heavy snowfall restricts people''s movements, leaving them with little to do. He also feels that the sacrifices of the Green Sparrow tribeck ceremony, so he wants to do something about it. Therefore, he casually mentioned the drum.
After saying it, Han Cheng regrets it a bit because it''s extremely difficult to make a drum at this time due to theck of tools and materials.
Even if they didn''t use wood to make the drum body and used pottery instead, it''s not feasible because the y would quickly freeze and could not be fired in cold weather.
After pondering for a while, Han Cheng realizes there is no good solution. He can''t help but sniff and bitterly scold himself for making things difficult. What was originally a simple matter now feels like lifting a stone to smash his foot
With his hands behind his back, Han Cheng strolls. The old sheepskin cloak hangs down, swaying gently with his movement.
His slightly tense face, with his eyes asionally scanning the surroundings cautiously, exudes an aura of scrutinizing subjects, like an emperor observing his ministers or a high-ranking figure hosting a court selection.
Of course, this premise requires the various pottery vessels ced on both sides to be reced with ministers or carefully chosen and beautiful women
Han Cheng''s footsteps stopped, and his gaze fell on a small nearby basin.
This basin is about seventy centimeters tall, with a diameter of about thirty centimeters at the mouth, thicker in the middle, and tapering at both ends.
"This is it."
Han Cheng says to Shaman and Hei Wa, who are following him.
Hei Wa steps forward and lifts the basin as instructed.
Then, following Han Cheng''s instructions, the basin was turned upside down, and a rtively thin and rough stone was used to rub back and forth along its bottom.
After rubbing for a while, a shallow line appeared.
This task was tiring, so Han Cheng had someone fetch Mu Tou to take over Hei Wa''s work.
He was more skilled at polishing stone tools.
You guessed it right: Han Cheng was nning to use this basin as the body of the drum, but first, the bottom of the small basin needed to be removed.
While Mu Tou dealt with the small basin, Han Cheng searched the Green Sparrow tribe''s storage for something, specifically nitrate-treated hides.
After quite a while, he found a hide with little fur left.
Then he had someone bring a wooden stick and pounded the hide on a smooth piece of Mu Tou to soften it.
Then, using a carefully crafted stone knife, he scraped the hide repeatedly to remove the remaining fur and thin out the thicker areas as much as possible. This was a very time-consuming task.
It wasn''t until the second day that the bottom of the small basin was removed. Mu Tou did an excellent job, leaving the basin undamaged.
Han Cheng then marked two circles on the wall of the small basin near its ends.
He then had Hei Wa take over from Mu Tou and carefully drill holes in these marks using rtively sharp stones. It was crucial not to damage the basin.
It took three days for these tasks to bepleted thoroughly.
The hide, which Hei Wa had meticulously polished, and still had a considerable gap from those ofter times, was split in half from the middle. Holes were pierced around the edges of the hide, each tied with a thin rope.
Han Cheng covered the mouth of the small basin with the hide, threading the ropes through the pre-drilled holes and pulling them tight.
He only demonstrated this, leaving it to Hei Wa and Mu Tou toplete.
This was mainly because stretching the drumhead required considerable strength and skill; otherwise, the drumhead would be loose, resulting in a weak sound.
Han Cheng was no stranger to big drums, gongs, cymbals, and brass instruments. Many viges had such sets, which would be brought out and yed around the New Year.
Dragon dances, lion dances, spider dances, and the like usually apany these brass instruments. Unfortunately, the dragon in their vige had long been broken
Of course, these scenes were almost twenty years ago. As people gradually went out to make a living, life became faster-paced, and these things were rarely touched anymore, gathering dust in the houses of a few families in the vige
To achieve a better effect, after the drumhead was stretched, Han Cheng went out with some people to fetch some pine resin not far from the Green Sparrow tribe. After heating and melting it in a small pottery jar, he used a small branch to plug each hole through which the ropes passed and sealed the edges of the hide attached to the basin wall.
After doing all this, the drum was finallyplete.
Han Cheng tapped on it with his fingers, producing a dull sound. It wasn''t as good as the wooden barrel drums fromter times, but Han Cheng was already delighted with the drum considering the conditions.
Han Cheng didn''t let people y the drum randomly.
Because, as he said, and they also knew, it was for use in the future worship of the gods, everyone, including the few people involved in its making, held a curious and reverent attitude toward the newly appeared drum.
After making the drum, Han Cheng instructed Hei Wa to cut out two wooden sticks that were about thirty centimeters long and three centimeters in diameter. One end of each stick was wrapped with the leftover hide from making the drum, and thus, two drumsticks were created.
Han Cheng regretted only that there was no red cloth or red fuel; otherwise, these two drumsticks would have been more festive and expressive.
After the drumsticks were made, wood was cut and tied together to make a drum stand. With this, the set was finallyplete.
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe had never looked forward to a sacrifice like this before.
They were eager to see what effect the exquisite things made by the Divine Child with great effort would have and how they would be used in the sacrifice.
Even the old shaman couldn''t contain his excitement and anticipation.
Chapter 242: Drums, Shaman, Dance
Chapter 242: Drums, Shaman, Dance
It seemed as if the sun, absent for several days after the snow stopped, decided to show its face today, causing everyone''s anticipation to rise. The sun''s rays reflected off the pure white snow, creating a dazzling brightness that filled the air. However, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe paid no heed to this spectacle as they eagerly craned their necks to peer inside the house.
Inside the room stood the prominent figures of the Green Sparrow Tribe: the Divine Child, the shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, and the Third Senior Brother.
In the center stood the Divine Child, holding two drumsticks, exining something to the others, who nodded in understanding.
After a while, the Eldest Senior Brother emerged and instructed everyone outside to stand properly while the shaman donned his feather crown and grasped his bone staff.
Normally, the shaman would dance during ceremonies, but this time was evidently different.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were not ustomed to lining up, and although they tried their best to stand in order, it was still chaotic, with some indistinct and discordant voices rising like mosquitoes buzzing.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a deep, muffled sound suddenly reverberated, exploding in their ears.
The shaman''s body trembled, and his bone staff nearly slipped from his hand. The Eldest Senior Brother and others also started, even though the Divine Child had forewarned them; the sudden booming sound still stole their attention.
The buzzing outside ceased, and everyone fell silent, mouths agape in astonishment.
After a brief moment of stupefaction, feelings of surprise, panic, and fear emerged among them.
Some timid individuals trembled, while others gazed up at the sky.
The sky was clear, without a single cloud in sight
But where did this sudden thunderous sounde from?
The crowd was baffled, and their fear of the unknown only grew stronger.
"Boom!"
Amidst the crowd''s uncertainty, another identical muffled sound reverberated.
Then came a series of "boom boom boom!"
There!
It was the Divine Child!
Inside the house, Han Cheng''s sudden pounding of the drum had left the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, who had been momentarily stunned, at a loss. They only remembered the Divine Child''s instructions and quickly moved to stand on either side of the totem pole.
As they left, the obscured scene inside the house finally became clear to the people outside.
The Divine Child!
It was the Divine Child!
They thought to themselves.
The Divine Child stood there, holding a drumstick in each hand, vigorously striking the newly crafted drum, which he called a "god''s drum."
With each strike of the drumstick, a humming sound reverberated, awe-inspiring and spine-chilling, reminiscent of thunder during a summer rain.
This belonged in the heavens, yet now, it was tamed by the Divine Child and brought to their Green Sparrow Tribe
At that moment, they suddenly felt an urge to worship.
To the gods, to the Divine Child, to this astonishing drum that could produce thunderthis was a thought they had never entertained during past ceremonies.
The shaman''s aged cheeks turned pale, then flushed with excitement as he watched the Divine Child strike the drum, his body trembling with emotion.
Although he had previously learned about the drum''s purpose and effects from the Divine Child, the power disyed by the drum at this moment far exceeded his imagination.
Like everyone else, he wondered if the Divine Child managed to capture the thunder from the heavens within this drum.
It seemed as if the sun, which hadn''t shown its face for several days after the snowfall, was specifically waiting to witness the ritual of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Today, after hiding for days, its rays burst forth, casting a golden glow over the pristine white snow, creating a dazzling scene.
However, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe paid no heed to this spectacle. With hearts full of anticipation, they tiptoed and craned their necks to peer inside the house.
After a while, the Divine Child suddenly stopped.
The thunder ceased, and the world fell silent. Frowning, the Divine Child looked at the drum, muttering to himself.
The shaman, puzzled, stopped his impending dance and approached the Divine Child, wanting to know what had happened.
The Divine Child muttered, "This isn''t right. The sound shouldn''t be this soft"
The shaman froze, nearly stumbling.
My Divine Child, the sound was almost shaking the roof, and you still find it not loud enough?
Even theposed shaman didn''t know how to express his feelings.
"Light a fire," Han Cheng said, breaking the silence after a moment of contemtion.
Two people were assigned to start the fire, and soon, a ze crackled outside the door.
Following Han Cheng''s instructions, the Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother, initially tasked with carrying the drum, took it outside.
They carried the drum with even greater reverence, mixed with awe, now that they knew its power.
As instructed by Han Cheng, they carefully ced one end of the drum over the burning fire, about twenty centimeters away, to let the heat seep into it.
After roasting for a while, they swapped ends as instructed by the Divine Child and then continued roasting.
The onlookers from the Green Sparrow Tribe were puzzled. Roasting food over a fire made sense, but why would the Divine Child want to roast a drum?
Of course, Han Cheng didn''t intend to eat it. He remembered a method he had seen before to make the drum louder during cold weather.
As Li He wrote in "The Taoist Priest of Yanmen Pass": "With heavy frost, the drum''s cold sound does not rise," and the Green Sparrow Tribe was just as cold now.
To make the drum louder, it was simpleheat it.
Once the fire heated the drum, it was carried back inside and ced on its stand. After signaling to the people inside, Han Cheng swung the drumstick down hard.
The skin covering the drum trembled rapidly, and a deep, thunderous boom reverberated from within the drum, spreading outward.
Both inside and outside the house, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe shuddered, feeling as if the sound was exploding in their minds.
The shaman''s eyes were filled with awe and worship, and his spirit trembled along with the resounding drumbeats. For a moment, he forgot to perform the ritual.
It was only when Han Cheng reminded him that he began to dance within the house, his movements more agile than ever before, flowing naturally like water. This old man, who had never sessfullymunicated with the heavenly gods, now felt a different connection amidst the thunderous drumbeats.
It seemed as if they were one step closer to the heavenly gods
Han Cheng knew little about drumming. He followed the rhythm he remembered: "Dong dong dong, dong dong dong, dong dong dong dong dong dong," asionally drumming ording to his mood. After all, whether anyone understood drumming or not, he was in charge here.
After the dance, the drumming temporarily ceased. Following previous instructions, the people gathered outside were separated, and the shaman, wearing his feathered crown and holding his bone staff, danced out of the house towards the cave entrance.
Next came the Second Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother, who carried the drum frame and the drum on top of it, and Divine Child, who carried the drumsticks and asionally struck the drum as it was being carried low.
Following them were the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, who carried the totem pole.
The rest followed behind the totem pole, heading towards the cave.
Inside the cave, amidst the booming drumbeats, the shaman danced around the totem pole, apanied by the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, who were carrying it, for three rounds, muttering something indistinctly.
After the three rounds, the totem pole was ced back in its original position.
A bonfire was lit, dispersing the darkness within the cave and illuminating everything.
Drumming was a strenuous activity, and Han Cheng was sweating by now.
Having had enough of drumming, he handed over the drumsticks to the idle Eldest Senior Brother.
The Eldest Senior Brother seemed hesitant because he desired to take on a more passive role; Han Cheng naturally didn''t give him a chance to refuse.
After briefly exining some simple drumming techniques, the drumsticks were in the hands of the Eldest Senior Brother.
The Eldest Senior Brother, gripping the drumsticks tightly, felt tense, excited, and a sense of sacred responsibility.
This was his first time participating in the ritual, not as a bystander.
Moreover, he would personally handle this object that could capture the sound of thunder
All of this filled him with excitement and anticipation.
Amidst the booming drumbeats, the ritual, different from before, began again.
Bows, arrows, and slings, the best offerings from the Green Sparrow Tribe to the heavenly gods, were respectfully ced on a stone tform in front of the totem pole.
Han Cheng, the pseudo-Divine Child, stood beside the totem pole as usual, enjoying the same treatment as the heavenly godsying the puppet role.
As the shaman danced and the drum thundered, the people sincerely thanked the heavenly gods for their blessings to the Green Sparrow Tribe and thanked the Divine Child for leading the Green Sparrow Tribe towards strength
With the drum''s appearance, those participating in the ritual were more involved.
After a lively celebration, the ritual concluded, and the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang once again carried the totem pole back into the house.
Compared to the beginning, the ceremony seemed simpler and quieter.
Starting today, the ritual of the Green Sparrow Tribe was roughly divided into three stages: weing the gods, worshiping, and sending off the gods.
During these processes, the initial weing of the gods required the Divine Child to drum, the shaman to dance, and the chieftain and others to carry the totem pole where the gods resided.
During the worship, it was the chieftain who drummed
Compared to the shaman''s solo dance in the past, this kind of ritual had more ceremony and allowed people to immerse themselves more fully.
It also highlighted the status of the Divine Child, shaman, and chieftain in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Of course, these were just rough outlines, and new elements could be added as needed.
Chapter 243: Obsessed with sex, their will becomes focused
Chapter 243: Obsessed with sex, their will bes focused
Two or three days after the ritual, the entire Green Sparrow Tribe was immersed in a mysterious atmosphere tinged with an inexplicable aura.
The drum received great attention from the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. It was carefully ced in front of the totem pole and enjoyed the same treatment as the feathered crown and bone staff.
After the ritual, people became more enthusiastic about making bows, arrows, and slings.
Every day, as requested by the Divine Child, they would spend some time practicing with slings or arrows outside.
However, the arrows'' target was no longer a makeshift wooden stake but a roughly woven rope about half a meter in diameter, tightly coiled in circles.
Han Cheng had painted a ck circle using ck charcoal at the center of this coiled grass rope target.
Initially, hitting the target would elicit cheers from the crowd, but as people became more adept with the bow and arrow, hitting the target became moremonce and lost its novelty.
Only someone like Third Senior Brother, who could shoot an arrow into the ck center of the target from sixty meters away, could still impress the crowd.
When someone went to retrieve the arrow, they were surprised by its power. Not only had it pierced the grass target, but it had also lodged itself into the wooden post behind the target!
After pulling out the arrow, the person was astonished to find that this arrow was different from the ones they were familiar with.
Instead of a wooden tip sharpened by fire, this arrow had a sharp bone tip polished to a fine point.
It could prate the grass target and embed itself into the wood behind it!
As they marveled at this, a realization dawned on them: they could attach bone tips to their arrows, too!
This discovery prompted many to inquire about making bone arrowheads from Third Senior Brother.
Naturally, Third Senior Brother was happy to share, and he took out the remaining arrows to show everyone and exin the process of making bone arrowheads.
The idea of adding bone arrowheads to the arrows had been conceived several days earlier.
When someone is deeply passionate about something, they tend to think about it and seek ways to improve it involuntarily.
As the great writer Pu Songling once said: "Obsessed with sex, their will bes focused." Those obsessed with books excel in literature, and those obsessed with skills be proficient in their craft Those who fail in life are those who are not obsessed.
For the Third Senior Brother, it was the same with bows and arrows.
After his initial excitement about bows and arrows had subsided, he began to consider their practical use.
Bows and arrows could be used for hunting and defense against enemies.
After carefully considering these two purposes, he was no longer satisfied with shooting at wooden stakes daily.
Because wooden stakes were not prey or enemies.
Since there were no enemies to test the power of the arrows, he turned his attention to prey.
After sharing his idea with the Divine Child, the shaman, and the chief, he set out with his bow, arrows, and spears to hunt for prey outside the tribe, turning his experimental idea into the reality of fetching two rabbits from the rabbit warren
The results of the experiment were not very satisfactory. At close range, the arrows could pierce the rabbits'' bodies, but as the distance increased, the damage caused by the arrows decreased.
Eventually, they couldn''t even prate the rabbits'' skins.
This discovery left Third Senior Brother deeply troubled. If they couldn''t prate the thin skin of rabbits, how could they fare against sheep, deer, leopards, saber-toothed tigers, and other such creatures?
In the following days, he continued to ponder this issue.
Initially, his solution was to manufacture a longer and thicker bow. He did so, and while it had some effect, it wasn''t as significant as he had hoped. This discovery led him to abandon the idea of making a more powerful bow because the new one he made was already quite difficult for him to draw.
This line of thought continued until one distracted evening during dinner when a fishbone pricked him. The sharp fishbone could pierce his flesh, so he thought, if he tied fishbones to the arrowheads, wouldn''t they be able to prate the flesh of prey?
He excitedly entertained this idea for a moment before shaking his head; fishbones were too fragile
With this idea in mind, it wasn''t long before bone arrowheads appeared.
Han Cheng quietly observed all of the Third Senior Brother''s actions without interference.
For the Green Sparrow Tribe to thrive and grow, it couldn''t rely solely on him. Cultivating talent, among other things, was also essential.
Otherwise, they might end up like the Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, with talents dwindling and Zhuge Liang''s departure leading to their downfall, a truly disheartening oue.
Seeing Third Senior Brother spin around the bones and then start to select them, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
Under Han Cheng''s instructions, a sling practice area was set up at a distance from the archery practice area.
This area was off-limits to outsiders because of the whirling slings and flying stones, making it highly dangerous.
In light of Han Cheng''s glorious feat of smashing a patch of tiles with a single shot, the sling practice area was far from houses and readily essible areas.
Second Senior Brother, who had been quite battered from using the sling to smash a rabbit a few days ago, noticed an unusual reaction in the archery area.
After watching for a while, he didn''t pay much attention and skillfully loaded a stone into the sling, swung it around his arm a couple of times in the air, and then quickly let go. The stone flew out of the and smashed into the straw target, knocking it down
Every day, the Green Sparrow Tribe allowed men and women to practice with bows and slings. The traditional gender roles of men working outside and women inside the tribe did not apply here.
Relying solely on men couldn''t guarantee the tribe''s safety in the face of major threats.
In today''s Green Sparrow Tribe, there were many more women than men, and they indeed carried half of the tribe''s burden.
On sunnier and slightly warmer days, the Divine Child would have everyone practice using these two new weapons by aiming at the straw figures and odd-shaped straw animals outside the perimeter, which were almost invisible under the snow cover.
When setting up these straw figures and objects made of straw, the people would be highly cautious, constantly checking a small sign standing a short distance away from the wall.
These inconspicuous signs bore an abstract skull drawn in charcoal with two crossed bones beneath it.
This was the Divine Child''s creation, meant to remind the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe that on the side of the wooden sign facing the wally the dangerously obscured "stick array," covered almost entirely by snow
Chapter 244: Just as they were feeling pleased, a plane flew across the sky
Chapter 244: Just as they were feeling pleased, a ne flew across the sky
Han Cheng wanted to go out and take a look. This desire was unprecedentedly strong.
It wasn''t to search for iron ore, copper ore, or other things that were of great use to the Green Sparrow, nor was it to search for hemp, beans, bamboo, and other crops that would further develop the Green Sparrow. As for medicinal herbs, there wasn''t such a strong driving force either.
What indeed drove him to want to go out and see afar was a sudden idea from a few days ago.
The weather was very nice that day, with the winter sun shining down, warming the cold air.
Han Cheng and some people from the Green Sparrow sat against the southern wall, enjoying the gentle warmth of the winter.
Some people were repairing bows and arrows, some women were spinning thread with spinning tops, and some were holding children, babbling hard-to-understand words.
Amid tranquility, Han Cheng enveloped in warmth, began to feel drowsy.
When he opened his eyes in the dazzling sunlight, he saw a group of unidentified birds pping their wings across the sky.
He wondered what the meat of those birds would taste like.
As he, influenced by primitive thoughts, watched the not-so-small birds, a random thought crossed his mind.
His mind drifted aimlessly from the birds flying by to the nes carrying smoke during military parades and then to various things from the future. He surprisingly found himself missing them.
Humans are strange creatures, never satisfied.
In the past, what Han Cheng wanted most was to escape from the noisy and suffocating environment, to find a ce with clear mountains and rivers, to cultivate a few acres ofnd, raise some chickens and ducks, dig a fish pond, nt some vegetables, read books in his leisure time, fish, and live a leisurely and carefree life.
However, when he had indeed everything he dreamed of, he began to miss the world that had once made him detest it so much.
In his reminiscence, that world unexpectedly began to seem beautiful and desirable.
Indeed, what is lost and cannot be obtained is always the best.
His thoughts drifted like this, circling until they returned to the ne flying above.
Then, a ridiculous idea slowly emerged in his mind.
How nice it would be if the group of birds just now were nes
Thinking like this, Han Cheng smiled, dismissed his whimsical thoughts, and continued his daydream.
But his leisurely mood quickly disappeared, and he became restless or suspicious.
He moved away from the wall he was leaning on and sat up straight, and his eyes looked veryplex.
Because just now, he suddenly thought of a terrifying ideaafter he had put in so much effort to absorb the surrounding tribes into the Green Sparrow, and led the people of the Green Sparrow, step by step, to obtain copper, iron, weaving machines leading everyone towards agricultural civilization, establishing their cities after all the hard work, as he looked at this scene, reminiscing and looking forward to the future with a hint of satisfaction and nostalgia, suddenly a ne flew overhead
How can the mood at that time be described as anything less than having ten thousand wild horses galloping through his heart?
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy Han Cheng became. The possibility of such an event was not nonexistent, as primitive people still existed even in his own era.
The image of primitive people shooting arrows at nes left a deep impression on him.
Shortly before he crossed over, Han Cheng also saw the news about a fellow countryman wanting to go to a secluded ind to preach to the primitive people inside, only to be strangled to death with a rope by the primitive people who didn''t buy into the national ount
Thinking about this, Han Cheng''s heart became increasingly uneasy. Since he arrived, he had not embarked on any far travels.
As for what he knew about this world, besides being a primitive society, there were a few small tribes besides the Green Sparrow. Further away, there was a tribe called Flying Snakes, which was aggressive.
Apart from this, he didn''t have much understanding of the overall environment.
Who could say for sure if the periphery of this area was fenced off with barbed wire, with a sign erected saying, "Primitive People Protection Zone" or something like "200 RMB per Tour" slogans?
Originally, Han Cheng''s idea was to wait until he grew up a bit more, then take some people away from the tribe for a trip. But with the rise of this ridiculous yetpelling idea, Han Cheng finally became unwilling to wait for even a moment longer.
However, not wanting to wait didn''t mean he didn''t have to wait because it was the cold winter. New snow would fall after the heavy snow had notpletely melted. In such weather, it was not suitable to go out.
Although he was eager to verify his thoughts, Han Cheng had to suppress this idea because his life was more important than the verification results.
Making a sled and having the deer pull it to explore the outside world was a good idea, but Han Cheng ultimately vetoed it.
The greatest danger of traveling in such weather was not the possibility of encountering hungry wild beasts but the cold weather itself.
Han Cheng would not choose to travel in winter and explore the unknown world unless necessary.
This was a responsible behavior towards himself and others.
But with such things lingering in his mind, he couldn''t achieve the peace he used to have.
The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, among others, noticed his somewhat abnormal state. After discussing it, they decided that the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother woulde to inquire about the Divine Child.
Han Cheng couldn''t tell them about his thoughts, so when they inquired, he could only say that he was fine and just thinking about some things, telling them not to worry about him.
The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother were not fools, so naturally, they wouldn''t believe he was fine just because of his words.
After all, the Divine Child''s condition was very different from before, and anyone familiar with him could see that the Divine Child was not well.
But since the Divine Child didn''t want to say more, they didn''t dare to ask again after asking twice.
However, their worries did not decrease and only increased over time.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman met again by the rabbit enclosure, still discussing matters concerning the Divine Child.
After a while, they were still at a loss.
Turning their heads, they looked at the Divine Child, sitting by the southern wall, lost in thought. In the direction the Divine Child was facing, the girls from the Cheng, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li were blowing hard on the ice wind chimes hanging from the eaves.
The crystal-clear ice cubes collided, emitting crisp sounds.
The Eldest Senior Brother''s eyes lit up, suddenly realizing something.
Chapter 245: Shaman: Whats wrong with the Divine Child?
Chapter 245: Shaman: What''s wrong with the Divine Child?
Eldest Senior Brother: He''s feeling amorous.
"Shaman! I got it"
Eldest Senior Brother seemed somewhat excited.
His initial Shaman!'' was loud, but then he realized something and lowered his voice.
"What?"
Caught off guard by Eldest Senior Brother''s sudden outburst, Shaman, who was lost in thought, asked hastily after realizing what Eldest Senior Brother meant.
Eldest Senior Brother chuckled lowly and shared his thoughts with Shaman.
After listening, Shaman hesitated momentarily and said, "The Divine Child is not of age"
Eldest Senior Brother chuckled again. Who said one needed to be of age for this? He hadn''t been of age back then
Of course, he didn''t dare to tell Shaman about that.
"Divine Child, it''s different," Eldest Senior Brother shook his head vigorously.
"Divine Child understands everything"
Under Eldest Senior Brother''s persuasion, Shaman also became hesitant.
He agreed with Eldest Senior Brother''s words. Divine Child was the most intelligent person. Other than the possibility mentioned by Eldest Senior Brother, there didn''t seem to be any other exnation for Divine Child''s behavior. But something felt off.
Shaman hesitated, pondering over it silently.
"Shaman, look"
Seeing Shaman hesitant, Eldest Senior Brother sat down near the south wall and discreetly pointed.
"Divine Child has been staring at that spot for a long time without turning his head."
Eldest Senior Brother chuckled and added.
Shaman also noticed this. He didn''t speak immediately but stood quietly, tilting his head and staring.
Divine Child was still staring in their direction when he saw Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li leaving. Shaman finally agreed with Eldest Senior Brother''s exnation.
"They aren''t beautiful enough"
After confirming this, Shaman reflected on Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li''s appearances, feeling somewhat dissatisfied.
They genuinely wanted to offer Divine Child the best. Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li were far less attractive than the others, which disappointed Shaman.
Scratching his head, Eldest Senior Brother felt somewhat troubled. He suddenly considered offering his big-bottomed partner to Divine Child at that moment.
After sharing this idea with Shaman, Shaman thought about it for a while and rejected it.
His reason was that Divine Child had only been staring at Xing, not at Eldest Senior Brother''s big-bottomed partner
After discussing for a while, they finally made a decision.
Xing, not Xiao Mei or Xiao Li, would be sent to apany Divine Child to sleep.
The reason was simple: Xiao Mei and Xiao Li were less beautiful than Xing Cheng.
Although the matter was settled, Eldest Senior Brother still felt somewhat regretful. He believed that only the most beautiful woman could match Divine Child.
It wasn''t just him; everyone in the tribe thought the same.
Eldest Senior Brother silently vowed that if he had the chance, he would find the most beautiful woman to be Divine Child''s partner, even more beautiful Xing!
Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother were straightforward and had a primitive style. They wasted no time getting things done.
After confirming the matter, they immediately put it into action.F???dd ??ew upd??t??s on n(o)v/e/l??in(.
When Xing, ying outside with Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and others, was called back and informed of the matter, she was taken to the tribe''s cave to bathe.
There were threerge tubs, one reserved for Divine Child and the other formunal use.
In the past, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe didn''t bother with such formalities. They slept together when it was time to sleep.
The reason why Xing was sent to bathe was because Shaman knew that Divine Child liked cleanliness
It must be said that Shaman, this old primitive man, truly cared a lot for Han Cheng, considering everything very thoughtfully andprehensively.
Unaware of everything, Han Cheng continued to lean against the southern wall, pondering over his uing journey, oblivious to the events unfolding around him.
If he knew, he probably wouldn''t dare to daydream like this.
It would be feasible to start the journey next spring.
With the appearance of bows and arrows, as well as slings, thebat effectiveness of the Green Sparrow tribe was greatly enhanced, whether in defense or offense.
Taking advantage of this winter''s leisure time, everyone needed to practice more and be proficient with these two weapons.
Of course, the water route was chosen as the mode of travel. It was convenient,bor-saving, and much safer than traveling onnd.
Having apanied Eldest Senior Brother and others on a few outings, Han Cheng had witnessed the difficulties of traveling onnd, especially in ces where people rarely tread.
And due to the era, as far as Han Cheng knew, there were far too many ces where people rarely ventured
He pondered these matters, asionally fantasizing about the things he might encounter during the journey and the fate of the Green Sparrow tribe when they reached a civilized world. He was deeply engrossed in these thoughts.
After dinner, as usual, Han Cheng put down his bowl, left the cave, and headed toward his room.
Lost in his thoughts, he didnt notice Xing passing by him several times during dinner.
"Knock, knock, knock"
There was a knocking on the door.
"Who''s there?"
Han Cheng listened for a while in the room lit by an oilmp. Seeing that the knocking didn''t cease, he asked.
"It''s me, Xing"
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel surprised. What was she doing here at this hour?
Other than the Eldest Senior Brother and Shi Tou, people from the tribe generally didn''te here quickly, and Xing had never visited before.
"Do you need something?"
Han Cheng asked after giving it some thought.
He had already crawled into bed and didn''t want to get up to open the door at this moment.
"Yes I do."
After Han Cheng''s reluctant response, Xing finally uttered the words Han Cheng least wanted to hear.
After telling Xing to wait momentarily, Han Cheng reluctantly put on some clothes.
After opening the door, he saw Xing standing there.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Xing seemed cleaner today than usual.
"What''s the matter?"
After letting Xing in, Han Cheng asked, leaving the door open.
Although he was in a primitive tribe and many customs were more openpared toter eras, Han Cheng was still a person with principles. Therefore, he needed to be cautious about details.
Of course, this also had something to do with Xing being stronger and more solidly built than him.
Han Cheng''s principles would have disappeared if it were a fair-skinned, beautiful woman with a charming face and figure. Not only would he have closed the door, but he would have
"Sleep."
Primitive people were indeed straightforward, without the coyness or thinly veiled intentions ofter women. Faced with Divine Child''s inquiry, Xing promptly stated her purpose foring.
Eldest Senior Brother: He''s feeling amorous.
"Shaman! I got it"
Eldest Senior Brother seemed somewhat excited.
His initial Shaman!'' was loud, but then he realized something and lowered his voice.
"What?"
Caught off guard by Eldest Senior Brother''s sudden outburst, Shaman, who was lost in thought, asked hastily after realizing what Eldest Senior Brother meant.
Eldest Senior Brother chuckled lowly and shared his thoughts with Shaman.
After listening, Shaman hesitated momentarily and said, "The Divine Child is not of age"
Eldest Senior Brother chuckled again. Who said one needed to be of age for this? He hadn''t been of age back then
Of course, he didn''t dare to tell Shaman about that.
"Divine Child, it''s different," Eldest Senior Brother shook his head vigorously.
"Divine Child understands everything"
Under Eldest Senior Brother''s persuasion, Shaman also became hesitant.
He agreed with Eldest Senior Brother''s words. Divine Child was the most intelligent person. Other than the possibility mentioned by Eldest Senior Brother, there didn''t seem to be any other exnation for Divine Child''s behavior. But something felt off.
Shaman hesitated, pondering over it silently.
"Shaman, look"
Seeing Shaman hesitant, Eldest Senior Brother sat down near the south wall and discreetly pointed.
"Divine Child has been staring at that spot for a long time without turning his head."
Eldest Senior Brother chuckled and added.
Shaman also noticed this. He didn''t speak immediately but stood quietly, tilting his head and staring.
Divine Child was still staring in their direction when he saw Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li leaving. Shaman finally agreed with Eldest Senior Brother''s exnation.
"They aren''t beautiful enough"
After confirming this, Shaman reflected on Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li''s appearances, feeling somewhat dissatisfied.
They genuinely wanted to offer Divine Child the best. Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li were far less attractive than the others, which disappointed Shaman.
Scratching his head, Eldest Senior Brother felt somewhat troubled. He suddenly considered offering his big-bottomed partner to Divine Child at that moment.
After sharing this idea with Shaman, Shaman thought about it for a while and rejected it.
His reason was that Divine Child had only been staring at Xing, not at Eldest Senior Brother''s big-bottomed partner
After discussing for a while, they finally made a decision.
Xing, not Xiao Mei or Xiao Li, would be sent to apany Divine Child to sleep.
The reason was simple: Xiao Mei and Xiao Li were less beautiful than Xing Cheng.
Although the matter was settled, Eldest Senior Brother still felt somewhat regretful. He believed that only the most beautiful woman could match Divine Child.
It wasn''t just him; everyone in the tribe thought the same.
Eldest Senior Brother silently vowed that if he had the chance, he would find the most beautiful woman to be Divine Child''s partner, even more beautiful Xing!
Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother were straightforward and had a primitive style. They wasted no time getting things done.
After confirming the matter, they immediately put it into action.
When Xing, ying outside with Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and others, was called back and informed of the matter, she was taken to the tribe''s cave to bathe.
There were threerge tubs, one reserved for Divine Child and the other formunal use.
In the past, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe didn''t bother with such formalities. They slept together when it was time to sleep.
The reason why Xing was sent to bathe was because Shaman knew that Divine Child liked cleanliness
It must be said that Shaman, this old primitive man, truly cared a lot for Han Cheng, considering everything very thoughtfully andprehensively.
Unaware of everything, Han Cheng continued to lean against the southern wall, pondering over his uing journey, oblivious to the events unfolding around him.
If he knew, he probably wouldn''t dare to daydream like this.
It would be feasible to start the journey next spring.
With the appearance of bows and arrows, as well as slings, thebat effectiveness of the Green Sparrow tribe was greatly enhanced, whether in defense or offense.
Taking advantage of this winter''s leisure time, everyone needed to practice more and be proficient with these two weapons.
Of course, the water route was chosen as the mode of travel. It was convenient,bor-saving, and much safer than traveling onnd.
Having apanied Eldest Senior Brother and others on a few outings, Han Cheng had witnessed the difficulties of traveling onnd, especially in ces where people rarely tread.
And due to the era, as far as Han Cheng knew, there were far too many ces where people rarely ventured
He pondered these matters, asionally fantasizing about the things he might encounter during the journey and the fate of the Green Sparrow tribe when they reached a civilized world. He was deeply engrossed in these thoughts.
After dinner, as usual, Han Cheng put down his bowl, left the cave, and headed toward his room.
Lost in his thoughts, he didnt notice Xing passing by him several times during dinner.
"Knock, knock, knock"
There was a knocking on the door.
"Who''s there?"
Han Cheng listened for a while in the room lit by an oilmp. Seeing that the knocking didn''t cease, he asked.
"It''s me, Xing"
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel surprised. What was she doing here at this hour?
Other than the Eldest Senior Brother and Shi Tou, people from the tribe generally didn''te here quickly, and Xing had never visited before.
"Do you need something?"
Han Cheng asked after giving it some thought.
He had already crawled into bed and didn''t want to get up to open the door at this moment.
"Yes I do."
After Han Cheng''s reluctant response, Xing finally uttered the words Han Cheng least wanted to hear.
After telling Xing to wait momentarily, Han Cheng reluctantly put on some clothes.
After opening the door, he saw Xing standing there.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Xing seemed cleaner today than usual.
"What''s the matter?"
After letting Xing in, Han Cheng asked, leaving the door open.
Although he was in a primitive tribe and many customs were more openpared toter eras, Han Cheng was still a person with principles. Therefore, he needed to be cautious about details.
Of course, this also had something to do with Xing being stronger and more solidly built than him.
Han Cheng''s principles would have disappeared if it were a fair-skinned, beautiful woman with a charming face and figure. Not only would he have closed the door, but he would have
"Sleep."
Primitive people were indeed straightforward, without the coyness or thinly veiled intentions ofter women. Faced with Divine Child''s inquiry, Xing promptly stated her purpose foring.
Chapter 246: The most beautiful woman is the only one worthy of the wise Divine Child
Chapter 246: The most beautiful woman is the only one worthy of the wise Divine Child
"Sleep sleep?!"
This utterly unexpected answer left Han Cheng dumbfounded, his mind momentarily nk.
Sleep?
Don''t you have a ce to sleep?
Whye to my room to say you want to sleep?
You can''t just use me out of nowhere
Han Cheng instinctively crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly needing to defend his modesty. "Sleep?" After internal turmoil, Han Cheng looked at Xing and asked aloud to confirm that he hadn''t misheard.
"Yeah, sleep." Xing nodded vigorously, her expression unchanged.
My goodness, can''t you be a bit more subtle?
Han Chengmented inwardly.
What''s going on? Why did Xing suddenlye to my room to talk about sleeping? Are primitive women so direct in pursuing men?
Looking at Xing, who was nearly an adult and a whole head taller than him, Han Cheng discreetly moved closer to the door, creating distance between himself and Xing.
Given their current physical strength and size, Han Cheng wouldn''t be able to resist if Xing were to try anything.
Han Cheng had to prepare for the worst in advance to safeguard his chastity. After all, women at this time were highly straightforward.
"Why did youe here to sleep?" Han Cheng asked again, ensuring he could escape if things turned wrong.
"Shaman and the chief said they wanted me toe sleep," Xing replied, finally showing a hint of shyness.
Shaman and Chief were ying matchmaker?
Han Cheng didn''t know how to express his feelings about this. These two guys suddenly thought of having someone warm his bed.
Even if they wanted to arrange something, they should have picked someone more slender. Having Xinge over Han Cheng couldn''t agree with their aesthetics.
Moreover, wasn''t it said that in the tribe, one had to wait until adulthood to? Howe now that he''s grown up, everything has changed?
"You should go back first. I don''t need to sleep with you" Han Cheng hesitated momentarily before gritting his teeth and saying the somewhat embarrassing words.
It was strange. In modern times, as a single man, he had often fantasized about various romantic encounters. Even when he had nightmares about female ghosts at night, realizing that the ghost was a woman would turn the nightmare into a wet dream. But now, encountering someone who actively sought him out, he acted reserved.
Was there a big difference between fantasy and reality, or was Xing not as attractive as the white-d female ghost from his dreams?
Of course, he couldn''t say that out loud; it would be somewhat hurtful
After hearing the shaman''s words, Xing looked somewhat surprised. Instead of leaving as instructed, she stood there watching Han Cheng without moving.
This alerted Han Cheng, as he suddenly remembered some unwritten rules circting within the tribe.
Not only men could choose a mate, but women also had the right to take the initiative.
In choosing a mate, if a woman fancied a man and the man didn''t agree, the woman could still challenge the man, just as the man could challenge the woman.
"If the woman wins, the man must marry her, but if the man wins, it''s another story."
In this situation, ording to the rules, it seems that Xing can take action against Han Cheng.
Just thinking about the scene of being pinned down by Xing, Han Cheng couldn''t help but break out in a cold sweat.
That image is too violent
He quietly moved towards the door again, fully prepared to rush out and shout if things went wrong.
Han Cheng imagined the worst-case scenario, but thankfully, Xing, although eager to be Han Cheng''s spouse, didn''t dare to do anything violent to him.
After standing there for a while, Xing left disappointed.
Seeing Xing leave, Han Cheng couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief, secretly happy for his chastity.
He then closed the door and headed towards the shaman''s dwelling.
This matter must be rified with this shameless primitive man, or else he''d be living in constant fear for his chastity, which wouldn''t be pleasant.
Upon entering the shaman''s room, Han Cheng didn''t see him on the heated bed. Turning around, he found the shaman standing near the wall not far from the doorway, looking somewhat unnatural as he gazed at Han Cheng.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. This guy, shameless as ever, even learned to eavesdrop on conversations.
He didn''t expect the Divine Child toe in suddenly. Unable to return to the heated bed in time, the shaman stood there looking awkwardly at Han Cheng for a while before forcing a smile.
"Shaman"
After a simple greeting, Han Cheng asked why the shaman had considered finding him a spouse. The shaman then recounted his and the Eldest Senior Brother''s n.
Feeling touched yet somewhat helpless, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniffle. Was he so desperate forpanionship?
He exined to the shaman that he wasn''t interested in finding a spouse and expressed his desire to explore the surrounding areas.
The shaman was surprised and puzzled by Han Cheng''s words. He couldn''t understand why, when everything was fine in the tribe, Han Cheng suddenly wanted to venture out into the world.
Of course, Han Cheng didn''t mention the idea of a ne suddenly flying over. Instead, he told the shaman that he wanted to search for things useful to the tribe but hadn''t been discovered yet.
Initially, the shaman opposed Han Cheng''s idea of going out because Han Cheng was still young and the outside world was too dangerous.
However, after hearing about the tribe''s importance of the wall, bows, and slingshots and understanding the significance of Han Cheng''s actions, the shaman finally agreed to let Han Cheng go but kept reminding him to be careful.
Then they called the Eldest Senior Brother, who hadn''t gone to sleep yet and discussed the matter with him.
Compared to the shaman''s cautiousness and reluctance to venture out, the Eldest Senior Brother appeared more ambitious and quickly agreed to Han Cheng''s proposal.
This might be because the shaman was older and more conservative, while the Eldest Senior Brother was younger and more adventurous.
After the matter of exploring next year was settled, the Eldest Senior Brother asked Han Cheng for his opinion on finding a spouse. Upon learning that Han Cheng wasn''t interested in Xing, Xiaomei, or Xiaoli, the Eldest Senior Brother nodded in approval, agreeing that these three weren''t suitable for the divine and wise Han Cheng.
Seeing that the two of them didn''t press him further about finding a spouse, Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
But what the Eldest Senior Brother said next almost knocked Han Cheng off his feet.
After nodding in understanding, the Eldest Senior Brother immediately thumped his chest and made a promise to Han Cheng.
He said that when the time came, he would find a gorgeous woman to be the spouse of the great, wise, and irreceable Divine Child
Han Cheng almost choked on his breath, coughing repeatedly while waving his hands.
Could he even stand a chance with the women the Eldest Senior Brother would choose based on his aesthetics?
With just one nce, his kidneys would fail!
Chapter 247: Canoe, arrows of various kinds, and Old Li from the Independent Battalion.
Chapter 247: Canoe, arrows of various kinds, and Old Li from the Independent Battalion.
With the expedition nned for next year, Han Cheng''s anticipation gradually eased, but some anxiety still lingered.
The next step was to prepare for this journey in advance.
The most important thing was constructing boats capable of navigating the river.
Of course, these boats were not Noah''s Ark; Han Cheng couldn''t build suchrge ships.
Regarding boat-making, Han Cheng''s idea was to burn somerge tree trunks, which were too big for several people to embrace, lying around the vicinity of the Green Sparrow Tribe and then chisel a shallow groove on top with stones.
Then, by burning holes, the trunk''s interior would be hollowed out to create a suitable canoe for sailing.
However, after actually doing this, it was found that this operation was not easy.
Leaving aside other difficulties, burning such thick tree trunks was challenging.
It took more than half a month to try this once.
However, considering that rafts were prone to leakage and not conducive to long-term stay on them, and now it was winter, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t have much else to do besides practicing archery and slingshots every day. Spending a little more time didn''t matter.
It''s worth mentioning that after this seemingly neglectful practice for some time, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe gradually became familiar with archery and slingshot use.
Their uracy had improved a lotpared to when they first started.
After Third Senior Brother initiated the groundbreaking move of installing sharpened bones on arrowheads, the feather arrows that the Green Sparrow Tribe now possessed were quite different from before.
They could be described as diverse.
Some were made with bone arrowheads, some with stone arrowheads, some with suitable wild animal teeth as arrowheads, and even one or two had the sudden idea of ??wanting to have Hei Wa burn a batch of pottery arrowheads¡
Regardless of the type of arrowhead used, they were much more potent than the wooden arrowheads polished from branches.
For archery, this was a significant leap forward.
Significant progress was also made in terms of slingshots. Although the uracy was not as good as with bows and arrows, at a distance of thirty to forty meters, quite a few people could still hit two or three out of ten shots.
For Second Senior Brother, who was already proficient in slingshots, hitting seven or eight times at this distance was normal.
Given this, Han Cheng began organizing the teams after discussing with Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother.
The specific scene was as follows.
Lazy sunlight scattered from the sky, and snow was white in the distance. In the courtyard of the Green Sparrow Tribe, piles of snow were estimated not topletely melt until spring.
Some of the Green Sparrow Tribe members were basking in the sun doing some misceneous chores at the base of the wall, while more were practicing using both bows and slingshots at the archery and slingshot ranges.
Under such circumstances, prompted by Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, Divine Child, who had ultimatelye back to his senses after being stimted by the prospect of being paired with a spouse, directed people to carry out therge pot used for cooking from the cave and ce it in the space in the courtyard.
In addition to therge pot being used, wooden racks were used for cing food ingredients, a not-toorge pot was used for cooking, and a rarely used t-bottomed pottery pot was also present.
With the hustle and bustle of Fire One, Fire Two, Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li, the wooden rack for cing food ingredients had already been filled with quite a lot of food, with therge piece of pork that had been cooked and salt-pickled being the most eye-catching.
Of course, after that small jar of yellowish stuff appeared, the grade of the pork immediately plummeted.
The Green Sparrow Tribe members who witnessed this scene were shocked. What day was it today? The Divine Child brought out the precious millet.
And it seemed that he was going to cook it himself!
Han Cheng instructed Xing to use a stone knife to cut the cooked wild boar meat into slices as best as possible forter use.
This point needs to be specially mentioned: the straightforward nature of primitive people was indeed excellent at this time. At least, after Han Cheng explicitly expressed that Xing should not sleep, Xing did not make much trouble. Apart from asionally ncing at Han Cheng, she did not harbor any grudges and remained the same.
At first, Han Cheng felt somewhat guilty about this and didn''t know how to face Xing, who was always around. After discovering this situation, his somewhat unnatural feeling slowly subsided.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, realizing that even after staying here for so long, he still involuntarily viewed things from the perspective of modern times. This matter would indeed be embarrassing from a modern perspective, but in this highly straightforward tribe, it was not a big deal.
Agreeing to be a spouse meant sleeping with you; disagreeing meant fighting and sleeping with you.
Of course, as a Divine Child, Han Cheng still had certain privileges. If he hadn''t demonstrated various miraculous abilities to be a significant figure in the Green Sparrow Tribe and was just a small, ordinary primitive person, Han Cheng didn''t dare to imagine such a pleasant scenario.
Under Han Cheng''s arrangement, Xiao Mei and Xiao Li went out to the vegetable field with baskets to pick rapeseed.
When they left, Han Cheng specifically instructed them only to pick ordinary rapeseed and not to touch the two patches of rapeseed deliberately separated.
This time, they didn''t need to pick too much rapeseed; two not-toorge baskets filled with it would be enough.
There wasn''t much cooking for today''s meal.
After arranging these matters, Han Cheng added an appropriate amount of water to the cleaned millet and ced it on the fire, instructing Fire One to use a low me to cook it slowly and asionally lift the lid and stir to prevent burning. Then, he walked towards the eagerly curious crowd.
Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother had already gone over there and summoned all the adults of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The people didn''t know what this grand asion meant today, and each of them was very curious.
Han Cheng arrived in front of the gathering crowd and raised his voice. "Over there, I''m steaming millet rice. Later, I will personally stir-fry some vegetables. Do you want to eat this kind of food?"
Because millet rice is scarce, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe have only eaten it once so far, so it seems even more precious.
Many people had forgotten the exact taste of millet rice, but their vivid memories of its deliciousness became clearer.
The consensus in the Green Sparrow Tribe was that if the Divine Child made it, it must be exquisite.
Upon hearing that the Divine Child would steam millet rice and cook it himself and then stir-fry some vegetables, many people couldn''t help but swallow their saliva.
"Want!"
These people, who were usually messy and unorganized actually answered in unison, this time without deliberate arrangement.
Recalling the appearance of Captain Li Da Tuan, Han Cheng also waved his hand and chuckled, "Want to eat? No way!"
"There''s only that half-jar of millet rice. With so many of us, who will get to eat it?"
The excited members of the Green Sparrow Tribe were puzzled by Han Cheng''s sudden question and looked at each other for a while. Yes, there was only that much millet rice. Who would get to eat it?
Han Cheng thought to himself that Captain Li''s method was indeed suitable, but these primitive peoplecked the cleverness of the Independent Regiment members, and no one chimed in with questions.
He waited a while, thinking like this, then raised his voice again. "This time''s millet rice and stir-fried vegetables are only for those who shoot arrows urately and throw slingshots urately to eat!"
Chapter 248: Simple division of arms
Chapter 248: Simple division of arms
In the future, Han Cheng didn''t watch many TV series, not because he didn''t like watching them but because many were unwatchable for him.
However, "Bright Sword" was an exception.
He watched Li Youbin''s version of "Bright Sword" at least four times, and he vividly remembered many of the plotlines.
For example, "Half a Jin of Sweet Potatoes Stew," "Zhu Zi, you damn messed up," "Cavalry Company, Charge!" "Li Yunlong, fire the cannon!" "There is a victory parade," and so on. As long as he recalled them even a little, they could reappear in his mind.
As a senior fan of "Bright Sword," when preparing to select people from the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng immediately thought of Old Li''s method of killing pigs.
Of course, if possible, he would have loved to shout, "Second Company Commander, where the hell is your Italian cannon?"
As Han Cheng recalled Colonel Li''s grandeur, he addressed the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe: "Archery, at a distance of forty meters, hit five arrows out of ten, then eat; slingshot, at a distance of forty meters, hit three times out of ten, then eat!"
After Han Cheng finished his requirements, the Second Senior Brother and the Third Senior Brother''s eyes immediately lit up.
For them, these requirements were too easy.
With a shout to Han Cheng, the two took their belongings and left.
Third Senior Brother came to the designated forty-meter spot, took out a feathered arrow from the bark-made quiver hanging from his waist, pulled the bow, and without much aiming, released his hand.
With a "thud," the arrow pierced through the straw target and stuck to the wooden stake behind it.
"Dudududu"
The third Senior Brother shot the bow consecutively, and nine out of ten arrows actually hit the straw target.
The surrounding crowd couldn''t help but cheer.
Having never seen a hundred-step shot, Han Cheng was already extremely satisfied with Third Senior Brother''s archery skills.
"Watch me!"
Inspired by the Third Senior Brother''s archery skills, the Second Senior Brother shouted, carrying his slingshot toward the slingshot practice area.
Standing forty meters away, he took a stone from his bag, swung his arm in a circle, and released the stone bullet from the bag. After a bit of white smoke rose at the target, a "ng" sound followed.
Out of ten stone bullets, seven hit the target!
Cheers erupted again from the crowd.
With the Third Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother''s sessful demonstrations and the incentive of millet dry rice, the enthusiasm of the remaining people was wholly aroused.
Archery and slingshot practice became extremely enjoyable.
Some who didn''t practice were now regretting it.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng instructed Shaman and the Second Senior Brother to monitor each side while he went to cook.
The water in the big pot was already boiling, and it was perfect to neutralize it with cold water for washing vegetables and pots.
Xing had already cut the meat, which was much easier to cut when cooked.
The twin sisters, Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, also returned with two rapeseed baskets; without Han Cheng''s orders, they began to pick them automatically.
Seeing that the ingredients were almost ready, Han Cheng began his performance.
He heated the frying pan over the fire, scooped up some solid fat and put it in the pan, added some chopped scallions to fry until fragrant, then added the meat slices, rapeseed
Han Cheng skillfully cooked these dishes, and the fragrance of the food had already spread far and wide, teasing people''s noses.
Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and others who had already been determined to be able to eat stood not far away, watching Han Cheng do all this, their throats rolling up and down incessantly.
Those who did not meet the requirements for archery or slingshot could only swallow their saliva when they smelled the fragrance.
At the same time, they felt envy and regret and made a firm determination to practice these two weapons well in the future.
When people''s living conditions and requirements are not high, it only takes a small cost to mobilize their enthusiasm.
Just like the Green Sparrow Tribe at this moment, half a pot of millet dry rice and arge bowl of stir-fried meat with vegetables were enough to fill everyone with vigor.
After selection, there were a total of eight people who met the requirements for archery, including the Third Senior Brother.
Controlling slingshots was not easy, and the uracy was lower. Even though Han Cheng had lowered the requirements and included the Second Senior Brother, only six people were in total.
Among them, Eldest Senior Brother was rtively urate in archery, while Shang was rtively urate in slingshot. Both of them met the requirements.
After Han Cheng''s proposal and discussion with the Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, such an arrangement was made for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Eldest Senior Brother and Shang were each removed from the archery and slingshot groups, and another person who was good at archery or slingshot was found to fill their vacancies.
These fourteen people were divided into two teams, one specializing in archery and the other specializing in slingshots.
The leaders were the Third Senior Brother and the Second Senior Brother.
As for Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, Han Cheng had another arrangement.
Within the tribe, relying on long-range attack methods for defense with the help of the walls was not a big problem. However, leaving the walls to attack was not enough.
Once the enemy rushed over amidst the rain of arrows and stones, these people who were only good at long-range attacks would no longer have an advantage.
So, Han Cheng prepared to develop another type of troop to avoid this situation.
Vine Shield soldiers and Spearman.
These people were made up of those who were not good at archery or slingshots.
Considering Eldest Senior Brother''s calm personality and Shang''s somewhat extremist character towards enemies due to his past experiences, Eldest Senior Brother led the defense team of Vine Shield soldiers, while Shang led the Spearman team.
These attack and defense teams had eight members, including the team leader.
There is a saying that "an inch longer is an inch stronger, an inch shorter is an inch riskier" in closebat, and the power of the Spearman formation has been verified in history.
So, when Han Cheng envisioned and arranged the armament of the Green Sparrow Tribe, he decisively introduced the simple and practical Spearman.
When the time came, if they encountered a battle with other tribes in the wilderness, the Vine Shield soldiers would be in front, the Spearman behind, and the archery and slingshot teams on the nks and rear.
Before the enemy arrived, they would eliminate a wave with arrows and slingshots. If the enemy managed to get close, they would be stopped by the Vine Shield soldiers, while the Spearman would already have thrust
Such abination undoubtedly had tremendous lethality against people who relied solely on running on two legs without mounts.
However, when arranging these affairs, a few people were exceptions and did not need to participate.
These people were Lame, Hei Wa, Liang, and Tie Tou.
They all had unique skills and talents that Han Cheng had worked hard to cultivate, which was extremely important for the tribe.
Such talents were precisely what the Green Sparrow Tribecked. Each of them leaving would be an incalcble loss for the Green Sparrow Tribe, so Han Cheng naturally would not let them engage in such dangerous activities.
They were all quite reluctant about this and thought it disyed cowardice.
After Han Cheng exined the reasons to them in detail, emphasized the importance of logistical production, and mentioned that they must participate in the tribe''s defense inbat, they quieted down.
Of course, the selected individuals were not idle every day, only responsible for training. Considering the current situation of the Green Sparrow Tribe, it could not afford such specialized armed forces.
After all, these thirty people already ounted for more than half of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s adultbor force.
In the future, Han Cheng didn''t watch many TV series, not because he didn''t like watching them but because many were unwatchable for him.
However, "Bright Sword" was an exception.
He watched Li Youbin''s version of "Bright Sword" at least four times, and he vividly remembered many of the plotlines.
For example, "Half a Jin of Sweet Potatoes Stew," "Zhu Zi, you damn messed up," "Cavalry Company, Charge!" "Li Yunlong, fire the cannon!" "There is a victory parade," and so on. As long as he recalled them even a little, they could reappear in his mind.
As a senior fan of "Bright Sword," when preparing to select people from the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng immediately thought of Old Li''s method of killing pigs.
Of course, if possible, he would have loved to shout, "Second Company Commander, where the hell is your Italian cannon?"
As Han Cheng recalled Colonel Li''s grandeur, he addressed the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe: "Archery, at a distance of forty meters, hit five arrows out of ten, then eat; slingshot, at a distance of forty meters, hit three times out of ten, then eat!"
After Han Cheng finished his requirements, the Second Senior Brother and the Third Senior Brother''s eyes immediately lit up.
For them, these requirements were too easy.
With a shout to Han Cheng, the two took their belongings and left.
Third Senior Brother came to the designated forty-meter spot, took out a feathered arrow from the bark-made quiver hanging from his waist, pulled the bow, and without much aiming, released his hand.
With a "thud," the arrow pierced through the straw target and stuck to the wooden stake behind it.
"Dudududu"
The third Senior Brother shot the bow consecutively, and nine out of ten arrows actually hit the straw target.
The surrounding crowd couldn''t help but cheer.
Having never seen a hundred-step shot, Han Cheng was already extremely satisfied with Third Senior Brother''s archery skills.
"Watch me!"
Inspired by the Third Senior Brother''s archery skills, the Second Senior Brother shouted, carrying his slingshot toward the slingshot practice area.
Standing forty meters away, he took a stone from his bag, swung his arm in a circle, and released the stone bullet from the bag. After a bit of white smoke rose at the target, a "ng" sound followed.
Out of ten stone bullets, seven hit the target!
Cheers erupted again from the crowd.
With the Third Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother''s sessful demonstrations and the incentive of millet dry rice, the enthusiasm of the remaining people was wholly aroused.
Archery and slingshot practice became extremely enjoyable.
Some who didn''t practice were now regretting it.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng instructed Shaman and the Second Senior Brother to monitor each side while he went to cook.
The water in the big pot was already boiling, and it was perfect to neutralize it with cold water for washing vegetables and pots.
Xing had already cut the meat, which was much easier to cut when cooked.
The twin sisters, Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, also returned with two rapeseed baskets; without Han Cheng''s orders, they began to pick them automatically.ViiSiit n??velb??/n(.)c/(??)m for l??test ????vels
Seeing that the ingredients were almost ready, Han Cheng began his performance.
He heated the frying pan over the fire, scooped up some solid fat and put it in the pan, added some chopped scallions to fry until fragrant, then added the meat slices, rapeseed
Han Cheng skillfully cooked these dishes, and the fragrance of the food had already spread far and wide, teasing people''s noses.
Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and others who had already been determined to be able to eat stood not far away, watching Han Cheng do all this, their throats rolling up and down incessantly.
Those who did not meet the requirements for archery or slingshot could only swallow their saliva when they smelled the fragrance.
At the same time, they felt envy and regret and made a firm determination to practice these two weapons well in the future.
When people''s living conditions and requirements are not high, it only takes a small cost to mobilize their enthusiasm.
Just like the Green Sparrow Tribe at this moment, half a pot of millet dry rice and arge bowl of stir-fried meat with vegetables were enough to fill everyone with vigor.
After selection, there were a total of eight people who met the requirements for archery, including the Third Senior Brother.
Controlling slingshots was not easy, and the uracy was lower. Even though Han Cheng had lowered the requirements and included the Second Senior Brother, only six people were in total.
Among them, Eldest Senior Brother was rtively urate in archery, while Shang was rtively urate in slingshot. Both of them met the requirements.
After Han Cheng''s proposal and discussion with the Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, such an arrangement was made for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Eldest Senior Brother and Shang were each removed from the archery and slingshot groups, and another person who was good at archery or slingshot was found to fill their vacancies.
These fourteen people were divided into two teams, one specializing in archery and the other specializing in slingshots.
The leaders were the Third Senior Brother and the Second Senior Brother.
As for Eldest Senior Brother and Shang, Han Cheng had another arrangement.
Within the tribe, relying on long-range attack methods for defense with the help of the walls was not a big problem. However, leaving the walls to attack was not enough.
Once the enemy rushed over amidst the rain of arrows and stones, these people who were only good at long-range attacks would no longer have an advantage.
So, Han Cheng prepared to develop another type of troop to avoid this situation.
Vine Shield soldiers and Spearman.
These people were made up of those who were not good at archery or slingshots.
Considering Eldest Senior Brother''s calm personality and Shang''s somewhat extremist character towards enemies due to his past experiences, Eldest Senior Brother led the defense team of Vine Shield soldiers, while Shang led the Spearman team.
These attack and defense teams had eight members, including the team leader.
There is a saying that "an inch longer is an inch stronger, an inch shorter is an inch riskier" in closebat, and the power of the Spearman formation has been verified in history.
So, when Han Cheng envisioned and arranged the armament of the Green Sparrow Tribe, he decisively introduced the simple and practical Spearman.
When the time came, if they encountered a battle with other tribes in the wilderness, the Vine Shield soldiers would be in front, the Spearman behind, and the archery and slingshot teams on the nks and rear.
Before the enemy arrived, they would eliminate a wave with arrows and slingshots. If the enemy managed to get close, they would be stopped by the Vine Shield soldiers, while the Spearman would already have thrust
Such abination undoubtedly had tremendous lethality against people who relied solely on running on two legs without mounts.
However, when arranging these affairs, a few people were exceptions and did not need to participate.
These people were Lame, Hei Wa, Liang, and Tie Tou.
They all had unique skills and talents that Han Cheng had worked hard to cultivate, which was extremely important for the tribe.
Such talents were precisely what the Green Sparrow Tribecked. Each of them leaving would be an incalcble loss for the Green Sparrow Tribe, so Han Cheng naturally would not let them engage in such dangerous activities.
They were all quite reluctant about this and thought it disyed cowardice.
After Han Cheng exined the reasons to them in detail, emphasized the importance of logistical production, and mentioned that they must participate in the tribe''s defense inbat, they quieted down.
Of course, the selected individuals were not idle every day, only responsible for training. Considering the current situation of the Green Sparrow Tribe, it could not afford such specialized armed forces.
After all, these thirty people already ounted for more than half of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s adultbor force.
Chapter 249: The military power must be held in ones own hands.
Chapter 249: The military power must be held in one''s own hands.
The armed forces initially organized by Han Cheng resembled more of a militia than the militia during the Tang Dynasty. They were busy with farming but trained forbat during their leisure time.
Of course, there is still a significant differencepared to militias or garrisons, at least in the current situation of the Green Sparrow Tribe, where agriculture hasn''t fully developed yet, and farming doesn''t upy too much time.
ording to Han Cheng''s n, these selected individuals are to collectively train one day every three days, with adjustments made if necessary due to other matters.
Han Cheng''s enthusiastic development of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s armed forces also has his considerations.
Being backward invites aggression. Without establishing national defense, it''s impossible to focus on development peacefully. As someone from the future who, like most people, has a profound impression of that historical period, he naturally understands such principles.
It''s precisely because he deeply understands the importance of his brutal power that immediately after his arrival, he established authority and promptly led the Green Sparrow Tribe to build walls.
Under his intentional maniption, the prosperity of the Green Sparrow Tribe has left a deep impression on surrounding tribes. Although primitive people are generally simple and unlikely to do anything outrageous, human nature is unpredictable. Who knows when a tribe might suddenly act irrationally?
Moreover, he ns to lead a group on a journey to validate his ideas next year. The strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe will be dispersed and weakened. To prevent the tribe from being upied by other tribes after returning from the journey, further developing and strengthening the armed forces of the Green Sparrow Tribe bes necessary.
It''s not for aggression against others, but only for self-preservation.
Of course, this also has to do with the small poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Swallowing too many people rashly could lead to indigestion and various adverse reactions.
After roughly dividing the Green Sparrow Tribe''s strength into four different types of squads, the unifiedmand of these forces bes particrly important.
Han Cheng has always believed in the wisdom of the saying, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." Upon careful reflection, throughout recorded history, which political power transition did not involve the presence of guns?
Even in rtively peaceful and low-bloodshed events like Chen Qiao Yi''s mutiny during Zhao Laoda''s time, the reliance was still on the strength of arms.
Of course, factors such as public sentiment and economic strength also y a role, but it cannot be denied that the gun barrel ys a more direct and decisive role.
The easiest time to grasp the gun barrel is during the initial poverty-stricken stage. Missing this opportunity would lead to resistance from vested interests, requiring much more effort and cost to seize itter.
In fact, things beplicated not just in the gun barrel but in all other aspects as well, as long as interests are involved.
With Han Cheng''s vision and insight far surpassing those of the Green Sparrow Tribe, he naturally won''t shy away from taking the lead at this critical juncture.
The newly established armed forces of the Green Sparrow Tribe are under his management and deployment.
Over the past year or two, Han Cheng has unconsciously established extremely high prestige among the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Additionally, since he proposed the method of dividing into different branches, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe don''t see it as a big deal. The vast majority of them consider it to be only natural.
Of course, when dealing with specific matters such as training, Han Cheng still consults with the Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, as usual.
Today marks the first training session after the division of branches within the Green Sparrow Tribe, and everyone is eager and excited about it.
Some with exceptional skills have even shown signs of eagerness to try.
During the uing training, they want to perform well in front of everyone, including the Divine Child, Shaman, and the Chief.
The desire to perform is instinctual for humans. No one is genuinely ustomed to quietly standing by as a bystander.
Some people may appear uninterested, but their desire to perform has been suppressed by other factors, such as poor skills,ck of confidence, or being easily intimidated.
However, those eagerly anticipating today''s training are bound to be disappointed because Han Cheng, unlikest time during the selection process, did not ask them to demonstrate their skills with slingshots, bows, or arrows.
Instead, he did somethingpletely unexpected and iprehensible to them he made them line up.
Yes, line up.
Han Cheng divided the thirty people into four teams, each wielding different weapons and belonging to different branches. Afterparing and exchanging positions for a while, they were reluctantly arranged in order of height.DiiSc?ver ????w stori??s on no/??/e()/lbin(.
When everyone thought this was the end of the matter and they could proceed with training in archery, slingshot usage, spear thrusting, and shield dancing, they were caught off guard again by the Divine Child''s unexpectedmand.
"Have you all remembered your positions?"
Han Cheng looked at the four columns of people lined up before him and asked.
They looked at each other and replied, "Yes, we remember."
Han Cheng nodded, then continued, "Wait a moment. When I say disperse,'' you scatter. When I say assemble,'' you return to your current positions. You must do it quickly, within the time it takes me to count to thirty."
He repeated this a few times slowly to ensure that everyone understood his instructions.
The people were puzzled, not understanding the purpose of the Divine Childs actions.
Remember their positions and returnter? Isn''t this a simple task that doesn''t require deliberate training?
It could quickly bepleted in ten counts, yet the Divine Child is giving them thirty counts
They thought the usually wise Divine Child seemed to be overdoing it this time.
"Disperse!"
The people didn''t seem to care much, so Han Cheng didn''t say much either. He just waited momentarily, then raised his voice to give themand they had already understood.
Upon receiving the order, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe dispersed as instructed. Some casually removed the bows from their backs, some waved their shields, and others stabbed forward with their spears a few times, all rather casually.
They didn''t pay much attention to the Divine Child''s instruction to assembleter.
It''s not that they disrespect the Divine Child, but rather that what the Divine Child asked for was too simple, and there was no need to take it too seriously.
Just standing in line for a moment and for thirty counts at that
"Assemble!"
Han Cheng observed the situation, secretly smiling, and then shouted themand.
The armed forces initially organized by Han Cheng resembled more of a militia than the militia during the Tang Dynasty. They were busy with farming but trained forbat during their leisure time.
Of course, there is still a significant differencepared to militias or garrisons, at least in the current situation of the Green Sparrow Tribe, where agriculture hasn''t fully developed yet, and farming doesn''t upy too much time.
ording to Han Cheng''s n, these selected individuals are to collectively train one day every three days, with adjustments made if necessary due to other matters.
Han Cheng''s enthusiastic development of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s armed forces also has his considerations.
Being backward invites aggression. Without establishing national defense, it''s impossible to focus on development peacefully. As someone from the future who, like most people, has a profound impression of that historical period, he naturally understands such principles.
It''s precisely because he deeply understands the importance of his brutal power that immediately after his arrival, he established authority and promptly led the Green Sparrow Tribe to build walls.
Under his intentional maniption, the prosperity of the Green Sparrow Tribe has left a deep impression on surrounding tribes. Although primitive people are generally simple and unlikely to do anything outrageous, human nature is unpredictable. Who knows when a tribe might suddenly act irrationally?
Moreover, he ns to lead a group on a journey to validate his ideas next year. The strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe will be dispersed and weakened. To prevent the tribe from being upied by other tribes after returning from the journey, further developing and strengthening the armed forces of the Green Sparrow Tribe bes necessary.
It''s not for aggression against others, but only for self-preservation.
Of course, this also has to do with the small poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Swallowing too many people rashly could lead to indigestion and various adverse reactions.
After roughly dividing the Green Sparrow Tribe''s strength into four different types of squads, the unifiedmand of these forces bes particrly important.
Han Cheng has always believed in the wisdom of the saying, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." Upon careful reflection, throughout recorded history, which political power transition did not involve the presence of guns?
Even in rtively peaceful and low-bloodshed events like Chen Qiao Yi''s mutiny during Zhao Laoda''s time, the reliance was still on the strength of arms.
Of course, factors such as public sentiment and economic strength also y a role, but it cannot be denied that the gun barrel ys a more direct and decisive role.
The easiest time to grasp the gun barrel is during the initial poverty-stricken stage. Missing this opportunity would lead to resistance from vested interests, requiring much more effort and cost to seize itter.
In fact, things beplicated not just in the gun barrel but in all other aspects as well, as long as interests are involved.
With Han Cheng''s vision and insight far surpassing those of the Green Sparrow Tribe, he naturally won''t shy away from taking the lead at this critical juncture.
The newly established armed forces of the Green Sparrow Tribe are under his management and deployment.
Over the past year or two, Han Cheng has unconsciously established extremely high prestige among the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Additionally, since he proposed the method of dividing into different branches, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe don''t see it as a big deal. The vast majority of them consider it to be only natural.
Of course, when dealing with specific matters such as training, Han Cheng still consults with the Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, as usual.
Today marks the first training session after the division of branches within the Green Sparrow Tribe, and everyone is eager and excited about it.
Some with exceptional skills have even shown signs of eagerness to try.
During the uing training, they want to perform well in front of everyone, including the Divine Child, Shaman, and the Chief.
The desire to perform is instinctual for humans. No one is genuinely ustomed to quietly standing by as a bystander.
Some people may appear uninterested, but their desire to perform has been suppressed by other factors, such as poor skills,ck of confidence, or being easily intimidated.
However, those eagerly anticipating today''s training are bound to be disappointed because Han Cheng, unlikest time during the selection process, did not ask them to demonstrate their skills with slingshots, bows, or arrows.
Instead, he did somethingpletely unexpected and iprehensible to them he made them line up.
Yes, line up.
Han Cheng divided the thirty people into four teams, each wielding different weapons and belonging to different branches. Afterparing and exchanging positions for a while, they were reluctantly arranged in order of height.
When everyone thought this was the end of the matter and they could proceed with training in archery, slingshot usage, spear thrusting, and shield dancing, they were caught off guard again by the Divine Child''s unexpectedmand.
"Have you all remembered your positions?"
Han Cheng looked at the four columns of people lined up before him and asked.
They looked at each other and replied, "Yes, we remember."
Han Cheng nodded, then continued, "Wait a moment. When I say disperse,'' you scatter. When I say assemble,'' you return to your current positions. You must do it quickly, within the time it takes me to count to thirty."
He repeated this a few times slowly to ensure that everyone understood his instructions.
The people were puzzled, not understanding the purpose of the Divine Childs actions.
Remember their positions and returnter? Isn''t this a simple task that doesn''t require deliberate training?
It could quickly bepleted in ten counts, yet the Divine Child is giving them thirty counts
They thought the usually wise Divine Child seemed to be overdoing it this time.
"Disperse!"
The people didn''t seem to care much, so Han Cheng didn''t say much either. He just waited momentarily, then raised his voice to give themand they had already understood.
Upon receiving the order, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe dispersed as instructed. Some casually removed the bows from their backs, some waved their shields, and others stabbed forward with their spears a few times, all rather casually.
They didn''t pay much attention to the Divine Child''s instruction to assembleter.
It''s not that they disrespect the Divine Child, but rather that what the Divine Child asked for was too simple, and there was no need to take it too seriously.
Just standing in line for a moment and for thirty counts at that
"Assemble!"
Han Cheng observed the situation, secretly smiling, and then shouted themand.
Chapter 250: It’s Difficult to lineup
Chapter 250: It¡¯s Difficult to lineup
After Han Cheng shouted, "assemble," the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe immediately began to act, preparing to line up the team quickly to show the Shaman their abilities.
However
Contrary to expectations, what should have been a straightforward lineup became extremely difficult at this moment.
"Zhuang, you''re here"
"Qi Qiu, don''t run around"
With Han Cheng''s call to assemble came chaos and noise.
Confident individuals became bewildered and lost at this moment. Some had already taken positions, while others were still spinning in circles. The most exaggerated was Mu Tou, a person holding a spear who had somehow ended up in the shield team.
"Mu Tou, you''re over here," someone shouted at him.
Mu Tou,pletely confused, hadn''t even settled into his position when someone said he was in the wrong ce and should be in the back.
Mu Tou moved back.
But just as he got there, before he could stabilize himself, someone said his ce was in the front, so Mu Tou, holding his spear, returned to the front again.
"Your ce is in the back"
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Han Cheng, standing in front, slowly counted.
"Twenty-nine."
"Thirty."
Thirty counts had passed, but the simple four-column formation still hadn''t formed properly. Some were still spinning in circles, unable to find their positions.
Han Cheng didn''t stop them from doing so. Instead, he continued to count calmly, counting to one hundred and neen before the four columns finally formed, albeit crookedly.
Yet, many people were still in the wrong positions.
Seeing the Divine Child''s amused yet stern gaze, those who had previously thought it was no big deal felt ashamed and hung their heads.
Some quietlyined that they couldn''t find their positions.
"Do you still think this is a simple task?" Han Cheng''s tone grew serious.
No one said a word.
Han Cheng didn''t say much more. Instead, he corrected the positions of those in the wrong ce and reminded them to remember who was in front and behind them before announcing the dismissal.
Before announcing the dismissal, Han Cheng said to everyone, "This time, you still have thirty counts. The entire team will be punished if any team fails to line up properly within these thirty counts."
As for what the punishment would be, Han Cheng didn''t say.
With the previous experience, everyone dared not take it lightly this time, and each one sharpened their focus.
Some prone to losing their positions used some clever tricks, such as Mu Tou, who had been spinning around with his spear, standing still in his original position.
"Assemble!"
Han Cheng shouted again.
Although they had the experience from thest time, more than half of the people still didn''t think lining up was difficult.
They believed that they hadn''t lined up properlyst time because they hadn''t tried hard enough, and as long as they put in the effort this time, there wouldn''t be any problems.
However, lining up wasn''t solely an individual''s task; it involved the entire collective, and many times, it wasn''t just a matter of whether you wanted to do it well or not.
As Han Cheng shouted "assemble" again, although everyone was spirited and put in effort, chaos was still inevitable.
By the time Han Cheng counted to thirty, it was only then that the Third Senior Brother''s archery team and the Eldest Senior Brother''s shield team managed to stand properly.
However, the teams led by Second Senior Brother and Shang continued to be chaotic.
The main cause of chaos in Second Senior Brother''s slingshot team was that their leader kept losing his position.
As for the spear team led by Shang, the biggest problem was with Mu Tou.
When Han Cheng counted to sixty-seven, the Second Senior Brother finally found his position, but the spear team was still in chaos.
Mu Tou stood there stiff-necked, holding his spear, while Shang and others said he was in the wrong ce.
Learning from thest time when he was told to run around but still couldn''t find the correct position, Mu Tou had firmly decided this time to stay put, no matter what anyone said. He remembered very clearly that from the Divine Child''s announcement of dismissal to the call to assemble, he hadn''t moved from this spot. This time, he wouldn''t be wrong, no matter what.
When Han Cheng reached one hundred and twenty, he stopped and looked somewhat sternly at the still chaotic spear team.
As the shouting people felt the Divine Child''s gaze and the change in atmosphere, they gradually quieted down.
Mu Tou, standing stiff-necked, straightened his neck.
Seeing Mu Tou standing there like a donkey among a flock of sheep, clearly out of sync with the others, Han Cheng asked him why he refused to move.
Facing the Divine Child''s question, Mu Tou said with some grievance, "I''ve been standing here without moving"
Following Mu Tou''s thought, Han Cheng realized it was unfair. Afraid of making a mistake, Mu Tou hadn''t dared to move, but he still got it wrong in the end.
It seemed like there needed to be an opportunity to exin to Mu Tou the rtionship between absolute motion and rtive stillness. If he didn''t grasp Ma Lao''s theory well, not only would his intellectual level not improve, but he wouldn''t even be able to line up correctly
Han Cheng found this quite amusing in his mind.
"You haven''t changed, but they have. You also need to change with them Don''t remember where you originally stood; remember the people in front and behind you" After correcting Mu Tou''s position again, Han Cheng said to him.
Mu Tou wouldn''t listen to others but obeyed the Divine Child''smands.
"The slingshot team and the spear team have notpleted the task. You will now receive your punishment. Each member of the slingshot team will do ten push-ups, and within one hundred and twenty counts, the spear team has failed to line up properly and must do twenty." Returning to the front of the line, Han Cheng said sternly.
Everyone looked at each other, obviously not understanding what the Divine Child meant by push-ups.
Han Cheng demonstrated.
This peculiar movement, which the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had seen the Divine Child do before but didn''t know what it was called, suddenly dawned on them. It turned out this strange movement was called push-ups.
Han Cheng had always kept up with physical exercise in his room, so doing a dozen push-ups didn''t make him look tired, although his hands were cold from pressing against the frozen ground.
The Divine Child was still a child, not particrly strong. This was a consensus in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Seeing the Divine Child do a dozen push-ups without blushing or panting, looking quite rxed, the others didn''t take this so-called punishment seriously anymore.
After all, they were all adults, and each one was stronger than the Divine Child. They had never dared to think about being on par or surpassing the Divine Child in intelligence, but when it came to strength, they didn''t ept it.
Push-ups weren''t aplicated exercise and were easy to learn.
After seeing Han Cheng''s demonstration, the slingshot team and the spear team members dispersed under Han Cheng''smand, cing their hands on the cold ground and performing what they now knew to be called push-ups.
"One," Han Cheng counted.
Following Han Cheng''s instructions, everyone bent their arms down and pushed back up.
This simple action made many people realize that this punishment wasn''t simple, especially the Second Senior Brother, who was overweight, and Qi Qiu, who had ballooned up like a puff of air.
Just this one time, their arms couldn''t help but tremble.
"Two," Han Cheng paused momentarily, then continued counting.
Second Senior Brother and Qi Qiu, who were suffering from pushing up their arms, quickly bent their arms down again and pushed up, their buttocks unwittingly raised
After Han Cheng shouted, "assemble," the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe immediately began to act, preparing to line up the team quickly to show the Shaman their abilities.
However
Contrary to expectations, what should have been a straightforward lineup became extremely difficult at this moment.
"Zhuang, you''re here"
"Qi Qiu, don''t run around"
With Han Cheng''s call to assemble came chaos and noise.
Confident individuals became bewildered and lost at this moment. Some had already taken positions, while others were still spinning in circles. The most exaggerated was Mu Tou, a person holding a spear who had somehow ended up in the shield team.
"Mu Tou, you''re over here," someone shouted at him.
Mu Tou,pletely confused, hadn''t even settled into his position when someone said he was in the wrong ce and should be in the back.
Mu Tou moved back.
But just as he got there, before he could stabilize himself, someone said his ce was in the front, so Mu Tou, holding his spear, returned to the front again.
"Your ce is in the back"
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Han Cheng, standing in front, slowly counted.
"Twenty-nine."
"Thirty."
Thirty counts had passed, but the simple four-column formation still hadn''t formed properly. Some were still spinning in circles, unable to find their positions.
Han Cheng didn''t stop them from doing so. Instead, he continued to count calmly, counting to one hundred and neen before the four columns finally formed, albeit crookedly.
Yet, many people were still in the wrong positions.
Seeing the Divine Child''s amused yet stern gaze, those who had previously thought it was no big deal felt ashamed and hung their heads.
Some quietlyined that they couldn''t find their positions.
"Do you still think this is a simple task?" Han Cheng''s tone grew serious.
No one said a word.
Han Cheng didn''t say much more. Instead, he corrected the positions of those in the wrong ce and reminded them to remember who was in front and behind them before announcing the dismissal.
Before announcing the dismissal, Han Cheng said to everyone, "This time, you still have thirty counts. The entire team will be punished if any team fails to line up properly within these thirty counts."
As for what the punishment would be, Han Cheng didn''t say.
With the previous experience, everyone dared not take it lightly this time, and each one sharpened their focus.
Some prone to losing their positions used some clever tricks, such as Mu Tou, who had been spinning around with his spear, standing still in his original position.
"Assemble!"
Han Cheng shouted again.
Although they had the experience from thest time, more than half of the people still didn''t think lining up was difficult.
They believed that they hadn''t lined up properlyst time because they hadn''t tried hard enough, and as long as they put in the effort this time, there wouldn''t be any problems.
However, lining up wasn''t solely an individual''s task; it involved the entire collective, and many times, it wasn''t just a matter of whether you wanted to do it well or not.
As Han Cheng shouted "assemble" again, although everyone was spirited and put in effort, chaos was still inevitable.
By the time Han Cheng counted to thirty, it was only then that the Third Senior Brother''s archery team and the Eldest Senior Brother''s shield team managed to stand properly.
However, the teams led by Second Senior Brother and Shang continued to be chaotic.
The main cause of chaos in Second Senior Brother''s slingshot team was that their leader kept losing his position.
As for the spear team led by Shang, the biggest problem was with Mu Tou.
When Han Cheng counted to sixty-seven, the Second Senior Brother finally found his position, but the spear team was still in chaos.
Mu Tou stood there stiff-necked, holding his spear, while Shang and others said he was in the wrong ce.??eew updates ??t n??vel/bi??(.
Learning from thest time when he was told to run around but still couldn''t find the correct position, Mu Tou had firmly decided this time to stay put, no matter what anyone said. He remembered very clearly that from the Divine Child''s announcement of dismissal to the call to assemble, he hadn''t moved from this spot. This time, he wouldn''t be wrong, no matter what.
When Han Cheng reached one hundred and twenty, he stopped and looked somewhat sternly at the still chaotic spear team.
As the shouting people felt the Divine Child''s gaze and the change in atmosphere, they gradually quieted down.
Mu Tou, standing stiff-necked, straightened his neck.
Seeing Mu Tou standing there like a donkey among a flock of sheep, clearly out of sync with the others, Han Cheng asked him why he refused to move.
Facing the Divine Child''s question, Mu Tou said with some grievance, "I''ve been standing here without moving"
Following Mu Tou''s thought, Han Cheng realized it was unfair. Afraid of making a mistake, Mu Tou hadn''t dared to move, but he still got it wrong in the end.
It seemed like there needed to be an opportunity to exin to Mu Tou the rtionship between absolute motion and rtive stillness. If he didn''t grasp Ma Lao''s theory well, not only would his intellectual level not improve, but he wouldn''t even be able to line up correctly
Han Cheng found this quite amusing in his mind.
"You haven''t changed, but they have. You also need to change with them Don''t remember where you originally stood; remember the people in front and behind you" After correcting Mu Tou''s position again, Han Cheng said to him.
Mu Tou wouldn''t listen to others but obeyed the Divine Child''smands.
"The slingshot team and the spear team have notpleted the task. You will now receive your punishment. Each member of the slingshot team will do ten push-ups, and within one hundred and twenty counts, the spear team has failed to line up properly and must do twenty." Returning to the front of the line, Han Cheng said sternly.
Everyone looked at each other, obviously not understanding what the Divine Child meant by push-ups.
Han Cheng demonstrated.
This peculiar movement, which the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had seen the Divine Child do before but didn''t know what it was called, suddenly dawned on them. It turned out this strange movement was called push-ups.
Han Cheng had always kept up with physical exercise in his room, so doing a dozen push-ups didn''t make him look tired, although his hands were cold from pressing against the frozen ground.
The Divine Child was still a child, not particrly strong. This was a consensus in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Seeing the Divine Child do a dozen push-ups without blushing or panting, looking quite rxed, the others didn''t take this so-called punishment seriously anymore.
After all, they were all adults, and each one was stronger than the Divine Child. They had never dared to think about being on par or surpassing the Divine Child in intelligence, but when it came to strength, they didn''t ept it.
Push-ups weren''t aplicated exercise and were easy to learn.
After seeing Han Cheng''s demonstration, the slingshot team and the spear team members dispersed under Han Cheng''smand, cing their hands on the cold ground and performing what they now knew to be called push-ups.
"One," Han Cheng counted.
Following Han Cheng''s instructions, everyone bent their arms down and pushed back up.
This simple action made many people realize that this punishment wasn''t simple, especially the Second Senior Brother, who was overweight, and Qi Qiu, who had ballooned up like a puff of air.
Just this one time, their arms couldn''t help but tremble.
"Two," Han Cheng paused momentarily, then continued counting.
Second Senior Brother and Qi Qiu, who were suffering from pushing up their arms, quickly bent their arms down again and pushed up, their buttocks unwittingly raised
Chapter 251: A punishment that even the primitives dare not think lightly
Chapter 251: A punishment that even the primitives dare not think lightly
Push-ups, an exercise relying on one''s body weight, cannot be measured by the difference in individual strength.
Just like how an inconspicuous ant can lift its weight several times or even many times, while an elephant, whose strength is much greater than an ant''s, would struggle to lift something twice its body weight.
Simrly, while Han Cheng found push-ups rtively easy, for Second Senior Brother and others who had never done this exercise, it seemed like a matter of life and death.
The initial feeling of ease quickly vanished, and some people''s bodies couldn''t stop trembling.
Of course, not everyone struggled as much, but the initial sense of ease disappeared.
"Lower your buttocks," Han Cheng instructed.
"Smack"
As the Second Senior Brother tried to follow Han Cheng''s instructions, his buttocks touched the ground involuntarily.
And now, Han Cheng had only counted to eight.
"Get up! Don''t lie there!" Second Senior Brother gritted his teeth and pushed his body up, trembling.
It felt like ages before Han Cheng finally said "nine."
Those who had been struggling quickly bent their arms to do one.
The most painful and frustrating part of doing push-ups was not doing them continuously but holding the arms straight to maintain the position.
Inter years, during physical education sses and military training, Han Cheng often wanted to kick the buttocks of the slowly counting teacher or instructor to get them to finish counting faster.
However, now that it was his turn to count, his speed unconsciously slowed down
Was this the kind of elusive, psychological revenge where others also experience one''s suffering?
It was like peasant uprisings throughout history.
In the beginning, they rebelled against corrupt officials as oppressed people. But once they achieved certain victories, their demeanor immediately changed. When they took action, they were even more ruthless and decisive than the previous corrupt officials
"Ten."
"Hoo~ Hoo~"
Afterpleting ten push-ups, Second Senior Brother and Balloon, already sweating profusely, breathed heavily as if they had been released from captivity.
Thinking back on the experience just now made them feel a bit jittery.
At the same time, they were also filled with confusion.
Divine Child''s strength was not greater than theirs, so why was it so easy for him to do push-ups while they found it so difficult?
Was this the reason why Divine Child was Divine Child?
After pondering for a while, they couldn''te up with a reasonable exnation and could only attribute it to this.
"Twenty."
Han Cheng''s counting speed for the next ten push-ups increased slightly, and he feared that someone on the spear team wouldn''t be able to hold on.
Some people didn''t mind sitting on the cool ground directly, gasping for air in big mouthfuls, feeling as if they had been reborn.
Seeing this, the devious Divine Child felt secretly pleased. See, don''t underestimate the strength of the Divine Child. In myter years, I was also an all-around outstanding youth in morality, intelligence, physique,bor, and art, right?
At the same time, he couldn''t help but wonder, how did we end up here?
It was truly infuriating to encounter someone who said they would do twenty push-ups but could only count up to ten or neen in a row.
With this thought, he felt he had been merciful to the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and their respective teams, who had not been punished, saw Second Senior Brother and the others panting and red-faced and couldn''t help but exchange nces with each other.
Are push-ups really that terrifying?
The Divine Child could do them quickly, even though most tribe members were ustomed to physicalbor and hunting. Why did they all look so exhausted?
Eldest Senior Brother wasn''t like Shi Tou, who liked to chatter incessantly. His approach to problems was to observe, ponder, and only ask for help when necessary.
So, after pondering fruitlessly, during the next assembly training session, Eldest Senior Brother deliberately waited until the Divine Child counted to one hundred and twenty before standing in line properly.
As the leader, he was stronger than most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe, so he didn''t bother with the punishment of ten push-ups.
A true man should take on challenges with greater difficulty, so he waited until the deity reached one hundred and twenty before doing his push-ups. Based on previous punishments, he would only have to do twenty.
With the introduction of the Hannguage and the teaching of basic arithmetic and algorithms, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had made significant progress in mathematics. While they weren''t proficient, most people could reach a first-grade level.
This was true, but how could he anticipate the wisdom of the Divine Child?
After sessfully dying until one hundred and twenty, as Eldest Senior Brother had expected, the Divine Child''s punishment came as promised, but he was taken aback.
Because instead of twenty push-ups, it was forty!
The Divine Child valued fairness and wouldn''t let people be foolish.
With smokeing out of his head and sweat dripping, Eldest Senior Brother, amidst his panting, realized how he had "died."
The Divine Child exined that since he hadpleted the task within thirty countsst time but had now reached one hundred and twenty, regressing so much warranted double the punishment.
After carefully considering the Divine Child''s exnation, Eldest Senior Brother and the Vine Shield team members felt it made perfect sense, and doing forty push-ups each wasn''t unfair.
As a real man, Eldest Senior Brother now truly understood the difficulty of push-ups; his arms were still trembling.
He nowpletely understood why everyone reacted the way they did when doing push-ups.
But he also became more confused. Why was it so easy for the Divine Child to do them?
He pondered it for a while, but the more he thought, the more puzzled he became. After hesitating, he finally asked about it, seeking an exnation.
The others also stretched their necks and perked up their ears, equally puzzled by the matter.
Han Cheng smiled and nodded. Amid everyone''s anticipation, he said, "Want to know?"
Everyone nodded eagerly.
Han Cheng, the great Divine Child, smiled faintly. "No way!"
Everyone was speechless.
Han Cheng added with a smile, "Just focus on practicing standing in line well. When you''ve got that down, I''ll tell you."
With the motivation provided by the great Divine Child''s guidance, everyone''s enthusiasm for practicing standing in line soared.
They stared intently at the person in front of them. Once they noticed someone in front standing in the wrong position, they would pull them back forcefully.
In this atmosphere, after practicing dispersing and assembling five more times, all four squads couldplete it within twenty-five counts.
The efficiency was simply unbelievable.
Amidst everyone''s eager anticipation, Han Cheng finally exined why it was so easy for him to do push-upspractice.
This left the eagerly anticipating crowd somewhat disappointed. In their eyes, the Divine Child should be somewhat different from everyone else, preferably with some connection to the heavens
While they thought this way, upon careful consideration, they also felt that what the Divine Child said was not wrong. For example, in archery, many didn''t even know how to draw a bow at first, but after practicing more, they could shoot arrows at the target.
Chapter 252: The meaning of training
Chapter 252: The meaning of training
This feeling of going from confusion to sudden enlightenment fascinated Shaman.
This elder, who had been leading the Green Sparrow Tribe alongside the Eldest Senior Brother before Han Cheng arrived, had his own thoughts and strategies for dealing with these unprecedented changes, derived from the wisdom umted from long-term living and the teachings of his predecessors.
Standing there, watching from afar, the thoughtful expression in his eyes gradually disappeared, reced by anticipation.
He believed that once this matter was finished, its value would be apparent
Training, held every three days, continued like this. The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had made significant progress from their initial struggles with lining up and constantly making mistakes like left turn'' and right turn.''
Although mistakes still urred at times, and there was still a significant gap from the military training seen inter years, things had improved greatlypared to the initial chaos.
Simple exercises like gathering, lining up, left turn, right turn, about-face, and forward march may not seem to improvebat effectiveness directly, but in reality, they do.
The cohesion, unity, discipline, and other aspects of the entire team can be strengthened through these seemingly simple drills.
It enables them to understand simplemands and know what to do
After all, battles are not individual affairs. Understandingmands and adhering to discipline is crucial; otherwise, chaos sets in even before the battle starts, which is quite distressing.
Things progress forward. Developed over thousands of years, sieved through experience, and widely used by armies, these drills naturally have significance.
After several rounds of such drills, someone couldn''t help but ask about their doubts. Han Cheng then exined the principles in a way they could understand, emphasizing the benefits of doing so.
Han Cheng thought his exnation was straightforward and appropriate. However, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t understand much. Nevertheless, they knew it benefited the tribe, so they became more diligent in practice.
This made the unknowing Han Cheng feel pretty pleased with himself, thinking hismunication skills had improved significantly as he exined this rtivelyplex matter to everyone
Training urred every three days, leaving the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe with plenty of leisure time.
Of course, the evil Divine Child, wouldn''t let them get toofortable. At least, the days of spending winter in caves, sleeping and eating, with enough energy to hum tunes together, were gone forever.
In the spacious deer shed, Lame and Mu Tou were busy.
They were burning a tree trunk, as Divine Child requested, which required at least four people to hug.
After burning, they would use stones to knock off the softened wood.
This method could expedite the process.
The team training and the construction of wooden boats for distant voyages proceeded methodically. Once everything was on track, leisure still prevailed during this winter.
After all, it was winter now, and apart from the wooden boats, there was no need to prepare for the journey so early.
The heavy snow fell again, thickening the already umted snow.
Shi Tou came over with two y tablets filled with various shapes and patterns.
The tablets contained many hook-shaped symbols, which troubled Shi Tou, but he didn''t have many options.
After Han Cheng carefully inquired about the meaning of the things depicted on the y tablets, he gave Shi Tou a thumbs-up and groomed his hair for a while using the traditional method of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
This made Shi Tou uneasy about showing the results of his recording to Han Cheng, wholly relieved and happy from the bottom of his heart.
Han Cheng also smiled at the somewhat peculiar things depicted on these two y tablets. These seemingly insignificant things were firsthand data obtained from observing changes in the moon, the foundation of establishing a calendar.
With these as a basis, the most straightforward calendar could finally exist!
As he thought joyfully, a sudden image of an airne flying across the sky shed, slightly dampening his joy.
Chapter 253: Reminiscing New Year
Chapter 253: Reminiscing New Year
"Divine Child? Why not January?"
The climate here bears many simrities to the ces Han Cheng lived before.
Han Cheng recalled the future months andpared them to those here.
After careful consideration andparison, the moon drawn by Hei Wa on the y b was bracketed by Han Cheng from the third ck shadow in the first row to the second ck shadow in the third row, with the word "October" written above.
The next group was bracketed with the word "November."
From the stones, he understood the meaning of these three consecutive ck shadows, indicating the three nights when stars were visible but the moon was not.
Han Cheng knew that these three days recorded by the stones were the nights of the 29th, 30th, and 1st, or the 28th, 29th, and 1st.
In theory, the moon disappears entirely on the night of the 30th or 29th; in reality, its shadow is hardly visible on the nights before and after.
This is simr to the saying, "The moon on the 15th is full and round on the 16th," which refers to the less significant changes in the moon between two days.
Although he had some understanding of the year, month, and stones, he had never truly experienced the calendar system of the future. Therefore, when he learned that Han Cheng wanted to divide the months based on this, he naturally assumed that the first month to appear should be January.
After organizing his thoughts, Han Cheng finally spoke to the stones, "January is the beginning of the year and also the first month of spring The ice and snow will gradually melt, and the grass will turn green"
The stone tilted its head for a long time, then nodded vigorously.
After carefully recalling the scenes outside when he drew the moons, which were ssified as October by the Divine Child, he felt that they were too different from what should be seen in January ording to the Divine Child.
After figuring out this problem, a new question arose in his mind.
"Why isn''t this one New Year''s Day?"
The stone pointed to the circle in the middle and asked.
Underneath this circle, Han Cheng used a fine stone pen to draw the word "Fifteen."
The Shi Tou was puzzled. In its understanding, the biggest, roundest, and brightest moon should be the most beautiful, so New Year''s Day should be when it urs.
Han Cheng felt a bit overwhelmed. This curious and questioning youth sometimes was endearing but sometimes made people want to shut their mouths.
Fifteen is fifteen. Since I can remember, the moon on the fifteenth has always been the roundest. Why so many questions?
Han Cheng wanted to say this to the Shi Tou, but could only think about it in his heart.
After some thought, he could only exin it with phrases like "New Year''s Day is the beginning of January, and everything in the world grows from small torge"
Han Cheng felt a bit dizzy from all the exnations as he spoke. Strangely, the Shi Tou seemed to have a look of understanding.
This scene suddenly reminded Han Cheng of the situation when his high school history or political teacher exined multiple-choice questions: "Choose option B."
Then, after various exnations, linking the text to other knowledge, the students thought the teacher was right and the answer to the question should be option B.
Then, in the next ss: "Students, the answer to the question I discussedst time was wrong. It should have been option D"
After a round of exnations, the crowd again found that it all made sense
This whole situation seemed quite amusing when Han Cheng thought about it.
What Han Cheng was doing with the Shi Tou now was quite simr.
With the premise of knowing the answer beforehand, one could always find some reasons to align with it.
Especially in matters where subjectivity was intense.
After setting October and November, the remaining five days were marked with question marks. These days were not good: either it was snowing or cloudy, there were no stars at night, nor was the moon visible, so the stones could only use question marks as ceholders.
ording to the calendar he had created, which he wasn''t sure was urate, today was already the sixth day of the twelfth month.
Han Cheng thought so.
The calendar''s appearance let him know what time it was now, giving him an inexplicable rity.
As he thought this, a sudden thought made his heart tremble.
The year was almost over on the sixth day of the twelfth month, and New Year''s was just around the corner.
New Year''s!
That day was full of family reunions and joy everywhere; just thinking about it made people unable to help but yearn for its arrival.
Although many peopleined that New Year''s was losing its traditional vor, there was always that anticipation deep down.
Especially now, not knowing whether he had traveled to prehistoric times, another dimension, or a "Primitive Human Protection Zone," Han Cheng, who was far from his original era, couldn''t help but feel his heart racing as he realized that the year wasing to an end.
The New Year, a festival that made countless Chinese people yearn for it, willing to travel thousands of miles with bags full of things, standing in the aisle for a day and night to return home, was now fiercely impacting Han Cheng''s heart, this wanderer away from the group.
Whether rich or poor, everyone went home for the New Year.
At home were aging parents, eagerly awaited children whom they hadn''t seen for a year, roots of their own, and the charm that made them feel at peace.
That''s why those who worked away from home rushed back like migrating birds. Even if they could only stay home for two days, they had to return from afar.
A steaming bowl of dumplings made by mother, a cup of tremblingly poured wine from father''s hand, and the voices of children calling for their parents were all enough to wash away the hardships of the journey, making everything feel worthwhile.
All the ups and downs, joys and sorrows of working away from home would be washed away by this festival and ce called "New Year" and "Home," rejuvenating tired souls and giving them the courage to face the hardships of life.
With a not-so-strong heart and not-so-solid shoulders, they would carry a rtively warm space where there was "New Year," "Home," parents, children, and the warmest vigil in the depths of their hearts and the firmest strength.
The sudden thought of the New Year flooding into his mind made Han Cheng''s emotions uncontroble, tears streaming down his face uncontrobly.
Shi Tou, seeing the Divine Child silently crying, immediately became confused, wondering if it was because its moon painting wasn''t good enough or if it had asked too many questions.
The little primitive man, who didn''t understand the Divine Childs mood, felt so uneasy and hesitant, timidly called out, "Divine Child"
Han Cheng tried to control his emotions, wiping away the tears on his face, closing his eyes tightly a few times, and squeezing out a smile, saying to Shi Tou, "It''s nothing, I just got some wind in my eyes."
The Shi Tou, puzzled, touched its head. Was there wind just now?
It pondered in confusion.
Its heart also rxed a bit. At least now it knew it wasn''t the one who made the Divine Child cry.
But deep down, it still secretly thought that maybe it shouldn''t ask the shaman so many questions in the future.
However, soon after, the ufortable feeling of holding back unanswered questions resurfaced in its mind, making it hesitant again.
This made the little primitive man''s heart extremely conflicted.
Han Cheng calmed his emotions a bit, instructing the Shi Tou to continue drawing the moon in this way without stopping.
Shi Tou, which usually seemed a bit mischievous, nodded vigorously.
Chapter 254: The Evil Nian
Chapter 254: The Evil Nian
New Year!
This was the decision Han Cheng made after returning to his room and calming his mind a bit.
If he could produce pottery, salt, aquaculture, and farming, why couldn''t he bring "New Year" here?
He would celebrate the New Year here since he cannot return to the past or experience the atmosphere of New Year celebrations in the future.
Besides Han Cheng''s own unresolved emotions, holding such a festival could also subtly strengthen the ideological and cultural construction of the Green Sparrow Tribe, enhance the cultural identity and cohesion of the entire Green Sparrow Tribe, and even have a greater impact than the shaman''s sacrifices.
After making this decision, Han Cheng went to talk to the shaman about it.
At this time, the Divine Child was looking at a ceramic te with many moons carved on it.
Shi Tou asionally made a few remarks, exining the meaning of the carvings to the Divine Child.
Because Han Cheng had carefully exined the concepts of "year," "month," and "day" to the tribe when he talked about the Cowherd and Weaver Girl, the Divine Child already had a concept in mind.
Although not very clear,bined with the "moons" drawn by Shi Tou, it was still helpful. Slowly, those unclear areas in his mind became more evident.
Han Cheng asked Shi Tou to call the Eldest Senior Brother to discuss this matter.
Although he knew that the Eldest Senior Brother, as the leader, would not have any objections to this matter, Han Cheng still didn''t want to bypass him. This man who led the Green Sparrow Tribe through difficult times deserved respect.
"New Year?"
The shaman repeated this new term he had just learned from the Divine Child, showing a thoughtful expression.
He didn''t understand why the Divine Child suddenly mentioned this "New Year" thing, and couldn''t figure out why he did so.
Shi Tou on the side, with their two shiny eyes, were rolling around, seemingly lost in thought.
The Eldest Senior Brother also remained silent, wearing a pensive expression.
It wasn''t easy to make them understand the concept of "year" and what it represented. At least, it was more difficult than Han Cheng had thought.
Seeing that the three people most receptive to new things in the tribe had this kind of reaction, Han Cheng couldn''t help but scratch his head.
It wasn''t easy to promote the concept of New Year in the tribe.
How should he exin the concept of "year" to everyone?
Han Cheng pondered this with distress in his heart.
"The thing is"
Han Cheng opened his mouth again and paused slightly. When he saw the three pairs of eyes looking at him, he continued, "Deep in the mountains, a huge beast is living there. The beast''s name is Nian"
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng suddenly remembered the tribe''s fondness for stories, so he told the story of the "Nian" that had been passed down from who knows when with some modification.
The effect was surprisingly good. As soon as he started telling the story, the three people in the room were immediately captivated.
As Han Cheng talked about the terrifying Nianing out of the deep mountains to attack the tribe, destroy their caves, and eat the tribe''s people, the shaman''s expression turned serious and panicked. He involuntarily stood up and blocked Han Cheng.
In urgency, the Eldest Senior Brother picked up a wooden stool and blocked the door, while Shi Tou, with a pale face, gritted his teeth and stood before Han Cheng. The shaman pulled him behind.
Han Cheng was moved yet somewhat amused. Could they not have such a big reaction whenever they heard a story?
Han Cheng helped the shaman back to the edge of the heated bed, pulled Shi Tou aside, and pulled the Eldest Senior Brother to let him put down the stool and sit back correctly. He said to the doubtful trio, "The Nian won''te now. It only visits the tribe on thest day of the year"
"We have walls, bows and arrows, and slingshots"
The most lively Shi Tou reacted, pulling a serious face and clenching his fists.
This was what the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother wanted to say.
The two looked at Han Cheng, expressing the same meaning as Shi Tou.
Han Cheng smiled inwardly. Not bad. They had a fighting spirit.
But on the surface, he shook his head solemnly. "No, the Nian is tough. Stone spears, bows, and arrows can''t hurt it. Stone caves can copse, and our walls are made of earth."
Upon hearing Han Cheng''s words, the initially somewhat confident individuals became even more panicked.
Han Cheng was worried that they would react in the same excessive way as before, so he didn''t dare pause for too long. He continued, "But the Nian fears loud noises and fire. As long as we light fires and set off firecrackers on thest night, it won''t dare toe out"
After hearing Han Cheng''s exnation, the three gradually rxed.
While thinking about the evil Nian, they also considered how to deal with it.
"Divine Child, what are firecrackers?"
This was a good thing to deal with the Nian. It was necessary to rify.
When Shi Tou asked this, Han Cheng was secretly stunned. The story wasn''t modified enough; he mentioned firecrackers casually but forgot that there were no bamboo trees around the tribe.
What should he do now?
Seeing the Divine Child''s reaction, the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother felt something was wrong. It seemed that the Divine Child couldn''t produce "firecrackers" to scare the Nian.
"Firecrackers make a loud noise after burning," Han Cheng exined.
"We don''t have that nearby No but we have drums. The sound of drums is louder than that of firecrackers"
At this moment, Han Cheng couldn''t help but praise his cleverness. He managed to smooth over such a w.
The three people''s eyes lit up when they heard Han Cheng''s words. Yes, they had drums!
The drums made by the Divine Child sounded like thunder when beaten!
They were all somewhat afraid of that sound, let alone the Nian, which was already afraid of noise!
They asked when thest day of the year woulde. Han Cheng came to the ceramic te carved with moons by Shi Tou, and with a piece of charcoal, he circled twenty-five ck circles behind thest question mark drawn by the ck Baby this month and ckened thest circle. He told them that this was thest day of the year.
This was actually Han Cheng''s guesswork. Shi Tou didn''t carve enough moons to find a pattern, so he didn''t know whether this month was a big month or a small month.
But a one-day margin of error didn''t matter. After all, there wouldn''t be a Nianing. Han Cheng just wanted to use this as an excuse to introduce the concept of the New Year to the Green Sparrow Tribe in a more eptable way.
With the highest meeting about the New Year over, Han Cheng, the shaman, and the Eldest Senior Brother gathered the tribe''s people together. Following the sessful example not long ago, they first told the story of the evil Nian, and then proposed ways to deal with it. Naturally, everyone agreed.
Chapter 255: Just because I glanced at you a little more in the crowd
Chapter 255: Just because I nced at you a little more in the crowd
Once the matter of the New Year was settled, the atmosphere in the Green Sparrow Tribe immediately became different.
It was a mixture of fear, anticipation, and vague excitement.
However, the training sessions held every three days did not stop. In addition to assembly, left turn, and right turn, the training also included archery, stone throwing, shield holding, and spear thrusting. Group training was the main focus.
In this regard, in hister life, Han Cheng had only trained in formation twice and had never encountered weaponsbat. It was all about gradually exploring.
Today, the canoe-making process officially stopped inside the spacious deer shed. The primary canoe-making personnelLame, Mu Tou, and Hei Waneeded to make one or two more drums. This was the consensus of the Green Sparrow Tribe, which was worried that only one drum wouldn''t scare the terrifying Nian.
By now, the Green Sparrow Tribe already had threepleted canoes, all made fromrge tree trunks cut and hollowed out by burning. The space inside was not small; six people and some necessary supplies could fitfortably inside.
The regrettable thing was that the river surface had been frozen, so there was no way to take the canoes out for a trial run and test their specific performance.
Another issue was that, since the interiors were burned out with fire, it was easy for people to get dirty once they went inside.
This required people to polish with rough stones and other items carefully.
The women of the Green Sparrow Tribe also had another task, assigned by Han Cheng, the Divine Child: to sew a new garment for each member of the tribe.
These clothes would be distributed to everyone on New Year''s Eve.
Since the tribe''s members lived together and Han Cheng didn''t deliberately hide this matter, it quickly spread throughout the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
The underage individuals and even the adults of the Green Sparrow Tribe became more eager for the New Year.
As the saying goes, new clothes make the person look new. Disliking old and liking new clothes is amon human trait. Even the primitive people of the Green Sparrow Tribe liked clothes that looked better and felt morefortable to wear, especially those made using the methods taught by the Divine Child Han Cheng, which were sofortable and warm.
The sun, which had not been seen for several days, finally came out again.
Many wooden stumps and stones were ced in the cleared space by the south wall. The women of the Green Sparrow Tribe gathered in twos and threes, sitting in the sun, holding tanned fur, bone needles, bone awls, ropes, and other items, making clothes ording to the methods taught by the Divine Child.
Older girls like Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li were also here, helping the adults make clothes. Those who were good at making clothes would asionally teach them some necessary techniques.
Thicker hides were pierced with bone awls and then sewn with bone needles and thread, while thinner hides were directly sewn with bone needles that could hold several times more stitches than the iron needles ofter generations.
Xing was currently sewing clothes with a bone needle. Her hands were still too weak, and it wasn''t easy to pierce the hides with the bone needle.
After failing to pierce the hide twice in a row, she picked up a bone board ced in a circr basket braided by Lame.
In the middle of the bone board were many small pits specially carved out.
Xing ced the bone board on the tail end of the bone needle. The tail end of the bone needle quickly sank into the small pits on the bone board, and then she exerted force with her hand. The needle, initially difficult to pierce, pierced through the hide.
She ced the bone board back into the small basket containing needles, thread, and some leather scraps, finished sewing the stitch, and looked up to see the Divine Child walking past not far away.
Therger-bellied, tail-wagging Fu Jiang apanied the Divine Child.
The Divine Child taught the bone needles, the bone board used for topping the needles, and even the method of sewing clothes.
Xing couldn''t help but wonder again how did the Divine Child know so much
Han Cheng was unaware of Xing''s thoughts. If he had known, he would surely have proudly stroked his chin and thought to himself, "It''s not that I know too much; it''s that you know too little."
Han Cheng walked to the side and looked from afar at the people gathered around sewing clothes. In the chilly air, the warm sunlight fell, covering most of the courtyard.
It enveloped him and the people making clothes.
In a daze, it gave the illusion at this moment, he wasn''t in a primitive tribe but had returned to that distant and clear vige.
In the same idle winter moments, those familiar young and old women, holding needles and thread, gathered in the courtyard of someone''s home, doing chores while chatting.
A few apanying children gathered together, ying with marbles, jacks, or other items
In this kind of daze, Xing unconsciously raised her head again after picking up and putting down the boneboard, looking towards the shaman. Their eyes met.
"Xing, the Divine Child, is looking at you and wants to sleep with you."
When working women gather together, there is always a strong sense of gossip, whether inter generations or primitive tribes.
As the shaman, Han Cheng was like a spotlight in the Green Sparrow Tribe. Once he appeared outside, he quickly attracted everyone''s attention.
So, the Divine Child''s actions were seen by many.
Some time ago, the Shaman and the leader wanted to make Xing the Divine Childs spouse. Naturally, in such a small tribe, there was no way to hide this.
Sex, or things rted to sex, is a topic that will never lose its heat.
From primitive times to now and until who knows when in the future.
The way primitive people express their feelings always seems rtively straightforward.
Xiao Mei stretched her neck, looked at the person who had been watching for a while, then looked at Xing, who was also looking at the Divine Child and said with a slightly lowered voice.
Her slightly suppressed voice elicited a wave of friendlyughter.
If it were elsewhere, a woman teased like this in public would feel embarrassed, but Xing remained unchanged.
She didn''t retract her gaze and said seriously, yet somewhat disheartenedly, "The Divine Child doesn''t want to sleep with me."
"You can defeat the Divine Child, then sleep with him."
This time, it was spoken by an adult female primitive who had defeated her own man in the past and then sessfully slept with the man she admired.
Therefore, saying this now seemed somewhat justified.
In the tribe, such things were allowed to happen, although they didn''t ur often.
Xing''s eyes brightened. In terms of fighting, the Divine Child couldn''t beat her
Xiao Mei, who had teased Xing, and Xiao Li not far away, suddenly seemed to realize something.
Chapter 256: Han Cheng, the fanatic of couplets
Chapter 256: Han Cheng, the fanatic of couplets
Under the canopy of sunlight, Han Cheng was utterly unaware of the subtle changes due to his gaze. If he had known, it was uncertain whether he would still have the courage and interest to reminisce about the past while facing the women of the tribe.
Fortunately, despite feeling somewhat moved by the words of the female tribeswoman, Star, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li were hesitant to take action for the time being.
Thus, Han Cheng, the great Divine Child, who remained oblivious to these matters, was able to arrange the preparations for the uing New Year with a rtively rxed and nostalgic mood, preparing for a celebration they had never experienced before.
In anticipation, time always seems to drag on slowly, causing impatience. Amidst the eager anticipation of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, the footsteps of the New Year were finally drawing near.
On the twenty-fourth, houses were cleaned.
On the twenty-fifth, tofu was ground.
On the twenty-sixth, meat was cut.
On the twenty-seventh, a chicken was ughtered.
On the twenty-eighth, paintings were pasted.
And so on
In the cold season, as the New Year approached, the Green Sparrow Tribe became increasingly lively and expectant. Although the days seemed normal on the surface, everyone could feel the difference in the air.
The feast on the twenty-third seemed much more sumptuouspared to previous nights. Following the meal, discussions about the New Year began to unfold, progressing step by step, like a bow being slowly drawn back, ready to unleash its energy.
On the twenty-fourth, under the orders of the Divine Child, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe began to take action.
They cleaned and wiped household utensils, and tidied up the courtyard.
Therge cauldrons used for boiling soup in the Green Sparrow Tribe never stopped, constantly providing hot water for the people to clean things.
Once the rooms, courtyards, and utensils were cleaned, it was time to clean themselves.
Even Han Cheng''s bathing frequency decreased with no bathhouse avable and the weather turning colder.
However, unlike before, everyone, even those reluctant to bathe, had to bathe today. This was an order from the Divine Child, delivered very sternly.
The reason was that the new year symbolized a fresh start, and the dirt of the previous year shouldn''t be carried over.
The atmosphere was filled with steam in a rtively small, humid area separated by wooden nks and animal hides.
In therge cauldron, after happily blowing a string of bubbles underwater, Han Cheng began to scrub away the dirt from his body and washed his long hair with his hands.
Once he lifted his head out of the hot water, he immediately felt the chill. Even though a small fire burned beneath the cauldron, reminiscent of boiling soup, it couldn''tpletely ward off the cold air.
They needed to find a way to build a dedicated bathing area. Bathing in such conditions was highly ufortable, exining why the tribe disliked it when the weather turned cold.
As Han Cheng pondered this, he continued to scrub his body and hair.
With no soap or washcloths avable, they could only use their hands to scrub.
Han Cheng could endure all of this, but what he couldn''t stand the most was washing his hair with just water.
After washing with water, he always felt that his hair and scalp were still greasy, enough to drive a person crazy.
Han Cheng didn''t expect to have shampoo or soap, but if there were a bag ofundry detergent in front of him, he would gratefully rub it into his hair. Even if his hair became dry and almost impossible tob afterward, he would still ept it with pleasure.
However, evenundry detergent was a luxury; they could only use wood ash.
After cleaning his body, Han Cheng grabbed a handful of wood ash from the nearby jar and rubbed it into his hair.
Although using wood ash to wash hair is not very easy to cleanpletely, it could alleviate the greasy feeling to some extent.
Soap!
For a long time, every time Han Cheng bathed and washed his hair, he would chant these words several times.
After the journey following the beginning of spring, the most important thing was to confirm his thoughts and, secondly, to try to find some valuable things that the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t have but could benefit from. Soap was one of them.
After the twenty-fourth, the entire Green Sparrow Tribe felt rejuvenated.
Since the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t cultivate soybeans, they couldn''t grind them into tofu on the twenty-fifth.
Han Cheng felt quite regretful about not being able to have this precious food, which was considered a delicacy during times of poverty.
Forget about Mapo tofu; having stinky tofu or skin fried and cut into shreds, which could be used for soup or stir-fry, was enough to make Han Cheng nostalgic.
Without tofu to grind, the women of the Green Sparrow Tribe were busy making new clothes, striving to ensure everyone had a new outfit before the New Year.
Meanwhile, the men were preparing firewood and drums to drive away the Nian beast.
As each day passed, the atmosphere thickened, and time stubbornly marched on. It was now the twenty-eighth.
After several days of clear weather, the sky became overcast again.
Han Cheng exhaled visible breath and brought over Mu Tou and Lame who had already made two-sided drums from wood in their spare time. He instructed them to cut several pieces of wood about one meter long and five to six centimeters in diameter.
Then, using a stone knife and wooden stick, they split these pieces of wood in half from the middle.
Lame followed his instructions, and the rest stood by, unwilling to leave, wanting to see what the Divine Child was preparing to do.
Han Cheng took a piece of tile and calcted the spacing. Then, on some yellow-brown wooden boards, he drew faint lines at the calcted intervals.
He then took a piece of charcoal and began to write on these spaces.
Everybody watched from the side, puzzled about the Divine Child''s intentions.
The children who had gathered around, with their heads tilted, watched for a while and then, following Han Cheng''s writing, slowly recited, "With each passing year, life is extended; with the arrival of spring, blessings fill the building."
After reciting it, they scratched their heads in confusion.
Their confusion stemmed from three points: First, within the Green Sparrow Tribe, besides the shaman, he was the best at understanding written words, yet he couldn''t fullyprehend what the shaman had written this time.
He recognized all the characters, but when they were put together, he didn''t know what they meant.
Second, the writing style differed from what the Divine Child usually taught; he was ustomed to writing horizontally from left to right. Why did the Divine Child write from top to bottom this time?
Third, he didn''t understand the purpose of the Divine Child''s creation.
"In the new year, let''s wee the surplus blessings; the festival is named Eternal Spring."
"As the sound of the drumskin bids farewell to the old year, let''s rece the old symbols with new peaches."
With doubts, the children slowly read out what Han Cheng had written.
Han Cheng recalled the few couplets he remembered and wrote them down stroke by stroke.
The earliest known couplet is "In the new year, let''s wee the surplus blessings; the festival is named Eternal Spring," said to have been penned by Meng Chang, thest ruler of the Later Shu dynasty, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period after the end of the Tang dynasty.
Regarding Meng Chang, not many people know about him, but one of his consorts is quite famous. She is the Lady Huarui, for whom Meng Chang nted hibiscus flowers all over the capital.
After the fall of the state, when faced with Zhao''s questioning about the country''s ruin, she wrote a poem:
"The king''s banner hangs atop the city walls,
But in the deep pce, how could I have known?
Fourteen thousand men allid down their arms,
Yet not a single one was a man."
Meng Chang shares many simrities in experience and character with Li Yu, the Southern Tang monarch who wrote: "When Will the Spring Flowers and Autumn Moon End?" However, Meng Chang''s poetry is not as well-known as Li Yu''s, and this couplet is the most widely circted one.
It is said that when he wrote this couplet, Zhao had already split his forces and sent Wang Quan''an and Cao Bin to attack Later Shu. In the same year that he wrote this couplet, Later Shu was defeated, and both he and Lady Huarui became captives.
But what''s even more intriguing is that that same year, the highest-ranking official sent by the Great Song to handle affairs in Later Shu was named Lu Yuqing. Not long before that, Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao''s father, had designated his birthday as the Long Spring Festival
"You''ll find out soon."
Han Cheng smiled and said to the curious stone that couldn''t hold back its questions.
Then, he asked Lame to bring a rope and a stone knife and carved some grooves near the ends of the wooden couplets to tie them with ropes.
After doing all this, he instructed Shi Tou, Lame, and the others gathered around to carry the wooden couplets outside carefully, warning them not to smudge the characters on top.
After all, they were written with charcoal, not ink, and it was easy to smear if one wasn''t careful.
A few small wooden stakes were hammered into the pirs on either side of the gate, and the pair of couplets, which were muchrger than the other three, were hung on both sides of the gate by Han Cheng.
It was the pair of couplets that he had ingeniously changed the firecrackers to drums.
The unexpected move by the Divine Child quickly attracted many people from the Green Sparrow Tribe toe and see.
People pointed at the couplets and spected about the Divine Child''s intentions.
Some said it was to scare away the Nian beast, some said it was a charm, and some said it was tomunicate with the heavenly gods
Han Cheng listened to the crowd''s discussions without saying a word. He just stepped back four or five meters, smiled, and carefully examined the unique and somewhat crude couplets, satisfied.
His only regrets were that the characters were a bit ugly and that the wooden boards were not dyed red.
Another regret was that there was no way to get a door god. Otherwise, whether it was the red-faced Guan Yu, the ck-faced Zhang Fei, or Qin Shubao holding a golden club and Yu Chigong holding a whip, if they were painted and pasted on the door, they would add a lot of splendor to the Green Sparrow Tribe''s first New Year.
Han Cheng wanted to paint a few, but then he thought about his rather unimpressive abstract painting skills and gave up the idea. Otherwise, if the door gods of the Green Sparrow Tribe appeared, not only would they be able to ward off ghosts, but people would also avoid them like the gue just thinking about it was scary.
The other three doors were also each hung with couplets.
Not feeling satisfied yet, Han Cheng wrote two more pairs and hung them at the cave entrance and the deer pen gate.
He also made a short wooden sign with the words "Prosperity in the Trough" and hung it on the long trough where the deer often ate grass.
Looking at the many fawns the Deer Lord and his harem had produced over the past year, Han Cheng felt that this sign was most suitable for this location.
Even the rabbit pen, chicken pen, the ce where the Green Sparrow Tribe often cooked, and the shaman''s bed where he slept were not spared by the creative and unstoppable Divine Child. They were each hung with signs like "Prosperity of Livestock" and "Beware of Fire."
Even the newly made single-wooden canoes of the Green Sparrow Tribe, which had not yet been tested, were hung with signs saying "Travel a Thousand Miles During the Day, Eight Hundred Miles at Night," which could be quite crazy.
Although such single-wooden canoes couldn''t even travel a hundred miles a day
Chapter 257: New Year’s Eve Dinner
Chapter 257: New Year¡¯s Eve Dinner
The shaman stood at the door, carefully examining the thing that appeared for the first time in the Green Sparrow Tribe right before his eyes, smiling.
He had already learned from the Divine Child that this was a way to pray for blessings and dispel disasters, to seek blessings from the heavenly gods using the words of the Divine Child. Indeed, this was an excellent method.
The second most influential shaman in the Green Sparrow Tribe, who had dedicated most of his life tomunicating with the heavenly gods, looked at the distinctive couplets that adorned the entire tribe, revealing a pensive expression
After the Green Sparrow Tribe had made many preparations, the New Year finally arrived.
Han Cheng intentionally made the New Year celebrations grand and splendid, so for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe celebrating the New Year for the first time, it was bound to be a memorable memory.
"Let''s begin!"
With these words, Han Cheng lifted the lid covering therge cauldron, and white steam instantly filled the cavern, creating an atmosphere like a fairnd.
The rich aroma permeated the air as the mist spread, making people unable to resist swallowing saliva.
As the white mist dissipated slightly, the scene inside therge cauldron appeared faintly visible.
Instead of the meat soup the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were ustomed to, five rectangr tes of equal size were inside.
There was a fish on each te with many cuts made by rtively sharp bone knives.
Han Cheng pinched some finely chopped green onions from the side basin and sprinkled them lightly on the fish. Then, Tie Tou and the others, eagerly waiting on the side, brought out the five steamed fish and ced them in the cave, roughly outlining five circles.
Inside those five circles, some pottery bowls and tes were already ced.
Inside were dishes that were notmonly made, dishes that the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe could never get enough of stir-fried pork with vegetables, deep-fried meat chunks, scrambled eggs with wild onions,rge tes of stir-fried salted meat, small tes of smoked meat, and stewed meat chunks.
Now, a te of steamed fish was added to the mix.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who had never seen such a scene before, were already salivating at the sight of these delicious-looking dishes.
The children were slurping saliva, and every adult had also secretly swallowed countless mouthfuls of saliva.
However, these children were very disciplined. Even if they were starving and looked eagerly, none reached out to take any food.
The wisest and most knowledgeable shaman, who had never seen such a scene before, looked at the delicious food like everyone else, discreetly swallowing saliva.
Fire One and Fire Two, the oldest members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, looked at the abundant food and felt like they were in a dream.
For as long as they could remember, hunger had always apanied the heavy snow and cold.
Deaths due to freezing and starvation urred every few years.
Winter was a hurdle that these people had to go through every year.
In their memories, winter always included the shadows of cold and hunger. However, this year, the Divine Child led everyone to build houses and have heated beds, so this winter wasn''t cold.
The Divine Child had provided them with a lot of food, and this winter, not only did they not have to endure hunger, but they ate better than in the years when food was most abundant!
Just thinking about it was unbelievable.
Yet, this scene, which had never appeared in their dreams, now appeared vividly before their eyes.
The food was already plentiful, which was almost the sentiment of everyone except the children.
However, delicious food continued to be brought over continuously.
After the five tes of steamed fish were removed, the rake made of tree branches and ropes inside therge cauldron was removed, revealing another rake underneath.
Five pottery tes, also on this rake, were found, but instead of fish, they were five tes of steaming, smoke-emitting featherless chickens.
There must be "auspiciousness and abundance for the New Year," so these two dishes were indispensable.
This year, the Green Sparrow Tribe hatched three broods of chicks, with thirty-four chicks, three and a half of which died prematurely, leaving thirty-one chicks, including six roosters.
After several months, they had grown quiterge, so it was natural for them, who neitherid eggs nor expected to breed, to end up in their current state.
Han Cheng specially made therge cauldron for steaming with Hei Wa before autumn, and there were two in total.
It was actually quite simple. You just needed to pinch out a circle of slightly protruding mud strips inside, thirty and sixty centimeters from the bottom of the cauldron, respectively.
After it was burned, things could be steamed on the protruding parts.
As people swallowed saliva, Han Cheng, feeling once again that there was plenty of food, said, "Let''s begin" once more.
The lid of the other steaming cauldron next to it was also lifted, and white mist once again filled the air as five more tes appeared.
Inside the tes were rabbits that had been skinned and eviscerated.
After the rabbits were removed, five tes of plump, oily deer meat that had been steamed were left.
On the twenty-seventh day, a deer somehow injured its leg. It left after being lured out and treated to a meal of small greens outside the courtyard wall away from the deer pen.
However, unlike before, the tendons on the deer legs had been removed beforehand.
Cow tendons were temporarily unavable, but deer tendons should suffice for making bowstrings.
After these tes of deer meat were brought out, one person served a bowl of millet porridge or deer milk cooked with small pieces of meat and greens, and finally, no more new food was brought out.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe did not realize that they had used the word "finally."
It was regrettable that there were no dumplings. This New Year would have been even more perfect if there were dumplings.
Thinking of this, Han Cheng felt regretful. All these thingsbined in his heart were not as good as a bowl of piping hot dumplings.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had no idea about their shaman''s thoughts. They would surely be astonished at how precious and delicious dumplings were if they knew.
These delicious foods, which were already unimaginable to them, were still not as good as dumplings. The deliciousness of dumplings was truly beyond their imagination.
Under the gaze of everyone, Han Cheng, who had just finished cooking, sat down in the innermost circle next to the shaman.
Facing the main seat by the entrance, he gestured for the shaman to sit as if he were an elder.
"Please, everyone, take a seat," Han Cheng invited everyone.
The people seemed somewhat curious and not quite ustomed as they went to their pre-assigned seats, sitting on pieces of stone or thick wooden sticks set up beforehand.
Chapter 258: Eating together is not against the rules
Chapter 258: Eating together is not against the rules
This time, the meal in the Green Sparrow Tribe differed from before.
In the past, after the food was prepared, everyone had to wait, following the order of Divine Child, the Shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother to take their food in turn, and then eat.
But this time, five identical food portions were directly prepared and ced in five circles together.
Then everyone sat around together, holding their bowls and chopsticks, eating together.
Han Cheng suggested this way of eating. When he discussed it with the Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother yesterday, they were initially not very agreeable, thinking that eating like this would affect the rules.
Of course, their original words weren''t like this, but they expressed that idea.
This made Han Cheng nod secretly. Regardless of whether they had a specific concept of rules and etiquette, they had recognized the importance of rules. It just sounded a bit awkward.
At that moment, Han Cheng exined his thoughts to them and said that they would only eat like this at major festivals; usually, they would follow the previous method. The Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother agreed after hearing this, but they still had some uncertainty in their hearts, especially the Shaman, who valued these things more than the Eldest Senior Brother.
The Shaman''s anxious heart didn''t settle until Han Cheng arranged the seating for the meal.
"Let''s eat!"
Han Cheng knew what everyone was thinking, so he didn''t waste time saying unnecessary words like "I have three points to talk about this time, each point divided into several major points and further subdivided into several minor points." Instead, seeing that everyone had already taken their seats ording to the previous arrangement, he directly announced the meal''s start.
Although eating together like this was entirely novel, the speed at which everyone started eating was not slow at all. With Han Cheng''smand, the numerous chopsticks that had long been eagerly stretched towards the food in the middle, aiming for the targets the host had already set and returned fully loaded.
In an instant, the food ced there decreased visibly in quantity.
It was almostparable to the speed at which some people ate inter generations at banquets.
Seeing this scene, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smirk. He had indeed overestimated these guys'' resistance when faced with delicious food.
However, there was plenty of food prepared today. Opening a store didn''t fear gluttons. Let''s see how long you can maintain this speed.
Han Cheng, leisurely nibbling on a chicken wing, watched the scene unfold like a gust of wind sweeping away the clouds, thinking like this.
"Divine Child, eat."
Seeing Han Cheng only eating a wing without meat, the Eldest Senior Brother felt guilty and specially picked up a chopstick of plump meat and put it into Han Cheng''s bowl.
In his opinion, this kind of food was the most vorful.
Little did he know that this action caused Han Cheng''s heart to twitch.
He does not like to eat fatty meat, whether in the past or now.
"Shaman, you eat."
After nodding to the Eldest Senior Brother with a smile, Han Cheng poured the very tender piece of steamed meat into the Shaman''s bowl.
The Shaman''s teeth were not good, so this kind of food was most to his liking.
As he felt moved by Divine Child''s warm-hearted gesture and picked up the juicy piece of meat to put it in his mouth, he did not need to bite with his teeth; just a little suction was enough to melt itpletely.
The Shaman squinted his eyes in enjoyment, savoring the unforgettable taste in his mouth while also marveling at the Divine Child''s great power.
Not only was it about cooking food, but also about the arrangement of seats this time.
He initially thought that even if Divine Child had a feasible method, it couldn''t solve the issue of everyone gathering together to eat in a way that adhered to the rules. But now, in the face of established facts, such thoughts had already been discarded.
The Shaman deeply understood that rules could still be observed even when eating together in a group.
For example, their group was situated in the innermost position of the cave.
In primitive tribes, the more prestigious individuals upied positions closer to the center because it represented safety.
Those eating with them were also rtively prominent individuals within the tribe, such as Shang, the Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, Heiwa, and Lame.
Within the same group, there were also rules, such as Divine Child, himself, and the Chief upying the innermost positions.
The Shaman carefully savored this previously untasted delicious food, contemting these matters, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt the subtlety.
Because this method not only differentiated the status of the individuals but also, due to eating together, invisibly brought people closer, making the tribe more united.
A bnce was found between status, rules, and closeness, which were somewhat contradictory.
Of course, the Shaman couldn''t think so clearly. He only vaguely felt some of these things and appreciated the benefits of this approach.
He wondered if they would eat in this entirely new way in the future.
From initial disagreement to half-hearted eptance and then toplete agreement, the shaman''s thoughts underwent a significant transformation after experiencing the benefits of this method firsthand.
Not many people in the Green Sparrow Tribe thought as deeply about these matters as he did. The vast majority of people were utterly intoxicated by the myriad of vors and exceptional taste of the food, unable to extricate themselves.
They had initially thought that the dried millet rice they used to eat was delicious enough, but now, after tasting the food newly prepared by Divine Child, they realized how shallow their experiences were
After the meal, most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe still rubbed their stomachs, savoring the dream-like food that Divine Child called the New Year''s Eve dinner.
They couldn''t help but wonder why they hadn''t celebrated the New Year before.
Calling this meal the New Year''s Eve dinner wasn''t entirely urate because it wasn''t eaten at night but in the afternoon.
There were no electric lights at night, and many things were inconvenient. Also, tonight, another more lively and important activity was to be carried outscaring away the New Year Monster!
After the sumptuous meal and a short rest, the men began to leave the cave one after another, preparing to scare away the New Year Nian, a task they had already done a lot of preparation for.
This included preparing firewood and checking the leather drums, among other tasks.
Some of the women stayed inside the cave to clean up the remnants.
The Green Sparrow Tribe, which never left any food behind, unexpectedly had a lot of leftovers this time. It wasn''t that the food wasn''t delicious, but there was just too much to finish.
The tribe had always cherished food a lot. One female primitive person carried a clean, washed pottery basin and poured the leftover delicious food into it to save it forter consumption.
Han Cheng was also busy marking several istion areas in the courtyard, especially around the area where dry green grass and the deer shed were piled up. Fire couldn''t be allowed near there, and if those two ces caught fire, it would be big trouble.
Chapter 259: New Year’s Eve night
Chapter 259: New Year¡¯s Eve night
As twilight gradually descended, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, having feasted, with hearts filled with excitement and anxious fear intertwined, entered the courtyard.
Many people couldn''t help but look into the distance, imagining the terrifying beast named "Nian" that was emerging from the deep mountains and slowly making its way here.
After a whirlwind ofplex emotions, a surge of angry determination rose.
This was their homnd; their lives had finally improved, and they wouldn''t allow anything to disrupt it, not even the terrifying Nian!
"Ignite the fire!"
"Beat the drums!"
The Divine Child, standing at the forefront, finally issued suchmands.
The two men, Fire One and Fire Two, who were already prepared, quickly ignited the pile of firewood with some charcoal left over from cooking.
As the fire lit up, Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Shang tightened their drumsticks and struck down.
"Boom!"
A dull sound suddenly rang out, spreading in all directions like waves.
"Boom, boom, boom"
Then came a series of muffled thunders, echoing one after another in the glow of the mes.
The expulsion of Nian was actually a festive activity that officially kicked off under the illumination of the firelight and amidst the rumbling drumbeats.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who were determined to defend their tribe, were far from as rxed as Han Cheng. They followed the methods taught by the Divine Child seriously, intimidating the ethereal Nian.
Han Cheng watched as the people, who were ready for battle, did all this with a fighting spirit. He smiled slightly. With the initial calendar in ce, the Green Sparrow Tribe also began to have their festivals truly.
As for how long it would take for the activity of expelling the Nian to transition from its current solemnity to something more ceremonial and entertaining, he had no idea.
When night fell, the chickens, who slept in the dark, were startled by the sound, clucking in contribution to this inexplicable revelry.
Compared to other nervous deer, the Deer Lord had to appear much calmer. It nudged the signboard that read "Thriving at the Trough" with its head and, with an elegant stride, walked from the deer shed to the deer pen.
Tilting its head to look at the group of puny bipeds who seemed mad, it entered a state of spectatorship.
After watching quietly for a while, feeling that their antics were just that, it snorted in boredom, took a leisurely step, and returned to the warmer deer shed
Under the urging of Divine Child Han, amidst the drumbeats and firelight, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe began to dance around the bonfire, their steps wandering aimlessly.
The initially tense atmosphere gradually rxed and became lively with the twisting of the dance.
As the night deepened, some children couldn''t resist sleepiness and wanted to go to bed, but they were worried that if they fell asleep, Nian woulde. At the same time, they were thinking about their new clothes, so they struggled to stay awake.
It wasn''t until Han Cheng told them that the Nian wouldn''t dare to approach as long as there was firelight and the sound of the drums. He also promised that when they woke up, new clothes would be waiting for them, and they went back to their rooms with hopeful anticipation to sleep.
Human energy is limited. After continuous jumping, more people felt tired.
Han Cheng brought out the Year, firstly because of his own sentiments and secondly because he wanted to make the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe lively and happy, which was most important.
So, seeing everyone tired, he said that the Nian had been frightened away, and from now on, they just needed to ensure the fire didn''t go out and beat the drum now and then.
Despite Han Cheng''s this, everybody did not let their guard down. This Nian is a ferocious beast after all.
After persisting for a while longer, they could not resist the exhaustion creeping upon them. Plus, with Han Cheng speaking up again, the people followed his previous instructions.
However, after stopping, Eldest Senior Brother repeatedly instructed the few people standing guard on the low wall to be vignt. If anything seemed amiss, they were to sound the rm immediately.
The three promised with hands on their chests, then widened their eyes, staring unblinkingly outside the courtyard walls.
Outside, there was a thickyer of snow, and even though it was a thirty-degree night, it wasn''t so dark that one couldn''t see one''s hand in front of one''s face.
Han Cheng watched this scene with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, wondering if he had made the story of the Nian too vivid.
After sitting around the fire for a while, Han Cheng called over the female primitive people responsible for making clothes. He had them bring out the finished clothes, distributing them first to the adults present.
Because of limited time, each person only received one piece of clothing, but for the Green Sparrow Tribe people who had never celebrated the New Year before, this was already enough to surprise them.
The clothing style was rtively modern, with a longer length overall for better warmth
Before production began, everyone''s height was measured so that the clothes made would save fabric and fit better.
To avoid confusion, Han Cheng tied a wooden tag with each person''s name carved on it to each garment during sewing.
ording to the names, distribution was carried out, so there was no fear of mix-ups.
The children''s clothes weren''t as particr. There were only three sizes:rge, medium, and small. And they were generallyrger because they were growing. If the clothes were made to fit perfectly, they would soon be too small.
Although Han Cheng''s clothes for them weren''t made with the intention of "new for three years, patched for three years," they should at leastst for a year or two.
The clothes for the underage individuals were taken back by their parents and ced by the heated beds.
Han Cheng, who hadn''t grown up either, also received a new piece of clothing.
However, his clothing was slightly different from the others. Two nted pockets were deliberately sewn on both sides of his garment.
Compared to gloves, Han Cheng preferred to stick his hands in his pockets. Not only were they convenient for warming his hands, but he could also put snacks like pine nuts inside.
The adults who received their clothes were all thrilled. Some couldn''t wait to try them on for size.
After wearing them for a while, they reluctantly took them off, holding them carefully in their hands, eagerly awaiting the passing of the long night and the arrival of the New Year''s new day.
When the time came, they could finally wear thesefortable new clothes.
Seeing these adults so fond of their new clothes, Han Cheng suddenly remembered the tradition of giving lucky money. He smiled afterward, realizing that there was no "money" yet. This was something he couldn''t do anything about.
If there were banknotes avable at this time, Han Cheng would snatch them up regardless of anything else and stuff them into his wallet!
He was tired of using things like dirt clods, leaves, and sticks to wipe his butt every day
Chapter 260: Green Sparrow Year 1
Chapter 260: Green Sparrow Year 1
Winter nights always seem endless, and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe rarely stay upte. Even if they need to stand guard at night, they do so in shifts, and staying up all night like this is very rare.
Therefore, by the time thetter half of the night arrived, many people had already nodded off.
Han Cheng was fine, partly because of his nostalgia for the New Year and partly because of his experience staying upte. For him, this level of wakefulness was just a minor inconvenience.
After a while, these exhausted Green Sparrow Tribe members finally followed Han Cheng''s suggestion, and half of them went back to their rooms to sleep.
After sleeping for a while, they would then switch with the other half.
Although the shaman wanted to stay up all night, he couldn''t resist the drowsiness and went back to sleep.
But Fire Two and Shi Tou, one old and one young, remained spirited.
Fire Two used to tend the fire at night in the Green Sparrow Tribe, so staying upte was a habit he developed long ago. He looked even more energetic at night than during the day.
As for Shi Tou, he had been spending a lot of time drawing the moon at night, gradually showing signs of bing a night owl.
The drum would sound asionally, and the fire in the pit never diminished because Fire Two would asionally add firewood.
They ate when it wasn''t dark yet. Although they were quite full at the time, the food in their stomachs had almost been digested by now.
Han Cheng asked the Eldest Senior Brother, who insisted on staying awake, to fetch some meat and share it with the others who stayed behind. They used tree branches to skewer the meat and roasted it slowly by the fire, which was delightful.
This was the first time the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had eaten supper, and it felt even more marvelous.
During these days of the New Year, they suddenly experienced many strange and unforgettable things they had never thought of before.
After eating a piece of roasted meat, Shi Tou carefully brought over the two y tablets he had drawn and looked at them carefully in the firelight.
Now, he attached even more importance to these two y tablets. Based on the moon he had drawn on them, the Divine Child could determine the days when the "Year" woulde, and their tribe could prepare everything in advance.
During the long night, there was always something to discuss to pass the time. Han Cheng told a simple story, which astonished the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. As they continued chatting, the topic shifted to the "Year" and "Month."
Influenced by the Divine Child, Shi Tou, who loved naming things, suddenly had the idea of giving the newly appeared "Year" a name.
Because this was the first year after the rough calendar had been established, he named this year "First Year" and then asked Han Cheng''s opinion.
Shi Tou''s method of naming the Year reminded Han Cheng that they needed to give a name to the Year. Otherwise, although they could distinguish the recent years using terms like "the year beforest," st year," and "this year," it would be easy to get confused once time passed.
"First Year" could have referred to this year, but it didn''t sound very appealing.
With this in mind, Han Cheng suddenly had a yful idea. He smiled and said, "Let''s call it Green Sparrow Third Year."
"Green Sparrow Third Year?"
Shi Tou repeated Han Cheng''s words, his eyes shining excitedly, but soon he became puzzled again.
"Green Sparrow" referred to their Green Sparrow Tribe, and naming the Year after their tribe was a good idea. Just by hearing it, one would know it was something from their Green Sparrow Tribe, much nicer than the "First Year" they had named.
However, this is only the first year since the "Year" appeared. Why did the Divine Child not call this year Green Sparrow One Year but Green Sparrow Three Years?
This left Shi Tou quite puzzled. He thought hard but couldn''t figure out this confusing question, so he asked the Divine Child.
Han Cheng just smiled smugly without exining.
This further puzzled Shi Tou, but he could only inwardly agonize over it and try to figure out the reasons himself.
Shi Tou''s eyes suddenly lit up as he absentmindedly drew on the ground with a stick. After a while, he raised his voice and said excitedly, "I got it! When the Divine Child arrived, it was autumn. That year was Green Sparrow Year One, the previous year was Green Sparrow Year Two, and this year is Green Sparrow Year Three."
After speaking, he looked at Han Cheng expectantly.
Some of his thoughts had been spoken out loud. Even though Han Cheng had a thick skin, he couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed. Luckily, it was nighttime, the mes were flickering, and no one noticed his reaction.
Shi Tou, on the other hand, was ecstatic, feeling that naming the year this way was ingenious.
Their tribe underwent earth-shaking changes after the arrival of the Divine Child. Therefore, it was logical to consider the year of the Divine Childs arrival as the first year.
Shi Tou and others who gradually understood or didn''t understand the situation thought it was an excellent idea to consider the year of the Divine Childs arrival as the first year.
Thus, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s method of reckoning years was established. The Divine Child''s arrival year was designated as Green Sparrow First Year, and so on, leading up to the current Green Sparrow Year Three.
Han Cheng proposed calling the first year Green Sparrow Element Year. He exined to Shi Tou and the others that "First" and "One" meant the same thing at this time.
They didn''t understand why. They still needed to call the first year Green Sparrow First Year if they meant the same thing. Wouldn''t it be simpler to call it Green Sparrow Year One?
Of course, they just thought about it in their minds.
Since the Divine Child said, it was Green Sparrow First Year, then Green Sparrow First Year it was.
The darkness before dawn gradually faded away, and dawn arrived as the sky began to lighten. The terrifying Nian still hadn''t appeared, indicating that they had frightened it off. They had defeated the terrifying Nian!
The people couldn''t help but cheer, and the drums thundered.
Those who were still sleeping were awakened by the drumming. Remembering it was the "New Year," they quickly got up.
When the children opened their eyes to see the new clothes beside the heated brick bed, they couldn''t help but smile joyfully. The Divine Child was right. After sleeping, they woke up the next day with new clothes!
Eager to wear their new clothes, they ran out one by one, wishing every day could be New Year''s Day.
Not only was there an abundance of delicious food but there were also new clothes to wear.
The adults also changed into their new clothes. Although they appeared more dignified than the children, their joy was no less.
In this atmosphere, Green Sparrow Three Year quietly passed away, and now they weed the brand new Green Sparrow Year Four.
Ordinary days immediately became different because of the appearance of the calendar and the year.
"Shaman, Happy New Year!"
Han Cheng greeted Shaman, who had alsoe out of his room wearing new clothes, with a bow and a smile.
Shaman felt awkward about the Divine Child''s sudden strange behavior and words. After thinking for a moment, he roughly understood its meaning and awkwardly followed Han Cheng''s example, bowing to him and saying, " Divine Child, Happy New Year!"
Imitating and learning are things people do consciously or unconsciously, especially towards those they respect.
After Han Cheng greeted the tribe''s people with bows and New Year wishes, this novel greeting and blessing quickly spread throughout the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Soon, mutual bowing and New Year wishes filled the air.
Han Cheng''s face was constantly smiling, especially when Shaman led the people in unevenly bowing to him and wishing him a Happy New Year. His smile became even more pronounced.
Chapter 261: Warm Wind Blows, Spring is here
Chapter 261: Warm Wind Blows, Spring is here
The umted snow on the ground slowly melted, and the thick ice on the river was gradually thawing. At some point, the swollen river began to flow steadily downstream, asionally apanied by the sound of ice colliding.
The roots had turned green, and some impatient des were already poking their tender yellow heads out of the soil, trembling in the lingering chill of the spring breeze.
Standing atop the walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe, one could see ayer of faint green over the surrounding expanse of yellow, a sign of the season where green willows seemed to contain smoke, and the grass looked closer yet out of reach.
In this somewhat chilly wind, the spring of the fourth year of the Green Sparrow had officially arrived.
Despite Han Cheng''s anticipation and the preparations he had made throughout half the winter, his journey did notmence immediately.
Firstly, spring had just arrived, and because of the melting snow, the river had swelled significantly. It wasn''t safe to travel by boat in such conditions.
Secondly, the temperature hadn''t risen yet, neither in the air nor the river.
In this season, falling into the water could cost someone their life.
In other words, it wasn''t the right time for a downstream journey.
Thirdly, and most importantly, Han Cheng was feeling somewhat hesitant.
As winter gave way to spring and the river began to thaw, his once eager desire to explore suddenly tinged with unease.
He didn''t know what awaited him further afield.
On one hand, he longed for the civilized world beyond, but on the other hand, he felt apprehensive about it.
He didn''t know what to do when he discovered the civilized world outside or how to handle his rtionship with the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Should he leave the tribe behind and return to civilization alone, or should he return to the tribe''s embrace? Or perhaps he should take the tribe''s people with him?
These were things he had considered before but hadn''t profoundly considered. As the weather warmed up, these thoughts weighed heavier on his mind with each passing day.
Ah, humanity.
Ah, Han Cheng.
Trulyplex and indescribable.
Han Cheng procrastinated on the journey because these thoughts weighed on his mind, and there were unfavorable external conditions for travel.
Let''s wait a little longer, until the weather warms up some more, until the silkworms are ready until the millet is sown.
By then, the water will be much warmer. Even if the canoe capsizes and one falls into the water, they can fight for their life. It wouldn''t be like now, where falling in would freeze them stiff and likely cost them their life.
After making this decision, Han Cheng felt considerably relieved.
As he was thinking this, he suddenly heard faint crying behind him.
And it wasn''t just one person crying.
Han Cheng was taken aback, confusion rising within him. He had been here for three years and hadn''t seen many people in the tribe cry. What was happening today? Why were they suddenly crying?
And it wasn''t just one person crying. Could it be?
These thoughts swirling in his mind made Han Cheng''s heart uneasy. Suppressing his wandering thoughts, he turned to look into the courtyard. He didn''t see anyone crying, but he could tell the direction of the soundit was from that row of houses!
He followed thedder that had been inspected and tidied once, quickly descended the wall, and hurried towards the house.
Circling the house from a distance, he saw the scene unfold before him: several older children from the Green Sparrow Tribe, including Xing, Chen, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li, had gathered under the eaves, their cries emanating from their mouths.
Seeing only them, given that their location wasn''t the doorway or inside the house, Han Cheng''s heart rxed slightly.
"What''s wrong?" Han Cheng asked aloud.
"Divine Child" They looked up upon hearing his voice, and upon seeing Han Cheng, Xing cried out with tears in her eyes.
Han Cheng shivered slightly. He always found it annoying when women cried; they wouldn''t stop once they started, making him irritable.
Seeing Xing and the others tearfully looking at him, he felt somewhat overwhelmed.
Moreover, it wasn''t just the girls crying; even the boys like Cheng were teary-eyed. What was going on?
After inquiring about the situation, Han Cheng soon understood the whole story.
The root of the problemy in the empty wooden frame he was holding in his hands.
Originally used to hang wind chimes, the wooden frame couldn''t withstand the warmer weather, and the wind chimes made of ice eventually melted.
Xing and the others especially liked the transparent and melodious wind chimes. Seeing them melt and break, they couldn''t help but cry in sadness.
Even the boys like Cheng also liked these wind chimes. At first, they didn''t cry, butter, influenced by Xing and the others, they shed tears, too.
"I put it in the water, but it still melted," Xiaomei said, choking back tears and unable to hold them back.
Han Cheng felt a headacheing on. This was indeed aplex problem. There were no refrigerators, and the tribe didn''t have saltpeter. How could he magically produce ice?
Looking at these tearful and expectant faces, Han Cheng regretted bringing out the wind chimes in the first ce.
Seeing Han Cheng pondering silently, Xing and the others knew that the wind chimes were beyond saving.
The warmer weather meant the ice and snow would melt. They understood this but couldn''t bear to see such beautiful wind chimes disappear.
"Divine Child" Xing spoke up, indicating they didn''t need the wind chimes anymore. But to their surprise, Han Cheng, who had been silent and contemtive, suddenly smiled and said he could fix the wind chimes.
This surprised and delighted them, and they were also curious about how Han Cheng would fix the wind chimes, especially since the ice had already melted.
Han Cheng naturally had a solution. He instructed the children to find some broken pottery pieces.
These were plentiful in the Green Sparrow Tribe, especially near the y pits near the river.
After a while, the children picked up a small pile of pottery pieces.
Han Cheng then directed them to drill holes in the pottery pieces.
As soon as the children understood what Han Cheng was doing, their eyes lit up.
Yes, they had only thought of using ice to make wind chimes, but they forgot that other things could also be used!
Inspired by Han Cheng, Heiwa had already mastered a simple method of zing pottery: brushing ayer of wood ash water onto the y embryo, firing the pottery, and the surface would be very smooth.
The pieces the children brought were all shiny and zed.
The ropes on the wooden frame were now adorned with pottery pieces of various sizes. When they collided with each other, they produced even more pleasing sounds.
Seeing the wind chimes gently swaying in the breeze, the children smiled individually, cheering around Han Cheng.
Han Cheng also smiled.
Chapter 262: Silkworms, planting trees, seedlings, and the arriving Donkey Tribe.
Chapter 262: Silkworms, nting trees, seedlings, and the arriving Donkey Tribe.
A gentle breeze blew, and the wind chimes under the eaves tinkled softly. Thezy spring sun bathed everything in warmth.
Han Cheng sat against the southern wall, holding a stick in his hand. He carefully examined it in front of his eyes, straining his eyes a bit, but he still couldn''t see any patterns on the stick.
Han Cheng rubbed his slightly sore eyes and put the stick back into the y pot by his feet.
The y pot was dry, and some tender yellow leaves inside were this year''s newly sprouted mulberry leaves.
He never forgot about the silkworms. Even with the current technological means, even if he managed to raise silkworms, turning the delicate silkworm silk into magnificent silk was almost impossible. However, Han Cheng never gave up the idea of raising silkworms.
The silkworms were still quite primitive, far from mature domestic silkworms, and there was still a long way to go. Since that was the case, he decided to start with a small-scale breeding.
Not for making silk but to cultivate silkworms that could producerger and better cocoons.
Compared to the advancement of weaving technology, the evolution of silkworm cocoons was undoubtedly more difficult and required a long time of generation-by-generation cultivation.
When the weaving methods reached the point where they could use silk to weave silk, it would be toote to start cultivating domestic silkworms.
After waiting for a while and not seeing any silkwormrvae emerge from the silkworm seeds, Han Cheng ced the small y pot on the windowsill and walked towards the courtyard outside.
Outside the Green Sparrow Tribe, it was a busy scene.
Led by the Eldest Senior Brother, they were using spades to dig something on the softenednd after a winter.
They weren''t plowing thend but digging holes.
The digging spots were on the east side of the Green Sparrow Tribe, on the open space bordering the forest, and near the small river some distance away from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
These pits were dug about every two meters.
Don''t doubt why they dug so urately because the Lame was measuring with a two-meter-long stick.
These pits stretched from the small river on the south side to the foot of the mountain two or three miles away.
There were two rows of such pits.
After someone dug the pit, the person behind them picked up a small sapling and put it in the dug pit. Following the previous demonstration of the Divine Child, they straightened the sapling while Liang next to them used a spade to tamp the soil piled up on the pit''s edge and firmly packed it with their feet.
After doing this, they took the spade and the sapling and went to the next pit, then repeated the previous actions.
Ru Hua carried a bucket of water from the river and walked to the newly nted sapling, where she put it down.
With one hand holding the rope on the jar and the other hand lifting the bottom of the jar, she slowly tilted it down, pouring the cool, bright water from the jar into the pit where the new sapling was nted.
Sometimes, after pouring out a jar of water, there would be one or two jumping little fish at the bottom.
If it were before, in the old tribe, Ru Hua would be very happy to hide the little fish in her hand secretly, find an opportunity where nobody could see, and put the little fish into her mouth, chewing nervously while sincerely marveling at her good luck today.
But now, she would never do such a thing again.
Three meals a day, each meal eaten to the full. After getting used to this kind of life, thinking back to the past, she couldn''t help but wonder how she managed to survive and grow up.
Ru Hua watered the nts very carefully and conscientiously. Sometimes, when she saw a sapling leaning, she would stop and straighten it out.
Like everyone else in the tribe, she executed the tasks assigned by the Divine Child without any discount.
These saplings were not random trees but fruit trees brought by the tribe''s people from the surrounding area in the past few days.
Only after Ru Hua made sure the saplings wouldn''t lean anymore did she release her hand, showing great care towards these saplings.
While doing these tasks, scenes from a few days ago that the Divine Child had described involuntarily floated into her mind
The gentle wind blew, the branches swayed slightly, and the rich fragrance of fruit filled the entire courtyard with the wind.
The nted fruit trees had grown not far from the courtyard, and the branches wereden with fruit, bending them down.
There was no need to go far to pick fruit. One could easily obtain fruit just by walking out of the courtyard.
Just thinking about this scene made people intoxicated and fascinated.
At the same time, she wondered why they hadn''t considered nting wild fruit trees near the tribe before.
Qi Qiu didn''t participate in the tree-nting activity; he had other things to attend to.
Squatting at the edge of the rapeseed field, he was inserting many sticks about five centimeters long into the turned soil.
The sticks weren''tpletely inserted; one or two buds without leaves were exposed outside.
He was doing it very seriously, but he didn''t quite understand the Divine Child''s exnation that these sticks would grow into trees when the time came.
After watching for a while, Han Cheng pulled out a few sticks that Qi Qiu had inserted upside down and reinserted them.
He was trying to develop this area as a nursery, mainly nting mulberry branches and some fruit trees. Han Cheng didn''t know whether these fruit trees would seed.
The fruits at this time mainly were not as tasty as those inter generations.
Fruits with small pits and lots of flesh were considered heretical, while fruits with thick skin, little flesh,rge pits, and a bad taste were mainstream.
Thinking about it, one could understand. After all, the fruits eaten inter generations had undergone countless generations and breeding techniques to finally be what they were, naturally much better than these primitive, pure wild ones now.
Han Cheng knew little about fruit tree cultivation. One method was grafting, and the other was selection, simr to cultivating rapeseed.
However, no matter what, this had to be explored and tried. With more exploration, the experience would gradually umte.
"Someone''s here! Someone''s here!"
The person standing on the low wall to the east shouted.
Before he shouted, the Eldest Senior Brother digging pits in the east with others had already noticed the visitors.
Because these people came from the forest to the east.
After a brief moment of tension, it quickly calmed down. The visitors were from the Donkey Tribe, not enemies.
Han Cheng was a little puzzled. It was just the beginning of spring; why were people from the Donkey Tribe here? Hadn''t he given them enough salt before?
After confirming the visitors'' identities, the Eldest Senior Brother asked the Third Senior Brother and others to put away their bows.
The Third Senior Brother and the others were very vignt. They also brought bows and arrows when they came out to dig pits.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe looked at the curved wood carried by the people of this tribe behind their backs, puzzled.
Using such curved wood as a weapon, he didn''t understand what this wealthy tribe was thinking. They even treated it so solemnly.
That curved wood was far less lethal than the wooden sticks with bone fragments held by other people in this tribe.
Chapter 263: The Suddenly Generous Donkey Tribe.
Chapter 263: The Suddenly Generous Donkey Tribe.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe was puzzled not only by this point but also by why this tribe used something that seemed to have even greater power than stone spears to dig the ground. He couldn''t understand what was worth digging in thisnd.
Such weapons could be more beneficial for hunting. Yet, this tribe used them for digging, which was a waste.
As he thought about it, his gaze swept over the newly dug pits and the nted saplings of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and his confusion deepened.
He had never nted trees himself, but from what he saw, he could basically understand the intention of the Green Sparrow Tribe in doing this. However, understanding it only made him more puzzled.
Trees were everywhere around here. Why would this tribe still nt trees? What was the point?
Did they n to chop them down for firewood when the time came?N?v(el)B\\jnn
Thinking this way, he shook his head slightly. How could it be convenient to chop down grown trees directly?
The leader of the Donkey Tribe thought for a while but still couldn''t understand. In his opinion, the actions of the Green Sparrow Tribe were unnecessary and a waste of time.
Of course, he couldn''t summarize it so sinctly, but that was the gist of his thoughts.
This was truly a tribe with too much food and nothing better to do.
This was the definition the leader of the Donkey Tribe gave to the Green Sparrow Tribe based on his observations during this visit.
However, just thinking about the precious pottery, delicious salt, and abundant food that this tribe possessed, the leader of the Donkey Tribe felt somewhat deted and resentful.
Why did this tribe, which seemed idle, possess so many things they looked up to?
Thinking about it made him feel frustrated.
In such a mood, the leader of the Donkey Tribepleted negotiations with the Green Sparrow Tribe''s elder.
Seeing the food and fur carried by the people of the Donkey Tribe, the Chief of the Green Sparrow Tribe temporarily ordered the cessation of digging and invited them to join the tribe.
Meanwhile, the Third Senior Brother and the archers hurried back to the tribe and climbed onto the low wall.
The process of entering the Green Sparrow Tribe was the same: all weapons were left outside before entry.
The people of the Donkey Tribe had visited the Green Sparrow Tribe several times before and were ustomed to its requirements. Upon arriving at the Green Sparrow Tribe''s gate, they voluntarily left their weapons outside.
Perhaps they felt they wouldn''t need so much fur in the winter. This time, the Donkey Tribe brought substantial furpared to all their previous visits.
Despite the considerable value of the pottery in the Green Sparrow Tribe, the Donkey Tribe''s exchange of pottery and some food stillted them arge jar, two y pots, and twelve bowls.
They also requested two more jars of salt to take back as they departed.
Why did the Donkey Tribe suddenly be so generous?
After the people of the Donkey Tribe left with their newly acquired pottery and the free salt, Han Cheng looked at the pile of things they had left behind, feelingpletely puzzled.
ording to his previous estimation, among the surrounding tribes in contact with the Green Sparrow Tribe, the Donkey Tribe was the poorest.
Yet today, the Donkey Tribe''s actionspletely overturned his previous conclusions.
Could the people of the Donkey Tribe, like A-Q, have been involved in illicit dealings?
Han Cheng joked to himself but then shook his head.
The Donkey Tribe had few people, and in the middle of winter, it was impossible for them to steal so many things from other tribes and get away unscathed. After all, doing such things in the middle of winter meant leaving no way out for the tribes being robbed, and those tribes would fight back.
Just now, Han Cheng carefully observed the members of the Donkey Tribe who came to trade. Their numbers had not changed muchpared to previous visits. Furthermore, they didn''t bear any signs of injuries, and no members appeared conspicuously different from before. From this perspective, it could be reasonably ruled out that the people of the Donkey Tribe had engaged in raiding other tribes.
The surrounding tribes were all quite mysterious. The Green Tribe had millet, and the Sheep Tribe managed to procure many sheep. The Donkey Tribe, originally thought to be the poorest, suddenly became wealthy¡
After thinking for a while with no results, Han Cheng decided not to dwell on this matter any longer. Whether these furs and food were possessed initially by the Donkey Tribe and only now brought out or obtained from elsewhere, they would ultimately belong to their tribe.
Coincidentally, their tribe''s fur stock was dwindling due to heavy winter consumption, so the batch brought by the Donkey Tribe could fill the gap. Someone naturally began to transport these newly acquired skins without needing his orders.
Han Cheng stood there for a while, then remembered the matter of the silkworms and walked over to check.
As he approached, Fu Jiang, with herrge belly,yzily in the sun, apparently nearing the time to give birth.
Han Cheng looked at her increasinglyrge belly and the few little things that had now be visible among her fur as shey down, thinking there would soon be some little puppies in the tribe.
Thinking of this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel happy.
What made him even happier was what happened next: many of the silkworm seeds on the mulberry sticks had hatched.
On the bottom of the basin, some nearly invisible things were lying on the small mulberry leaves. These seemingly motionless little ck dots were the newly hatched silkwormrvae.
Previously, after waiting so long and not seeing any silkworms hatch from the eggs, Han Cheng had started to doubt whether the eggs were already bad. Now that he saw the small silkworms emerge, he finally rxed.
Uncontroble joy emanated from deep within him. Only he knew the immense significance represented by these tiny creatures at this moment.
Meanwhile, Shaman, who was peeking at the mother rabbit feeding her kittens at the edge of the rabbit pen, saw the Divine Child continuously giggling at the basin and came over to see what was happening.
After learning about the situation from Han Cheng, Shamany there blinking for a long time but saw nothing. His eyes were already a bit blurry.
Although he didn''t see the tiny silkworms, a smile still appeared on Shaman''s face. He had heard too much about silkworms from the Divine Child during this time. Although he still felt it was unnecessary as long as there was enough fur to use, he now attached more importance to silkworms.
By the afternoon, no more silkwormrvae crawled out. Han Cheng carefully counted them and found a total of thirty-three.
These little guys seemed motionless on the mulberry leaves, but if you looked again after a while, you would find they had already nibbled on the tender leaves.
As the sun was about to set, Han Cheng carried these silkworms back into the house.
To prevent these tiny creatures from escaping, Han Cheng deliberately found the best-zed pottery in the tribe to contain them. The smooth interior of the pottery was not conducive to crawling and could effectively prevent them from climbing up.
Later, he thought it wasn''t secure enough and found a piece of animal hide to cover the pottery.
After a while, he worried that the animal hide wouldn''t be breathable and might suffocate these little creatures. After scratching his head and thinking for a while, he found some dry,rge leaves to cover them.
After doing all this, Han Cheng smiled helplessly. He was too kind to these silkworms as if they were afraid to melt in his mouth or drop from his hands.
He raised them for a few days first, and when they grew bigger, he let Xing, Xiaomei, and Xiaoli take care of them.
When he woke up in the middle of the night, Han Cheng couldn''t help but light amp from the heated bed to check on the silkworms.
Keeping them in his room was affecting his sleep.
Chapter 264: Fu Jiang Gives Birth
Chapter 264: Fu Jiang Gives Birth
Three days had passed, yet the joy brought by the silkworms had not diminished much.
These tiny creatures grew very fast. In just three days, their size increased two or threefoldpared to the beginning, as if they had been inted.
As their size increased, so did their appetite.
Fortunately, there were only a few silkworms, and the leaves on those mulberry trees were enough for them to eat. Raising these silkworms did not impose much burden on the tribe.
However, where the mulberry trees grew was a bit far from the tribe, making it inconvenient to pick mulberry leaves.
It would be better when the mulberry saplings nted this year grew up. At that time, they could burn arge area ofnd near the tribe, nt these mulberry saplings, and in a few years, they would have arge mulberry forest.
Mulberry trees were excellent for making bows, wooden forks, or raising silkworms. In the age of men cultivating and women weaving, a mulberry field was a good legacy for future generations.
A few mulberry leaves were prepared for the silkworms. Han Cheng called out to the Third Senior Brother and asked him to bring two others and himself to pick some mulberry leaves.Just as they were about to leave, Fu Jiang, who had yet to be found before, showed up.
Han Cheng thought it wanted to follow him, but as soon as he took a few steps, Fu Jiang grabbed his clothes with its teeth and pulled him back.
What was wrong with this guy today? Why wouldn''t it let him go out?
Han Cheng wondered.
Han Cheng stood still, and Fu Jiang let go of his clothes, squatting there and looking at him.
Han Cheng pondered for a while in the ce, then pretended to walk outside again. Fu Jiang came over and pulled him back.
After three or four times like this, Han Cheng gave up going out to pick mulberry leaves. Although he seemed calm, he was pretty nervous.
Sometimes, animals seemed to know when something big was about to happen, and they made unexpected moves. Han Cheng had heard such stories more than once.
The most memorable one was during the Three Kingdoms period when Wang Yun, Lu Bu, and others were preparing to kill Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo encountered many omens on his way, including a yellow dog blocking the road and crying.
For such things, it was impossible not to be affected.
Han Cheng also treated it with an attitude of believing it rather than not. After all, life was the most important thing.
Han Cheng carefully pondered for a while. He hadn''t adopted any adopted sons, nor had he kept any pretty concubines. Aftering here, he had been single-mindedly working for the development of the Green Sparrow tribe and hadn''t done anything morally questionable. It didn''t make sense for such signs to appear on him!
The trees had been nted, and Eldest Senior Brother and others, who were preparing the ground for nting millet, were called in by Han Cheng. The gate of the Green Sparrow tribe was also closed, and no one was outside.
The Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, and others didn''t understand what was happening and came over to ask why. Han Cheng couldn''t tell them much about it, only saying that the tribe might encounter unfavorable things.
Seeing that the Divine Child was somewhat unnatural, the Eldest Senior Brother pounded his chest to reassure the Divine Child. Most of the others who knew about this also pounded their chests and howled to show no need to worry.
Han Cheng could understand their thoughts very well.
The Green Sparrow tribe raised its walls higherst year and set up many measures outside the walls. They even had long-range weapons like bows, stone-throwing weapons, and defensive measures like vine shields. They had been practicing systematically for over three months and felt that they had be powerful.
Many people were even looking forward to the return of the tribe that had once attacked them so that they could show off their skills.
Otherwise, it would be very ufortable to make so many preparations and not be able to use them.
It''s like someone who has obtained a treasure and always wants to cut something.
Watching this group of people standing on the low wall, rubbing their hands in excitement, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
What did it matter if something terrible happened? Staying inside the walls, facing the Green Sparrow tribe curled up like hedgehogs, even if the surrounding tribes were added together, they wouldn''t get anything good.
As for wild beasts and such, let''s not even mention them.
Han Cheng thought to himself as he went to look for Fu Jiang, the cause of themotion, but he couldn''t find her.
After a while, he saw Fu Jianging from somewhere with a piece of torn leather in its mouth, dragging it into the house.
What was up with this guy today? Why was it acting so strangely?
Han Cheng became puzzled. Fu Jiang had never done such things before.
He didn''t stop Fu Jiang''s actions but followed behind, wanting to see what it was up to today.
Entering the house, he found that Fu Jiang had already dragged the torn leather into its nest.
Its nest was padded with hay and fur, quitefortable, but now it was even messier and bulky with the addition of the torn leather that Fu Jiang had brought in.
After bringing in the torn leather, Fu Jiang became quiet, rearranged its nest, andy down inside withouting out again.
Han Cheng''s eyes lit up, and he pped his forehead. He understood why Fu Jiang looked like this today. It wasn''t an omen; it was about to give birth to pups!
He went out to tell Eldest Senior Brother and the others not to be so highly vignt anymore, but they seemed somewhat disappointed.
Fitting quietly in its nest, Fu Jiang came out with Han Cheng and followed him outside. When Han Cheng returned to the house, it returned to its nest.
After about half an hour like this, Fu Jiang became restless, standing up from its nest asionally, lying down again, and sometimes even walking to the edge of the nest.
It made some painful whining sounds.
During this time, Fu Jiang didn''t let Han Cheng go out. Every time Han Cheng left the house, it woulde out and pull him back.
When a mother beast gave birth to pups, it was the most dangerous time for her, and Han Cheng was Fu Jiang''s closest person. Only Han Cheng''s presence here to let it out would give it peace of mind.
Han Cheng knew that the puppies were about to be born. They mustn''t have a difficult birth like Lord Deer''s wife, or he really wouldn''t have any good ideas.
He thought anxiously.
Han Cheng''s anxiety was soon reced by joy as he saw a tiny thing fall into the fur pile¡
With the birth of the first slippery, rat-like puppy, the rest came much faster, so much so that Han Cheng miscounted the number of puppies.
He initially counted four, but when Fu Jiang stopped giving birth, and he recounted, he was pleasantly surprised to find that there was one more!
The newly made mother, Fu Jiang, appeared somewhat alert yet carried a unique serenity. Shey in the dog nest, with five blind puppies crowding together, fighting for milk and asionally making grunting sounds.
Han Cheng went over and picked up one of the nursing wolf cubs, chubby and fluffy, adorable.
Feeling the delicious thing disappear in its mouth, it made some whining protest sounds in its throat, and its body made small, futile struggles, trying to break free from this devil''s grasp and return to the safe embrace.
Fu Jiang appeared somewhat nervous as it stood up, grabbed one of the puppies that refused to let go of the nipple, and took a tumble.
It opened its mouth, gently bit the puppy''s neck, took it from Han Cheng''s hand and put it back in the nest.
Strangely enough, the puppy, struggling in Han Cheng''s arms, was exceptionally quiet when carried by Fu Jiang like this.
It was sleeping with its eyes closed.
Chapter 265: Five Little Blessings and the Deer of the Ploughed Land
Chapter 265: Five Little Blessings and the Deer of the Ploughed Land
The instinct of blessing to protect its cubs still exists. Except for Han Cheng, who raised her, Fu Jiang does not allow anyone else to go to the dog''s den to take her wolf cubs.
However, because it hasn''t spent as much time with wolves as it has with humans and has long considered the Green Sparrow Tribe its own group, it has be familiar with the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. So, when others approach the dog''s den, it just shows its teeth and doesn''t attack.
Furry little animals are the most lovable, especially for the girls in the tribe, who are captivated by these furry little creatures.
Although they don''t care much about silkworm farming, they are exceptionally fond of these wolf cubs.
These people who don''t usuallye to Han Cheng''s house now want to hang around here when they have nothing to do.
Squatting on the side and watching the wolf cubs suckle, their hearts are melting.
These primitive girls, who couldn''t resist the impulse to "trap the god" half a month ago and told their thoughts to the Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman, have nowpletely forgotten about trapping the Divine Child and giving birth to monkeys for him. Their hearts are now wholly devoted to these meaty little dog cubs.
If they watch for a long time, they will beg the Divine Child to bring out these little dog cubs for them to touch, hug, and lift high.Because in the entire tribe, only the Divine Child can bring the puppies out of the dog''s den.
Han Cheng looked at these underage girls who were wholeheartedly devoted to the little wolf cubs, recalling what the shaman had said to him half a month ago, and couldn''t help but wipe away a cold sweat.
Who knows how these guys suddenly started thinking about trapping him again?
Why are people like Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li so eager?
Is it because the Divine Child''s face became more charming after being struck by lightning?
As a certain Divine Child wiped away his sweat while shamelessly thinking like this.
The matter of "trapping the Divine Child" was naturally firmly rejected by Han Cheng with righteous words. The reason was very justified: he was still not grown up and was not suitable for doing things that were not suitable for children¡
With the sudden urrence of twin sisters and then living a life of kidney pain, Han Cheng had fantasized about it a lot in his previous life, but now¡
Looking at Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, who were not much thinner than Xing, Han Cheng still found it difficult to open his heart.
Is this the difference between ideal and reality?
Han Cheng thought helplessly while sniffing.
Speaking of which, it''s a bit bitter. Whether in this life or the previous one, marriage matters are full of twists and turns for him.
This matter was temporarily put aside. As he grew up, he would choose whether to bow to reality or remain a lifelong bachelor and cultivate unparalleled hand speed.
Thinking so bitterly, Han Cheng was very supportive of the behavior of Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li, who were wholeheartedly devoted to the little wolf cubs. In this way, they wouldn''t be thinking all day about how to "trap the Divine Child"¡
The five little dog cubs already have their names: Da Fu, Er Fu, San Fu, Si Fu, and Xiao Fu.
Han Cheng did not give these names, but Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li this group of girls.
They felt that the cubs born under the blessing must have the character "Fu" in their names, and they also knew from the Divine Child that the character "Fu" means blessings.
Han Cheng looked at these people who were full of expectations looking at him and finally resisted the urge to cough and agreed to these names.
But his face couldn''t help but twitch a little. Five Little blessings, indeed.
After thinking about it, he realized this was also good. Apart from being easy to remember, aside from the pun with Five Little Fu, the implication of "Five Blessings Arriving" is also good.
The weather was getting warmer daily, and the grass changed from tender yellow to deep green,pleting the transformation from fresh meat to old bacon.
Many wildflowers also began to bloom, including many purple joy flowers.
This year, the joy flowers were blooming white because no joy festivals were held between the nearby tribes.
However, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe still had things to do.
Therge patch of rapeseed to the west, nourished by spring sunlight, was lush green, and its growth was quite satisfactory. By now, it had started to bud universally.
In a little while, it would blossom.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were not busy with these already established rapeseed fields but with the open space next to the rapeseed fields.
These empty spaces, covering more than twenty mu, stretched from the foot of the mountain in the north almost to the riverbank.
Most of thesends were opened up after nting rapeseedst year.
The area near the river was newly opened after spring this year.
With the weather warming up, the nting of millet, which Han Cheng attached great importance to, was also on the agenda.
Millet is nted in spring and harvested in autumn. He roughly knew the timing but wasn''t sure when the most suitable time was to nt millet. Therefore, he divided the millet into four batches and nted them, with about ten days between each batch.
The first batch of millet is currently being nted.
The Deer Lord appeared somewhat impatient and aggrieved, asionally shaking its head.
This was not because it was restless again and wanted to engage in some indescribable activities with its harem but because it still had ropes on its back and head that made it extremely ufortable.
It was indeed quite aggrieved. On such a sunny day with a gentle breeze, when it took its tribe to the wilderness to bask in the sun and eat a few mouthfuls of lush green grass, some heartless two-legged creatures were now leading it, walking onnd with hardly any grass.
The old deer wouldn''t feel so aggrieved and ufortable if it were just that. The key was that while walking on thisnd with hardly any grass, there were broad things made of leather on its back.
On both sides of these leather things, there were ropes connected, and at the end of the ropes was a half-meter-long crossbar, with two ropes tied to this crossbar.
Behind the crossbar, there was another piece of rope with a wooden hook tied to the end. Behind the hook was something almost two meters long.
This thing was very simr to thedder of the Green Sparrow Tribe, except that it was not made of whole round logs but of those split in half from the middle.
And the spacing between those crossbars was much smaller.
Yes, this thing was a rake used for breaking up soil.
But it was a bit different from the rake in the future.
The teeth of the rake in the future were made of iron, while the teeth of the rake made by Han Cheng were made of sharpened and curved hardwood sticks.
The spacing between adjacent teeth on the same row was twenty centimeters. Considering that hardwood sticks were not as sturdy as iron and that the strength of deer was notparable to that of cattle, horses, donkeys, and mules, the teeth didn''t protrude much downward. This way, the soil would be shallowly tilled, and the resistance when pulling it up wouldn''t be too excellent.
On this makeshift rake, there was also a handle ced, and the handle was filled with soil inside so that the teeth of the rake could be pressed into the soil.
Han Cheng long ago nned to use deer as beasts of burden. As the cultivatednd area of the Green Sparrow Tribe increased, thebor intensity would also continuously expand, so using animal power was necessary.
Without cattle and horses, they had to make do with what they had and use deer instead.
Although the strength of deer was not as good as that of cattle, horses, and donkeys, it still had many advantagespared to humans. For example, the ongoing tilling of thend.
The instinct of blessing to protect its cubs still exists. Except for Han Cheng, who raised her, Fu Jiang does not allow anyone else to go to the dog''s den to take her wolf cubs.
However, because it hasn''t spent as much time with wolves as it has with humans and has long considered the Green Sparrow Tribe its own group, it has be familiar with the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. So, when others approach the dog''s den, it just shows its teeth and doesn''t attack.
Furry little animals are the most lovable, especially for the girls in the tribe, who are captivated by these furry little creatures.
Although they don''t care much about silkworm farming, they are exceptionally fond of these wolf cubs.
These people who don''t usuallye to Han Cheng''s house now want to hang around here when they have nothing to do.
Squatting on the side and watching the wolf cubs suckle, their hearts are melting.
These primitive girls, who couldn''t resist the impulse to "trap the god" half a month ago and told their thoughts to the Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman, have nowpletely forgotten about trapping the Divine Child and giving birth to monkeys for him. Their hearts are now wholly devoted to these meaty little dog cubs.
If they watch for a long time, they will beg the Divine Child to bring out these little dog cubs for them to touch, hug, and lift high.
Because in the entire tribe, only the Divine Child can bring the puppies out of the dog''s den.
Han Cheng looked at these underage girls who were wholeheartedly devoted to the little wolf cubs, recalling what the shaman had said to him half a month ago, and couldn''t help but wipe away a cold sweat.
Who knows how these guys suddenly started thinking about trapping him again?
Why are people like Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li so eager?
Is it because the Divine Child''s face became more charming after being struck by lightning?
As a certain Divine Child wiped away his sweat while shamelessly thinking like this.
The matter of "trapping the Divine Child" was naturally firmly rejected by Han Cheng with righteous words. The reason was very justified: he was still not grown up and was not suitable for doing things that were not suitable for children¡
With the sudden urrence of twin sisters and then living a life of kidney pain, Han Cheng had fantasized about it a lot in his previous life, but now¡
Looking at Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, who were not much thinner than Xing, Han Cheng still found it difficult to open his heart.
Is this the difference between ideal and reality?
Han Cheng thought helplessly while sniffing.
Speaking of which, it''s a bit bitter. Whether in this life or the previous one, marriage matters are full of twists and turns for him.
This matter was temporarily put aside. As he grew up, he would choose whether to bow to reality or remain a lifelong bachelor and cultivate unparalleled hand speed.
Thinking so bitterly, Han Cheng was very supportive of the behavior of Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li, who were wholeheartedly devoted to the little wolf cubs. In this way, they wouldn''t be thinking all day about how to "trap the Divine Child"¡
The five little dog cubs already have their names: Da Fu, Er Fu, San Fu, Si Fu, and Xiao Fu.
Han Cheng did not give these names, but Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li this group of girls.
They felt that the cubs born under the blessing must have the character "Fu" in their names, and they also knew from the Divine Child that the character "Fu" means blessings.
Han Cheng looked at these people who were full of expectations looking at him and finally resisted the urge to cough and agreed to these names.
But his face couldn''t help but twitch a little. Five Little blessings, indeed.
After thinking about it, he realized this was also good. Apart from being easy to remember, aside from the pun with Five Little Fu, the implication of "Five Blessings Arriving" is also good.
The weather was getting warmer daily, and the grass changed from tender yellow to deep green,pleting the transformation from fresh meat to old bacon.
Many wildflowers also began to bloom, including many purple joy flowers.
This year, the joy flowers were blooming white because no joy festivals were held between the nearby tribes.
However, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe still had things to do.
Therge patch of rapeseed to the west, nourished by spring sunlight, was lush green, and its growth was quite satisfactory. By now, it had started to bud universally.
In a little while, it would blossom.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were not busy with these already established rapeseed fields but with the open space next to the rapeseed fields.
These empty spaces, covering more than twenty mu, stretched from the foot of the mountain in the north almost to the riverbank.
Most of thesends were opened up after nting rapeseedst year.
The area near the river was newly opened after spring this year.
With the weather warming up, the nting of millet, which Han Cheng attached great importance to, was also on the agenda.
Millet is nted in spring and harvested in autumn. He roughly knew the timing but wasn''t sure when the most suitable time was to nt millet. Therefore, he divided the millet into four batches and nted them, with about ten days between each batch.
The first batch of millet is currently being nted.
The Deer Lord appeared somewhat impatient and aggrieved, asionally shaking its head.
This was not because it was restless again and wanted to engage in some indescribable activities with its harem but because it still had ropes on its back and head that made it extremely ufortable.
It was indeed quite aggrieved. On such a sunny day with a gentle breeze, when it took its tribe to the wilderness to bask in the sun and eat a few mouthfuls of lush green grass, some heartless two-legged creatures were now leading it, walking onnd with hardly any grass.
The old deer wouldn''t feel so aggrieved and ufortable if it were just that. The key was that while walking on thisnd with hardly any grass, there were broad things made of leather on its back.
On both sides of these leather things, there were ropes connected, and at the end of the ropes was a half-meter-long crossbar, with two ropes tied to this crossbar.
Behind the crossbar, there was another piece of rope with a wooden hook tied to the end. Behind the hook was something almost two meters long.
This thing was very simr to thedder of the Green Sparrow Tribe, except that it was not made of whole round logs but of those split in half from the middle.
And the spacing between those crossbars was much smaller.
Yes, this thing was a rake used for breaking up soil.
But it was a bit different from the rake in the future.
The teeth of the rake in the future were made of iron, while the teeth of the rake made by Han Cheng were made of sharpened and curved hardwood sticks.
The spacing between adjacent teeth on the same row was twenty centimeters. Considering that hardwood sticks were not as sturdy as iron and that the strength of deer was notparable to that of cattle, horses, donkeys, and mules, the teeth didn''t protrude much downward. This way, the soil would be shallowly tilled, and the resistance when pulling it up wouldn''t be too excellent.
On this makeshift rake, there was also a handle ced, and the handle was filled with soil inside so that the teeth of the rake could be pressed into the soil.
Han Cheng long ago nned to use deer as beasts of burden. As the cultivatednd area of the Green Sparrow Tribe increased, thebor intensity would also continuously expand, so using animal power was necessary.
Without cattle and horses, they had to make do with what they had and use deer instead.
Although the strength of deer was not as good as that of cattle, horses, and donkeys, it still had many advantagespared to humans. For example, the ongoing tilling of thend.
Chapter 266: Shi Tou teaches the Deer to speak
Chapter 266: Shi Tou teaches the Deer to speak
In front of Lord Deer hung a bunch of delicious rapeseed, and Lord Deer stretched out his neck and tongue, wanting to eat it, and quickened his pace.
However, no matter how fast it walked, the bunch of rapeseed kept swaying in front of its eyes, out of reach.
"Yo-yo."
Lord Deer grumbled discontentedly, protesting against the heartlessness and unkindness of the bipedal creatures.
How could they bully a deer like this?
Han Cheng held the rope tied to Lord Deer''s face, walking forward with Lord Deer, and grinned mischievously.
He thought to himself. I can control this guy.
At the beginning of today, Lord Deer was very resistant to tilling thend, so it resorted to using all its energy to pull Han Cheng, who was holding the rope, around the ground.It was quite a joyful experience for Han Cheng.
Under Han Cheng''s anger, he tied a bunch of fresh green rapeseed to a stick with a rope and tied the other end to Lord Deer''s antler so that the rapeseed hung in front of Lord Deer''s eyes.
The effect was surprisingly good.
Just as primitive people generally had little resistance to salt, Lord Deer also had little resistance to rapeseed.
With such delicious food right before it, why wouldn''t it eat it?
So Lord Deer began its journey of chasing after delicacies, embarking on an irreversible path.
Not only did Lord Deer enjoy such treatment, but two other strong deer in the deer herd were treated the same way.
With Lord Deer setting an example, their resistance was much lower.
As the rake teeth scraped the ground, the clumps of soil became much smaller.
The expansion and contraction of winter had softened these clumps of soil, and now, after a couple of passes, they became finely crushed.
The troublesome part was that after spring this year, the newly cultivatednd required at least twice as much effort to break up therge clumps of soil there.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others held wooden sticks to knock down the soil clumps that the rake couldn''t reach. They watched the deer pull the rake in the field, their faces filled with smiles.
Farming activities were never easy, and breaking up so many clumps of soil required a lot of effort.
Now, this task fell on the deer, and they were naturally happy, especially since these deer could break up the soil much faster than all of thembined.
It turned out that besides eating meat, these deer had such a great use.
They thought to themselves.
It turned out that besides ox, as the Divine Child had said, deer could also do it.
Shi Tou''s way of thinking always seemed unique. After discovering that deer could work thend, his heart pounded nonstop.
He went to where fur was stored, secretly took out the deer hide, took a deep breath, and put it on.
With an expectant look and extreme nervousness on his face, his eyes were wide open, afraid of missing anything.
However, after a while like this, there was no change around him, and he was still standing on the ground, not taking off.
Feeling disappointed, Shi Tou remembered something and suddenly showed a happy expression.
He went to the leather storage and stole a deer hide. Then, taking a deep breath, he put the hide over his shoulders.
He was excited and nervous.
He waited for a while but nothing happened. He was still standing there and did not fly.
He was slightly disappointed and remembered something. His expression changed.
He put the deer hide away, then ran like the wind.
After a while, he returned with two wooden baskets and a carrying pole.
He put the deer hide back on, then used the carrying pole to hook up the two wooden baskets and put them on his shoulders.
Because he was too short, the baskets barely left the ground, looking awkward.
Shi Tou, however, paid no attention to these things. He earnestly carried the load, his eyes wide with nervousness and anticipation, hoping for something magical to happen¡
As Shi Tou looked at the deer hide and the carrying pole, his face was filled with confusion and despair.
When the Cowherd pursued the Weaver Girl, he was dressed like this, so why couldn''t he fly like them?
Feeling this agony, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he dashed out.
Before long, he returned with two children wearing animal skin clothes, still unsteady on their feet.
This time, he was careful. He had found a boy and a girl.
He ced each child in a basket, and as he ced them inside, he earnestly told them that he would take them to see the sky.
It''s unclear if the children understood Shi Tou''s words, but they found it amusing,ughing and making baby sounds with drool dripping down their chins.
Shi Tou wrapped the rope around the basket twice and, somewhat trembling, lifted the two children, looking up at the sky with anticipation¡
In the following days, Shi Tou''s behavior became somewhat peculiar. Ever since the incident where he fought with the young deer over milk, pinned down by the deer, and was discovered by the Divine Child, he had be unusually diligent in visiting the deer enclosure.
At first, Han Cheng thought Shi Tou couldn''t resist the temptation of that long, soft, and fragrant juice-filled thing.
Butter, he found out that Shi Tou''s mostmon activity was squatting down, hugging the neck of a lying deer, and whispering to it.
He usually did this when there were few people around the deer enclosure. If someone approached, he would fall silent.
Upon noticing this, Han Cheng thought Shi Tou wanted to cultivate a good rtionship with the deer, do some psychological work, and avoid getting kicked by the deer when milking.
But gradually, he realized it seemed different from his thought.
So, he became curious.
After another instance of Shi Tou entering the deer enclosure, Han Cheng sneaked to the edge of the enclosure, holding his straw shoes in one hand and crouching quietly, listening at the wall.
At first, Shi Tou''s voice was too low for Han Cheng to hear clearly. But after a while, perhaps forgetting himself, Shi Tou''s voice gradually became louder.
"¡On the other side of the mountain, there''s ake, and several women are bathing. Go and take their animal skin clothes¡ That person will be your spouse¡"
Listening from outside, Han Cheng looked puzzled. Why was Shi Tou telling the deer the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl?
And why this part where the old cow teaches the Cowherd to be lecherous?
Filled with doubt, Han Cheng listened for a while longer, only to hear Shi Tou repeat the same story over and over. His confusion deepened.
Could this guy be experiencing teenage infatuation at such a young age?
Are you trying to have a romantic encounter like the Cowherd, picking a sturdy female primitive human to spend the night with?
"Oh, little deer, when will you learn to speak? I''ve been teaching you for so long, but you still don''t understand. Why are you so stupid¡"
Inside the deer enclosure, Shi Tou''s frustrated muttering could be heard.
Chapter 267: Bugs Bunny
Chapter 267: Bugs Bunny
"Yo yo¡"
Perhaps feeling annoyed that someone was calling them dumb for not being able to master a foreignnguage taught by someone else, the little deer made a "yo yo" sound.
"Don''t call like that."
Shi Tou''s voice sounded somewhat impatient and severe.
"Say it with me¡ª''Shi Tou.''"
"Yo yo."
"Shi Tou."
"Yo yo."Shi Tou''s ridiculous actions dumbfounded Han Cheng.
This was even more excessive than what he had done himself. Initially, he taught Fu Jiang somenguage skills that a dog must master, but now Shi Tou treats deer as anything but deer.
Compared to teaching Fu Jiang to speak, teaching the deer to do fieldwork was the real challenge!
Suppressing hisughter, Han Cheng left without disturbing Shi Tou, who was preparing to spread Mandarin to all tribes.
After the country''s founding, demons and monsters were not allowed to be spirits, but now, who knows which dynasty it was? Maybe Shi Tou could really teach one or two oddities to speak.
Han Cheng found this amusing.
It wasn''t until several monthster that Han Cheng learned the true intention behind Shi Tou teaching the deer to speak and repeatedly telling them the story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
By then, he had returned in a canoe from outside.
"Divine Child¡"
On the third afternoon after Han Cheng''s return, Shi Tou came to find him, tears streaming down his face as soon as he opened his mouth.
Han Cheng was greatly rmed. What had happened to this child while he was away? Why did he look so miserable?
"What''s wrong? Who bullied you?"
Han Cheng asked as he approached.
He cared a lot about this intelligent and studious kid.
"The little deer¡"
Shi Tou said pitifully.
What? Could it be that the little deer directly drank deer milk and then got beaten up by the deer?
Han Cheng thought to himself, but he heard Shi Tou continue, "It can''t speak. I''ve been teaching it for so long, but it still can''t speak."
As Shi Tou talked about this, he became even more miserable. He had never cried before, but tears were streaming down his face.
Han Cheng didn''t know whether tough or cry. So, this was what it was about. That would be terrifying if the little deer learned to speak because of you.
If that were the case, I would find a tall cliff to jump off and see if I could find the Exorcism Sword Manual, the Sunflower Scripture, or the Nine Yang Divine Art.
As Han Cheng was about tofort Shi Tou, what Shi Tou said next instantly made Han Cheng''s eyes widen, and he almost spat out his tea.
"The little deer can''t speak, and if I wear its skin, I can''t ascend to heaven¡"
He wanted to ascend to heaven, side by side with the sun!
Of course, these were all stories forter.
Now, let''s refocus our attention to the downstream of the river of time and continue to look at thisnd covered by spring.
The Deer Lord was still being lured forward by the rapeseed that always managed to eat it, while Fu Jiang led the fluffy, ball-like Five Little Blessings out of the tribe and walked in the spring fields.
With their short legs, the Five Little Blessings curiously surveyed this novel world, rolling around on the ground like a few fluffy balls.
The lighter-colored Xiao Fu stood there, tilting its head to look at a cluster of bright red flowers, looking dumbfounded.
After watching for a while, it awkwardly opened its toothed mouth and clumsily bit the flower, but suddenly, a bird flew out of the nearby bushes and pped its wings toward the sky.
The Xiao Fu was startled and tumbled over, panicking and calling out. Then, stumbled towards its mother, running with its short legs.
About a quarter of the fields had been harrowed twice, and the soil had be loose, with fewrge clods.
Han Cheng stopped harrowing and began to sow the already threshed grain into the ground using a pottery basin.
Bugs Bunny, whom Han Cheng intended to train as an expert in agriculture, joined him in this task.
Bugs Bunny was a native of the Green Sparrow Tribe. His peculiar name was partly due to his fondness for eating rabbit meat and wearing clothes made of rabbit fur and partly due to Han Cheng''s mischievous sense of humor.
"The gaps between the seeds should be smaller; don''t sow too much at once¡"
"Sow more evenly, see where it hasn''t been sown, then sow a little more¡"
In the moist and loose fields, Han Cheng''s instructions to Bugs Bunny could be heard asionally.
When developing under impoverished conditions, various talents needed to be cultivated, especially in fundamental agricultural nting, which was not to be underestimated.
After sowing the seeds, Deer Lord and several other deer could walk through the fields with a harrow to smooth them out.
The soil brought up by the harrow would cover the grains that had fallen into the ground.
Although it couldn''t cover them all, covering most of them was still achievable.
The weather was favorable, and just after the first batch of grains was sown, a precious spring rain began to fall.
As if explicitly watering these hopeful grains, the rain stopped, and the clouds cleared the next day.
During this time, people from the Green Tribe, the Sheep Tribe, and the Bone Tribe also came one after another. They mostly came to get salt for free, and few brought things to exchange for pottery, which Han Cheng had anticipated beforehand and didn''t find strange.
The leader of the Green Tribe left the Green Sparrow Tribe with two jars of free salt, leading his people away.
Looking at thend devoid of trees or grass, he was doubtful.
He didn''t understand why this prosperous and generous tribe would do such a strange thing¡ªwhy would they cut down trees and turn over thend?
Wasn''t this tiring? How could itpare to hunting?
When he thought of hunting, he couldn''t help but think of therger deer he had just seen in this wealthy tribe. They looked so tempting.
Deer were fast and not easy to catch, and the Green Tribe hadn''t eaten deer meat since a long time ago.
Roasted deer meat sprinkled with salt would surely be even more delicious.
The leader of the Green Tribe licked his lips involuntarily.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea appeared in his mind.
Deer were hard to catch, but this tribe had many of them. When the fruits were ripe, the wild grass around his tribe would also mature.
When the time came, he could bring some wild grass over and exchange it for a deer from this tribe.
After all, this tribe liked wild grass so much, and their leader was so generous or rather foolish¡
With a heart full of joy, the leader of the Green Tribe withdrew his gaze from the prosperous tribe to the west and headed back towards his tribe, secretly sighing for his cleverness.
With such a clever and capable leader in his tribe, it was no wonder they lived sofortably.
With this thought in mind, the leader of the Green Tribe felt content for a long time toe.
.
Chapter 268: Preparing to set sail
Chapter 268: Preparing to set sail
In the hopeful anticipation of the Green Tribe''s leader, the first batch of millet nted by the Green Sparrow Tribe had already sprouted, and the second batch of millet was also nted today.
The tiny millet seedlings were tender and green, simr to somemon grasses seen inter generations, such as dogtail grass.
However, when they grew up, the differences between them could be discerned.
Millet could produce food that could fill one''s stomach, while the previously disregarded wild grasses, thought to be no worse than millet, only yielded a few unappreciated grass seeds.
Even though it was the same half a year, the difference in harvest was quite significant.
The people of the Donkey Tribe hade again. This was their third visit since the beginning of spring, two more times than the other tribes.
Moreover, unlike the other tribes, who usually only wanted salt and rarely brought food or fur to exchange for pottery, the people of the Donkey Tribe always brought arge amount of fur and plenty of food whenever they came.
These furs and food would be exchanged for pottery and returned by them.Han Cheng calcted that so far, the people of the Donkey Tribe had taken the most pottery from the Green Sparrow Tribepared to the surrounding tribes.
Even the Bone Tribe, which could rival the Green Sparrow Tribe in numbers, and the wealthiest Sheep Tribe were surpassed.
Had he been mistaken from the beginning? Was the Donkey Tribe not only the poorest but also the richest among the surrounding tribes?
Were they a hidden wealthy family?
Watching the Donkey Tribe people leave a pile of goods behind and walk eastward with many pieces of exchanged pottery, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel puzzled.
Today, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe did not busy themselves in the fields, but instead, armed with some tools and weapons, went to the salt mountain.
Providing free salt to several tribes, the salt stored by their tribe was quickly depleted.
Every time the people of the Donkey Tribe came and went, they took away a lot of salt. This time, they brought three jars directly, which made Han Cheng strongly suspect that these guys were treating salt as their staple food.
ng, ng, ng¡
Swoosh swoosh¡
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were already familiar with salt boiling. After arriving at the salt mountain, some smashed the salt rocks, filtered them, and boiled them over the fire.
By now, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe no longer carried salt rocks back to boil, as it was too cumbersome.
Instead, they brought their tools directly to the salt mountain to boil.
Bringing back finished salt products was much easier than carrying salt rocks.
The actual salt boiling ce was not at Salt Mountain but near a spring not far from it.
It was here that Han Cheng and the others had previously lured the deer and filled the y pots with water and salt.
Initially, this spring was not very abundant, and it was not enough for salt boiling.
But such a problem clearly couldn''t trouble Han Cheng.
When he led Eldest Senior Brother and the others to dig the spring deeper by half a meter and dug a reservoir more than half a meter deep and five square meters in size not far away, there was no longer a water shortage for salt boiling.
Near this spring, a clearing was opened, with three fires burning. Each fire had arge pot for boiling salt ced on top.
As the water evaporated, the salt dissolved and condensed at the pot''s bottom¡
Water was the source of all things. In the mountains and forests, where there was water, there were generally more birds, beasts, and other creatures. Many footprints were left behind on the edges of the reservoirs and springs.
However, today, the birds, beasts, and other creatures that came for water were destined to return disappointed because a group of domineering monkeys had upied this area''s water source.
These monkeys not only walked on two legs but could also make various strange things, especially those red, pulsating things that terrified the birds and beasts the most.
Boiling salt directly on the salt mountain was very efficient. In just five days, the Green Sparrow Tribe made up for the deficit and gained eight more jars of salt than before.
With this salt, they could sustain themselves for quite some time.
When Han Cheng and the others left, the people remaining in the tribe could stop worrying about salt.
The weather was getting warmer day by day. By the time thest batch of millet was nted, the rapeseed field had already fully grown, reaching nearly half a meter in height. Some impatient ones had even blossomed with a hint of golden yellow.
Many things in the world were bound to happen. Avoiding them blindly wasn''t a wise approach. Apart from making one''s heart anxious, the rewards in other aspects would generally not be significant.
Having no other reasons left, Han Cheng finally had to embark on his first significant journey in this world.
ng, ng, ng¡
This wasn''t the sound of the gong announcing someone''s arrival at the tribe but Lame making the final spare oar with stone knives, chisels, and wooden sticks.
Making oars was necessary. Otherwise, how would they move forward? They couldn''t rely solely on waves, could they?
Although Han Cheng was sometimes a bit reserved, his skill level was insufficient to ride the waves. Therefore, he had to make oars obediently.
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s four single boats were already in the water, now parked at the ample temporary pier by the riverbank in front of the tribe.
Ropes were tied torge wooden stakes nailed to the shore. Several single boats were squeezed together, rhythmically floating up and down in a small area with the waves, which was quite rhythmic.
The Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, and the Third Senior Brother held oars with leather ropes under their arms, pulling the ropes and pulling the single boats to the shore. As the boats swayed back and forth, they came onto the boats.
After continuous practice and familiarity over the past ten days, facing this level of rocking and floating, Eldest Senior Brother and the others were already able to face it calmly, without trembling legs as before.
There was no longer worry about "the boat sinking after getting on board."
On both sides of the bow of the single boat, there was a tree stick about twenty centimeters higher than the boat. There was a tree branch on each of the four sticks on each boat.
After stepping onto the single boat, Eldest Senior Brother skillfully hung the oar he held in his arms on the tree branch.
Then, he epted the bottles and jars handed over from the shore.
These were the things they had prepared in advance for this journey.
Among them, the most prepared was food. In addition to the jars ced at the beginning, there were also many salted fish and meat.
There were also pottery jars for cooking rice and boiling water, as well as bowls for eating.
Weapons such as bows and arrows, vine shields, slings, spears, and javelins were naturally not forgotten.
These items were ced separately. On each of the four single boats, there were some. This was to avoid losing all supplies in case one boat encountered unforeseen circumstances, causing them to fall into trouble, or even be wiped out.
Chapter 269: Dog jumping into the river
Chapter 269: Dog jumping into the river
"Be careful¡ Be careful¡ Come back on time¡"
Like sheep sleeping on fluffy clouds, they remained still in the air for a long time, toozy to move.
The wind, not chilly, gently blew, swaying the disheveled hair of the people.
In thiszy and leisurely time, a sense of parting permeated the air by the small river of the Green Sparrow Tribe, enveloping these people dressed in animal skins.
There were no willow branches to bid farewell, no low and melodious flute sounds, and no one writing farewell poems with ink and brush.
But the mncholy of parting indeed spread here.
The shaman repeatedly gave instructions that had been said many times before while Fire One and Fire Two, two people older than the shaman, wiped their tearful eyes.
Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and a few others had red eyes.With the blessing of the Five Little Blessings, the Fu Jiang stood on the shore, anxiously pacing around.
Even Deer Lord, who had been tempted by Han Cheng with rapeseed and had done a lot of harrowing, now stretched its long face toward them.
Only the teenage boy Shi Tou, who didn''t know the taste of sorrow, looked eagerly at the Divine Child, hoping the Divine Child would allow him to board the boat and see the world outside together.
"Take care of the tribe. We''ll be back."
Han Cheng spoke to the people on the shore.
"We will be back by the end of the month."
The mooring ropes were untied, and the unbound boat, under the influence of both oars and water, left the riverbank one by one, moving away from the crowd and heading downstream.
"Woo, woo, woo¡"
The Fu Jiang on the departing boat opened its mouth and called out anxiously, clearly worried.
"Go back!"
Han Cheng shouted at it.
"Plop!"
Seeing Han Cheng getting farther and farther away, Fu Jiang jumped into the water and swam towards him.
"Go back!"
Han Cheng shouted at the Fu Jiang.
It was onlyte spring, and although the water wouldn''t freeze anyone, it was still quite cold.
But how could Fu Jiang listen to Han Cheng? It just kept swimming along with the water.
This silly dog!
"Go back!"
Han Cheng sniffled and shouted at the Fu Jiang, struggling in the water, only showing its head and swimming towards him.
"Wail, wail¡"
"Wail, wail¡"
Several little puppies on the shore cried out urgently and helplessly, two even trying to enter the water, whimpering continuously on the side.
After swimming for a while, the Fu Jiang finally turned its head and swam towards the shore.
Climbing ashore, it shook off the water from its body, whimpering as it ran towards the ce where the little puppies were, and after meeting them, it led them along the riverbank downstream.
asionally whimpering.
"Go back! I''ll be back soon!"
Han Cheng shouted at the dog, which was so reluctant to part.
If only he had tied it up earlier.
The Fu Jiang led the Five Little Blessings along the river for a long time until there was a river fork ahead, which blocked their path and then stopped.
It squatted there, looking at the ce where the boat had disappeared for a long time, whimpering from time to time until the sun set in the west before heading towards the direction of the tribe with the Five Little Blessings.
Under the sunlight, it looked very lonely and deste, like a lone wolf abandoned by the group¡
The once lively Green Sparrow Tribe became deserted with the departure of Han Cheng and the others.
The people''s hearts also felt empty, as if they had lost something significant.
Even Second Brother, who used to have a good appetite, now found his meals less appetizing.
With Han Cheng and Eldest Senior Brother gone, the shaman, who used to spend most of his time watching and petting rabbits in the rabbit pen, now hardly visited the rabbits anymore.
He focused more on the tribe, paying attention to any movements within it.
He had to personally oversee and manage inserting the gate, arranging personnel on guard duty, and other such matters every day.
The two indispensable figures of the Green Sparrow Tribe had left, and he had to shoulder the remaining responsibilities.
Perhaps he didn''t think about it explicitly but acted ordingly.
Even the silly dog, Fu Jiang, who used to run around crazily, had changed its temperament, appearing much quieter. Its mostmon activity now was to sit with the Five Little Blessings at the gate of the Green Sparrow Tribe, gazing downstream towards the small river¡
The river water gurgled under the boat, and the oars rubbed against the wooden poles, making a creaking sound.
Eldest Senior Brother crossed his hands, each holding an oar, and paddled the water, one after the other. The oars went into the water and then came out, creating ripples and sshes.
When the oars emerged from the water, a string of glistening water droplets fell along the oars into the water.
Sometimes, he moved both oars simultaneously; sometimes, he only used one to control and adjust the direction of the canoe to avoid hitting the riverbank.
They were going with the flow at this time, so only one person needed to paddle with two oars; the other two oars were stowed away in the cabin.
The fluffy white clouds driftedzily, and the green on both sides gradually receded. The familiar tribe, familiar people, familiar walls, and the silly dog chasing the boat far away gradually disappeared, wholly blending into the continuous green on both sides.
The other people on the boat were also a bit reluctant and anxious. After all, this journey was different from before.
In the past, when they went out hunting, they would usually return to the tribe the same day, but this time it would take a long time.
As the setting sun cast its afterglow, the river surface, which had doubled or tripled in width, shimmered.
Han Cheng estimated the distance; they were probably more than fifty miles away from the tribe.
After traveling forward for about half an hour, this river merged into arger one. Looking back in the direction they came from, it looked like a bloody sunset spread across the water, a sea of red.
Han Cheng gave this river a name: Red River.
Shortly after merging into therger river, Han Cheng instructed the Eldest Senior Brother and the others to paddle the boat towards the southern bank, where a shallow sandbar was perfect for resting.
In such circumstances, he had no intention of sailing at night, as that would be reckless behavior.
The sshing sound of oars hitting the water and the conversations among the people startled several gulls and herons.
Unfortunately, some of them, who hadn''t had time to fly away, were shot through the body by an arrow tipped with bone before they could react, and after fluttering a few times, theyy still.
Third Senior Brother grinned with a wooden bow, and the others cheered. They hadn''t had much sess in the past catching these flying birds.
The people pulled the boat ashore, trampling down a patch of weeds.
The hand-crank drill used for making fire was brought out, and with a sizzling sound, sparks shed.
Chapter 270: Bamboo forest and bamboo shoots
Chapter 270: Bamboo forest and bamboo shoots
Tonight, for the newly named Egret River area by Han Cheng, it was destined to be extraordinary.
Not only were two long-legged egrets roasted and eaten but also a group of people was reiming the previously deste mudts.
From being deserted and uninhabited, it now had the aura of human activity.
Under the flickering firelight, apanied by rushing water, several fish traps that hadn''t been submerged for long were pulled out, revealing a few lively fish.
Han Cheng and his group brought along the fish traps.
"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime," Han Cheng remembered this profound ancient saying very well. So, besides bringing along plenty of salted fish, he also brought several fish traps.
They would be traveling along the river all the way, so with these fish traps, they wouldn''t starve to death.
However, the fish here were not as easy to catch as those in front of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Bait was necessary in the fish traps to lure them in.The fish from the traps were taken out. Tie Tou was kind-hearted and couldn''t bear to see the fish suffer. After each fish received two blows to the head, they stopped struggling.
The traps baited with fresh bait were ced back into the water. When away from home, they should eat as little of their own provisions as possible to avoid famine if they are unable to catch food.
These fish traps, which were made half a year ago, were quite different from those Han Cheng had made initially.
These fish traps were woven from rattan. They formed hollow cylindrical shapes, with one end closed and the other topped with a conical funnel woven from rattan, securely connected with rattan strips.
Such fish traps were simple and easy to make and more sturdy and durable than the ones Han Cheng originally made with ropes.
So, all the fish traps of the Green Sparrow Tribe have been updated and reced with this type of fish trap.
As the mes danced and the aroma of food wafted out, the gradually darkening night sky became deep, filled with countless stars.
The eighteen people who came along had a rtively simple meal.
Two unlucky egrets, along with the newly caught fish and the salted fish brought along, were cooked into soup and a jar of food simr to pork jelly.
This was cooked before departure, with meat boiled as much as possible, chopped, and added to the pot with water. After boiling to a soft consistency, it was poured into jars and left to cool, solidifying into a jelly-like substance like cold jelly.
With added salt, this salted food was very resistant to storage and tasted good.
After dinner, the fire was extinguished, and at Han Cheng''smand, everyone returned to the boat.
They pushed the single wooden boat into the water for a distance, then, about ten meters away from the riverbank, they secured it with the two poles they brought along.
Tonight, they would sleep on the single wooden boat.
Although they were riding a single wooden boat, the space inside it was not small¡ªnearly two meters wide.
This was mainly because the trees where they lived were so thick.
With Han Cheng and neen other people spread out among these four small boats to sleep, although it was a bit crowded, they could still sleep.
Han Cheng had tested all of this before departure.
He had no intention of spending the night in apletely unfamiliarnd.
Otherwise, it would be too unfair if they were eaten by something in the middle of the night.
Starting tomorrow, they would need to inspect the situation on both sides of the river more closely.
The main goal was to see if any nts were missing from the Green Sparrow Tribe and, preferably, to find some essential minerals.
Although the primary purpose of this trip was to confirm whether this was indeed a primitive human reserve, these tasks still needed to be done.
Whether they stay or leave, these things are essential to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Covered in fur, watching the starry sky, listening to the asional sound of river waterpping against the boat, Han Cheng''s mind was filled with thoughts, and he didn''t know when he fell asleep.
The next day, they woke up and pulled out the fish traps that had been in the water all night, yielding a total harvest.
Fresh fish, along with several birds shot secretly by the Third Senior Brother and two others using bows and arrows, became the breakfast for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After eating, they put the fish traps back into the water, armed themselves, and proceeded cautiously towards the riverbank farther away from the water.
Along the way, they asionally made noise by tapping with their spears or sticks.
Disturbing the grass might not only snakes but also other things.
The grass was over half a meter high on the ground along the way, and years of flooding had left behind lots of dry grass and debris.
Han Cheng walked while observing, asionally jotting down notes on the bark he held in his hand with a charcoal pencil.
The view here was much broader than where the Green Sparrow Tribe lived, with a t overall terrain, and the mountains on this side were far from the riverbank.
It would be suitable for cultivation.
Thinking like this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile. He truly inherited the excellent racial talent of the Chinese nation. Whenever he sawnd, he wanted to nt something.
Climbing a not-too-high hill close to the riverbank, Han Cheng looked around, surrounded by lush vitality and a wild atmosphere.
After observing for a while, a green area about a mile away caught Han Cheng''s attention.
This is¡
This is bamboo?!
"Let''s go, check it out."
Suppressing the joy in his heart, Han Cheng said to his senior brothers.
After a not-so-easy walk, a bamboo forest appeared more clearly in front of them.
With its jade-like slender figure and equally slender leaves, it made a ¡®rustling'' sound in the wind.
There were few weeds and other trees in the forest, only a pile of yellowed bamboo leaves umted over many years, interspersed with sporadic shoots that hadn''t grown much yet.
Looking at the bamboo forest, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
This was a treasure trove from top to bottom! With these, the Green Sparrow Tribe would have another excellent material for making things in the future.
Just in terms of weaving, bamboo had many advantages that rattan couldn''tpare to.
For example, bamboo could be woven throughout the year, while rattan had a certain time limit. Moreover, bamboo was far more malleable than rattan.
But what excited Han Cheng the most wasn''t the bamboo itself, but those shoots that hadn''t yet grown. These things were absolutely delicious.
During the season when rapeseed flowers bloomed, some impatient shoots had already sprouted, and there were even more shoots waiting to emerge from underground.
"Dig!"
Excitedly, Han Cheng said to his senior brothers.
His senior brothers, who were already good eaters, were now showing signs of developing into gourmet enthusiasts under Han Cheng''s influence. After learning from Han Cheng about the deliciousness of bamboo shoots, there was no need for Han Cheng to do much persuasion. They eagerly took up their spades and started digging.
Tonight, for the newly named Egret River area by Han Cheng, it was destined to be extraordinary.
Not only were two long-legged egrets roasted and eaten but also a group of people was reiming the previously deste mudts.
From being deserted and uninhabited, it now had the aura of human activity.
Under the flickering firelight, apanied by rushing water, several fish traps that hadn''t been submerged for long were pulled out, revealing a few lively fish.
Han Cheng and his group brought along the fish traps.
"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime," Han Cheng remembered this profound ancient saying very well. So, besides bringing along plenty of salted fish, he also brought several fish traps.
They would be traveling along the river all the way, so with these fish traps, they wouldn''t starve to death.
However, the fish here were not as easy to catch as those in front of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Bait was necessary in the fish traps to lure them in.
The fish from the traps were taken out. Tie Tou was kind-hearted and couldn''t bear to see the fish suffer. After each fish received two blows to the head, they stopped struggling.
The traps baited with fresh bait were ced back into the water. When away from home, they should eat as little of their own provisions as possible to avoid famine if they are unable to catch food.
These fish traps, which were made half a year ago, were quite different from those Han Cheng had made initially.
These fish traps were woven from rattan. They formed hollow cylindrical shapes, with one end closed and the other topped with a conical funnel woven from rattan, securely connected with rattan strips.
Such fish traps were simple and easy to make and more sturdy and durable than the ones Han Cheng originally made with ropes.
So, all the fish traps of the Green Sparrow Tribe have been updated and reced with this type of fish trap.
As the mes danced and the aroma of food wafted out, the gradually darkening night sky became deep, filled with countless stars.
The eighteen people who came along had a rtively simple meal.
Two unlucky egrets, along with the newly caught fish and the salted fish brought along, were cooked into soup and a jar of food simr to pork jelly.
This was cooked before departure, with meat boiled as much as possible, chopped, and added to the pot with water. After boiling to a soft consistency, it was poured into jars and left to cool, solidifying into a jelly-like substance like cold jelly.
With added salt, this salted food was very resistant to storage and tasted good.
After dinner, the fire was extinguished, and at Han Cheng''smand, everyone returned to the boat.
They pushed the single wooden boat into the water for a distance, then, about ten meters away from the riverbank, they secured it with the two poles they brought along.
Tonight, they would sleep on the single wooden boat.
Although they were riding a single wooden boat, the space inside it was not small¡ªnearly two meters wide.
This was mainly because the trees where they lived were so thick.
With Han Cheng and neen other people spread out among these four small boats to sleep, although it was a bit crowded, they could still sleep.
Han Cheng had tested all of this before departure.
He had no intention of spending the night in apletely unfamiliarnd.
Otherwise, it would be too unfair if they were eaten by something in the middle of the night.
Starting tomorrow, they would need to inspect the situation on both sides of the river more closely.
The main goal was to see if any nts were missing from the Green Sparrow Tribe and, preferably, to find some essential minerals.
Although the primary purpose of this trip was to confirm whether this was indeed a primitive human reserve, these tasks still needed to be done.
Whether they stay or leave, these things are essential to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Covered in fur, watching the starry sky, listening to the asional sound of river waterpping against the boat, Han Cheng''s mind was filled with thoughts, and he didn''t know when he fell asleep.
The next day, they woke up and pulled out the fish traps that had been in the water all night, yielding a total harvest.
Fresh fish, along with several birds shot secretly by the Third Senior Brother and two others using bows and arrows, became the breakfast for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After eating, they put the fish traps back into the water, armed themselves, and proceeded cautiously towards the riverbank farther away from the water.
Along the way, they asionally made noise by tapping with their spears or sticks.
Disturbing the grass might not only snakes but also other things.
The grass was over half a meter high on the ground along the way, and years of flooding had left behind lots of dry grass and debris.
Han Cheng walked while observing, asionally jotting down notes on the bark he held in his hand with a charcoal pencil.
The view here was much broader than where the Green Sparrow Tribe lived, with a t overall terrain, and the mountains on this side were far from the riverbank.
It would be suitable for cultivation.
Thinking like this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile. He truly inherited the excellent racial talent of the Chinese nation. Whenever he sawnd, he wanted to nt something.
Climbing a not-too-high hill close to the riverbank, Han Cheng looked around, surrounded by lush vitality and a wild atmosphere.
After observing for a while, a green area about a mile away caught Han Cheng''s attention.
This is¡
This is bamboo?!
"Let''s go, check it out."
Suppressing the joy in his heart, Han Cheng said to his senior brothers.
After a not-so-easy walk, a bamboo forest appeared more clearly in front of them.
With its jade-like slender figure and equally slender leaves, it made a ¡®rustling'' sound in the wind.
There were few weeds and other trees in the forest, only a pile of yellowed bamboo leaves umted over many years, interspersed with sporadic shoots that hadn''t grown much yet.
Looking at the bamboo forest, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
This was a treasure trove from top to bottom! With these, the Green Sparrow Tribe would have another excellent material for making things in the future.
Just in terms of weaving, bamboo had many advantages that rattan couldn''tpare to.
For example, bamboo could be woven throughout the year, while rattan had a certain time limit. Moreover, bamboo was far more malleable than rattan.
But what excited Han Cheng the most wasn''t the bamboo itself, but those shoots that hadn''t yet grown. These things were absolutely delicious.
During the season when rapeseed flowers bloomed, some impatient shoots had already sprouted, and there were even more shoots waiting to emerge from underground.
"Dig!"
Excitedly, Han Cheng said to his senior brothers.
His senior brothers, who were already good eaters, were now showing signs of developing into gourmet enthusiasts under Han Cheng''s influence. After learning from Han Cheng about the deliciousness of bamboo shoots, there was no need for Han Cheng to do much persuasion. They eagerly took up their spades and started digging.
Chapter 271: I only want a mouthful of soup
Chapter 271: I only want a mouthful of soup
"Whoosh!" The sound of rustling leaves as the bone shovel cleared them away while Han Cheng stood nearby, eagerly awaiting the appearance of bamboo shoots.
"Wow!"
After two shovels went down, instead of joy, there was rm!
A yellow snake, almost half a meter long and as thick as a rolling pin, emerged from the ground. It wasn''t fleeing but coiling up, raising its head and spitting out crimson venom, ring at the people who disturbed its peaceful slumber.
Han Cheng had always been quite afraid of snakes. These cold-blooded creatures made him feel ufortable just by looking at them.
The sudden appearance of this snake gave him goosebumps instantly, and he felt the hairs on his body stand on end.
He had been so focused on finding bamboo shoots that he forgot this was the favorite habitat for snakes near the riverbank!
Now, at the end of spring, the snakes had already awakened."Swish!"
A bone shovel suddenly appeared, mming directly onto the snake. This majestic snake was instantly subdued.
Even when the bone shovel pressed it to the ground, and it coiled around the shovel with all its strength, it was still helpless.
The bone shovel soon cut off the snake''s head. Eldest Senior Brother retrieved the shovel, and in Han Cheng''s admiring gaze, he reached out and pulled the headless snake off, holding it in his hand and excitedly eximing to Han Cheng that lunch was sorted.
Watching, Han Cheng took a few steps back.
He realized he was still a pseudo-primitive man who couldn''t be as tough as Eldest Senior Brother and the others. Watching them catch two more snakes, Han Cheng''s face twitched uncontrobly.
The ground was dug up, revealing fat bamboo shoots that had stored energy for a long time. Unfortunately, before they could explode with astonishing growth, they were dug up, along with the snakes, and became food for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
With several bamboo shoots in his arms, Han Cheng,den with spoils, left the bamboo forest with Eldest Senior Brother and the others, heading back to where the boats were moored.
Eldest Senior Brother''s hand also had a bamboo pole about four centimeters in diameter.
This was chopped down ording to Han Cheng''s instructions to be used as a boat paddle.
The slender and lightweight bamboo pole was more suitable for paddling than other wooden sticks.
This bamboo pole was chopped off from below after digging through the soil. Without starting from here, it would be difficult for the Green Sparrow Tribe''s tools to chop down aplete bamboo pole.
Han Cheng didn''t let anyone explore the bamboo forest. Firstly, there were many snakes inside, and even though Eldest Senior Brother and the others were tough, they couldn''t withstand snakes with potent venom. If bitten by such a snake, this journey would end tragically.
Secondly, Han Cheng was worried about encountering an animal with formidable strength but insisted on acting cute to make a living.
Despite appearing cute most of the time, this fellow was actually a hidden master.
Pandas, first they''re bears, then they''re cats. Legend has it that the mount of Chi You, who shed with the Yellow Emperor, was a panda.
A national treasure. Han Cheng didn''t want to mess with it.
The peeled bamboo shoots and snakes were thrown into y pots to simmer.
After simmering, Eldest Senior Brother first served a bowl to Han Cheng.
Han Cheng was adamantly against eating snake meat, and when he thought of the snake''s cold look, he felt even more ufortable.
Han Cheng vowed that he would rather starve, even jump off from here, than take a sip of bamboo shoot and snake soup!
But his stomach couldn''t help but rumble a bit.
After waiting and seeing Eldest Senior Brother and the others enjoying their meal with unstoppable enthusiasm, Han Cheng''s firm resolve began to waver.
"I''ll just taste a little bit of the soup."
He said to himself, cautiously bringing the bowl to his lips and taking a sip. Surprisingly, the taste was excellent, bringing out the freshness of the bamboo shoots and the snake meat to the fullest.
"I don''t taste the vor in this sip. I''ll try another one¡" Han Cheng said to himself.
After finishing the soup, he decided to try some snake meat as well¡
So, a bowl of bamboo shoots and snake soup disappearedpletely into Han Cheng''s stomach.
After finishing one bowl and still unsatisfied, he mored for another one.
"Delicious!"
With the food gone, Han Cheng smacked his lips, unable to help but exim.
He wanted to return to the bamboo forest with Eldest Senior Brother and the others to catch more snakes and continue making soup.
With gentle waves, the oars swaying, the four canoes left where they had stayed overnight plus half a day, slowly drifting downstream.
A green-headed water bird quietly peeked out from the grass, seeing the ferocious unwee guests leaving, and couldn''t help but open its mouth to cry out in delight¡
Han Cheng stood at the boat''s bow, using a charcoal pen to mark a ck dot on the south side of the intersection of the Red River and the Egret River,beling it with two characters ¨C Bamboo Forest.
In theing days, Han Cheng and hispanions continued downstream, stopping and disembarking wherever they found suitable spots to explore the vegetation, rocks, and other surroundings.
However, their luck seemed to have run out. Apart from the bamboo forest, they didn''t find anything beneficial for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Today was the sixth day since leaving the tribe. As the river continued to merge, it became wider.
Not far ahead, a water bay appeared before them, where the river became extremely calm, with no visible flow.
Seeing that the sun was already slightly westward and everyone was hungry, they decided to stop the boat andnd here to make a fire and cook.
Several fish traps hanging from the stern, half submerged in water, were lifted up. Inside were the fish they had caught but hadn''t finished eating.
After the meal, they released the ropes and pushed the small boats away from the shore with poles. Then, armed with weapons and tools, they headed towards the shore to explore the deserted area.
"What''s this?"
Just a few steps in, Han Cheng stopped in his tracks, looking at a few green nts in the thicket, his heart filled with anticipation.
Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and Shang noticed Han Cheng''s unusual expression and knew he had discovered something. They followed Han Cheng''s gaze.
Except for the wild grass, there was nothing special in sight.
Han Cheng took a few quick steps and arrived before a clump of grass almost level with him, carefully examining therge-leaved nts.
The leaves of the nts were somewhat simr to palm leaves but clearly not from the Chinese parasol tree. They had some small thorns on them and some on their bodies, with a slightly purplish color at the roots.
This is¡
Wild hemp?!
Chapter 272: Wild Hemp
Chapter 272: Wild Hemp
Wild hemp is a crop that Han Cheng has long been looking for.
Before cotton was introduced and widely promoted, hemp cloth had always been the leader in the fabric industry, the mostmon material.
As for silk had nothing to do with silkworm farmers; it was a patent of the upper ss.
Weaving hemp cloth and making clothes out of it had long been something he had yearned for.
Leather coats sounded high-ss and werefortable to wear in winter, but when the weather turned warm, wearing such clothes would be torture.
But he still had to wear them. After all, he hadn''t reached the point of running around naked all day with his belongings.
As the weather warmed day by day, Han Cheng''s heart felt heavier and heavier because the days of suffering were approaching again.
Currently, the most likely thing to rescue him and the people of the Green Sparrow tribe from this situation was hemp.Compared to leather, which would bulge even with a fart, hemp cloth undoubtedly had excellent venttion.
That''s why he felt excited, and his face flushed when he saw something simr to wild hemp.
After a brief excitement, Han Cheng became anxious and troubled again because this nt, simr to wild hemp, had many differences from what he remembered as wild hemp.
To avoid the embarrassment of getting overly excited about nothing, Han Cheng decided to verify these few nts, which resemble wild hemp, in front of him.
But how to verify became aplex problem before him.
Rapeseed and other foods prepared for eating could be tested with rabbits, but not wild hemp, which was used not for eating but for making ropes or weaving cloth.
Encountering something simr to wild hemp but unable to confirm it made Han Cheng very distressed, with his heart hanging in the bnce, neither up nor down.
This feeling was simr to that of an old virgin who finally encountered a great opportunity after eight lifetimes, preparing to have a great time but then found out that the beauty in his arms was wearing seamless clothes. He couldn''t find a way in.
Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, Third Senior Brother, and others had just seen the Divine Child looking ecstatic about these few nts, and they also became excited and hopeful. They had a profound impression of rapeseed and millet, which grew simrly in the soil.
They thought these few nts, which they hadn''t seen before or had seen but hadn''t paid attention to, were edible, just like rapeseed and millet.
However, the Divine Child''s current behavior left them puzzled.
Liang stepped forward and expressed to Han Cheng that he could taste it.
This person who aspired to be a divine farmer now had the courage and interest to taste almost anything that appeared before him into his mouth, as if it had be a professional habit.
Han Cheng shook his head and refused Liang''s proposal. Hemp couldn''t be tasted.
This disappointed Liang quite a bit.
After this, Han Cheng suddenly acted. He bent down and grabbed a piece of hemp. With a violent posture reminiscent of Lu Zhishen uprooting willow trees, he pulled out the hemp with its roots.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others looked at each other in surprise. Did the Divine Child lose his patience and go berserk?
Han Cheng''s subsequent actions further confirmed their thoughts.
Pulling out this poor nt wasn''t enough; he also forcefully snapped it in half.
He held it and vigorously rubbed it if it didn''t snap immediately, making Eldest Senior Brother and the others nervous.
On the one hand, they were worried about this nt being ruthlessly destroyed, and on the other hand, they were worried about the Divine Child''s violent state.
As his body tightened, followed by a light movement, Han Cheng, kneading the nt simr to hemp to see if there were fibers, was lifted into the air.
"Divine Child¡ don''t!"
His body was tightly gripped, and then the nervous and urgent shout from Eldest Senior Brother came.
Han Cheng, startled by Eldest Senior Brother''s sudden action and hadn''t reacted to what was going on, had ck lines all over his mind.
What was the Divine Child not supposed to do? What nonsense was being shouted?
Some came tofort the Divine Child, while others pulled out the hemp-like nts and threw them far away to vent the Divine Child''s anger. Among them, Liang was even more ruthless, stuffing half of the hemp-like nt directly into his mouth and chewing vigorously.
As he chewed, Liang patted his chest with teeth dyed green by the grass juice, murmuring incoherently to the dumbfounded Divine Child that he had already torn this thing that upset the Divine Child to pieces, so there was no need for the shaman to be angry.
Han Cheng had ck lines all over his head. What was going on here?
He just wanted to verify whether this thing was wild hemp or not. Why did these guys react so strongly?
And telling him not to be angry?
Han Cheng wanted to ask where he looked like he was angry?
"I''m fine¡" Han Cheng said helplessly.
Then came the probing gazes of Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
"Are you fine? Is it normal for you to treat a poor nt so violently?"
"I''m fine. I just wanted to test whether that thing was useful¡"
After a while, Eldest Senior Brother finally understood Han Cheng''s intention, and they all looked embarrassed.
"Don''t put everything into your mouth in the future!"
Han Cheng angrily kicked Liang, whose tongue was also green.
"Quick, rinse your mouth with water!"
After admonishing Liang, Han Cheng''s face was full of smiles again, not because the tribe had Liang, such a fearless guy, but because of the nt in his hand.
The middle of this nt''s stem had broken off, but it hadn''t split into two pieces.
Because what broke was the ¡®core'' inside, while the outer skin was still intact.
Due to Han Cheng''s rubbing, the green skin revealed some white fibers.
At this point, Han Cheng had confirmed entirely that this was undoubtedly hemp!
At this moment, he wanted to look up at the sky andugh three times to express his joy, but looking at Eldest Senior Brother and the others around him, he thought about it and suppressed the impulse.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others also became cheerful again because they had learned from the Divine Child about the importance of this thing called ¡®hemp''.
In this area, there were scattered growths of hemp. By autumn, they coulde and harvest a batch and bring some hemp seeds back to nt themselves.
While Han Cheng and the others were immersed in the joy of hemp and the clothes made from it, the Bone Tribe people, led by their leader, also left their dwelling and headed towards the Green Sparrow tribe.
There were quite a few people in this group, and with the Bone Tribe leader, there were nearly forty.
Chapter 273: Curiosity kills the cat
Chapter 273: Curiosity kills the cat
This time, the people of the Bone Tribe brought quite a lot of things. In addition to two empty jars prepared to hold salt and the food they wanted to eat, they also brought many hides and furs.
This indicated they were gearing up for trade.
"Darn it!"
Seeing the numerous hides carried by people, the leader of the Bone Tribe suddenly shouted angrily and kicked a woman with bruises on her body.
Upon hearing the leader''s angry words, the woman already wore a frightened expression but dared not evade. She staggered back several steps from the force of the kick but managed to stay on her feet.
The hide wrapped around her was torn entirely open during this stumble, exposing her body, which bore more scars than were previously hidden by the hides.
Despite being beaten, she didn''t dare move and instinctively shrank her body, looking at the leader of the Bone Tribe with fear, waiting for the next blow.
In these past few days, such encounters had bemonce for her. Initially, the beatings were even more severe."Darn it!"
The leader of the Bone Tribe kicked her twice more until the primitive woman was knocked to the ground before finally leaving her alone and continuing to walk forward.
The others watched all this unfold, but no one intervened to stop the leader frommitting violence. Some remained indifferent.
Some evennded a couple of kicks after the leader had left.
Only when no one else came to beat her did the woman finally get up from the ground, wrap the hide around herself again, pick up her weapon, and limp along at the back of the group.
Tears streamed down her face, but she dared not cry out loud because if she did, someone woulde and beat her again.
Despite this, she didn''t feel her beatings were unjust.
After all, it was her fault for identally breaking therge pot used for cooking that they had traded for so much from the tribe. This forced the tribe to go without food when there wasn''t much to spare, carrying arge amount of hides to exchange for the pot from the other tribe.
This not only caused the tribe to lose a lot of hides but also wasted time acquiring food, making the tribe''s food situation more precarious.
This time, they brought so many people because someone in their tribe had said that sometimes deer herds appeared on the way to the other tribe.
So this time, they not only came to trade but also to try their luck.
If they could encounter that herd of deer, even catching one would provide them food for two days.
Under the sun, the people of the Bone Tribe headed toward the direction of the Green Sparrow Tribe
Han Cheng returned to where the canoe was parked with several young hemp nts, which had not yet fully grown, along with the senior brothers.
He found a two- to three-meter-long wooden stick, tied arge piece of hide to one end, and then profoundly inserted it into the mud by the riverbank.
On the back of this piece of hide, Han Cheng drew an abstract bird with charcoal, the same green bird on their tribe''s totem pole.
Drawing the green bird on the hide was a spontaneous joke.
cing a pole-like object here wasn''t to dere that this ce now belonged to the Green Sparrow Tribe but rather to make a rtively conspicuous marker so that they wouldn''t have trouble finding it when they came to collect hemp in the future.
They untied the ropes and pulled the drifting canoe over. Everyone found the oars hidden in the grass, boarded the boat together, and left this peaceful bay.
On the makeshift map, Han Cheng drew, this ce now had a name: "Hemp Bay."
The appearance of hemp improved Han Cheng''s mood, and his nervousness about the uncertain future was greatly diluted.
Standing in the boat, he looked around, but all he saw was vast wilderness.
There was no concrete jungle in sight, only lush ancient forests.
Along the way, no tribes were found, and no signs of human habitation were seen.
Despite the swift current, they had traveled quite far in the past few days, covering almost 250 miles of waterway.
Considering the human tendency to settle near water and the fact that this river, which was nearly 200 meters wide, served as a major transportation route, some viges should have been along its banks.
With the terrifying poption of future generations, such a situation shouldn''t ur, especially in habitable midtitude regions.
Looking at the vast wilderness, Han Cheng''s mood wasplex, filled with joy and sorrow.
The Eldest Senior Brother, who had traveled and slept on the same boat as Han Cheng for many years, didn''t share thisplex feeling. He rowed the boat downstream.
Large waterfowl flew near the boat, curiously observing these monkeys that could float on water. They weren''t afraid because they knew that those wingless creatures on the ground couldn''t harm them once they flew into the air.
This applied to this group of monkeys and all creatures that couldn''t fly.
With a "ng," the bowstring sounded, and a waterfowl that wanted to get a closer look at these monkeys floating on the water moaned as it fell into the water, pping aimlessly.
Some of the waterfowl, startled by this turn of events, pped their wings in panic and flew away. Today''s events truly subverted the birds'' worldview.
Curiosity not only killed the cat but also the birds.
Amidst the crowd''s cheers, Third Senior Brother put down his bow and pulled a wet rope under his foot, dragging the bird that had paid the price for its curiosity back.
This damp rope, tied to the other end of an arrow, was Third Senior Brother''s innovation after experiencing the dilemma of quickly losing arrows in such wilderness.
The effect was quite good. Although it slightly affected the uracy of shooting arrows, the hard-to-make arrows would no longer be lost.
The cabin already had quite a few bird feathers, left by the Third Senior Brother for making arrowster.
After a night of anchorage, the group again went ashore to explore. Their investigation was not limited to vegetation and trees; some rocks were even included in their survey. However, so far, they haven''t encountered any valuable minerals.
This stopping point was close to a small hill, with many rocks at the foot of the mountain, but the trees on the mountain were not particrly lush.
Han Cheng and the Eldest Senior Brother went up the mountain together but found nothing useful.
Today''s weather was fine, allowing them to see far into the distance. When Han Cheng looked eastward, he saw the same vast wilderness with no signs of human habitation.
It seemed that their ce was unlikely to be a primitive human reserve. Even in tropical rainforests, they shouldn''t fail to see any modern traces after traveling a long distance along the water.
"Divine Child, let''s go back," said the Eldest Senior Brother to Han Cheng.
After being out for so long, everyone was already missing their tribe.
This was the farthest and longest time they had been away from the tribe since birth.
Chapter 274: –Chai Hu
Chapter 274: ¨CChai Hu
Go back?
Han Cheng looked towards the east and nodded slightly.
It was indeed time to go back.
However, just going back like this felt somewhat unwilling. People, sometimes they''re contradictory like that.
"Let''s go on for another day, stop tomorrow afternoon, and start heading back the day after tomorrow"
In fact, Eldest Senior Brother and the others wanted to go back now, but since Han Cheng said so, they naturally wouldn''t have any objections.
The team''s atmosphere was much more rxed than before. Although they couldn''t go back directly now, at least they knew the day they would return to the tribe, giving them something to look forward to.
On the way back from Wangdong Mountain to the riverbank, Han Cheng suddenly squatted down, looking at a nt before him.Seeing this, Eldest Senior Brother and the others stopped, too, looking at Han Cheng and the nts in front of him with joy on their faces.
They didn''t know what this was, but judging from the Divine Child''s reaction, they knew it was probably something good.
If they could confirm that these grasses were that kind of thing, it would indeed be a good thing for the Passion Tribe, even calling it a treasure wouldn''t be an exaggeration.
The name of this thing is Chaihu.
Han Cheng wasn''t sure about Chaihu''s specific effects, but one thing he remembered very clearly was that it reduces fever!
Inter generations, Chaihu had always been an important medicinal material in Chinese medicine,monly used to reduce fever. Han Cheng had taken this medicine several times before, so he had a deep impression of It.
Such a medicinal herb naturally had significant importance for the current Green Sparrow Tribe.
The only ufortable thing was that he had only seen dried Chaihu before, and Chaihu with tiny yellow flowers.
Now it waste spring, and the difference between the grass in front of him and the Chaihu that grew over a meter high with yellow flowers was too big.
But the leaves looked simr in shape, both resembling bamboo leaves.
He shouldn''t havee out at this time. Waiting until the Dragon Boat Festival or autumn toe out, many nts would have grown into shape, making it much easier to identify.
Han Cheng seemed a bit helpless.
After waiting for a while, everyone saw Han Cheng just looking at this patch of grass in thought without saying anything, and they couldn''t help but ask.
Han Cheng told them about these things.
Upon hearing Han Cheng say this might be a medicinal herb, everyone''s eyes immediately lit up.
For diseases, their previous method was straightforward, which was to endure.
They would continue to live; if they couldn''t endure, it was a dead end.
To say it was enduring was actually almost the same as waiting for death.
Only after Han Cheng came here did this situation change to some extent.
People realized that apart from endurance, there were other ways to treat diseases.
At this moment, when they heard that the grasses in front of them could be used to treat diseases, there was no reason not to be happy.
But after Han Cheng couldn''t confirm whether this was Chaihu, the enthusiasm in everyone''s hearts was dampened a lot.
Scratching their heads, they tried to devise a way to verify this medicine mentioned by the Divine Child.
"Divine Child, let me"
Liang stepped forward, patting his chest to indicate he could taste it.
Han Cheng thought for a moment and shook his head, refusing. To verify whether this thing was Chaihu, simply tasting it wouldn''t work.
The best way was to prescribe the right medicine.
Thinking about Liang swimming naked in the still cold water, catching a cold and fever, and then using this suspected Chaihu to make medicine for him to drink, and then seeing Liang looking like he''s on death''s door, Han Cheng''s face couldn''t help but twitch.
Using Liang''s life to verify the authenticity of this medicine, he would never do such a thing.
He still hoped that a qualified semi-skilled doctor would appear in the tribe.
Seeing the Divine Child shake his head in refusal, Liang became anxious. Ever since Han Cheng brought him into this and made his grand vow, he had be increasingly obsessed, always wanting to find useful medicinal herbs for the tribe.
Privately, he had tasted many nts but hadn''t found a single medicinal herb. Instead, he found three types of wild vegetables that the tribe could eat
Now, upon learning from Han Cheng that this thing in front of him might be beneficial for treating diseases, how could he resist?
He didn''t care much about the Divine Child''s warning that it might be poisonous. He had already tasted so many things and was still alive and well, wasn''t he?
After repeatedly requesting Han Cheng''s approval without sess, Liang secretly picked some elsewhere and stuffed it into his mouth.
It was tender, with plenty of juice, not very bitter, and tasted better than most things he had tasted before.
But whether this was a medicinal herb and whether it could treat diseases, he really couldn''t tell
With his mouth full of green grass juice, Liang looked like he was about to cry.
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng suddenly smiled and pped his forehead twice.
He realized he was getting too caught up in trivial details. Since it was difficult to identify it now, let''s wait. When these things grow up, we''lle back and see if they are Chaihu.
With this in mind, he stood up and prepared to leave. He asked Eldest Senior Brother to use the bone shovel he carried to dig some out and took them onto the boat.
To ensure that these suspected Chaihu nts could be nted sessfully, he brought a lot of "Mother Earth" when digging.
Some "pig skin jelly" and empty ceramic jars were on the boat, which was suitable for nting these few things.
The four canoes set sail again, leaving here and heading downstream.
Here, tranquility returned, leaving only a crude g with a Green Sparrow bird, asionally swaying.
In the Bone Tribe, people lit fires and sat around in a rtively open area, eating food.
With fire at night, wild beasts generally wouldn''t dare toe close.
The leader of the Bone Tribe stuffed food into his mouth, but his mood was not very good.
On the one hand, they didn''t see the group of deer that the person from their tribe mentioned today, and on the other hand, the food they carried was also considerably reduced.
The pain in his hands made him slightly regain his senses. This was caused by friction when he was drilling wood for fire.
The pain in his hands reminded him of the appearance of the person from that tribe drilling wood for fire. An old man could drill fire, and it seemed easier than himself
With such thoughts, many things about that tribe suddenly came to his mind.
Abundant food, numerous pottery that required their tribe to exchange for many things, delicious salt
Thinking like this, along with envy and admiration, a sense of anger suddenly rose in his heartwhy could they have so many things? Why did his tribe have to exchange so many things
The orange mes flickered, reflecting the face of the Bone Tribe leader, who appeared somewhat indignant
Chapter 275: Friday?
Chapter 275: Friday?
"Let''s go, let''s head back," Han Cheng stood on the single log boat, after looking to the east for a while, he spoke to the Eldest Senior Brother.
"What?" The Eldest Senior Brother was stunned, looking at the sun hanging in the sky, which hadn''t reached the due south yet. Thinking he might have misheard, he asked in response.
Didn''t the Divine Child say we should wait until tonight and start heading back tomorrow? Why the sudden change of heart now?
"Let''s go back," Han Cheng repeated without turning around.
"Turn around, let''s go back!" The Eldest Senior Brother, now sure of the message, shouted excitedly to the others.
Although they didn''t know why the Divine Child suddenly changed his mind, being able to return early was a happy event for this group of people who were eager to go back.
Upon hearing this good news, everyone quickly turned the boats around on the water surface and headed upstream.
Han Cheng waved goodbye to the East and the imagined modern civilization.
The immediate reason for Han Cheng''s sudden decision was a tiger roar.
The roar didn''t scare him, but it reminded him of the two saber-toothed tigers he had seen in the woods when searching for Fu Jiang.
Saber-toothed tigers were long extinct, and there were no traces of them in the future.
Realizing this suddenly, he decided, after a moment of silence, to have the Eldest Senior Brother and the others return.
There was no need to explore the road ahead anymore.
The presence of saber-toothed tigers, a species long supposed to be extinct, meant that this couldn''t be a civilized society.
I should have thought of this earlier!
Feeling relieved and somewhat lost, Han Cheng gently tapped his forehead, feeling remorseful.
Four small boats went upstream, and the journey, named "search for useful species" to verify whether the outside world was civilized, ended here.
The sound of water gently apanied the cheerful people heading towards where they came from.
"Stop!"
Han Cheng suddenly spoke up.
Everyone was puzzled. What''s wrong with the Divine Child today? He just said we should go. Why suddenly stop?
"Look there!"
Han Cheng pointed to a ce on the south bank downstream of the river, telling everyone.
While the Eldest Senior Brother and the others faced upstream when they heard about returning, Han Cheng was the only one looking downstream.
Now, hearing what Han Cheng said, they all followed his gaze. Under the blue sky, a pir of smoke was rising and swaying.
Smoke meant there were people.
They hadn''t encountered anyone on their way here, so naturally, seeing someone now was unusual.
"Should we go check it out?"
The smoking ce wasn''t far from here. Although they wanted to return quickly, they were also curious about the sudden appearance of the smoke. Moreover, it wasn''t too far away, so after considering for a while, they turned the boats around again and headed downstream to see what was happening.
It would be even better if they could get some information about the surroundings from them.
Going downstream was naturally faster, and they arrived at the location before long.
They chose a suitable ce to moor the boat and went ashore.
Following the previous practice, after tying the boat here, they pushed it away from the shore with a pole, hiding the oars and poles in the bushes.
Armed with weapons, they surrounded Han Cheng in the middle and headed towards the dwindling smoke.
Treading on dry grass, they proceeded through the thick weeds.
"They''re there!"
After walking for a while, approaching where the smoke was rising, the leading Eldest Senior Brother suddenly stopped, looking somewhat surprised.
Han Cheng was short, surrounded by others in the middle, so he couldn''t see what was happening there. Seeing the Eldest Senior Brother and others reacting like this, he didn''t know what they had seen. He was feeling anxious, he asked.
The Eldest Senior Brother hesitated momentarily, then lifted Han Cheng onto his shoulders, giving him a more precise view ahead.
Not too far away, arge fire was burning, surrounded by a group of primitive people gathered around animal skins. There were about ten of them, big and small.
Isn''t it normal for primitive people to light fires? Although their behavior around the fire seemed strange, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others shouldn''t be so surprised.
Han Cheng thought to himself, but his attention was soon drawn to the actions of several muscr individuals.
They moved away from the fire, then returned, bending down to pick something up after a while. It wasn''t empty-handed; they were carrying a person.
Could it be that someone died in the tribe, and they''re conducting a burial ceremony?
As Han Cheng observed this scene, he chuckled. It was simr to the customs ofter generations.
However, just as the idea of a burial ceremony crossed his mind, what happened next immediately dispelled it.
As the person being carried, whom Han Cheng initially thought was a corpse, approached the fire, they suddenly feigned death and started struggling violently.
When they got closer to the fire, they broke free from the two people carrying them and stumbled away, running for their lives in the direction where Han Cheng and the others were located.
The person didn''t get far before being subdued and dragged back.
Han Cheng saw some others using stones or spear-like objects to beat the person who cried out in agony.
What are they doing? Sacrificing a living person?
Watching this extremely primitive and bloody scene, Han Cheng''s face turned pale, suppressing the difort in his heart.
However, before he could specte further, the people from the tribe there had already noticed their presence and looked over with some alertness.
Some of them had raised their weapons, and there were iprehensible shouts, obviously questioning them.
This didn''t seem like a very friendly tribe.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others also noticed the change on the opposite side. They quickly put Han Cheng down, took the rattan shields from their backs, and stood before him, shielding him.
Four others also grabbed shields while the rest took out their weapons.
Following their training, the five holding shields formed a protective wall at the front while the remaining seven with long spears stood behind them.
On the left, Third Senior Brother, with two archers, had already taken out their bows and arrows. On the right, two others with slingshots had loaded stones into them.
Among the neen people on this expedition, apart from Han Cheng and Liang, the novice doctor who hadn''t fully trained yet, the other seventeen were regr participants in the training.
The Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, and the Third Senior Brother were the leaders of their respective teams.
The rattan shield and extended spear teams didn''t y a significant role in defensive battles relying on fortifications, but their most effective use was in the wilderness. That''s why there were the most members from these teams among the people Han Cheng brought along, a total of twelve.
Slingshots and bows were best for defense.
Especially slingshots, which made too much noise and had higher environmental requirements, such as requiring a rtively open area. That''s why Han Cheng only brought two slingshot members and three archer members this time.
"Let''s go, let''s head back," Han Cheng stood on the single log boat, after looking to the east for a while, he spoke to the Eldest Senior Brother.
"What?" The Eldest Senior Brother was stunned, looking at the sun hanging in the sky, which hadn''t reached the due south yet. Thinking he might have misheard, he asked in response.
Didn''t the Divine Child say we should wait until tonight and start heading back tomorrow? Why the sudden change of heart now?
"Let''s go back," Han Cheng repeated without turning around.
"Turn around, let''s go back!" The Eldest Senior Brother, now sure of the message, shouted excitedly to the others.
Although they didn''t know why the Divine Child suddenly changed his mind, being able to return early was a happy event for this group of people who were eager to go back.
Upon hearing this good news, everyone quickly turned the boats around on the water surface and headed upstream.
Han Cheng waved goodbye to the East and the imagined modern civilization.
The immediate reason for Han Cheng''s sudden decision was a tiger roar.
The roar didn''t scare him, but it reminded him of the two saber-toothed tigers he had seen in the woods when searching for Fu Jiang.
Saber-toothed tigers were long extinct, and there were no traces of them in the future.
Realizing this suddenly, he decided, after a moment of silence, to have the Eldest Senior Brother and the others return.
There was no need to explore the road ahead anymore.
The presence of saber-toothed tigers, a species long supposed to be extinct, meant that this couldn''t be a civilized society.
I should have thought of this earlier!
Feeling relieved and somewhat lost, Han Cheng gently tapped his forehead, feeling remorseful.
Four small boats went upstream, and the journey, named "search for useful species" to verify whether the outside world was civilized, ended here.
The sound of water gently apanied the cheerful people heading towards where they came from.
"Stop!"
Han Cheng suddenly spoke up.
Everyone was puzzled. What''s wrong with the Divine Child today? He just said we should go. Why suddenly stop?
"Look there!"
Han Cheng pointed to a ce on the south bank downstream of the river, telling everyone.
While the Eldest Senior Brother and the others faced upstream when they heard about returning, Han Cheng was the only one looking downstream.
Now, hearing what Han Cheng said, they all followed his gaze. Under the blue sky, a pir of smoke was rising and swaying.
Smoke meant there were people.
They hadn''t encountered anyone on their way here, so naturally, seeing someone now was unusual.
"Should we go check it out?"
The smoking ce wasn''t far from here. Although they wanted to return quickly, they were also curious about the sudden appearance of the smoke. Moreover, it wasn''t too far away, so after considering for a while, they turned the boats around again and headed downstream to see what was happening.
It would be even better if they could get some information about the surroundings from them.
Going downstream was naturally faster, and they arrived at the location before long.
They chose a suitable ce to moor the boat and went ashore.
Following the previous practice, after tying the boat here, they pushed it away from the shore with a pole, hiding the oars and poles in the bushes.
Armed with weapons, they surrounded Han Cheng in the middle and headed towards the dwindling smoke.
Treading on dry grass, they proceeded through the thick weeds.
"They''re there!"
After walking for a while, approaching where the smoke was rising, the leading Eldest Senior Brother suddenly stopped, looking somewhat surprised.
Han Cheng was short, surrounded by others in the middle, so he couldn''t see what was happening there. Seeing the Eldest Senior Brother and others reacting like this, he didn''t know what they had seen. He was feeling anxious, he asked.
The Eldest Senior Brother hesitated momentarily, then lifted Han Cheng onto his shoulders, giving him a more precise view ahead.
Not too far away, arge fire was burning, surrounded by a group of primitive people gathered around animal skins. There were about ten of them, big and small.
Isn''t it normal for primitive people to light fires? Although their behavior around the fire seemed strange, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others shouldn''t be so surprised.
Han Cheng thought to himself, but his attention was soon drawn to the actions of several muscr individuals.
They moved away from the fire, then returned, bending down to pick something up after a while. It wasn''t empty-handed; they were carrying a person.
Could it be that someone died in the tribe, and they''re conducting a burial ceremony?
As Han Cheng observed this scene, he chuckled. It was simr to the customs ofter generations.
However, just as the idea of a burial ceremony crossed his mind, what happened next immediately dispelled it.
As the person being carried, whom Han Cheng initially thought was a corpse, approached the fire, they suddenly feigned death and started struggling violently.
When they got closer to the fire, they broke free from the two people carrying them and stumbled away, running for their lives in the direction where Han Cheng and the others were located.
The person didn''t get far before being subdued and dragged back.
Han Cheng saw some others using stones or spear-like objects to beat the person who cried out in agony.
What are they doing? Sacrificing a living person?
Watching this extremely primitive and bloody scene, Han Cheng''s face turned pale, suppressing the difort in his heart.
However, before he could specte further, the people from the tribe there had already noticed their presence and looked over with some alertness.
Some of them had raised their weapons, and there were iprehensible shouts, obviously questioning them.
This didn''t seem like a very friendly tribe.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others also noticed the change on the opposite side. They quickly put Han Cheng down, took the rattan shields from their backs, and stood before him, shielding him.
Four others also grabbed shields while the rest took out their weapons.
Following their training, the five holding shields formed a protective wall at the front while the remaining seven with long spears stood behind them.
On the left, Third Senior Brother, with two archers, had already taken out their bows and arrows. On the right, two others with slingshots had loaded stones into them.
Among the neen people on this expedition, apart from Han Cheng and Liang, the novice doctor who hadn''t fully trained yet, the other seventeen were regr participants in the training.
The Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, and the Third Senior Brother were the leaders of their respective teams.
The rattan shield and extended spear teams didn''t y a significant role in defensive battles relying on fortifications, but their most effective use was in the wilderness. That''s why there were the most members from these teams among the people Han Cheng brought along, a total of twelve.
Slingshots and bows were best for defense.
Especially slingshots, which made too much noise and had higher environmental requirements, such as requiring a rtively open area. That''s why Han Cheng only brought two slingshot members and three archer members this time.
Chapter 276: Unspeakable matters
Chapter 276: Unspeakable matters
The previous months of continuous training proved effective. Although the people were somewhat panicked when faced with danger, they didn''t lose theirposure and followed the training they had received before.
Han Cheng, who had been put down, couldn''t see the situation over there. However, he cautioned Third Senior Brother and the others not to act recklessly.
It wasn''t that he was afraid of trouble, but rather to avoid unnecessary casualties in their tribe.
The tribe appeared somewhat eerie, with about ten people of various ages gathered around the bonfire, including roughly fifty adults. Although the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe were armed and had received some training, under such circumstances, it would be extremely difficult to harm only the enemy without harming themselves.
This was one aspect. On the other hand, except for cases where there were blood feuds or significant conflicts of interest, tribes generally wouldn''t engage in conflicts when they encountered each other.
No tribe wanted bloodshed and death to ur.
A rtively old person stood by the bonfire, out of Han Cheng''s sight. Under these unexpected circumstances, he said some mumbling words, and suddenly, the person who had escaped but was caught back was struck heavily on the head with a stone.
The one who struck this person seemed like a leader or a shaman.
Dark red blood trickled down the head of the person who was hit, and he rolled his eyes and passed out.
This person repeated something, and the people around him picked up the unconscious person and threw him into the zing fire.
However, there was no fanaticism in their eyes, only deep sorrow.
Especially when the person who had been knocked unconscious woke up in the fire, rolled around in agony, and let out a miserable howl, their grief became even more profound, and some even shed tears.
Someone spoke up and pointed to a ce not far away, where another person curled up on the ground, trembling.
The leader-like person shook his head, pointed toward Han Cheng and the others, and said something. Afterward, about a dozen people picked up their weapons and headed toward Han Cheng''s group.
"They''reing!"
The Eldest Senior Brother reported the situation to Han Cheng, the short one.
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s people tensed up, preparing for battle.
Han Cheng hadn''t seen the scene where the person was knocked unconscious and thrown into the fire, but they all had.
The beast-like roar the person in despair emitted was loud enough for everyone here to hear.
In such an atmosphere, facing armed people walking towards them, it would be strange if they weren''t nervous and highly vignt.
Third Senior Brother really wanted to draw his bow, but he remembered the instructions from the Divine Child and could only endure it.
The group that approached stopped about fifty meters from Han Cheng and the others. One of them, who seemed to be the leader, handed his weapon to another person beside him and spoke while gesturing, asking questions to this group of unwee guests.
Fifty meters away was already a safe distance, in their view. Therefore, this person dared hand over his weapon to someone else.
Another reason was that he had already seen the strange weapons held by these unexpected guests: curved wooden sticks, soft ropes, andrge objects that could shield half of their bodies.
Although he hadn''t seen them before, he could sense that these were not very effective weapons, not as effective as the stones and stone spears they carried, which could be thrown far.
Those long, spear-like things looked intimidating, but as long as they were not close, there would be no problem.
This tribe was bizarre, carrying such weapons and still daring to wander around, thought the primitive man asking questions.
"He asks, why have youe here."
After repeating and gesturing three times, the Eldest Senior Brother, who interacted most with outsiders, roughly understood what the man meant and tranted to Han Cheng.
Indeed, although the other party''s behavior didn''t seem friendly, they were also not likely to engage in conflict easily.
The Eldest Senior Brother put down his rattan shield at Han Cheng''smand.
"Here,e¡"
The Eldest Senior Brother said, pointing to the back while indicating the direction of the smoke column.
The other side understood the Eldest Senior Brother''s meaning and ran to speak to the person watching them not far from the bonfire.
At the same time, they mentioned that the Green Sparrow Tribe had few people, weak weapons, and posed little threat.
The leader-like person waited for a while and then said something before leaving to negotiate with Han Cheng and the others.
"Do they want us to leave? Is someone dead?"
Han Cheng wondered, feeling puzzled, interpreting the words tranted by the Eldest Senior Brother.
The Eldest Senior Brother had already told him what had happened at the bonfire that he hadn''t seen.
Wasn''t the person who died the one they had knocked unconscious and burned alive?
Why did it seem like there was some sadness now?
Could it be that the deceased person wasn''t a captive from elsewhere or someone who hadmitted a severe offense in the tribe?
These people weren''t eating human flesh or conducting some ritual sacrifice, were they?
Han Cheng was very puzzled.
After thinking, he told the Eldest Senior Brother, "Ask them if they have any difficulties. If possible, we can help them."
The Eldest Senior Brother didn''t understand why the Divine Child would do this. This tribe didn''t seem friendly, and it was their first encounter. How could they¡
Two unreliable trantors conveyed Han Cheng''s intention to the leader-like person.
From his reaction, it seemed that there was no misunderstanding.
After understanding Han Cheng''s intention, his eyes lit up, and he looked at the underage person curled up, then shook his head with sorrow.
This matter couldn''t be resolved.
Even so, he had already felt the goodwill conveyed by Han Cheng.
It let him know that they came from a benevolent tribe, not an evil one.
Because evil tribes wouldn''t offer help to other tribes.
The leader-like person hesitated about something.
ording to the rules passed down to them, when encountering people from other tribes, once it was confirmed that the other party was not an evil tribe, they should meet.
And then both sides had to do some things that were not describable.
They didn''t know why they had to do this because it had been passed down for a long time.
If it were in the past, he would have personally invited this tribe, but today¡ Something terrible happened in the tribe, and he wasn''t in the mood for it.
"Let them leave."
He wanted to say these words, but when it came to his lips, he swallowed them back because their tribe hadn''t encountered other tribes for a long time.
Chapter 277: The first time seeing someone confidently and boldly says he is short
Chapter 277: The first time seeing someone confidently and boldly says he is short
"Sleep?"
Han Cheng understood the other party''s meaning this time without requiring his Eldest Senior Brother to trante.
Because he saw the personing over for negotiation dozens of meters away, forming a circle with one hand while the other hand, except for the middle finger, curled up all the other fingers.
Then, in full view of everyone, he repeatedly inserted his middle finger into the circle formed by the other hand.
After gesturing like this for a while, perhaps worried that Han Cheng and the others didn''t understand the meaning, this guy stopped and lifted the animal hide covering him, pointing between his legs, then repeated that seemingly obscene gesture with his hands.
Han Cheng widened his eyes. He had already witnessed the openness of primitive people before, but today''s encounter once again refreshed his understanding.
When two tribes meet for the first time and engage in such stimting activities, it''s pretty straightforward indeed.
Thinking like this, he recalled some things.
In the future, there were still many ces where guests were entertained using wives and daughters. The primary purpose was to prevent inbreeding.
Han Cheng had once fantasized about being a guest in such a situation, but he didn''t expect to encounter it today in this primitive era.
From the perspective of this era, this kind of thing is understandable. After all, there are only so many people in each tribe. Without taking such measures, it would be tough to survive for long.
For example, the Green Sparrow Tribe and the surrounding tribes hold a joyous celebration every other year.
However, this tribe probably didn''t have such regrly scheduled joyous celebrations, so they adopted the current method.
After conveying this meaning, the people there rxed, and Han Cheng and the others put away their weapons.
"Do we want to go over?" Han Cheng asked his Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
This was a rhetorical question because even before he could speak, his Eldest Senior Brother and the others, who also understood the other party''s intentions, had be somewhat restless.
The food in the Green Sparrow Tribe was excellent, especially with salt to eat. The energy of the people was rtively high.
It had been more than ten days since they left the tribe, and these guys had stored up enough energy. Hearing about such a thing at this time naturally stirred up some excitement.
So, Han Cheng followed his Eldest Senior Brother and the others who epted the invitation and went over.
This time, there were an equal number of men and women among the neen people from the Green Sparrow Tribe, besides Han Cheng.
Primitive people are straightforward in their actions, without much beating around the bush. This direct approach also left Han Cheng speechless.
After the two sides gathered together and confirmed the people they were interested in, they removed their animal hides and went straight to the point.
There was no lingering forey at all.
For a moment, an adult-rated movie yed out right before Han Cheng.
Han Cheng remained calm, watching everything openly and without any heartbeat racing. He couldn''t help but marvel inwardly.
He had thought that aftering to the primitive era, he would be insted from such things, but he didn''t expect the video to be watched, so they just switched to the live version¡
The adult male from the tribe Han Cheng, named the Fire Tribe, like Yun Fei, was also known for his speed. He finished in no time.
Looking at Eldest Senior Brother and the others still in action, feeling quite proud, Han Cheng thought that this strange-looking tribe was not only inferior to them in terms of numbers and weapons but also far behind in this regard.
They had already been at it for quite some time but still hadn''t finished.
What if a wild beast came by during this long time?
Han Cheng didn''t know their thoughts, but he would give them a thumbs up for their audacity if he did.
It was his first time encountering someone so confidently unconventional in short stories.
Han Cheng gestured his height to a female primitive standing before him, shook his head vigorously, and then pointed to where things just happened. The female primitive hesitated for a moment before walking away disappointed.
Han Cheng discreetly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Could they please not be so brutal? I''m still just a kid, okay?
After escaping this crisis, Han Cheng tactfully moved aside, distancing himself from this battlefield to avoid being identally injured.
As his gaze wandered around, he saw a trembling adolescent huddled nearby.
He should also be destined to be thrown into the fire and burned alive.
Han Cheng recalled the recent events that happened here.
For his safety, he didn''t approach the adolescent immediately, wanting to understand what was happening but not willing to risk his life for it.
After a round of activities, this unique wee ceremony finally ended.
With the deep interaction just now, the rtionship between the two sides had grown closer.
After a brief rest, Han Cheng asked them, through his Eldest Senior Brother, what had happened in their tribe. Why were they throwing live people into the fire?
Upon hearing Han Cheng''s inquiry about this matter, the atmosphere in the Fire Tribe, which had just eased a bit, immediately fell into sorrow.
The leader of the Fire Tribe seemed somewhat mncholic, speaking and gesturing to Han Cheng''s group to tell them about the misfortune in their tribe.
After a while, Han Cheng finally understood what was going on.
These people weren''t sacrificing, and the person burned alive in the fire wasn''t a captive from another tribe; they were members of their tribe.
The reason they were pushed into the fire and burned alive was that they were sick.
If someone contracted this disease, they had to be burned alive, or else more people would get sick. This was a tradition passed down in their tribe¡
Han Cheng''s heart sank after learning this news from his Eldest Senior Brother. He thought, damn it, this could spell trouble.
This unknown disease was regarded as a ferocious beast by the people of this tribe, yet they still approached it in such a nonchnt manner¡
Damn it, if you''re sick, just say so earlier! Now that everything has happened, it''s toote for regrets!
Isn''t this intentionally harming people?!
Back in the future, some idiot decided to experiment on goris, causing HIV, which was not initially spread among humans, to be a gue¡
Now, would the Green Sparrow Tribe also pay a painful price for this momentary pleasure?
Han Cheng''s face turned pale.
"Ask them what disease they have!" Han Cheng said to his Eldest Senior Brother with an unpleasant expression.
His Eldest Senior Brother didn''t understand why Han Cheng suddenly changed like this.
The sick person had already been burned alive, and those left were not sick. Why was the Divine Child reacting so strongly?
His Eldest Senior Brother ryed Han Cheng''s words to the other side, and the reply was, they didn''t know what disease it was¡
Chapter 278: Sick must be burned
Chapter 278: Sick must be burned
Han Cheng''s expression became even more grim.
At this moment, reminded by Han Cheng, the Fire Tribe remembered that one sick person had yet to be dealt with.
After the leader of the Fire Tribe said something, someone walked towards a spot not too far from the fire pit.
There, a young person Han Cheng had already noticed was curled up.
The young person had been paying attention to the situation here all along. When he saw someone approaching him, he already knew what would happen to him.
He struggled to retreat backward while curling up on the ground, mumbling in extreme panic.
It was evident that he was much sicker than the previous person, although his panicked cries weren''t too loud.
Although sadness was evident on his face, the adult who went to grab him didn''t hesitate at all when he started. He grabbed his limbs and lifted him directly.
Although he struggled, how could he break free when he was sick, weak, and underage?
Amid his struggle, he was carried towards the fire pit.
"Stop!"
Han Cheng suddenly shouted, startling everyone around.
The leader of the Fire Tribe frowned. He was a rtively intelligent person, and from the various performances before, he could see the extraordinary nature of this young person.
It wasn''t because Han Cheng, as a time traveler, brought with him an aura of ridicule and astonishment that others could feel his extraordinariness at first sight. It was the attitude of the Eldest Senior Brother and the others towards Han Cheng, treating him with more respect than they did to the leader.
He couldn''t understand what Han Cheng said, but he didn''t ignore it. He asked Han Cheng through gestures what his actions meant.
Han Cheng naturally couldn''t understand his words but could understand his meaning. It was nothing more than asking about the meaning of his actions.
"Make them stop!"
Han Cheng said to his bewildered Eldest Senior Brother.
Although Eldest Senior Brother was puzzled by the sudden seriousness on the Divine Child''s face, he quickly conveyed Han Cheng''s words.
"Why, Divine Child?"
After conveying the message, Eldest Senior Brother asked in confusion.
In his view, the sick and those about to be burned to death were from other tribes, so there was no need for them to stop.
Han Cheng sniffed.
Why?
Isn''t it just to know what disease is considered a ferocious beast by their tribe? To see if it could have a disastrous impact on you?
The leader of the Fire Tribe didn''t know why the other party wanted them to stop.
Isn''t it only natural to burn the sick to death?
But after thinking about it, he still stopped as told.
Seeing the other party stop, Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
If the people of this tribe insisted on throwing thest sick person into the fire pit regardless, then things would be troublesome.
He couldn''t settle down during this period, not for the sake of this tribe but for the sake of his Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
Thinking like this, Han Cheng had his Eldest Senior Brother convey his desire to see the sick person''s condition.
Eldest Senior Brother, who had been indifferent before, was somewhat nervous. He was reluctant to let Han Cheng see the sick and ominous person.
In his view, the people he had interacted with from the Fire Tribe before were all healthy, naturally free from taboos, and nothing to worry about.
But this person about to be burned to death was different. He had contracted a disease that could be transmitted to others¡
After understanding the Eldest Senior Brother''s meaning, Han Cheng smiled.
After telling Eldest Senior Brother not to worry, Han Cheng approached the cowering young person.
Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, and the others wanted to follow, but Han Cheng resolutely stopped them.
Back in the modern world, he had received various vinations. Although he had be smaller, these things shouldn''t have changed. Many infectious pathogens that could cause catastrophic diseases at this time were not enough to threaten him. Compared to Eldest Senior Brother and the others, his resistance was much more robust, and coupled with his broader knowledge, it was natural for him to handle this matter by himself without dragging Eldest Senior Brother and the others into risks.
Of course, while he might think like this, it was still essential to be cautious. After all, life was precious, and there were too many variables in this world.
Whether this child was scared out of his wits or weakened by illness, he was ced not too far from the fire pit. He couldn''t do anything else besides trembling in fear on the ground.
When Han Cheng approached, the child''s eyes were filled with fear, thinking that Han Cheng would push him into the fire pit.
Han Cheng frowned slightly as he looked at the child.
The child was young; judging from his size, he was not as tall as Han Cheng. Perhaps due to illness, he looked skinny.
Wrapped in dirty animal skins whose original color couldn''t be distinguished, his hair was like dry straw scattered haphazardly on his head. He looked dirty all over and emitted an indescribable strange smell.
Han Cheng squatted down, reached out a hand, and covered the child''s forehead despite his fearful but not too intense avoidance.
As soon as he touched it, Han Cheng felt a somewhat scalding temperature.
This child was seriously ill. With such a temperature, he could almost roast sweet potatoes!
Thinking like this, Han Cheng lifted the frightened child''s eyelids and opened his mouth to examine him.
After releasing the young primitive, Han Cheng pondered on the side.
This disease could be contagious. The person with the disease had a high fever, and their tongue coating was white. It looked like influenza.
The young primitive, seeing that Han Cheng had only done such inexplicable things to him without throwing him into the fire pit, was less scared.
As Han Cheng contemted, everyone else watched him.
Seeing that Han Cheng had looked but remained silent, the leader of the Fire Tribe instructed someone to throw the young primitive into the fire pit again.
The sick cannot be kept for too long; this was the knowledge he inherited.
Although he felt reluctant to burn his own people, he had to act this way for the sake of the tribe.
When the young primitive was about to be thrown into the fire pit again, he was again ced down.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others looked at Han Cheng anxiously, almost jumping with worry.
The leader of the Fire Tribe, who understood Han Cheng''s intentions, and others from various Fire Tribes looked at the young leader with extreme confusion and iprehension.
They thought it was not easy for this tribe to survive under the leadership of such an inexperienced and unwise young leader. Their own tribe had no choice but to burn sick people to death, yet he actually wanted to take them away. It was truly iprehensible¡
Chapter 282: Deer! Deer!
Chapter 282: Deer! Deer!
Han Cheng cannot be med for this matter.
Like the others from the Fire Tribe, this guy''s hair is messy, and the chest exposed under the animal skins is t¡ªnot much different from other boys.
Who could have imagined a hidden surprise beneath the animal skins in such a situation?
Han Cheng took several deep breaths, finally clearing his confused mind.
On the other boat, Liang who had been watching them all along, thinking this was necessary to treat the illness. So he imitated Han Cheng''s actions, facing downstream with hands on their backs and taking deep breaths.
Feeling calmer, Han Cheng turned around, gesturing for Milk Tea to clean the remaining parts herself. After waiting and stealing a nce, he saw that she was cleaning too slowly.
Moreover, with the illness on her body, being exposed for too long could worsen her condition. So Han Cheng turned around, helping her put on her upper garment, then changing the water basin and taking the animal skin from her hands to clean Milk Tea, who had suddenly changed.
Primitive people didn''t care about this, and Milk Tea''s body was smaller than Han Cheng''s, still a child, so Han Cheng repeated in his mind the phrase "a doctor has a parent''s heart" several times, finally feeling less embarrassed¡After the cleaning, Han Cheng heated some water and gritted his teeth as he soaked his hands in the hot water.
After walking forward for a while, when he saw willow trees on the riverbank, he asked the Eldest Senior Brother to bring the boat closer, then broke some willow branches and boiled them to sterilize.
With food in his belly, knowing she wouldn''t be burned to death, wearing soft clothes she had never seen before, Milk Tea felt much lighter. She stroked her soft clothes for a while before leaning against a corner of the small boat and falling asleep.
Thinking momentarily, Han Cheng found a piece of animal skin to use as a nket and covered her with it.
He reached out to touch her forehead, which was still very hot.
People rushing home always seemed to have endless energy. With the sun still far from setting, they had already reached the ce they had departed from that morning, rowing against the current.
They didn''t rest here but continued to push forward.
They stopped at the riverbank when the sun finally set, painting the sky with varying shades of fiery clouds.
Milk Tea was still asleep. Han Cheng put his hand under her nose for a while and found her breath slightly scorching.
First, they removed the fish from the cage and put the cage back into the water before starting to cook it.
Han Cheng didn''t share his meal with the senior brothers, fearing he might pass the illness to them.
After eating, Han Cheng asked the senior brothers to boil plenty of willow branch water again. He instructed them all to clean themselves, especially the parts that had intimate contact with the people from the Fire Tribe today.
Han Cheng''s meal was eaten on the boat, sharing the same pot with Milk Tea, but of course, Milk Tea''s utensils were kept separate from Han Cheng''s.
After waking up the groggy Milk Tea, he made her drink a bowl of meat porridge with some vegetables, followed by half a bowl of soup made from what seemed to be bupleurum, before letting her sleep again.
This time, they didn''t wash their faces, so they didn''t drink face-washing water either.
The night was quiet, and the small boat gently swayed with the ripples, like sleeping in a cradle.
Sometimes, not far away, the gentle sound of water waves would be heard as startled fish flicked their tails, leaving a shimmering trail.
There were faint flickers of fireflies dancing on the water''s surface, slightly overshadowed by the stars in the sky and the water below.
Perhaps feeling the chill of the night, the drowsy Milk Tea kept leaning towards Han Cheng, eventually snuggling next to him¡
Let''s push the timeline forward a bit and switch perspectives.
The setting sun gradually descended towards the mountains, and birds eager to return home pped their wings across the sky.
"Deer! Deer!"
The Bone Tribe, who had been on their way, finally saw the silhouette of the deer, and someone shouted excitedly in their tribalnguage.
Following his pointing direction, more people saw the group of deer,rge and small, numbering about thirty.
The leader of the Bone Tribe looked at the deer, raised his hand, and then waved it down.
The guy excitedly shouting at the deer stumbled momentarily, and his excited shouts stopped.
He looked puzzled at the leader. The leader of the Bone Tribe restrained the urge to hit him again and pointed forcefully at the group of deer.
Following their gaze, they saw the deer had already arrived in front of the tall, envy-inducing wall, walking elegantly and entering one by one.
It was obvious that these deer had been raised by the entire tribe. How could this guy still be shouting with excitement?
The leader of the Bone Tribe looked indignant and frustrated, wanting to continue hitting someone.
Shouts came from the opposite wall from far away, faintly mixed with the sound of something being struck.
Under the gaze of the leader of the Bone Tribe, several people not far from the courtyard quickly ran towards the courtyard, apanied by the wolf that lived with them.
The open gate was quickly closed, and other people''s figures appeared on the wall where only one person could be seen.
"Let''s go!"
The leader of the Bone Tribe, who had seen simr scenes several times, waved his hand and shouted, leading the tribe towards the tribe.
The leader of the Bone Tribe was puzzled because the one who came out to negotiate with him this time was not the leader of this tribe but the old shaman, whose status was above the leader.
Where was the leader of this tribe?
He thought this way and carefully searched the wall with his eyes, only to find that many familiar figures were missing among the people on the wall.
Did these people go hunting and not return?
Just likest time.
He thought this way and began to convey his thoughts.
However, what surprised him was that this time, the people of this tribe did not ask them to wait outside. Instead, two strange ropes with wooden hooks were lowered from the wall, pulling them and their fur up.
After a while, two jars of salt needed by their tribe and arge pot obtained with many furs were sent down with the ropes.
After the trade, the western sky was already covered with fiery clouds.
Dusk had descended, and it wouldn''t be long before it turned dark.
Camping in the wilderness was naturally unsafe, so the leader of the Bone Tribe proposed, as before, to rest in front of the walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe, which the shaman agreed to.
However, the number of people guarding the wall increased ordingly.
As night fell, the shaman did not sleep. He sat not too far from the wall.
The rest of the Green Sparrow Tribe, except for the ignorant children, remained alert.
After the Divine Child and leader left, they all felt uneasy sleeping.
Even the previouslyzy Second Senior Brother stood on the wall with a stone-throwing sling in hand, keeping a close watch on the people camping outside the wall.
Chapter 284: She is still a child
Chapter 284: She is still a child
"That thing is Chai Hu!" Han Cheng thought with joy in his heart. Then, he worried he might be mistaken, so he reached out again to cover the milk tea girl''s forehead, carefully feeling it.
"It''s not as hot as before.
It should be because she''s feelingfortable. The milk tea girl sleeps soundly, with some tiny beads of sweat on the tip of her nose.
Perhaps sensing something, the milk tea girl, in her dream, slightly shook her head and leaned towards Han Cheng.
With joy in his heart, Han Cheng withdrew his hand. After looking down at the milk tea girl for a while, he suddenly felt that the girl''s appearance was not bad.
Then he realized his thoughts and couldn''t help but shake his head and smile.
Being influenced by people like Zhuang, Ruhua, and Xing all day affected his aesthetics. Looking at this primitive girl, who was thinner, fair-skinned, and with softer facial features, he actually found her quite attractive.
Han Cheng stood at the boat''s bow and released his urine into the clear river water.Feeling good and peeing far away, the fish peeking at the water''s surface were startled by the warm water and quickly darted away.
After securing his pants with a rope, Han Cheng turned around and found that the milk tea girl had already woken up at some point and was blinking her eyes, looking at him.
Han Cheng''s face flushed red. He thought, "What''s this girl looking at? Doesn''t she know it''s impolite to stare?"
Then he thought again, "Well, I examined her thoroughly yesterday, although it was for medical purposes. Since she''s looking back at me now, it''s not like I''m losing out. It''s just a matter of reciprocity."
With these thoughts, he couldn''t help but smile, thinking that this milk tea girl really had a knack for not losing out.
But who knows if she''ll eventually turn into matcha.
Given the current situation, it''s very likely.
The senior brothers had also woken up. Someone pulled out the fish traps soaking in the water, and Third Senior Brother and the others carried several birds that had been shot with arrows.
Soon, a fire was lit to start breakfast.
Compared to yesterday, the milk tea girl was no longer as terrified.
After bathing and changing clothes, she seemed like a different person.
At this moment, she stood in the small boat, hands pressed against her stomach, watching Third Senior Brother and the others plucking birds with wide eyes.
She couldn''t understand how they had caught so many birds.
In their tribe, they could usually only find some bird eggs or chicks. It was rare to catch adult birds.
Han Cheng nced at the milk tea girl''s hands on her stomach and understood what was happening. Thinking momentarily, he pulled the small boat to the shore and signaled for the milk tea girl to take care of her business in a safe spot a few meters away from the senior brothers.
The milk tea girl understood quickly.
Han Cheng waited outside, nning to bring her back to the boat after a while.
Although her condition had improved, her illness hadn''tpletely disappeared, so it was best to minimize her contact with the senior brothers for now.
After waiting and not seeing the milk tea girle out, Han Cheng thought, "Women are troublesome. It takes so long to handle personal matters."
With these thoughts, he waited a little longer but still didn''t see her. Han Cheng''s heart skipped a beat.
Could she have secretly run off or been carried away by something?
When he was younger, he had heard plenty of stories about wolves carrying off children.
Thinking like this, he disregarded the somewhat ridiculous male-female precautions of this era and turned to push aside the grass and take a few steps inside. He saw the milk tea girl standing there neatly dressed.
Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing that she was already dressed, he called her toe out.
He called twice, but she just raised her head like a startled deer and looked at him withouting out. Han Cheng thought she didn''t understand, so he pulled her by hand.
The milk tea girl shook her head with some resistance, showing a nearly tearful expression.
Han Cheng looked down at the ground and didn''t see any traces. Then he noticed that the milk tea girl''s hands were ced on her waist, and the rope had been tied around her waist.
Han Cheng sniffled. How could he forget about this?
He went over and began to untie it for her.
For some reason, Han Cheng''s mind was not functioning correctly. After untying it, he took off her pants, which was quite a service.
When he saw the bald little mound, Han Cheng realized what he had done and quickly helped her put them back on.
However, these pants were not the stic kind from the future, and coupled with the mediocre sewing skills of the Green Sparrow Tribe, the pants were too big around Han Cheng''s waist, let alone the much smaller milk tea girl.
As soon as he lifted them and let go, the pants fell again.
His mind was nk, and Han Cheng looked dazed as he reached down to pick them up again.
After doing this three times, he finally realized what was happening. Instead of struggling with the pants anymore, he turned around and awkwardly walked away.
As he walked, he flicked his forehead with his fingers.
Damn it, how could he do such a thing?
He was still a child, and she was just a child too.
Seeing the milk tea girl walking awkwardly with her pants held up, Han Cheng had to squat down again and teach her how to tie the belt.
The milk tea girl''s pants slipped again during this process, making Han Cheng''s face turn green.
With one hand holding a bowl and the other holding a bitten willow stick, the milk tea girl tried to recall the demonstration of a smiling, not much older than her, underage person from earlier. She clumsily poked her mouth with some white substance.
As she poked, she nced at the underage person making a fire.
From yesterday to this morning, in this short period, she had encountered many things she had never seen before.
Among her peers in the tribe, she was the one who learned the most, but here, she found that she seemed to know nothing.
And the underage person who didn''t seem much older than her knew everything and was very capable.
Thinking like this, she felt much better after brushing her teeth, drinking some bad-tasting hot water, and eating a big bowl of delicious food.
Sitting on the small boat, she looked at everything she had never seen before, constantly thinking: What kind of magical appearance would they have if it was already like this now?
With the oars paddling, the small boat moved against the water, and before noon, they arrived at Wangdong Mountain.
Carrying bone shovels and other tools, they abandoned the boat and went ashore to dig for the herb called Chai Hu, which the Divine Child said was quitemon in this area.
From Han Cheng, everyone had already learned about the medicinal properties of this herb, so without his instructions, the senior brothers were all enthusiastic.
After all, they had witnessed the miraculous effects of this medicine with their own eyes.
In the other tribes, people were being burned alive, but after being given some water boiled with these herb roots by the Divine Child, they felt much better, as if they had been brought back from the brink of death.
They weren''t fools. If something were this good, it would be strange not to notice it.
They rented several jars with soil, rented Chai Hu in them, and dug out many Chai Hu roots to return to the boat.
Han Cheng nned to dry and store these Chai Hu roots for future use.
Otherwise, it would be toote if they needed themter and had to travel by boat to get them.
Four small boats moved on the water, getting closer and closer to the tribe where they lived and the tribe that they were gradually building up.
Compared to when they left, the people''s mood at this moment was undoubtedly much higher.
Chapter 279: Reminiscence of the Women of the Fire Tribe
Chapter 279 ¨C Reminiscence of the Women of the Fire Tribe
For taking away this underage person, Han Cheng didn¡¯t act on a whim or out of sudden kindness; he had his considerations.
The child was indeed sick, but based on Han Cheng¡¯s previous experience with frequent colds, it didn¡¯t seem like a severe illness. However, at this time, if such a cold wasn¡¯t taken seriously, it could indeed be fatal and even lead to the tribe¡¯s extinction.
Although the Fire Tribe¡¯s methods were somewhat cruel, it was the most correct approach given the circumstances. However, without medicine, resorting to burning alive was excessively cruel.
Han Cheng wanted to take the underage person away because of what he had discovered yesterday, the suspected Chaihu herb. He originally nned to wait until autumn to confirm whether it was Chaihu by observing its flowering. However, the appearance of this feverish underage person changed his mind.
The best way to determine the effectiveness of a medicine is through clinical trials. This feverish, underage, primitive person would be the perfect test subject. If the medicine worked, he would save a life, and the tribe would gain another person who would be an adult in a few years. Most importantly, obtaining a life-saving remedy would be invaluable for the tribe.
If the medicine didn¡¯t work, the underage person would still have a couple more days to live without the need for the cruel method of burning alive. Moreover, since it would be a stranger who died, there might be some difort but not excessive grief.
While this idea might seem cold, reality is often just that cruel. For now, Eldest Senior Brother and the others couldn¡¯t be exined to, so they were unaware.
Han Cheng felt that the Fire Tribe had no reason to refuse him. After all, leaving this underage person here would mean certain death, whereas letting him leave might offer some hope.
That¡¯s how Han Cheng thought, but many times, things don¡¯t go as nned. In his certainty, the head of the Fire Tribe shook his head.
The head of the Fire Tribe was rtively kind and didn¡¯t want to see this tribe, already appearing strange and weak, led to its demise by this underage person.
This illness, something strange to their tribe, was something they had no experience with. Their tribe had suffered painful lessons before¡
Seeing the head of the Fire Tribe shake his head, Han Cheng was surprised, but Eldest Senior Brother and the others appeared extremely happy, relieved that a huge weight was lifted off their chests.
¡°Tell them I might have a way to cure him,¡± Han Cheng said seriously to Eldest Senior Brother.
¡°Really?¡± Eldest Senior Brother instinctively asked, then realized he was stating the obvious.
He remembered how the tribe had thought someone was already dying but ended up alive, bouncing around, and even fathered children.
So, without waiting for Han Cheng to confirm again, he began conveying Han Cheng¡¯s message to the head of the Fire Tribe.
The others who heard Han Cheng¡¯s words also breathed a sigh of relief, transitioning from confusion and anxiety to reassurance tinged with excitement.
After Han Cheng¡¯s reminder, they all remembered the divine child¡¯s miraculous healing methods. Liang was particrly delighted.
Upon understanding Han Cheng¡¯s meaning from Eldest Senior Brother, the head of the Fire Tribe widened his eyes, appearing incredulous.
How could this strange underage leader of an odd tribe possibly have a way to cure the illness that had caused many deaths in their tribe and instilled fear in them?
He wanted to refuse again but then realized that if it turned out to be urate, it would be a tremendous boon for their tribe.
After some thought, he conveyed to Eldest Senior Brother his agreement for Han Cheng to treat the underage person. However, he didn¡¯t allow him to be taken away; instead, he insisted on treating him right there.
Han Cheng furrowed his brow. As the saying goes, ¡°Illnesses like a mountain but goes away like a strand of silk.¡± This child was quite ill. Even if that suspected Chaihu herb was effective, it would take at least two to three days to see any noticeable results.
When they left the tribe, it was the third day of the month, and now eleven days had passed. He had told the shaman when they left that they would return before the end of the month.
However, the return journey was against the current, much slower, and Han Cheng also wanted to cut some bamboo to bring back, which would take up another day.
If they dyed here for another two to three days, they would not return to the tribe by the end of the month.
After thinking about it, Han Cheng had Eldest Senior Brother tell them that he and his group needed to hurry back to the tribe and couldn¡¯t afford to dy any longer.
The other party quickly responded, saying they wanted to know how to treat this illness.
Han Cheng couldn¡¯t confirm whether the herb was indeed Chaihu. If it wasn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t that mean causing harm to this tribe? But if he didn¡¯t propose a solution, the tribe wouldn¡¯t allow them to take the sick person away. It was a dilemma.
After pondering briefly, Han Cheng said, ¡°As for whether that method can cure him, I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯lle back in autumn. If the method works, we¡¯ll let them know.¡±
After understanding Han Cheng¡¯s meaning, Eldest Senior Brother conveyed it to the head of the Fire Tribe.
After a while, the other party¡¯s response came back.
What is autumn?
Han Cheng and the others from the Green Sparrow Tribeughed.
Indeed, these people hadn¡¯t heard of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl story, didn¡¯t have calendars, and never celebrated New Year¡¯s, so naturally, they didn¡¯t know what autumn meant. It was something unique to their tribe.
Eldest Senior Brother exined the meaning of autumn to the head of the Fire Tribe with a smile.
The head of the Fire Tribe was puzzled, saying it would be much better to say ¡°when the leaves turn yellow and many fruits ripen¡± rather than this strange word ¡°autumn.¡±
The head of the Fire Tribe agreed to Han Cheng¡¯s proposal and allowed the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe to take away this underage person who should have been burned.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others wanted to carry the sick underage person, but Han Cheng refused. Under his request, two people from the Fire Tribe carried the curled-up underage person, walking with them toward the riverbank.
The rest of the Fire Tribe¡¯s people followed behind, wanting to see where this strange tribe came from.
Oars and punting poles hidden in the bushes were found, and the canoe floating on the water was pulled to the shore.
Watching Han Cheng and the others board the canoe, glide into the water, and drift farther upstream, all the people from the Fire Tribe who witnessed this scene widened their eyes.
They had initially thought that Han Cheng and the others hade downstream along the river, but they hadn¡¯t expected them toe from the water!
This event had a significant impact on them. When could people start floating on water?
For the next long period, this strange tribe suddenly appeared and then suddenly left, bing the most popr topic among the Fire Tribe.
Their strangenguage, attire, weapons, the peculiar rules followed by an underage person, their fearless appearance of illness, and the strange behavior of traveling from the water became topics of discussion.
Of course, when discussing the men of that tribe, the men from the Fire Tribe sometimes chuckled proudly.
When the women of the Fire Tribe gathered to discuss the men they called the ¡°Water Tribe,¡± they also chuckled for a while, but their expressions were tinged with nostalgia¡
I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 279 ¨C Reminiscence of the Women of the Fire Tribe
For taking away this underage person, Han Cheng didn¡¯t act on a whim or out of sudden kindness; he had his considerations.
The child was indeed sick, but based on Han Cheng¡¯s previous experience with frequent colds, it didn¡¯t seem like a severe illness. However, at this time, if such a cold wasn¡¯t taken seriously, it could indeed be fatal and even lead to the tribe¡¯s extinction.
Although the Fire Tribe¡¯s methods were somewhat cruel, it was the most correct approach given the circumstances. However, without medicine, resorting to burning alive was excessively cruel.
Han Cheng wanted to take the underage person away because of what he had discovered yesterday, the suspected Chaihu herb. He originally nned to wait until autumn to confirm whether it was Chaihu by observing its flowering. However, the appearance of this feverish underage person changed his mind.
The best way to determine the effectiveness of a medicine is through clinical trials. This feverish, underage, primitive person would be the perfect test subject. If the medicine worked, he would save a life, and the tribe would gain another person who would be an adult in a few years. Most importantly, obtaining a life-saving remedy would be invaluable for the tribe.
If the medicine didn¡¯t work, the underage person would still have a couple more days to live without the need for the cruel method of burning alive. Moreover, since it would be a stranger who died, there might be some difort but not excessive grief.
While this idea might seem cold, reality is often just that cruel. For now, Eldest Senior Brother and the others couldn¡¯t be exined to, so they were unaware.
Han Cheng felt that the Fire Tribe had no reason to refuse him. After all, leaving this underage person here would mean certain death, whereas letting him leave might offer some hope.
That¡¯s how Han Cheng thought, but many times, things don¡¯t go as nned. In his certainty, the head of the Fire Tribe shook his head.
The head of the Fire Tribe was rtively kind and didn¡¯t want to see this tribe, already appearing strange and weak, led to its demise by this underage person.
This illness, something strange to their tribe, was something they had no experience with. Their tribe had suffered painful lessons before¡
Seeing the head of the Fire Tribe shake his head, Han Cheng was surprised, but Eldest Senior Brother and the others appeared extremely happy, relieved that a huge weight was lifted off their chests.
¡°Tell them I might have a way to cure him,¡± Han Cheng said seriously to Eldest Senior Brother.
¡°Really?¡± Eldest Senior Brother instinctively asked, then realized he was stating the obvious.
He remembered how the tribe had thought someone was already dying but ended up alive, bouncing around, and even fathered children.
So, without waiting for Han Cheng to confirm again, he began conveying Han Cheng¡¯s message to the head of the Fire Tribe.
The others who heard Han Cheng¡¯s words also breathed a sigh of relief, transitioning from confusion and anxiety to reassurance tinged with excitement.
After Han Cheng¡¯s reminder, they all remembered the divine child¡¯s miraculous healing methods. Liang was particrly delighted.
Upon understanding Han Cheng¡¯s meaning from Eldest Senior Brother, the head of the Fire Tribe widened his eyes, appearing incredulous.
How could this strange underage leader of an odd tribe possibly have a way to cure the illness that had caused many deaths in their tribe and instilled fear in them?
He wanted to refuse again but then realized that if it turned out to be urate, it would be a tremendous boon for their tribe.
After some thought, he conveyed to Eldest Senior Brother his agreement for Han Cheng to treat the underage person. However, he didn¡¯t allow him to be taken away; instead, he insisted on treating him right there.
Han Cheng furrowed his brow. As the saying goes, ¡°Illnesses like a mountain but goes away like a strand of silk.¡± This child was quite ill. Even if that suspected Chaihu herb was effective, it would take at least two to three days to see any noticeable results.
When they left the tribe, it was the third day of the month, and now eleven days had passed. He had told the shaman when they left that they would return before the end of the month.
However, the return journey was against the current, much slower, and Han Cheng also wanted to cut some bamboo to bring back, which would take up another day.
If they dyed here for another two to three days, they would not return to the tribe by the end of the month.
After thinking about it, Han Cheng had Eldest Senior Brother tell them that he and his group needed to hurry back to the tribe and couldn¡¯t afford to dy any longer.
The other party quickly responded, saying they wanted to know how to treat this illness.
Han Cheng couldn¡¯t confirm whether the herb was indeed Chaihu. If it wasn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t that mean causing harm to this tribe? But if he didn¡¯t propose a solution, the tribe wouldn¡¯t allow them to take the sick person away. It was a dilemma.
After pondering briefly, Han Cheng said, ¡°As for whether that method can cure him, I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯lle back in autumn. If the method works, we¡¯ll let them know.¡±
After understanding Han Cheng¡¯s meaning, Eldest Senior Brother conveyed it to the head of the Fire Tribe.
After a while, the other party¡¯s response came back.
What is autumn?
Han Cheng and the others from the Green Sparrow Tribeughed.
Indeed, these people hadn¡¯t heard of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl story, didn¡¯t have calendars, and never celebrated New Year¡¯s, so naturally, they didn¡¯t know what autumn meant. It was something unique to their tribe.
Eldest Senior Brother exined the meaning of autumn to the head of the Fire Tribe with a smile.
The head of the Fire Tribe was puzzled, saying it would be much better to say ¡°when the leaves turn yellow and many fruits ripen¡± rather than this strange word ¡°autumn.¡±
The head of the Fire Tribe agreed to Han Cheng¡¯s proposal and allowed the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe to take away this underage person who should have been burned.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others wanted to carry the sick underage person, but Han Cheng refused. Under his request, two people from the Fire Tribe carried the curled-up underage person, walking with them toward the riverbank.
The rest of the Fire Tribe¡¯s people followed behind, wanting to see where this strange tribe came from.
Oars and punting poles hidden in the bushes were found, and the canoe floating on the water was pulled to the shore.
Watching Han Cheng and the others board the canoe, glide into the water, and drift farther upstream, all the people from the Fire Tribe who witnessed this scene widened their eyes.
They had initially thought that Han Cheng and the others hade downstream along the river, but they hadn¡¯t expected them toe from the water!
This event had a significant impact on them. When could people start floating on water?
For the next long period, this strange tribe suddenly appeared and then suddenly left, bing the most popr topic among the Fire Tribe.
Their strangenguage, attire, weapons, the peculiar rules followed by an underage person, their fearless appearance of illness, and the strange behavior of traveling from the water became topics of discussion.
Of course, when discussing the men of that tribe, the men from the Fire Tribe sometimes chuckled proudly.
When the women of the Fire Tribe gathered to discuss the men they called the ¡°Water Tribe,¡± they also chuckled for a while, but their expressions were tinged with nostalgia¡
Chapter 280
Chapter 280
On the canoe where Han Cheng sat, only he and the trembling underage person from the Fire Tribe huddled in a corner of the boat.
The four oars were stored in the boat cabin, and no one was rowing, yet the boat was traveling upstream against the current.
Of course, it wasn''t the waves propelling them forward, but rather a rope tied to the front of the boat, with the other end secured to the rear, where Eldest Senior Brother and Shang were rowing together.
This was Han Cheng''s idea. It aimed to iste the underage person and prevent him from contacting the Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
A fire was burning on the small boat.
There was no need to worry about the wooden canoe catching fire because Han Cheng had carefully made a simple stove by knocking a hole in the bottom of an empty y pot and using stones to inste the bottom of the pot. This prevented the wooden boat from catching fire.
Smoke rose from the makeshift stove, and another smaller and shorter y pot on top emitted white vapor.
In the air, there was a bitter taste.
Han Cheng was boiling what seemed to be Chaihu roots inside the pot.They hadn''t reached the location where they discovered the Chaihu roots yesterday, so what was being boiled now were the ones Han Cheng had nted in the pot to bring back to the tribe.
Han Cheng estimated that it was almost time, so he stopped after adding two pieces of firewood to the makeshift stove.
After a while, when the fire was almost out, he picked up two handfuls of dry grass, dipped them in the river water to moisten them, and ced them on the edge of the y pot. Then, he poured the remaining medicine into arge bowl.
The color was somewhat dark, and it resembled the bowl Pan Jinlian had given Wu Dng to drink.
After waiting a while with the bowl, Han Cheng touched the outside with his hand and felt it wasn''t very hot. He picked it up and walked towards the underage person trembling in a corner.
The underage person was terrified, and when he saw Han Cheng approaching, he immediately shrank into the corner.
Already thin and small, he became even smaller when he shrank into a tight ball.
"Drink it."
Han Cheng tried to make his smile appear more friendly and his voice softer.
However, the child couldn''t understand his words and just looked at him in fear, trembling uncontrobly.
Whether it was due to excessive fear or the fever, Han Cheng didn''t say much more and brought the bowl to the child''s mouth, indicating for him to drink.
Perhaps feeling less scared without the intimidating bonfire, or perhaps realizing that Han Cheng was also an underage person and wouldn''t kill him like the adults, or perhaps because he understood Han Cheng''s intentions and also because he was hungry.
After Han Cheng held the bowl to his mouth for a while, the child began to open his mouth to drink.
However, after just one sip, he spat it out again, whether because the medicine was too bitter or because he was frightened by the hot water he had never drunk before.
He shook his head, indicating he didn''t want to drink anymore. But after waiting for a while and seeing that Han Cheng still hadn''t moved the bowl away from his mouth, he drank the water, still trembling with fear, but finally consumed it.
After drinking, he kept licking his lips.
Han Cheng smiled as he watched.
He took out the roots boiled in the pot and spread them to dry on one side of the boat cabin. He scooped water from the river, washed the pot, filled it with water, ced it on the makeshift stove, and added firewood to heat it.
After doing all this, he brought some salted meat and tried to slice it as thinly as possible with a bone knife, putting it in the y pot to cook.
The underage person curled up in the corner was no longer as terrified as before.
He curled up there, enduring the difort of his body, stealing nces at this slightly older but mysterious underage person who seemed to have everything under control.
Seeing him use these things he had never seen before to make water that could be drunk but tasted very bad.
When he saw the piece of meat Han Cheng held in his hand, he had been continuously salivating, even if he wasn''t hungry. Meat, this kind of food, had a great allure to him, especially since he hadn''t eaten much since he had fallen ill.
He wanted to put that enticing meat into his mouth, but apart from salivating, he didn''t dare to show any other signs.
In their tribe, meat was always the food of strong adults. For them, underage people, most of the time, had to satisfy their hunger with grass and seeds.
The smell of cooking meat wafted out; this strange smell drilled into his nose, making him salivate even more, but he didn''t dare to hope to eat this delicious food.
It was already good that this person, who didn''t seem very fierce and had never been seen before, gave him water that tasted bad just now.
As for the rest, how could he still dare to hope?
But...
The smell was so good...
Under the gaze of the underage person who was still feverish but still thinking about food, Han Cheng poured the cooked, barely considered meat slice porridge into the bowl that he had rinsed after holding the medicine.
The sick underage person''s eyes widened instantly. He looked at Han Cheng, who was smiling at him, then at the bowl of fragrant meat slice porridge in front of him, with an incredulous expression.
"Eat."
Han Cheng handed the bowl to the underage person before him, pointed to his mouth, and repeated.
"Eat?"
After a while, a sound came out of the underage person''s mouth, which he didn''t understand the meaning of.
The hoarse voice was filled with weakness and disbelief.
"Yes, eat!"
Han Cheng nodded vigorously and moved the bowl closer to him.
The desire for delicious food overcame the fear in his heart.
The young primitive man looked timidly at Han Cheng and took a small sip from the bowl.
After taking this sip, he couldn''t stop himself. He held the bowl with both hands and ate quickly.
Han Cheng smiled. He had long expected this scene. He deliberately waited until it cooled down before handing it over to him. Otherwise, after this meal, the child''s mouth would be burned.
Han Cheng watched the young primitive man eating greedily, with a smile.
This guy, looking at his eating posture, didn''t seem like someone with a high fever.
But as long as he could eat, it was good. It indicated that his body was still healthy. Even if he didn''t use medicine, as long as he had good food and drink, he could endure for a while.
The people of the Fire Tribe were ipetent. They threw even those who could still run into the fire pit.
Han Cheng watched for a while, then turned around and rewashed the y pot. After filling it with water, he added firewood to heat it.
This guy''s body was too dirty and needed to be washed properly. Paying attention to hygiene was an essential means of preventing disease.
The bright eyes watched the Divine Child''s actions on the boat not far ahead.
He wanted toe over and help personally if possible, but the Divine Child disagreed, so he could only watch from there, afraid of missing something.
Chapter 281
Chapter 281
The sick young member of the Fire Tribe watched with reluctance and regret as Han Cheng carried away the bowls. His face was full of reluctance and regret.
The bowls, which had never been used before, still had plenty of delicious food, but now they were being taken away, leaving them feeling very sorry.
Han Cheng looked at the bowl in his hand, which had been licked a few times, and couldn''t help but sniff. Why did every primitive person seem to have the self-taught skill of licking bowls?
Setting the bowl down and turning to look at the primitive youth who seemed unsatisfied, Han Cheng sniffed again.
First, it was half a medicinal soup, then nearly a meat soup. Heaven knows how this guy managed to fit all that into his stomach.
With these thoughts in mind, Han Cheng poured half of the boiled water from the pot into a ceramic basin, then turned and scooped some cold water from outside the boat, checking the temperature and finding it eptable. He then approached the curled-up primitive youth with water in hand.
He ced the warm water in front of the primitive youth, thinking that washing with just his hands would be ufortable. Then he turned and walked away, finding a piece of animal skin.
When he turned back, he found the youth burying his head in the basin, gulping down the water. A quarter of the basin was already gone.
Han Cheng was dumbfounded. How thirsty could this guy be? Why was he drinking face wash water?Burp~
The primitive youth lifted his head, looked at Han Cheng, and burped, spilling water.
The primitive youth felt uneasy because he hadn''t finished all the water meant for drinking.
In their tribe, wasting food was not allowed.
Seeing the youth''s expression, Han Cheng could only shake his head in exasperation.
He approached, wetting the animal skin in the basin, then wringing it out and wiping his face with it before gesturing for the primitive youth to do the same.
The primitive youth looked bewildered as he nced between Han Cheng, the basin, and the wet animal skin handed to him.
Thest two times, the soup poured out was for him to drink. Why was it different this time?
After waiting for a while and thinking that the youth didn''t understand, Han Cheng wiped his face with the animal skin and then pointed to the youth''s face.
Taking the animal skin handed to him by Han Cheng, the primitive youth hesitantly brought it to his face and began to wipe, his expression still somewhat confused.
Han Cheng thought he was not used to washing his face and didn''t think much of it.
The primitive youth only wiped his cheeks, nose, and eyes with the animal skin, neglecting the rest of his face, resembling a cat washing its face.
Han Cheng watched for a while, feeling impatient with his slowness. Then he took the animal skin back and rinsed it in the basin. The clean water turned ck.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniff. He hadn''t even finished wiping his whole face...
With that in mind, Han Cheng wrung out the animal skin and personally began to wash the youth''s face.
He deserved such treatment as a patient who was used to testing medicine.
The primitive youth being wiped out by Han Cheng remained somewhat bewildered, not only because he had drunk water not meant for drinking but also because he had never washed his face like this before...
After his face, which hadn''t been washed for who knows how long, was wiped clean, its original color was revealed.
It was unexpectedly fair, whether because of the sickness or because his face had been covered and had never seen the sun.
Although not as fair as the "little white faces" of the future, he was the fairest of all the people Han Cheng had encountered sinceing here.
His two ck eyes on this face suddenly made Han Cheng think of pearl milk tea.
This must be Milk Tea Brother.
Han Cheng chuckled at the thought.
The weather was still rtively cool, especially after the water.
To prevent this man''s condition from worsening, Han Cheng washed him down section by section, from top to bottom.
By now, the exposed areas from under the animal skin had been cleaned, so Han Cheng used his hands to pull off the dirty animal skin that was barely recognizable.
However, the guy who hadn''t reacted suddenly hugged the animal''s skin tightly, refusing to let Han Cheng take it away.
Han Cheng knew what he was thinking - he was worried that Han Cheng would take away his animal skin.
Burning with fever like this, this guy still cared so much about these external belongings.
Han Cheng thought to himself and let go of his hand, turning to find an animal skin package. After opening it, two pieces of animal skin clothes appeared, which Han Cheng had changed out of a few days ago.
Although they hadn''t been cleaned after being removed, they were still much cleaner than the guy''s clothes.
"Here, take this off."
The teenager took the animal skin clothes handed to him by Han Cheng, looking somewhat dumbfounded, as if he couldn''t believe that such good things were meant for him to wear.
Han Cheng didn''t care what the guy was thinking. He reached out and pulled the animal skin off the guy, throwing it into the water.
"~~"
The distracted primitive youth stood up excitedly from the boat, watching anxiously as the dirty animal skin drifted away from the boat. He seemed eager to retrieve it.
As he moved, the boat rocked.
"Stay still."
Han Cheng pulled him back outside to prevent him from falling into the water or overturning the boat.
Patting the clothes the primitive youth was holding, Han Cheng said, "This is yours."
After saying this, he picked up the animal''s skin and wiped the guy.
After wiping him a few times, Han Cheng felt something was off. Why did this guy seem to be missing something?
He thought about it, puzzled, then looked down and saw a bulge that seemed a bit high.
But above this bulge, there was nothing but bare skin, missing a stick and the two little eggs...
"Brother, where''s your thing?"
Han Cheng stared at the bare bulge for a while, then stood up straight, pulling the teenager''s body over in panic and asking urgently.
The teenager was still looking unwillingly at the disappearing animal skin.
Hearing Han Cheng''s question, he instinctively pointed towards the distant animal''s skin.
Han Cheng''s eyes widened instantly.
Did he identally rip it off while pulling the animal skin too hard and then throw it away along with the animal skin?
Han Cheng nced down, but there was no sign of bleeding!
p!
The animal skin in Han Cheng''s hand fell into the basin below, and then he turned his head dazedly. In his mind, that bare, empty bulge shed back and forth.
How did peeling off an animal''s skin turn Milk Tea Brother into Milk Tea Sister?!
The primitive youth, holding the animal skin clothes stripped bare by Han Cheng, looked dazedly at Han Cheng, who was holding his head with one hand, not understanding why this person, who had just taken away his animal skin and thrown it into the water, suddenly had such a big reaction...
Chapter 283
Chapter 283
Under the cover of night, the curiosity and bewilderment in the Bone Tribe leader''s mind grew heavier.
Because, at this point, neither the leader of this tribe nor the others had returned.
This puzzlement persisted until the next day.
Early the following day, after exchanging greetings with the people on the wall, the leader of the Bone Tribe led his people, who had finished their breakfast, away.
Watching the Bone Tribe members walk far away, the Green Sparrow Tribe, as tense as a drawn bow, rxed considerably.
The shaman climbed onto the eastern wall and looked downstream towards the river, hoping to see a canoe suddenly appear.
Many others were doing the same thing.
On the way, several miles from the Green Sparrow Tribe, the Bone Tribe leader, deep in thought the whole time, signaled for the tribe to stop and rest.
The visions of herds of deer, numerous precious pottery, soft fur,fortable houses¡ªthings that had long existed in his mind¡ªnow shed before his eyes again.But all these things would ultimately be separated by a tall wall manned by people.
However, this time, the wall in his mind differed from before. This time, there were fewer people on the wall.
Including the tribe leader, who seemed wise and strong.
He pondered briefly, then shook his head and suppressed some of his thoughts.
Because even with so many fewer people, they still couldn''t climb over that high wall.
"..."
After waiting a while, he nced towards the Green Sparrow Tribe and then called out, leading his tribe back to their tribe, no longer thinking about this matter.
But many things, once thought of, couldn''t simply be forgotten. Not long after they set off, the leader of the Bone Tribe unconsciously began to contemte these things again.
How did the people of that tribe climb up such a high wall?
He thought about it and remembered the scene of the Green Sparrow Tribe peopleing down from that strange thing leaning against the wall.
If they could climb the wall using that thing, couldn''t their tribe also use that strange thing to climb up from the outside?
That strange thing didn''t seem difficult to make.
"*&$#@#!"
The leader of the Bone Tribe clenched his fist and shouted.
The Bone Tribe members walking with him stopped as instructed, looking at their leader in confusion.
They had just started walking. Why were they resting again?
The leader of the Bone Tribe said something to the people.
After a while, the Bone Tribe members understood the leader''s meaning, put down what they were carrying, and eagerly began to follow the leader''s instructions.
Some went to find rattan, some found stones, and after simple pounding, they made crude tools for hacking and smashing. They carefully recalled the scene of the wealthy tribe leaning against the wall and going to find suitable trees to hack and smash.
The Bone Tribe members were particrly excited and vigorous while doing these tasks. The wealth of that tribe had left a deep impression on them.
Most of them had harbored thoughts about what it would be like to live in that tribe.
But that was ultimately another tribe, not their own. If they wanted to get things from that tribe, they could only trade with fur or insufficient food.
Now, reminded by their leader, they immediately felt a sense of enlightenment.
Yes, they could still raid!
Once they seized these things, they would all belong to them, and they wouldn''t have to trade their hard-earned food.
It would be best to seize their houses and walls as well. Then, when they lived in them, they wouldn''t have to worry about sudden attacks by wild beasts.
"%$^&$*!"
However, not everyone was extremely delighted about this matter. After the initial excitement wore off, some remembered the numerous human bones they had seen to the east of that tribe and felt a sense of fear. They approached the leader and voiced their concerns.
When he saw the leader of the Bone Tribe gesturing with rattan to secure the wooden sticks, he couldn''t help butugh when he heard their words.
The othersughed along with him.
The leader of the Bone Tribe leaned a crudely madedder against arge tree and climbed up it.
"..."
Standing at the top of thedder, one hand holding onto the tree and the other waving, he preached his ideas to the people.
The Bone Tribe members who had gathered around listened with shining eyes and couldn''t help butugh.
Those one or two who had expressed concerns also let go of their worries.
Yes, the leader was right.
The most troublesome thing about that tribe was the high wall.
Now that they had this thing, they could climb the wall. Once they climbed over it, the people of that tribe wouldn''t be their match.
Yesterday, they saw that the people guarding the wall were mainly women.
Their leader and many others were not in the tribe; they had either been eaten by wild beasts or gone somewhere else.
How could they resist them after climbing over the wall?
In the afternoon, three extremely crude woodendders were made.
The leader of the Bone Tribe seemed particrly generous, providing enough food for everyone.
After eating their fill and resting for a while, they left therge pot here, covered it with grass, and carried the threedders they had made with their weapons towards the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Thinking about all the good things that would soon be theirs, the Bone Tribe members couldn''t help but smile.
Some shouted that after capturing this wealthy tribe, they would sleep on the salted fish heap and wouldn''t get up.
Others said they wanted many, many pottery pieces.
In the tranquil night, a few small boats gently swayed on the water, like cradles rocked by a mother.
Including Han Cheng, the members of the Green Sparrow Tribe who hade out with him, covered in fur, were all immersed in deep sleep.
Some smiled in their dreams, perhaps dreaming of returning to the tribe.
Leaving the tribe for many days had only increased their longing for it.
But they weren''t too worried about the safety of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Firstly, they had confidence in the tribe, and secondly, there were no other powerful tribes nearby.
At this time, the weather was getting warmer daily, and food was bing more essible. In such times, no tribe would be foolish enough to start a war.
As the sky gradually brightened, a faint mist enveloped the river and the grass on both sides. Unknown birds called out, their voices rising and falling in the mist like a game of hide-and-seek.
When Han Cheng woke up, he looked at the milk tea girl wrapped around him like an octopus and couldn''t help but smile wryly.
No wonder he had bumped into a spider''s web and couldn''t escape when he dreamed of being chased by a snakest night.
This girl''s sleeping habits were terrible.
It was strange to think that if the milk tea girl were still a milk tea boy at this moment, Han Cheng would definitely shiver and push him away. But now, it was different.
Although this person was still smaller than Han Cheng and still a primitive person.
Opposites attract, same repel, as some straight men thought.
He freed his hands and feet from this person. After moving for a while, feeling numb, he reached out and touched her forehead. Then, his eyes lit up, and he realized that her forehead wasn''t as hot as it was yesterday.
Chapter 285
Chapter 285
Not far from the Green Sparrow Tribe, the leader of the Bone Tribe led his people, hiding in the grass and trees, quietly observing the tribe.
After watching for a while and seeing no opportune moment, they openly came out withdders and weapons, heading towards the main gate of the Green Sparrow Tribe to the south.
They were familiar with the terrain around the Green Sparrow Tribe and knew that besides the main gate, a wide ditch surrounded the rest of the tribe, making it difficult to approach the walls.
So they carrieddders and headed straight for the gate.
The Second Senior Brother stood on the wall with a sling, pacing in a small circle. After sleeping for the morning, he looked very energetic.
"Huh, why are there more peopleing?" He saw the Bone Tribe and then shouted to sound the rm, banging on the gong.
The sound awakened some people still sleeping in their houses and quickly ran towards the wall.
The shaman also came out of the house and hurried towards the wall.
Before he could get there, the people who had rehearsed many times had already done what needed to be done."Why are these guys here again?" The second senior brother had already recognized the neers'' identities.
Looking at this group of people who seemed somewhat strangepared to before, he felt puzzled.
He told the shaman about what he had seen.
Before Han Cheng arrived, the shaman was the wisest person in the Green Sparrow Tribe. After hearing what the second senior brother said and considering their tribe''s current situation, he vaguely guessed what was going on.
"Be prepared; they want to attack the tribe," the shaman shouted to the people on the wall.
Then, he climbed a shakydder.
Facing such a situation, even though he was old, he was still unwilling tog.
Upon hearing this, the second senior brother and the others were stunned, and manyughed.
They still remembered vividly the scene when the Flying Snake Tribe came to attack them in the winter.
Although they hadn''t practiced much at the time, they were able to defeat the Flying Snake Tribe¡ªnot to mention now.
Although there were fewer people in their tribe without the leaders, there weren''t as many people from the Bone Tribe as there were from the Flying Snake Tribe back then.
Moreover, their walls were not as high as they were now, nor were there bows, arrows, and slings that could attack from a distance.
These guys, who often shot straw men with bows and smashed tree stumps with slings, had long wanted to try their hands, but unfortunately, the tribe that suffered a significant loss from them never came back, which made them very regretful.
Unexpectedly, today, the Bone Tribe wanted to attack their tribe, which just scratched the itch of the second senior brother and the others.
The people gripped their bows, held slings, and prepared to throw stone spears, waiting for the Bone Tribe toe closer.
The leader of the Bone Tribe didn''t rush forward without a second thought. Instead, when they were still about a hundred meters away from the Green Sparrow Tribe, he stopped and looked towards the wall of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
He was cautious, afraid that the Eldest Senior Brother and the others would suddenly return during their absence.
After careful observation and not seeing the Eldest Senior Brother and the others, a smile appeared on the leader of the Bone Tribe.
When he saw the weapons held by the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, his smile became even more pronounced.
There weren''t many of these guys holding stone spears or stones, but many were holding curved wooden sticks and soft ropes.
He had never seen people from this tribe use such weapons, but based on his experience, he knew these weapons had little power.
Today was the day for him to lead his people and conquer this tribe.
Thinking joyfully like this, he saw the smiles on the faces of the second senior brother and some others. He was first stunned, then followed by silentlyughing along.
These people probably didn''t know the purpose of his visit this time, thinking they wereing as usual to trade.
That was even better; it would reduce casualties among his tribe''s people.
"$$#%$^¡±
Having assessed the situation, hepletely rxed, feeling rather pleased, and continued leading his people towards the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The shaman climbed thedder and saw the Bone Tribe approaching withdders.
"Let''s not attack first," the shaman said to the second senior brother and others, whose anticipation outweighed their fear.
He wasn''t being weak, allowing others to bully them, and still hoping for peace. He remembered the strategy of salt that the Divine Child, he, and the leader had discussed.
In their original n, including the Bone Tribe, several nearby tribes were supposed to be merged gradually into their tribe.
The people of the Bone Tribe had long been on his mind.
Now, if a fight broke out, many people from the Bone Tribe would inevitably die. For the shaman, this would weaken the strength of their tribe, so he gave this instruction.
Then he spoke to the leader of the Bone Tribe, gesturing to convey his meaning.
The shaman was more inclined towards the strategy formted by Han Cheng, which aimed to avoid casualties as much as possible.
So, he wanted the leader of the Bone Tribe and others to stop and not move forward.
When the leader of the Bone Tribe saw the shaman''s demeanor, his smile widened. He thought the shaman was afraid, so he made such a gesture.
So after the shaman shouted and gestured, he not only didn''t stop but urged everyone to hasten their pace.
The other people of the Bone Tribe, seeing the usually mysterious shaman now acting like this, were even more certain. They believed the words the leader had said before, thinking they could easily take down this wealthy tribe.
"Shaman," the second senior brother shouted, holding a sling.
The shaman sighed when he heard his words and saw the Bone Tribe people, who were now speeding up rather than slowing down. He didn''t say anything further, nodded vigorously at the second senior brother and others, then found a ce where he wouldn''t be in the way and entered a state of observation.
"Attack!"
After seeing the shaman nod in agreement, the second senior brother didn''t waste any words. After shouting, he swung the sling he had prepared over his head.
With sharp whistling sounds, the projectiles flew out.
The others either swung their slings or shot arrows, aiming at the people of the Bone Tribe, who were still sixty to seventy meters away from the wall.
The Green Sparrow Tribe had selected thirty people who regrly participated in training, but that didn''t mean the others hadpletely given up on practicing slings and bows and arrows.
Few people in the tribe disliked these two things, which could greatly extend the distance of attack.
Their uracy might not be as good as those specially selected, but the distance wasn''t much different.
At a time like this, they could still y a significant role.
Chapter 286
Chapter 286
Are the people of this tribe foolish?
To start an attack from such a distance?
This isn''t just the idea of the Bone Tribe leader; it''s the thought of all the Bone Tribe people.
Even the best throwers in the tribe can''t reach such a distance.
However, what happened next wholly dispelled the thoughts that had just arisen in their minds.
"Thud!"
"Ah!"
The Bone Tribe leader was about to open his mouth to urge the tribe members to run faster to the wall and set up thedders to climb up quicker.
But before the words coulde out, a swiftly hurled stone smashed into his skull!In just one blow, his head was smashed open, blood sttering everywhere. The words he was about to shout turned into a painful scream.
Before the scream could finish, he fell to the ground with a thud, rolling in agony while clutching his head.
Even the second senior brother on the wall was stunned. Although his slingshot was urate, he never expected to knock down the leader of the Bone Tribe in one shot!
The people of the Bone Tribe hadn''t even had time to cry out before more stones and arrows flew towards them, immediately hitting several people.
"Plop!"
One person carrying adder was shot in the leg by an arrow, causing him to copse along with thedder.
"Ah!"
Another person running was hit in the stomach by a stone, crying out in pain as they fell to their knees.
Most of the Green Sparrow Tribe recognized the leader of the Bone Tribe. Seeing him knocked down by a stone from the second senior brother boosted their morale, and they threw stones and shot arrows even faster!
Stones and arrows flew towards the Bone Tribe as if they cost nothing.
The people of the Bone Tribe were stunned by this sudden and utterly unexpected attack.
In their expectations, they thought they would have to run a considerable distance before the attack from this tribe woulde.
But now, the attack came just like this!
And the power was surprisingly great. Not to mention the stones, even the sticks as thick as fingers, were so powerful?
"Attack!"
The Bone Tribe''s assault onlysted a short moment before it fell apart.
Without needing the blood-covered leader of the Bone Tribe to order them, those who had been terrified by the attack turned and ran for their lives.
They didn''t care about the uneaten food or the precious pottery they had longed for.
The blood-covered leader of the Bone Tribe also stumbled as he ran desperately.
He felt utterly dazed, the world before him turning into a blood-red scene.
"Attack!"
On the walls, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe shouted, using stones and arrows to greet the fleeing tribe.
Two unlucky ones were left behind.
Watching the Bone Tribe people run away in panic like a scattered herd of deer, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe felt unsatisfied.
They had prepared and waited for so long that they finally encountered enemies daring to attack the Green Sparrow Tribe. But before they could fight, the enemies ran away. It was truly frustrating.
Among them, the second senior brother felt the most remorse.
He deeply regretted not waiting for the Bone Tribe people toe closer before attacking.
If they had waited and then attacked, they could have left behind more people who dared to invade the tribe.
Those injured and unable to escape in time were unlucky in such a mood.
Lying there motionless was fine, but as soon as any attempt to escape was made, stones and feathered arrows would immediatelye whistling through the air...
The leader of the Bone Tribe felt his head throbbing as if it were about to split open. He leaned against a tree and looked at the blood-red walls in the distance.
The walls stood silently as always, seemingly harmless to humans and animals alike.
However...
He slowly turned his neck to look at the people around him, all wearing anxious expressions.
These people had all turned into bloody figures, many of them bearing wounds.
The leader of the Bone Tribe shook his head in disbelief, wiping his eyes with his hand to dispel the bloody vision.
But the apparent reality was more cruel.
Many of the people who had followed him were now missing.
Thinking back on everything that had just happened, it all felt like a dream.
Yet, this dream was all too real.
His mind was no longer filled with desires for possessions or riches but rather with the sight of small stones and sticks flying towards him.
How could this be happening?
Their leader was absent, and far fewer people were standing on the walls than before...
The leader of the disheartened Bone Tribe, apanied by his equally disheartened people, left that ce they no longer wished to stay in as if in a dream, heading towards their tribe.
Even the group of deer grazing not far away, when encountered on the road, didn''t stir any desire to hunt...
Skipping forward a significant amount of time, back to the second day of Han Cheng and hispanions'' journey downstream.
In the forest not too far from the river, the leader of the Sheep Tribe was leading most of the adults from the tribe in search of prey.
The mood of the Sheep Tribe''s leader was good becausest winter, their tribe hadn''t suffered any losses due to illness, and their poption had even grownpared to previous years.
With the weather getting warmer daily, food was easier to find now. Although it couldn''tpare to the abundance of autumn, the threat of starvation was no longer imminent.
It was in such a mood that someone suddenly cried out in amazement, pointing to the river not too far away.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe followed the sound and saw severalrge objects floating on the river.
This sight, never seen before, startled him and some of the people from the Sheep Tribe.
They immediately hid behind trees with their weapons, peeking cautiously to observe therge, moving creatures floating down the river.
After watching for a while, the leader of the Sheep Tribe rubbed his eyes, shook his head, and continued to watch.
He watched as the giant creatures floating on the water slowly drifted away.
He blinked, and the rest of the Sheep Tribe blinked, too.
How could people from that tribe be floating on the water?
Where were all these people going with so many of them?
Although he couldn''t see the faces of the people on the creatures due to the distance, he could recognize from their peculiar animal skin patterns that those floating on the water were indeed from the wealthy tribe.
After some hesitation, the leader of the Sheep Tribe wanted to go and ask, but the path along the riverbank was not easy to traverse, so he gave up.
In the days that followed, the leader of the Sheep Tribe would asionally recall the scene of that tribe floating downstream.
Unintentionally, the hunting grounds were all near the river.
He wanted to see those people return to the surface of the water, but even after several days of hunting near the river, they never appeared.
Chapter 287
Chapter 287
The human brain is marvelous; sometimes, even the person themselves doesn''t know what kind of thoughts will spring forth in the next moment.
Take, for example, the leader of the Sheep Tribe.
At first, he was pondering why the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe chose to float downstream. But as time passed, thoughts about the Green Sparrow Tribe began to surface in his mind.
Such as the wealth and strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The root cause of all these changes for the Green Sparrow Tribe was the underage person they referred to as the Divine Child.
As he thought about it, that idea of snatching the Divine Child, which he had long since forgotten, somehow resurfaced.
This reemerged thought startled him because he knew full well the power of that tribe. Trying to snatch the Divine Child from them would be futile, and it would bring great disaster to the tribe.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe shook his head, pushing away this unsettling thought from his mind.
Several days passed without the return of the Green Sparrow Tribe. The leader of the Sheep Tribe, along with all the able-bodied adults of the tribe, sealed off their cave, armed themselves with weapons and fur and set off toward the Green Sparrow Tribe.Since the adults from that tribe hadn''t returned, there weren''t many adults left in their tribe.
The Divine Child was still underage and wouldn''t go with them to an unknown ce.
If they all mobilized, there was a chance they could snatch the Divine Child.
If the people from that tribe had returned along the river without them noticing...
The leader of the Sheep Tribe looked at therge amount of fur carried by the tribe''s members, and his uneasy heart began to settle.
If therge group of adults from that tribe returned, they could trade fur with them.
They wouldn''t know what their true intentions were.
A fool may have many thoughts, but there''s always one that works.
When a person keeps thinking about something, they can alwayse up with some ideas, whether they work or not for the time being.
After more than two days of walking, the people of the Sheep Tribe approached the wealthy tribe. They could see the tall walls connected to the small mountain through the growing branches and leaves.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe couldn''t help but feel his heart race.
"£¤3!"
The leader of the Sheep Tribe, walking in the front, suddenly turned around and said.
The people of the Sheep Tribe threw the fur they were carrying on the ground and hid behind the trees, peeking out to look ahead.
Following their gaze, they saw a group of people heading towards the Green Sparrow Tribe.
This group was the Bone Tribe, carryingdders and preparing to attack the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Because the leader of the Sheep Tribe had a guilty conscience, he stayed here without moving, intending to wait until the people of the Bone Tribe left before leading his people over.
And as they waited, they soon witnessed an unforgettable scene...
The leader of the Sheep Tribe, along with the people of the Sheep Tribe, watched as the people of the Bone Tribe fled in a hurry towards the south bank of the small river, mouths agape like hippos.
Fear, disbelief... theseplex emotions intertwined, leaving them all dumbfounded.
What did they see?
More people came than them, a stronger Bone Tribe, yet before they even reached the front of the tribe''s walls, they abandoned many lives and fled.
How could it end so quickly?
When the leader of the Sheep Tribe realized that the Bone Tribe was also attacking the Green Sparrow Tribe, he felt both excited and worried.
He was excited because, with the Bone Tribe in the lead, they could assess the strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe and pick up the pieces afterward.
But he was worried that the people of the Bone Tribe might conquer the Green Sparrow Tribe and snatch away the Divine Child.
Regardless of his thoughts, in his anticipation, this attack initiated by the Bone Tribe was supposed tost for some time before concluding.
However, the result was unexpectedly different!
The people of the Bone Tribe had barely started elerating forward before hastily fleeing at an even faster speed.
Their speed was so fast that it caught everyone off guard!
Everything happening before their eyes seemed like a farce yed out by children when they got carried away.
so much so that initially, both the leader of the Sheep Tribe and the rest of the Sheep Tribe, watching all this, were filled with astonishment.
What were these guys doing? Why did they flee so abruptly?
This astonishment turned into fear when they noticed that many people from the Bone Tribe were missing as they fled.
The people from that tribe who had floated downstream had returned when they weren''t paying attention!
Otherwise, the people of the Bone Tribe wouldn''t have retreated so quickly!
The leader of the Sheep Tribe''s heart was pounding uncontrobly.
Amidst the fear and apprehension, there was also a profound sense of relief.
Luckily, the people of the Bone Tribe arrived ahead of them.
Luckily, they hadn''t acted recklessly and had made preparations in advance. They brought not only weapons but also arge amount of fur. Otherwise, the Bone Tribe would have been their tribe now.
Suffering such a blow, their tribe would have inevitably weakened.
"£¤3..."
Someone quietly approached and, with a trembling voice, asked what to do next, their eyes filled with intense unease.
After thinking for a while, the leader of the Sheep Tribe decided to go back and instructed everyone to be careful and not let the other tribe discover their tracks.
At this moment, they abandoned the idea of pretending to trade with fur, fearing that the aggressive Green Sparrow Tribe might attack them.
As they quietly and nervously made their way back, the invisible walls of the other tribe''spound finally disappeared from view. The leader of the Sheep Tribe and the others breathed a long sigh of relief.
They hadn''t noticed how tense they were before, but now that they had rxed, they felt the soreness in their bodies intensely.
Even though they hadn''t done anything, they felt more tired than after a hunting expedition...
The second Senior Brother and the others on the wall were unaware of the secret events that transpired. If they knew, they would surelyment the missed opportunity.
The defensive ditch and the row of "wooden stake array" outside significantly reduced the area the Green Sparrow Tribe needed to defend.
This allowed them to concentrate manpower at the gate without a defensive ditch or wooden stake array.
The rtively dense defense,bined with the high walls and long-range weapons, made it easy for them to overpower the enemy in this scale of defense battle.
Of course, things were different once outside the walls.
The second Senior Brother and the others, who knew their most significant advantage, didn''t quickly leave thepound. They held their weapons, vigntly watching outside.
As for the Bone Tribe members who were injured and unable to escape, they were in deep trouble.
Experiencing the situation where any movement would attract stones and feathered arrows to them, they all obedientlyy on the ground, not daring even to whimper.
Fear and pain, at certain times, can make people wiser...
Chapter 288
Chapter 288
With Han Cheng leading the way, the eighteen individuals who ventured out were evenly split between men and women.
Among those left behind, the leader was Second Senior Brother, skilled in using slingshots.
The reason for not letting him go along was twofold: firstly, the tribe needed someone to stay behind, and secondly, slingshots were more suitable for defense than hunting.
Thirdly, hisrge size would take up too much space on the boat, causing difort for everyone, especially Han Cheng, who was worried he might sink the boat.
So, the Second Senior Brother stayed behind, and the remaining eight adult males were mostly individuals like Lame, Mu Tou, and Hei Wa, who were not considered professional fighters.
There were more adult females left in the tribe, totaling twenty-seven.
Except for one woman inbor, the rest gathered on top of the wall, participating in the great "Defense of the Green Sparrow."
With the experience from the defense against the Flying Snake Tribe''s attack two winters ago, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe were somewhat adept at handling the aftermath of war.
After waiting for safety confirmation, half of the people left the wall carrying rattan shields and stone spears.The injured adult males were ruthlessly killed, while the injured adult females, in extreme terror, were left with their lives spared.
Only two wounded individuals were left behind, as four of the injured, in their attempts to flee, were killed during a second attack by the Green Sparrow tribe.
The two terrified primitive women were dragged back to the tribe.
The nine corpses, after the arrows stuck in them were removed, were gathered together and burned in a ce far from the Green Sparrow tribe...
The shaman was furious. Despite their tribe providing them with delicious salt, the Bone Tribe still dared to attack their tribe!
It was simply outrageous!
At this moment, the shaman had selectively forgotten about his n to use salt to strategize.
Filled with anger, he meted out severe punishment.
Following the methods previously taught by the shaman, the two primitive women were treated for their injuries. However, instead of offeringfort, they were pped repeatedly while the shaman muttered curses under his breath.
The two women, already terrified, curled up in fear, barely daring to move, asionally letting out uncontroble cries.
To those who didn''t know, the shaman seemed as vigorous and powerful as ever.
Meanwhile, Han Cheng and the others downstream were unaware of what was happening here.
At this moment, they rowed their boat, steadily approaching the tribe.
Each boat had four oars, two at the bow and two at the stern.
With theirbined efforts, the four oars paddled in unison, propelling the boats against the current faster than one might imagine.
The clouds in the sky, the grass and trees on both banks and the birds in the air were all reflected in the water, giving the illusion of the boat gliding through a painting.
As they neared the tribe, everyone, including Han Cheng, wished they could rush straight to the tribe.
In the ceramic jar used as a vase, besides the well-cared-for Chaihu, a few more nts were added: the wild hemp that Han Cheng had ordered to be dug up on the way back.
Although he knew there would be another trip in autumn when the wild hemp would be ripe, he still wanted to bring some back now.
After a long journey, it was always good to bring something back to the tribe.
With a bowl in her hand, Milk Tea Sister reached into the water, scooping up some water and pouring it onto the Chaihu and wild hemp nted in the jar, mimicking Han Cheng''s actions.
Her illness hadpletely recovered, and she learned from Han Cheng that something called Chaihu cured her illness. So, in the past few days, she had been very concerned about these things nted by Han Cheng in the jar.
After spending this time together, Milk Tea Sister was no longer as timid as when she first arrived. She became much more lively.
However, her liveliness was only limited to Han Cheng. When facing adults like Eldest Senior Brother, she still appeared timid, like a frightened little deer ready to flee at any moment.
This might be rted to the fact that she was once threatened with being thrown into a fire and burned to death by adults in the tribe.
"Milk Tea Sister."
Han Cheng called out.
She immediately looked towards Han Cheng.
Han Cheng smiled and pointed to the boat''s bow, saying to her, "Write."
Milk Tea Sister immediately put down the ceramic bowl she was holding, put her two hands in front of her eyes for a moment to identify them, found her right hand, dipped her right index finger in the water in the bowl, and, relying on her somewhat blurry memory, clumsily and earnestly wrote on the bow of the boat stroke by stroke.
The characters were crooked and irregr, especially the first character, "ÄÌ," which looked like two characters to those who didn''t know.
"Milk~ Tea~ Sister~!"
After finishing writing, Milk Tea Sister pointed at the disappearing character "ÄÌ" and the following two characters. She looked awkward and slightly tongue-tied as she pronounced each word.
After pronouncing them, she thought momentarily and pointed at herself with her finger.
Han Cheng smiled and nodded at her, rubbing her head.
Milk Tea Sister was very clever. Along the way, Han Cheng asionally taught her some simple Mandarin, such as "Chaihu" and "Milk Tea Sister," which she remembered and could say.
She could even write her name now.
Praised by Han Cheng and having her head rubbed by him, Milk Tea Sister showed a happy smile.
The two braids swayed back and forth.
Of course, this was Han Cheng''s handiwork.
Milk Tea Sister''s hair had probably never been washed since birth and was messy like a chicken coop.
After she had recovered from her illness, Han Cheng boiled water and washed her hair with Mu Tou ash. However, no matter how he tried to style it, it was still unruly.
So, after it dried, he carefully burned off the ends with fire.
Even if he was careful, using fire to burn hair never looked good.
Feeling guilty as he looked at her hair, which looked like a blessing had gnawed on it, Han Cheng found two pieces of rope and tied two braids for her. Although they were somewhat crooked, they looked much better than before.
However, it made Milk Tea Sister look like the vige''s silly little girl...
Milk Tea Sister liked her two braids very much. Perhaps it was the innate skill of women. After trying a few times with water, she surpassed Han Cheng...
The small boats continued, and from afar, they could see the animal-hide g waving proudly on the bank not too far away.
They were almost at the bamboo forest by the Egret River!
They had to dock here. Compared to wild hemp and Chaihu, bamboo shoots, which could be eaten as food, were undoubtedly more suitable as gifts to bring back home.
The four small boats sessively docked. Tie Tou, the most active one, jumped off the shore, pulling the rope by hand to make the bow of the boat tightly against the riverbank so that the others could disembark more steadily.
Chapter 289
Chapter 289
In the warm spring breeze, several terrifying birds that had encountered these monkeys before saw this group of brutal monkeys return again. They pped their wings in panic and hurriedly flew away.
Third Senior Brother put away his bow and muttered in annoyance.
Milk Tea Sister lightly grabbed the edge of Han Cheng''s shirt and followed him closely, quietly observing everything around her, like a little tail.
Han Cheng smiled and shook his head gently. In the tribe, Fu Jiang used to follow him around all day. Now that they were out of the tribe, he had gained another shadow...
People often use the phrase "spring up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain" to describe the rapid development of things. Although it hadn''t rained much, Han Cheng still profoundly felt the truth of this saying.
When they leftst time, these shoots had only begun to emerge sporadically. Now, in just over ten days, when they returned, the bamboo forest had grown many more shoots, towering like swords pointing straight to the sky.
Some faster-growing ones had already revealed their jade-like forms, stretching out new green branches and leaves.
Although they had only emerged briefly, they had already surpassed their predecessors.
They called this "the bamboo does not yield to its father."The scene before Han Cheng dumbfounded him. You''ve alle out of the ground. What am I supposed to eat?
Fortunately, not all the bamboo shoots had emerged yet. Some were still waiting to emerge beneath the soil, whichforted Han Cheng''s wounded soul.
In the face of delicious food, foodies always disy fearless spirits.
Since eating bamboo shoot snake soup, Han Cheng was no longer afraid when he saw snakes. Not only that, but he also personally killed a snake with a bone shovel and prepared it for lunch...
Eldest Senior Brother and the others were also enthusiastic, digging the ground with bone shovels to find bamboo shoots.
After learning that the Divine Child wanted to bring back some bamboo shoots for the tribe''s people to eat, these guys were even more enthusiastic about digging up bamboo shoots, making people look sideways.
They had dug up tworge bunches of bamboo shoots and still refused to stop.
Han Cheng was alsoboriously digging up bamboo shoots, while Milk Tea Sister followed beside him, carrying a small basket with four bamboo shoots that Han Cheng had dug up inside.
"Whoosh..."
The sound of dry bamboo leaves being disturbed rang out,ing closer and closer, quickly approaching.
Hearing this sound, one could tell that the visitor was not small.
Han Cheng, who was digging bamboo shoots, was stunned. Did the young onese out, or did the old ones?
Was the giant pythoning to avenge its descendants?
Thinking like this, he quickly raised his head, subconsciously blocking the bone shovel before him and stepping closer to Milk Tea Sister.
A ck and white ball rolled out from the nearby bamboo forest.
Han Cheng''s eyes widened instantly, and he quickly moved aside from the de of the bone shovel in front of him.
At this moment, the ck-and-white ball rolled over and hit Han Cheng''s leg before finally stopping.
"Don''t touch it!"
Han Cheng nced aside and saw Eldest Senior Brother and the others holding bone shovels and other weapons rushing over here, so he quickly shouted to stop them.
Seeing this strange creature suddenly appear next to the Divine Child and hearing Han Cheng''s words, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others feared it might hurt the Shaman, so they stopped their attack.
Then, they all gathered around Han Cheng.
As for the ck and white ball in front of them, it was unaware of the danger that had just urred. Covered in some dry leaves, it stretched its body, clumsily moved its four legs in the air a few times, and struggled to turn over.
The cute little creature stayed in ce for a moment, then suddenly hugged Han Cheng''s leg and rubbed its head against his leg.
Orcs never be ves unless they''re fed and sheltered.
Unexpectedly, they encountered a guy who relied on acting cute to survive.
This little fellow wasn''t too big yet; it was still growing. Han Cheng touched it, feeling its fluffy fur, quitefortable.
The sudden action of this strange beast, which had never been seen before and had a strange appearance, surprised Eldest Senior Brother and the others. They tensed up and were about to take action to rescue the Divine Child from the beast''s grasp.
But they saw that the Divine Child wasn''t afraid at all. Instead, he reached out and touched the creature, causing Eldest Senior Brother and the others to stop their actions, looking somewhat bewildered.
When did the Divine Child be so brave?
"Pack up, let''s go!"
Han Cheng turned his head and said to Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
This sentence from Han Cheng left Eldest Senior Brother, and the others stunned again.
After observing for a while, they had already concluded that this was not a very ferocious beast and had no harmful intent.
In that case, why was the Divine Child so anxious for them to leave?
They hadn''t dug up enough bamboo shoots yet!
Although they thought so in their hearts, they still followed the Divine Child''s instructions and quickly prepared to leave.
Han Cheng smiled bitterly. The little guy looked adorable, but he couldn''t ignore the fierce and cute mother!
When pandas were young, their mothers wouldn''t stray too far from them.
There was no reason with a mother to protect her cub.
Milk Tea Sister also plucked up the courage to touch the panda. She immediately fell in love with this cute little creature.
Looking eagerly at Han Cheng, she wanted to return this little guy.
Han Cheng smiled bitterly. He also wanted to take it back, but it couldn''t be done that way.
It was very likely that they would be chased down by the mother panda, leaving them with an unforgettable impression.
Secondly, there would be nothing to feed it after taking it back.
In his previous life, Han Cheng had only seen pandas but never touched one. Now that he had the chance, he naturally wanted to take advantage of it.
Seeing that Eldest Senior Brother and the others had packed up, Han Cheng took the opportunity to touch it once more before preparing to leave. But this little guy didn''t let go of Han Cheng''s leg, no matter what.
Han Cheng felt a bit anxious.
But on second thought, he couldn''t just touch it for nothing, right?
He quickly took a bamboo shoot from the basket Milk Tea Sister was carrying and gave it to the panda.
The little fellow released one w but didn''t let go of Han Cheng.
Han Cheng sniffled. Indeed, there were no free lunches in this world. He quickly took out another bamboo shoot and handed it to the panda.
Only then did the little fellow let go of Han Cheng, satisfied.
Han Cheng nced at it again, then held a bone shovel in one hand and Milk Tea Sister''s hand in the other, running towards the shore with Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
Afraid of being seen by the little guy''s mother.
After Han Cheng and the others left, there was another rustling of dry leaves. A bigger ck-and-white ball rolled out from the sloping bamboo forest, hitting the little cub holding a bamboo shoot on the ground, causing it to roll along with the ball.
After a delicious meal of bamboo shoot snake soup, the boat set sail again, slowly heading towards their closer homnd.
Chapter 290
Chapter 290
The leader of the Sheep Tribe, apanied by some strong adults from the tribe, was out hunting.
He had been back from that tribe for several days, and only now did his heart settle down.
Today, luck was on their side. The sun hadn''t yet begun to set, and they had already caught quite a few animals, enough for tonight and tomorrow.
He was calcting happily in his mind like this.
Just then, a deer was startled, and the leader of the Sheep Tribe and the others quickly grabbed their weapons and rushed towards the deer''s direction, shouting and yelling.
After a while of chasing, they arrived at a hill not far from the river. The deer, cornered by the people of the Sheep Tribe, had nowhere to run.
"£¤!"
One person from the Sheep Tribe shouted and raised his spear. The desperate deer attempted to escape and ran towards the leader of the Sheep Tribe.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe was skilled in hunting, and with the deer already exhausted from the chase, running towards him was like seeking death.All it took was a weapon swing, and the deer wouldn''t survive.
However, things took an unexpected turn.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe missed, letting the deer escape.
The others were a bit stunned but didn''t think much of it. Excited, they continued to chase after the almost-caught deer while the leader of the Sheep Tribe stood still, unmoving.
Following his gaze, they saw several wooden boats slowly sailing upstream in the river...
"Thud!"
The leader of the Bone Tribe dropped his wooden stick to the ground and stared fixedly at the boats on the river. After a while, he sighed as if his teeth were hurting.
It wasn''t until the others from the tribe, carrying the captured deer, came over joyfully that he finally regained someposure.
Someone noticed his unusual behavior and asked.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe, with a somewhat distracted gaze, told them what he had seen.
At first, the people of the Sheep Tribe didn''t understand. They thought that people from other tribes could also float on the water with big pieces of wood; they had seen it before.
Although surprising, it wasn''t worth making a fuss over.
Thinking like this, some people suddenly realized something, and their faces changed color, showing disbelief in their eyes.
Some still hadn''t realized what was different and looked strangely at the somewhat distracted tribe members.
It wasn''t untilter, when they asked the leader, that these slow-witted people showed signs of astonishment and uncertainty.
They had thought that the Bone Tribe people were beaten so severely because the rich tribe people who had left had returned.
But just a while ago, the people from the other tribe were using wood to return to their tribe.
After understanding the implications, it would be strange if they weren''t surprised...
The rain started to fall from the sky like pearls.
There was no roof on the small boats, so when it rained, they had to wear raincoats and hats to resist it.
Han Cheng had anticipated encountering rain, so the people of the Sparrow Tribe were all wearing raincoats and hats.
They had already entered the Red River, and there was just over half a day''s journey left to home. No one intended to stop, wanting to rush home in one go, so they rowed the boat even more challenging in the rain.
When Milk Tea Sister saw the sun obscured by clouds, her heart filled with sorrow.
Her worry increased when the rain started to fall.
Because they were in the wild now, with no cave to shelter from the wind and rain.
Getting soaked in the rain can make you sick.
This was something she didn''t know before. Since thest time she went out to pick wild vegetables in the rain, she understood this.
Her worries quickly disappeared because everyone in the tribe wore something she had never seen before.
Although she had never seen it before, she could tell it was used to shield her from the rain.
Neen people, neen sets of raincoats and hats.
No one could have expected they would bring someone back this time, so Milk Tea Sister was left out.
Watching everything happening before her, feeling the cool raindrops on her face, Milk Tea Sister felt happy and worried.
She was happy because not everyone had to get wet, but worried that she might get sick again.
ncing at the Chaihu growing in the jar, her anxious heart eased slightly.
But some mncholy feelings lingered. After all, everyone had something to shelter from the rain except for her.
Her mood quickly disappeared when Han Cheng walked over and foolishly pulled the primitive girl into his arms, covering her with his raincoat.
The raincoat he wore was for adults, but wrapping her, who was even smaller than him, wasn''t too tricky.
But the two of them had to hold each other tightly.
Having seen this scene more than once, hugging each other like this was too childish for Han Cheng.
Moreover, he was still a child, and Milk Tea Sister hadn''t grown up yet...
Han Cheng thought calmly in his heart, but his expression became somewhat strange after a while, and then he felt a bit ufortable, shifting his body awkwardly.
Damn it, why does this girl seem a bit restless?
This won''t do!
He''s still a child, and Milk Tea Sister hasn''t grown up yet. Her chest hasn''t even developed...
A certain Divine Childmented in his heart, but a particr uncontroble guy still stubbornly got up.
Completely hiding under the raincoat, Milk Tea Sister, who was hugging Han Cheng tightly, didn''t know if she felt the threat from the gun, and her body moved slightly...
The rain seemed to be getting heavier, and on the small boat, people asionally used bowls to scoop out the umted water.
Han Cheng held Milk Tea Sister, looking at the rain with a somewhat unpleasant expression. After a while, he finally ordered the boat to stop and dock.
Big Brother and the others were a bit reluctant because, ording to Han Cheng''s estimate, they were only about twenty li away from the tribe. They could make it back to the tribe with a little effort.
But considering Han Cheng''s warning about possible flooding and the terrifying scene of the boat capsizing, they didn''t dare to insist on moving forward.
They found a suitable ce to dock and dragged the wooden boat ashore.
Finding a high ground, they leaned the wooden boat against a rtively steep rock and overturned it.
This would prevent rainwater from continuing to collect in the boat, and there would be more space underneath to shelter from the wind and rain.
After doing these things for a bit of a while, surprisingly, the rain stopped.
The people eager to return home couldn''t help but cheer. Setting off now, they could still return to the tribe before dark.
They cheered and went to find Han Cheng to inform him that they were ready to continue sailing, but they were again stopped by Han Cheng.
Chapter 291
Chapter 291
The dark clouds above were dissipating, indicating a tendency for the weather to clear up. There wouldn''t be any more rain. Why hasn''t the Divine Child allowed them to leave yet?
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others looked at each other, puzzled.
While they were looking at Han Cheng, Han Cheng was looking at the sky.
The sky had initially be overcast from the northwest. Although the dark clouds overhead had thinned out, the northwest remained heavily clouded.
This indicated that something might be happening over there.
Northwest, the upper reaches of this river, is characterized by many mountains, where rainwater gathers swiftly. At this time, continuing the journey by boat, there''s a high likelihood of colliding with the rushing water.
Whether the boat flips or not is uncertain; it''s better to avoid such potential dangers if possible.
As the saying goes, a wise man doesn''t stand under a dangerous wall. Han Cheng, not exactly a wise man, still tries his best to avoid such situations.
Dying a bit of time is eptable if it means ensuring safety.Han Cheng shared his thoughts with Eldest Senior Brother and others, but they remained skeptical.
Han Cheng couldn''t be certain that flooding would ur, but it never hurts to be cautious.
A few faint rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the earth below.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others looked at the unchanged river water and then at the sky...
However, after this dy, attempting to continue the journey by boat and return before nightfall was now impossible. They had to endure the longing for a home and find firewood and other necessities to stay overnight here.
The rain stopped, so Han Cheng naturally had no reason to continue hugging Milk Tea Sister.
Holding onto someone like this, feeling their warmth, was bothfortable and ufortable...
The members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, including the shaman and others, watched the darkening sky and the pouring rain with furrowed brows.
Through the rain curtain, some with good eyesight could vaguely see the rising river...
Next to a Shi Tou, a y tablet had grids drawn on it, some of which were marked with shes. Three grids were still empty.
The rain continued for a while before stopping.
Looking towards the small river from the house, they saw that what was once a gentle stream now roared like it had transformed, its muddy waters rushing violently.
Those who used to eagerly await the return of the divine child and the leader today had no hope of their return at this time.
They only hoped they wouldn''t rush back to the tribe. It was impossible to return before the flood subsided; they could only find a safe ce for now.
That night, few in the Green Sparrow Tribe could sleep peacefully.
Shi Tou, who often stared at the y tablet after the shaman performed solemn sacrificial dances, prayed devoutly alongside the shaman by the totem pole for the divine child and others.
On both sides of the totem pole, two wooden ques resembling couplets appeared at some point.
On the left, it was written ''Great God of the Green Sparrow,'' and on the right, ''As urgent as themand''...
The muddy river roared down, interspersed with undting trees, like an untamed dragon.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others looked at the river, mouths agape, shocked yet feeling waves of relief and fear.
Facing beasts and enemies, they could use weapons to fight, but against such a flood, they didn''t have many options.
Fortunately, the divine child gave instructions in advance; otherwise, this time would have been dangerous!
Han Cheng also watched the water, his thoughts different from those of the Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
He wondered if burning some sacrificial texts and throwing some buns into the river would calm its waters.
He didn''t know whether the river would calm down or not, but he could provoke Zhuge Liang and summon the east wind to flip him over.
From the beginning, the tinder for starting a fire and hand-operated drills were hidden close by, so Han Cheng and the others were able to start a fire.
The aroma of cooking meat mixed with pine resin spread here.
Several people took turns keeping watch at night, while the rest wrapped themselves in animal hides and slept on the stone bs dried by the fire.
Milk Tea Sister naturally slept with Han Cheng. Even though sleeping like this might be ufortable in certain aspects, Han Cheng was still happy to do so.
Finally, encountering a primitive woman who was barely pleasing to the eye, even though she was still a child, Han Cheng was very happy, and without much hesitation, he chose to be intimate between man and beast.
Of course, his intimacy with her wasn''tplete.
How long he could persist beforepletely evolving into a beast was uncertain.
When they woke up the next morning, the weather waspletely clear, and the river, after venting all night, had calmed down.
What was once demonic in the past could immediately be divine; this phrase was not only applicable to humans but also to rivers.
After breakfast, following Han Cheng''s lead, they eagerly headed towards the riverbank, properly ced the boat, and loaded everything onto it.
Then, to the strange melody of Han Cheng''s "Let''s row with double oars," they paddled upstream.
After a while of rowing, the singing from a certain divine child''s mouth had turned into "Little sister, you at the bow~"...
The Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, and the others listened quietly, no one speaking.
The strange tones the divine child was spouting at this moment were unheard of by them before. Initially, they found it fresh and strange, but after a while, they found it more pleasant than the usual simple speech.
Milk Tea Sister sat at the boat''s bow, looking at Han Cheng with stars in her eyes.
The longing for and pursuit of beautiful things is a characteristic of all species. No race prefers hardship overfort or ugliness over beauty.
As individuals of this era, surpassing all species in intelligence, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others also yearned for things other than basic needs.
Although it was impossible topare them with the necessities of life, it didn''t stop them from appreciating them at times.
Milk Tea Sister was particrly fascinated by sounds. In the past, when she was in their tribe, whenever she had the chance, she loved shouting towards the mountains and deep valleys, listening to the echoes.
Now, hearing the off-key songs sung by Han Cheng, she felt as if something had suddenly opened up in her heart.
It turned out that besides shouting towards the mountains, she could also use her own voice like this...
During this time, the tall and majestic image that Han Cheng had established in her heart was elevated even higher.
Of course, these alone weren''t enough to make her eyes sparkle.
What truly made her eyes sparkle were the lyrics sung by Han Cheng.
She couldn''t understand most of the lyrics but understood the word "sister."
Because there was a "sister" in her name.
Such pleasant words, the divine child was saying them to herself...
After Han Cheng sang for a while, much of the excitement about returning to the tribe had been vented out.
As the song stopped, he turned around and saw Milk Tea Sister leaning against the bow of the boat. He thought the song was quite fitting. Apart from his own asional off-key notes and theck of a duet partner at the bow, everything else was fine.
Thinking like this, he noticed Milk Tea Sister looking at him, seemingly intoxicated. Han Cheng smiled slightly, but after a while, his gaze became strange again.
Because he suddenly remembered a scene¡ªseveral yearster, he would stand by the bed, head hung low, with a troubled expression.
Milk Tea Sister would sit on the bed, looking at him with a deeply resentful expression, and sing, "Little sister sits by the bed. Why is big brother sweating so profusely..."
Chapter 292
Chapter 292
The song rang out again, with Milk Tea Sister still at the bow.
This was because the Eldest Senior Brother and the others hadn''t had enough, and the Milk Tea Sister also expressed her desire to learn from Han Cheng.
As Han Cheng talked about these things, scenes of his wild imagination lingered in his mind. Now that he understood Milk Tea Sister''s intentions, he couldn''t help but twitch his face involuntarily.
Coughing twice, he said he would teach her the song "Let''s row with double oars," which was suitable for young and old children to sing. However, Milk Tea Sister still didn''t want to learn; she insisted on "Little sister sits at the bow."
Han Cheng sniffed and had no choice but to start teaching.
He prayed that the scene he had imagined wouldn''t happen...
It''s unclear whether Milk Tea Sister had a talent for singing or simply a strong interest, but she learned much faster than learning Mandarin.
While the Eldest Senior Brother and others already familiar with Mandarin were hitting sky-high off-key notes, Milk Tea Sister could basically sing it perfectly.
Especially in the parts originally sung by a female voice, she surpassed Han Cheng, who was just a half-hearted teacher.They say the Yangtze River''s waves drive the waves behind it, but must the previous wave crash on the beach so soon?
Looking at Milk Tea Sister singing earnestly, Han Cheng silentlymented.
Just as he was thinking this, Milk Tea Sister stopped and began using a few simple phrases she had learned to gesture, asking Han Cheng about the meaning of those pleasant words.
Han Cheng chuckled. He shouldn''t have impulsively started singing. Now, a pile of troubles hade his way.
Exining these things to a girl was somewhat embarrassing.
Sometimes, it''s strange; doing something feels natural, but saying it can be awkward.
Seeing Milk Tea Sister''s eager expression for knowledge, Han Cheng gritted his teeth and thought he had touched and looked, even cuddled for sleep. What was there to be afraid of?
With a thick face, he slowly exined the meaning of the lyrics to her in a way that Milk Tea Sister could understand.
After a while, Milk Tea Sister, who now understood the meaning, looked at Han Cheng with even more sparkling eyes.
Primitive people are straightforward. Although Milk Tea Sister was frightened like a startled deer before, she gradually recovered after a long period of contact.
After standing there and seeing Han Cheng''s eyes sparkle momentarily, she walked towards Han Cheng and then...
And then, she hugged Han Cheng tightly.
The shameless Han Cheng, holding Milk Tea Sister with a pleased expression, seemed even more charming after being struck by lightning. Now, someone was embracing him.
However, Milk Tea Sister''s next move left Han Cheng dumbfounded.
After being hugged by Han Cheng for a while, the little girl Han Cheng had already identified as a child bride, struggled slightly to break free from Han Cheng''s embrace, then lowered her head to start untying her belt.
Watching Milk Tea Sister''s actions, Han Cheng was puzzled. Was she in urgent need?
Just as he was about to call the Eldest Senior Brother in front to steer the boat to the shore, the girl''s trousers slipped down to her ankles with a "swish."
Han Cheng was dumbfounded.
What was this? Couldn''t hold it and needed to solve it on the boat directly?
In his daze, Milk Tea Sister''s hands had reached his waist, ready to untie his belt.
Han Cheng subconsciously covered his waistband and took two steps back in shock.
This thin-looking child bride, why was she so strong?
Comparing her to himself, it was like a gnat challenging a giant!
Thinking in shock while pressing his waistband, he realized what was happening.
Han Cheng quickly stepped forward with a wry smile to help the child bride put her clothes back on.
He gently patted her on the buttocks as a reprimand.
Besides himself, there were many others on the boat in front. Such fiery enthusiasm deservedmendation, but behavior without regard to asion warranted punishment.
Han Cheng had already marked Milk Tea Sister in his heart and naturally couldn''t let others take advantage of her.
Of course, Han Cheng was happy to see the spouses of the Eldest Senior Brother and others inadvertently reveal themselves.
The child bride, holding up her trousers, was puzzled. Didn''t the Divine Child tell her those pleasant words? Why did she act like this? The Divine Child didn''t press her down like before; instead, he helped her put on her clothes and even smacked her...
The young girl was puzzled by the contradictory behavior of the Divine Child.
After experiencing the situation and the kindughter from the Eldest Senior Brother and others, Han Cheng smiled and exined the reason to the bewildered Milk Tea Sister.
Today, this matter must be exined clearly. Being enthusiastic and proactive was a good habit and shouldn''t be suppressed by his actions...
After exining these thingsboriously, Milk Tea Sister nodded as if she understood.
Changing some habits at this time and understanding some principles beyond this era couldn''t be achieved overnight. Cultivating and educating Milk Tea Sister was a long-termmitment, as she hadn''t grown up yet. There was plenty of time.
So Han Cheng wasn''t in a hurry.
After roughly exining these matters, he, as usual, talked to Milk Tea Sister about some tribal matters...
After learning from Han Cheng that they were about to reach the tribe, Milk Tea Sister became as eagerly anticipative as everyone else.
She wanted to see what kind of house couldfortably amodate people, whether the heated brick bed was really warm, and what it felt like to be a woman with five children.
Everything she had heard on the boat these days, things she had never encountered before, stirred her heart at this moment.
Of course, what she was most looking forward to was the countless delicacies she had learned from the deity.
Han Cheng looked at the increasingly familiar banks and then at Milk Tea Sister, who was eagerly waiting on the same boat as himself, feeling content.
This trip was very worthwhile. Not only did they bring back bamboo, hemp, and bupleurum for the tribe, but he also picked up a child bride...
It seemed that he couldn''t just stay at home. Even when nothing was going on, he should go out more.
"Woohoo..."
A series of surprised cries suddenly interrupted Han Cheng''s thoughts.
Looking toward the joyful sound, he saw a wolf not far from the bank, wagging its tail happily and jumping around in a low grass bush.
Beside it were several fluffy wolf cubs, who seemed to have grown quite a bit and wagged their tails slowly.
Amidst the joyous wolf''s jumping and howling, the closed gates of the Green Sparrow Tribe also boiled with excitement.
"Hey~!"
Seeing the tboat floating on the river, the Second Senior Brother raised his voice loudly, and the others followed suit.
The voices were light and joyful...
"Hey~!"
The Eldest Senior Brother and others on the boat also shouted.
The aged shaman, whose legs were unusually agile at this moment, refused any assistance and quickly descended from the woodendder.
After arranging for some people to guard the walls in his busy schedule, he led the others out of the gate and hurried towards the riverbank.
As if injected with chicken blood, the people on the boat increased the rowing speed.
The two groups of people met by the small river, and the joy of reunion and returning home filled the entire riverbank...
Chapter 293
Chapter 293
People who reunite after a long separation always have endless things to say when they gather.
Even before arriving at the riverbank, people who hadn''t seen each other for a long time began to talk to each other. Joy filled everyone''s hearts, reflecting on every face.
The children, in particr, chatter incessantly, as cheerful as a flock of sparrows.
After amand, even before Han Cheng, the Eldest Senior Brother, and the others speak, the children and the people who stayed behind have already unloaded everything from the boat. They are running towards the tribe, carrying them one by one.
Especially after hearing Han Cheng say that they will use something they have never seen before to make delicious foodter, these people be even more excited.
They treat bamboo shoots more affectionately than anything else.
Milk Tea Sister pulls on Han Cheng''s sleeve, hiding behind him, timidly observing the people of this tribe in front of her.
Not only did all neen people who went out return, but they also brought back an additional person, and Shaman smiled until his eyes became slits.
This child is not much shorter than the Divine Child and can already do a lot of work. In a few years, the tribe will have another adult. Shaman is naturally very happy.Being thin and weak is not a big problem. After living in their tribe for a while and eating three meals daily, they will soon be strong.
Even though she may notpare to Xing, there is no problemparing them to Xiaomei and Xiaoli.
Han Cheng didn''t know what Shaman was thinking. If he did, he would shake his head vigorously.
It''s not easy to find someone rtively satisfactory. If you continue to cultivate them in this direction, wouldn''t it be asking for trouble?
With someone like this added to the team, it''s impossible not to attract everyone''s attention.
Facing Shaman and others'' inquiries, Han Cheng briefly exined the situation.
Of course, when treating Milk Tea Sister''s illness, some more private matters on the boat and some of his more animalistic thoughts were naturally skipped.
As Han Cheng spoke, Eldest Senior Brother and the others asionally added a word.
After the speech, many people from the Green Sparrow tribe looked at Han Cheng with even more respect.
To be able to save people whom other tribes wanted to burn alive, how could they not be impressed?
Knowing about Milk Tea Sister''s encounters with Xing, Xiaomei, and Xiaoli, who are older girls, they came over to talk to her actively and friendly.
They indicated that this would be her tribe in the future, and Milk Tea Sister could live with them.
Faced with the enthusiasm of Xing, Xiaomei, Xiaoli, and others, Milk Tea Sister felt a bit awkward, looking at Han Cheng for help.
Han Cheng rubbed Milk Tea Sister''s head, encouraging her to y with Xing and the others.
Children of simr ages can always y together quickly.
Several girls gathered together, chirping and chatting. Although theirnguages may not fully align, they still yed happily.
Xing, Xiaomei, Xiaoli, and others took Milk Tea Sister to see the wind chimes.
After this long period, several girls have reached the point where each person has a pottery wind chime.
They hang in a row under the eaves, looking very beautiful.
Milk Tea Sister puffed up her cheeks and blew forcefully on the wind chime. With a slight sway, the wind chime made a crisp, pleasant sound.
Milk Tea Sister looked at the wind chime and the clean girls, such as Xing, Xiaomei, and Xiaoli, feeling both envious and a bit inferior.
Because it seems like they have a lot of fun and precious things while she has nothing.
"This, beautiful!"
Xing, Xiaomei, Xiaoli, and the others looked at Milk Tea Sister''s two braids and eximed sincerely.
Milk Tea Sister''s heart trembled slightly, suddenly feeling less ashamed and inferior.
She also has things that they don''t have.
She touched her braids and turned to look at the Divine Child.
In the chirping voices, the girls quickly bonded.
Xing and the others taught Milk Tea Sister how to make a beautiful wind chime, while Milk Tea Sister taught them how to braid their hair, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
In this conversation, Milk Tea Sister discovered these beautiful wind chimes from the Divine Child''s hands.
She again looked at the Divine Child, who didn''t seem much older than herself, with even more reverence in her eyes.
She had heard the term '' Divine Child'' many times from conversations with Xing and others.
It seemed that everything admirable and desirable in this tribe came from the hands of the Divine Child.
"All discovered by the Divine Child. What about you? What have you discovered..."
Milk Tea Sister tried to convey her thoughts to Xing and the others.
After understanding Milk Tea Sister''s meaning, several people felt somewhat depressed.
Yeah, all these things were discovered by the Divine Child. What had they discovered?
"I discovered that silkworms want to grow up and molt..."
Xing''s eyes lit up as she spoke.
Prompted by her, Xiaomei and Xiaoli remembered things, chattering, "I discovered that pottery pieces of different sizes make different sounds when they collide..."
"Adding crushed pottery pieces into the y makes the y less likely to crack when fired, which was discovered by Hei Wa..."
After Milk Tea Sister''s inquiry and some contemtion, they realized that they had discovered many things, too.
Many of the things they said, Milk Tea Sister didn''t understand, but she could still grasp that they were saying things they had discovered.
They had discovered so much. What about herself? What had she discovered?
"I discovered how to braid my hair better."
She thought to herself.
Shaman was even more excited than when Divine Child returned. He was leaning over the jar of Chaihu, gently touching its leaves, and highly affectionate.
Han Cheng called him several times, but he refused to leave.
The terrifying disaster known as the devil''s curse, passed down by the ancestors of the shaman, had left a deep impression on him, and there were also legends about the symptoms that urred in the people in the cursednd.
There were many simrities between Milk Tea Sister''s symptoms and those mentioned.
If Milk Tea Sister could be cured by this thing called Chaihu, did that mean that the people of their tribe could also be cured when encountering simr devil''s curse incidents in the future?
Han Cheng also felt that Chaihu was significant, so he nted them first and dealt with other matterster.
Chaihu is more suitable for growing by the riverbank, but the rain gradually increased at this time, and nting them by the riverbank would easily wash them away.
After some thought, Han Cheng opened up a sunny area in the courtyard near the wall, brought some soil from the riverbank, and then transnted the Chaihu from the jar there.
At the same time, he also transnted a few wild hemp nts.
Worried that they wouldn''t survive, after nting and watering them, Han Cheng had some branches with leaves brought over and ced them next to them to provide shade.
Chapter 294
Chapter 294
After nting the wild hemp and Chaihu, Han Cheng instructed people to continue digging the soil.
However, this time, the digging wasn''t near the wall but in front of his residential window, about three to four meters away.
After the pit was dug, two more pots of soil were brought over.
The temporary nts inside were carefully removed and transnted into the newly dug pit.
Several sections of bamboo roots (from which bamboo shoots grow) were cut when they were digging bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest.
These bamboo roots still had some small, undeveloped bamboo shoots attached, with two small poles in the middle.
At that time, the Eldest Senior Brother and others nned to discard these, but Han Cheng saw them and brought them back.
He wanted to see if they could survive.
He originally wanted to grow better nts, but the unexpected appearance of these treasures disrupted his n, so he had to make do with these for now.He would dig up some better onester when the time came.
After finishing these tasks and raising his head, Han Cheng noticed two women with injuries appearing not far away.
Han Cheng was surprised, his first reaction being that the tribe had been attacked and their people were injured.
But he quickly realized something was wrong.
Because since they returned, they hadn''t heard anything simr from Shaman and the others.
Moreover, judging from the reactions of the tribe members and what they had seen, the tribe didn''t seem to have been attacked.
Then what was the matter with these two injured women?
Han Cheng pondered this as he walked towards them.
Approaching, he realized that these two women were not from their tribe!
It seemed that something had happened to the tribe!
Han Cheng momentarily stared at the two frightened-looking injured women before turning to find Shaman and ask about the situation.
Shaman and the others hadn''t immediately told Han Cheng about the attack from the Bone Tribe because they had their reasons.
Firstly, no one from their tribe was injured, and secondly, Han Cheng and the others had just returned, and everyone was in a joyful mood, so they unintentionally overlooked this matter.
Now that Han Cheng noticed something amiss and asked about it, Shaman and the others exined the situation.
"Damn it!"
The most significant reaction came from Shang; because of his previous experiences, he harbored a deep hatred for those who attacked the tribe.
If it weren''t for therge number of people left in the tribe and their reliance on things like walls, bows, and arrows, the consequences would be...
Imagine the scene of returning to the tribe after this boat trip, with familiar people dead and injured everywhere. He shuddered all over, and his eyes were turning red.
He angrily shouted, grabbed his spear, and was about to kill the two captives, but was stopped by the Eldest Senior Brother.
"Divine Child, what should we do?"
The Eldest Senior Brother asked Han Cheng, and the others looked to him.
When this matter was mentioned, few weren''t angry. Anyone who was attacked at their doorstep couldn''t swallow this anger.
"Fight! Take down the Bone Tribe!"
Han Cheng, who hadn''t spoken much before, spoke up decisively.
This decision energized the vast majority of people, and without needing any encouragement, their fighting spirit soared.
However, not everyone agreed with this approach.
For example, after hearing Han Cheng''s decision, Shaman became worried.
He felt that they shouldn''t attack the Bone Tribe.
With his age, experiences, and wisdom inherited from the previous shaman, he knew that there were no survivors in conflicts involving past tribal blood feuds.
The recent record of zero deaths in battles fought by their tribe in the past two years was all thanks to the reliance on the protective walls.
To attack the Bone Tribe, they would have to leave the safety of the walls, thus losing their most significant advantage.
Moreover, the Bone Tribe was one of the more powerful tribes in the vicinity.
Although they had suffered significant losses in the previous encounter, many adults had returned unharmed.
Shaman was confident their tribe could defeat the Bone Tribe, but achieving victory without casualties was impossible.
As he grew older, he desired peaceful development and didn''t want to see anyone in the tribe die, regardless of the circumstances.
He expressed his concerns to Han Cheng, who pondered for a while and acknowledged Shaman''s worries but insisted on proceeding with the attack.
While Han Cheng''s decision seemed impulsive, it was not made hastily.
Apart from the fact that the tribe had been attacked, there were other considerations.
After nearly a year and a half of integration, the Pig Tribe had been fully assimted into the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Expanding the poption further was now possible, and there were no internal security concerns.
Additionally, introducing various new activities besides hunting and gathering had strained their manpower.
After several months of training, the Green Sparrow Tribe made some progress in warfare and acquired strength.
The Bone Tribe wasn''t significantly more significant than the Green Sparrow Tribe regarding the number of adults.
Recently, they had lost eleven people during a confrontation under the Green Sparrow Tribe''s walls, with many returning injured.
From Shaman''s ount, Han Cheng deduced that the recent defense of the Green Sparrow Tribe had significantly impacted the Bone Tribe, instilling fear in them.
This gap would widen further, adding to the Green Sparrow Tribe''s advantage.
Furthermore, Han Cheng felt that their previous salt policy was wed.
Over the past year, the Green Sparrow Tribe had portrayed themselves to neighboring tribes as generous, friendly, and prosperous, aiming for a bloodless integration through friendliness.
However, Han Cheng realized that their rise to power might not be without bloodshed.
Their constant friendliness had been perceived as weakness, making a show of overwhelming force now effective in cowing other tribes into submission.
This iron-fisted approach would serve as a strong support for their gradual infiltration policy.
It would significantly reduceplications when it was time to close the.
With these six considerations, the Bone Tribe would have no choice but to yield when faced with the Green Sparrow Tribe''s might.
Han Cheng exined these considerations to his followers, ensuring they understood the rationale behind their actions and the tribe''s advantages.
This approach ensured his subordinates knew why they were fighting and were genuinely motivated to strive for the goal.
Han Cheng wasn''t prepared to rx on the ideological front; he understood the importance of political education.
Chapter 295
Chapter 295
The Shaman was persuaded and expressed agreement with the decision to attack the Bone Tribe. However, after agreeing, he repeatedly reminded everyone not to be careless.
Such reminders were good, as they could prevent the people of the Sparrow Tribe from bing blindly arrogant and encourage them to handle the matter cautiously.
Shang couldn''t wait any longer. Immediately after the decision to send troops to the Bone Tribe was made, he wanted to set out with his men but was stopped by Han Cheng.
Warfare was always a serious matter. Although the scale of the uing war against the Bone Tribe that Han Cheng was preparing for didn''tpare to somerge-scale battles of future times, it still involved the lives and deaths of many people in the tribe, so it had to be taken seriously.
Before the troops moved, supplies were prepared first. There was a certain distance between the Green Sparrow Tribe and the Bone Tribe, so food for the journey had to be prepared. Additionally, most of the tribe''s fighting force had just experienced nearly twenty-four days of long-distance travel, so they needed rest and recuperation.
Therefore, the attack on the Bone Tribe was set for five dayster. These five days would be used to prepare food, restock weapons, and allow the people to rest and recover their spirits beforeunching a major operation.
After this decision, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe began preparations. Han Cheng also pondered their possible situations and the corresponding strategies.
After these matters were settled, it was already getting dark.
Because of this incident, the joy of Han Cheng and the others returning was greatly diminished.Many people were also thinking about the idea of Han Cheng personally cooking dinner.
They wanted to taste the food cooked by Han Cheng and were very interested in the exotic food brought back from faraway ces by Han Cheng and the others.
However, they also knew the priorities and understood that thinking about eating at a time like this was inappropriate. So, when they saw Han Cheng lost in thought, no one reminded him, "Hurry up and stop daydreaming. Everyone''s waiting for you to cook."
Although they thought this way, disappointment was inevitable.
When it came to eating, it was the most important thing. This was Han Cheng''s life motto.
So, seeing that it was gettingte, he rolled up his sleeves and headed towards the cave where he cooked.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe no longer hoped Han Cheng would personally cook dinner tonight. However, when they unexpectedly saw Han Cheng heading towards the cooking ce, their hearts were filled with joy after the initial surprise.
The bamboo shoots were peeled and sliced with a bone knife. The bone knife was thinner and sharper than a stone knife, making it more convenient for cutting vegetables.
After nching, the bamboo shoots were set aside forter use. Some were used to make bamboo shoots and meat slice soup, while the rest were stir-fried with meat slices.
The people nearly swallowed their tongues when the delicious food came out of the pot.
Milk Tea Sister had no resistance to food. Her small mouth kept moving, and as soon as a chopstick of food entered her mouth, it disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Han Cheng could only helplessly smile and remind her to eat slowly asionally. The girl puffed out her cheeks and nodded vigorously, her braids swaying as she mumbled iprehensible words, but her eating speed did not slow down at all.
A meal significantly reduced the tension among the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe due to the uing attack on the Bone Tribe.
After eating, they chatted for a while before Han Cheng let them rest.
They specifically emphasized the need for rest, forbidding activities like weapon maintenance.
Xing, Xiaomei, and Xiaoli asked Milk Tea Sister to sleep with them.
After spending most of the day together, they had developed quite a bond.
However, how could they allow such a thing to happen when they had already decided to be beasts?
His wife, of course, should sleep with him on the same heated bed.
Moreover, these beastly fellows never knew how to avoid others. Letting Milk Tea Sister stay in that room, under the influence, would inevitably lead her astray sooner orter.
Then, in the wide-eyed stares of Xing, Xiaomei, and Xiaoli, a shameless Divine Child, without blushing or panting, held Milk Tea Sister''s hand and returned to his room.
Following alongside were Fu Jiang and the five little blessings, running back and forth.
The people who followed along with Eldest Senior Brother made some suggestive gestures and whispers to those in the tribe who didn''t understand what was happening.
A strong gossip vibe suddenly enveloped the entire Sparrow Tribe.
It could be foreseen that this would be the hottest topic in the Sparrow Tribe tonight.
Han Cheng''s earlier instructions for them to rest well seemed to be in vain.
Han Cheng didn''t care about any of this. He pretended nothing had happened, holding Milk Tea Sister''s hand as she burped from eating and led her back to his room.
After arriving in the room, he prepared a hot water basin and soaked Milk Tea Sister''s feet with her.
Because she hadn''t worn shoes much before, Milk Tea Sister''s feet weren''t as glossy as Han Cheng''s.
After drying her feet, it was time to sleep.
Han Cheng shamelessly stripped Milk Tea Sister naked, and himself too, and then crawled under the fur nket, using it as a nket.
There were no formalities, just a straightforward mess with a very primitive style.
Under the nket, Han Cheng held the warm Milk Tea Sister and felt veryfortable.
Next...
Hehehe.
Nothing else happened. He fell asleep straightforwardly. Maybe he wanted to do something.
Of course, it wasn''t just falling asleep directly, but after some mental struggles.
He was a normal person; otherwise, he wouldn''t always think about finding a wife.
Faced with such a situation, it was naturally unbearable.
It''s just that considering that they were still growing up and Milk Tea Sister''s chest hadn''t developed much. He had to endure it.
After a long journey, returning home at this time, lying on his heated bed, Han Cheng thought for a while with Milk Tea Sister in his arms, unable to resist the heavy drowsiness, and fell asleep.
Milk Tea Sister, however, couldn''t sleep. With her wide-open eyes in the dark, she moved something that kept poking her under the quilt and then recalled all the dazzling things she had seen today.
It felt like a dream.
How could all these things made by people?
She felt that all of this existed and waster discovered by this tribe.
Because there were so many things inside that she felt couldn''t possibly have been done by humans.
Such as the towering walls like mountain cliffs and therge,fortable houses bigger than caves.
Late at night, this primitive girl who came to the new tribe, her mind full of novelty and shock, finally couldn''t resist the drowsiness. After moving the poking thing under her quilt, shepletely lost consciousness.
Chapter 296: Setting out for battle
Chapter 296: Setting out for battle
In the next few days, under Han Cheng''s leadership, the focus of work for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe shifted entirely to preparing for the capture of the Bone Tribe.
Han Cheng continuously pondered their possible situations and the corresponding strategies. asionally, he would consult with the Eldest Senior Brother and Shaman and call the others together to make arrangements.
Some of the Green Sparrow Tribe members were busy repairing weapons, and those who frequently participated in training sometimes conducted attack drills as per the requests of the Shaman.
Time passed by in this atmosphere, second by second, until the five days had passed in the blink of an eye.
The eastern horizon began to glow with the dawn, gradually dispelling the darkness. After a night of deep sleep, everyone''s spirits were replenished, and they were now fully awake.
The atmosphere in the Green Sparrow Tribe was different from before. There was an indistinct air of solemnity in the tranquil and quiet ambiance.
The fortress''s gates were open, and thirty people stood in four rows in front of the gate, each under the leadership of their respective captains. They were the warriors of the Green Sparrow Tribe who were about to set out for battle.
Standing in front of the formation was Han Cheng, the one in charge of the armed forces. There was a half-filled basin of warm water on a makeshift table made of stones and wood.
A wild chicken with fluttering wings had its neck slit with a stone knife, and its blood dripped into the water, blossoming like peach blossoms.After a stir with a long-handleddle, bowls of warm water tinged with a faint red hue were handed to each person preparing for battle.
"Safety first. I will prepare a feast to celebrate your return," Han Cheng said, not particrly inspiring but practical, before raising the bowl of water mixed with blood and drinking it down.
With no wine avable, they had to make do with this.
The warriors preparing for the expedition also raised their bowls, imitating the Shaman''s actions and drinking down the contents. However, they drank too carefully, without a drop spilling down their chins,cking the heroic spirit.
"Snap!"
Han Cheng mmed his bowl down after finishing, and the others, subconsciously following his lead, also smashed their bowls onto the ground. Many regretted their actions afterward, trying to salvage their bowls, only to find them shattered beyond repair.
What was supposed to be a solemn and stirring ceremony was somewhat botched at its climax.
Han Cheng felt likeughing but managed to suppress it forcefully.
"Go!"
After waiting for a moment, he raised his arm and shouted.
The warriors preparing for the expedition were infected by this unprecedented ceremony. They felt their blood boiling, devoid of fear except for their somewhat regrettable bowl-smashing.
After Han Cheng''s shout, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe turned away and headed toward the direction of the Bone Tribe, armed with weapons and provisions.
Han Cheng, Shaman, and others who stayed behind watched them leave until they disappeared from sight. Only then did they pack up their things and return to the tribe, firmly closing the gate behind them.
From today onwards, until the return of the Eldest Senior Brother and the others, the gates of the Green Sparrow Tribe would not easily open, and no one would be allowed to leave without reason.
With thirty people going out, the fighting strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe was greatly diminished. Compared to when Han Cheng and the others left, they were even weaker, so they had to be on high alert.
Han Cheng stood on the wall, gazing at the direction in which the Eldest Senior Brother and the others had departed for a long time.
Although he knew that this trip was almost a sure victory, with the Bone Tribe basically unable to escape, he couldn''t help but worry.
He didn''t know how many of these expeditionary warriors would be injured or might not return.
In this attack on the Bone Tribe, Han Cheng originally intended to lead the team himself. However, the Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother disagreed, saying Han Cheng was too young and unsuitable for such a task.
Upon careful consideration, Han Cheng realized there was some truth to their words. His presence might indeed be distracting, so he decided to stay behind.
As time passed, Han Cheng began to feel his decision was wrong. Waiting in the tribe without knowing anything was genuinely agonizing.
If only they had a cell phone, or even a telegraph, to get information about the situation ahead. Of course, this was wishful thinking; they couldn''t produce such things even if they tried.
A more practical idea would be to make simple wired telephones using two small pottery bowls with holes at the bottom, strung together with a rope.
When Milk Tea Sister covered her right ear with a small bowl and widened her eyes with a look of surprise and disbelief, she heard Han Cheng''s singing from the ship''s bow.
The Divine child sang the song, but at this moment, he was inside the house with the door closed, and the small bowl and rope were threaded out of the window.
Milk Tea Sister tentatively removed the pottery bowl from her ear, and she could faintly hear the Shaman''s indistinct singing from inside the house. cing the pottery bowl back over her ear, the song became clear again.
This miraculous device quickly caused a sensation in the Green Sparrow Tribe. Not only did the children love ying with it, but even the adults wanted to experience the magic of this device themselves.
Watching the children happily ying with the telephone bowls on the wall, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
With everything that needed to be done alreadypleted, all that was left was to leave it to fate and endure the long wait. Finding other activities to pass the time and ease the tension during the long wait was also a good idea.
The women''s hairstyles in the Green Sparrow Tribe had significantly changed.
The catalyst for this transformation was the appearance of two braids on Milk Tea Sister''s head.
When Han Cheng first arrived, everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe had messy hair. However, after his intervention, they all sported uniform ponytails, albeit somewhat messy ones.
At first, everyone liked the new ponytails, but after some time, they started having other ideas, especially the women.
The appearance of Milk Tea Sister with two braids inspired them.
Without Han Cheng''s knowledge, braids began to trend throughout the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
When Han Cheng discovered this, he was both shocked and amused. It was understandable if Star, Little Beauty, Little Lily, and the other young girls wore braids, but why were Chen, Xi, and the other boys joining the fun?
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by the sight.
Without much thought, Han Cheng, feeling shocked and irritated, immediately instructed these individuals to untie their braids. He felt like he would go crazy if this continued.
Seeing these guys dragging their feet, unwilling to untie their braids, Han Cheng wanted to kick them with his foot.
Unable to stand the resentful looks from these guys any longer, Han Cheng immediately made some regtions regarding their hairstyles.
Girls would wear two braids until they reached adulthood, then switch to a single braid. Boys would keep their hair short and tie a small braid on their heads, resembling seventh-grade sesame officials.
Adult men would tie up their hair using a tree branch as a hairpin for fixation, exuding a bit of ancient charm.
Han Cheng was the only exception, still sporting a ponytail.
These new hairstyles immediately delighted everyone, and they abandoned their attachment to braids. Han Cheng was relieved to be rescued from the overwhelming visual impact.
This was also good in another way; with fixed hairstyles, it was easy to distinguish between men and women of all ages. Unlike before, when one wasn''t familiar, telling men and women apart required getting up close to look at chest sizes.
Chapter 297: The assured leader of the Bone Tribe
Chapter 297: The assured leader of the Bone Tribe
In the season when rapeseed flowers were blooming but some were withering, Eldest Senior Brother led the tribe''s people towards the Bone Tribe.
The road was more manageable to traverse than when he used to attend the festivities at the Bone Tribe.
Over the past year, the people of the Bone Tribe had beening to the Green Sparrow Tribe more often, creating paths with their footsteps and bone knives.
Though just a makeshift trail, it was still more convenient than cutting a new path.
As dusk fell, the Eldest Senior Brother led the people to a spacious area, where they made a fire using dry branches collected along the way and cooked some warm food.
ording to Han Cheng''s calctions, the Green Sparrow Tribe was in a temperate zone, slightly north of the midtitude.
In such regions, though there were vast primitive forests, not every ce was densely wooded. Finding areas with only grass or low shrubs wasn''t too tricky.
Thankfully, being in a temperate zone meant the vegetation grew in distinct seasons throughout the year, preventing rampant overgrowth.
Moreover, the distinct seasons also helped to suppress the growth and reproduction of various bacteria and pathogens.Inparison, despite the hardships brought by harsh winters, they also helped to control the spread of diseases.
The flickering mes of the bonfire dispersed the darkness, casting its light far into the distance.
Most people had already fallen asleep, leaving only five on watch to keep the fire burning.
In the distance, wild beasts caught the scent of prey but hesitated upon seeing the firelight before retreating.
The night passed uneventfully, and the following day, after breakfast, they left the ce and continued towards the Bone Tribe.
The sun was a generous entity, casting its warm rays impartially. It enveloped the Green Sparrow Tribe with its towering walls and the Bone Tribe living in caves in its morning light.
After finishing his meal, the leader of the Bone Tribe set down his bowl and shook his head a few times.
This was due to the aftermath of being hit by a slingstone thrown by Second Brother at the Green Sparrow Tribe, which had left him with a wound on his head.
The wound on his forehead had long stopped bleeding, forming a thick scab, with the surrounding area appearing slightly swollen.
As he shook his head, he looked at the caves, now missing many people, feeling somewhat distressed.
Among those who returned with him, one person had died yesterday.
By the time of death, the person''s body had begun to dpose, with half of it already rotten, crawling with maggots.
He regretted his rash decision to attack the tribe, feeling most intensely regretful in the initial two or three days.
As time passed, the intensity of his regret gradually diminished, reced by another emotion that grew stronger with each passing day: hatred.
He hated that the people of the wealthy tribe had been so ruthless, leading their tribe to its current plight.
Although he had contemted seizing their resources, he had never acted on it. How could they be so ruthless?
While he thought this, he dared not act against that tribe again.
Initially, besides regret, there was another strong emotion pervading him and the hearts of many in the Bone Tribe: fear.
They feared that the wealthy and formidable tribe would pursue and attack them. Thus, after returning with heavy losses, the leader of the Bone Tribe had contemted relocation more than once.
However, in recent days, this idea has gradually been suppressed.
Relocating was not easy for the tribe.
First, there needs to be a suitable ce to live, and second, suitable hunting grounds should be nearby.
These two requirements alone make people have to consider things carefully.
Moreover, with the significant loss of adult members in their tribe, relocating and starting a simr life in a new ce would be extremely difficult. There might even be more deaths.
Amidst these hesitations, the leader of the Bone Tribe did not proceed with the migration.
In the first few days, like everyone else in the tribe, he lived in constant fear, with many people left to guard the caves daily, fearing an attack from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Several days passed, but the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe never came. The worries of the Bone Tribe gradually subsided.
By now, the leader of the Bone Tribe was convinced that the Green Sparrow Tribe would not attack them again.
During this time, he had figured out many things.
The main reason their tribe suffered such heavy losses was not the unfamiliar weapons used by the other tribe but rather the tall, detestable walls.
Without those walls, that tribe wasn''t that formidable.
Otherwise, why wouldn''t theye to attack their tribe?
"%^%$^t"
Contemting these matters, he saw that everyone in the tribe had finished eating, so he called everyone to follow him for hunting.
All the strong ones went, making twenty-one people, including himself.
The remaining sixteen people were either injured, elderly, weak, or heavily pregnant. These were all adults.
There were fourteen underage individuals capable of working. Their task was to harvest edible wild vegetables and roots near the tribe and to spear fish in the river.
After arranging these tasks, the leader of the Bone Tribe set out with the hunting party.
As instructed by the leader of the Bone Tribe, the remaining people dispersed around the tribe to attend to various tasks. Three elderly, weak individuals stayed in the caves to tend to the fire, along with some crawling babies.
As time passed and the sun moved from directly overhead to the west, people harvesting wild vegetables around the tribe started returning to the caves.
Near the riverbank, a few individuals who had been spearfishingid out several fish on the grass, the result of their morning''s work.
Looking at these few fish, some who had been to the Green Sparrow Tribe couldn''t help but imagine the abundance of fish they had seen there.
They couldn''t fathom how they managed to catch so many fish.
It would be wonderful if their tribe had so many fish, too.
It would be great if they could live in that tribe.
With such thoughts in mind, they shook their heads, realizing it was impossible. Regardless of whether their tribe conflicted with them, the leader wouldn''t take them there.
Taking a short rest, they cast aside these thoughts and focused on the fish in the river with their makeshift fishing spears.
Unaware of it, they didn''t notice a group of people quietly approaching their tribe.
Chapter 298: The main goal — to abduct people.
Chapter 298: The main goal ¡ª to abduct people.
About a mile away from the Bone Tribe''s cave, there was a small earthen mound covered with trees and grass nearly as tall as a person.
The Eldest Senior Brother and hispanions were now hiding here.
Unlike the Sparrow Tribe, which had few good hiding ces within a radius of two to three miles, there was no shortage of hiding spots around the Bone Tribe.
The Eldest Senior Brother crouched at the front, quietly surveying the area. From the scene around the Bone Tribe, he could tell that most of their people had gone out hunting.
After all, there weren''t many tribes like theirs that didn''t have to worry about food all day long.
Having assessed the situation, he began to quietly arrange things.
The mood of the Bone Tribe''s leader was quite good. Since suffering a heavy loss in the attack on the Sparrow Tribe, he had never been as happy as he was today.
The rest of the Bone Tribe''s people were also unusually excited, and the gloom of the past period had vanishedpletely.
On their shoulders, they carried several pieces of game, enough tost them for three days.Having had good luck today and caught enough game early on, they were heading back while it was still light out.
That''s how hunting went; you ate based on your luck. If you were lucky, you came back early; if not, you had to wait until almost dark.
With hearts full of joy, the leader and the others from the tribe walked back with heavy yet brisk steps.
"$%$%^"
The woman by the river who had been spearing fish saw the leader and his group returning with plenty of game and cried out in surprise.
Her cry startled many people, and more Bone Tribe women and underage individuals who noticed the situation also shouted for joy as they ran to meet the leader and the others.
For a while, the area was filled with joy.
The surprised cry of the woman by the river not only alerted the rest of the Bone Tribe but also rmed the Eldest Senior Brother and the others from the Sparrow Tribe, who had just finished arranging things and were preparing to attack the Bone Tribe.
With most of the Bone Tribe''s adults out hunting, this was the weakest moment, and it would be easy to control the elderly and weak.
This situation was undoubtedly favorable for the Eldest Senior Brother and his group. However, things turned out to be so unfortunate.
Before they could take action, the Bone Tribe''s hunters had already returned.
This sudden event caught the Eldest Senior Brother and his group off guard.
Fortunately, they hadn''t rushed out yet. They hadn''t been exposed, so they took advantage of the situation to stay hidden and wait for the Eldest Senior Brother to decide.
On the other hand, the Eldest Senior Brother watched the events unfolding outside while silently recalling the various tasks assigned by the Divine Child before their departure.
"Leader, I..."
Sha, the Third Senior Brother, quietly approached the Eldest Senior Brother and whispered.
He wanted to take the seven archers and shoot the Bone Tribe''s people with arrows. The spears and stones thrown by the Bone Tribe were not as far-reaching as arrows. With the element of surprise, they could kill some of them.
Such an attack would surely panic the Bone Tribe''s people, and then they could rush together and defeat them.
But the Eldest Senior Brother shook his head.
The shaman made the primary purpose of this battle clear before they left, and the Eldest Senior Brother remembered it very clearly.
Punishing the Bone Tribees second; the most important thing is to capture as many of their people as possible and bring them back to our tribe to increase our poption and strengthen our power.
What the Third Senior Brother suggested is not a bad idea. Doing so would catch the Bone Tribe off guard.
But suppose they suddenly suffer such a blow. In that case, the Bone Tribe''s people might scatter and flee, making it difficult to capture many people, especially adults.
In the time it takes to hesitate over this, the leader of the Bone Tribe has already carried the game and, along with the other jubnt members of the Bone Tribe, is steadily approaching the cave.
Once they return to the cave and have thatyer of protection, defeating the Bone Tribe''s people won''t be as easy as it is now. There could even be significant casualties.
Sha and Shang both feel anxious, especially Shang, who harbors a deep hatred for the Bone Tribe that dared to attack them.
"Let them go back," the Eldest Senior Brother lowered his voice and said to the restless Shang and Sha.
"But..." Shang lowered his voice and expressed his concerns to the Eldest Senior Brother. This was also Sha''s worry.
The Eldest Senior Brother, having found the corresponding solution from the various hypothetical situations and strategies that Han Cheng had previously instructed, appeared confident.
He whispered to Shang and the Eldest Senior Brother that he had a way, so they didn''t need to worry.
At this point, the people of the Bone Tribe had already reached the mouth of the cave, walking inside without stopping.
These people immersed in joy did not perceive the lurking danger around them.
Seeing that the Bone Tribe''s people were no longer visible outside, the Eldest Senior Brother instructed someone to drill fire using the fire drill they had brought, then quickly extinguished it after igniting the tinder.
At the same time, the others quickly collected dry grass, leaves, and branches nearby.
Once the preparations were nearlyplete, they proceeded towards the Bone Tribe''s cave.
The Eldest Senior Brother with the shield team led the way, carrying a bundle of fresh firewood under one arm.
Following closely behind was Shang, leading the spear team, nked by archers and slingshot teams.
They advanced openly and boldly toward the Bone Tribe''s cave without concealment.
Not far from the Bone Tribe''s cave was a firewood pile they had prepared for everyday use.
The leader of the Bone Tribe had a sense of fire prevention and was unwilling to storerge amounts of firewood inside the cave.
Due to the angle, the Eldest Senior Brother and his group had not seen this before. Still, now that they discovered it, the Eldest Senior Brother couldn''t help but feel overjoyed.
He had just been wondering if they had brought too little firewood. Still, unexpectedly, the people of the Bone Tribe had already prepared some.
One of the Bone Tribe members, carrying a pottery jar, came out of the cave and, upon seeing the Eldest Senior Brother and his group less than half a mile away from the cave, was first stunned, then realized the situation and shouted to sound the rm, swiftly retreating into the cave with the jar.
The Eldest Senior Brother''s group also hastened their pace, approaching the Bone Tribe''s cave with a rtively orderly formation.
The Bone Tribe, suddenly aware of this news, was thrown into chaos.
The leader of the Bone Tribe, upon arriving at the mouth of the cave and seeing that it was the tribe he believed would note again and that they were also carrying many of the weapons that had caused them significant losses, felt panic spreading throughout his being.
Chapter 299: Smoke bomb
Chapter 299: Smoke bomb
Not only was he in a panic, but the other Bone Tribe members were also in extreme panic.
Firstly, they had experienced the strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe not long ago. Secondly, they had just obtained arge amount of game, and everyone was joyful. Suddenly, being startled like this was undoubtedly a severe blow.
Adults searching for weapons, children wailing and running around in chaos.
At this moment, the sound of bowstrings outside the cave rang out, apanied by feathered arrows and stones flying in through the cave entrance.
Some unlucky ones had already been hit.
Bone Tribe''s leader shouted, pulling two people with him to quickly reach the cave entrance, picking up the nearby stone bs, and, despite the feathered arrows flying in sporadically, began to block the entrance.
During this process, feathered arrows or stone projectiles asionally struck the stone bs, making nging sounds.
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s aggressive and sudden attack made it impossible to organize a counterattack.
Currently, all they could do was block the entrance of the cave.As long as they could hold the cave entrance, those people wouldn''t be able to do anything to them.
It had been proven that being a leader and leading the tribe to survive required some ability.
In the rush, the Bone Tribe leader shouted loudly while blocking the cave entrance,forting the people.
Seeing that the cave entrance was blocked, preventing the rming attack froming in, and hearing the leader''s loud shout, the Bone Tribe''s people were no longer as panicked.
In the light of the fire from the cave, some people had already taken up weapons and were heading towards the cave entrance to help the leader, and others supported the stone bs.
Amidst the busy scene in the Bone Tribe, the Eldest Senior Brother and his group had also arrived at the Bone Tribe''s cave.
Looking at the cave entrance, already blocked by several stone bs, Shang and Sha looked at each other, wondering what to do.
They all turned their eyes to the Eldest Senior Brother.
The Eldest Senior Brother, seeing this, was not anxious and appeared confident.
Instead of rushing to push the stone bs as Sha suggested, he had someone light a fire in front of the Bone Tribe''s cave under the cover of the shield and spear team.
The fire started quickly because they had already lit the tinder beforeing here.
After the fire rose and wouldn''t go out, he instructed someone to ce the pile of firewood they had brought on the fire and pour the water from their water bottles on top.
Thick smoke billowed up immediately.
Seeing the smoke rising upwards, he thought momentarily. Then, he instructed three people to use their shields as fans to fan the thick smoke towards the Bone Tribe''s cave entrance.
At the same time, he ordered the second brother of the slingshot team to lead one person to the ce not far from the Bone Tribe''s cave where they had stacked firewood and brought it here.
He also instructed several people to quickly go to the small river near the Bone Tribe and fetch water using a pottery jar for cooking soup and another small pottery jar for drinking water.
The Bone Tribe leader exerted all his strength to prop up the stone bs blocking the cave entrance, with several others helping him.
Now, these stone bs blocking the entrance were their hope for survival.
As long as they could hold up the stone bs and prevent them from being pushed open, their tribe would be safe.
From themotion outside, they knew that the people from that tribe had already arrived at the cave entrance.
What they were going to do next was push the stone bs.
Thinking this way, the Bone Tribe leader shouted, giving orders to everyone.
All the people, including him, propping up the stone bs, exerted all their strength.
However, after resisting for a while, the expected impact did note.
The Bone Tribe leader was puzzled. What did the people of this tribe want to do?
Could it be that they wanted to wait until their tribe was starving and then open the cave entrance themselves?
The Bone Tribe leader chuckled at these thoughts, showing no fear whatsoever.
Today, they had just caught a lot of games and hadn''t eaten any yet. Plus, they had plenty of newly harvested wild vegetables. They could survive for five or six days if they were frugal.
Could the food these guys broughtst for five or six days?
Thinking like this, he felt pretty pleased with himself.
Just as he was thinking this, he saw smoke seeping through the stone bs'' cracks.
Their cave entrance was not regr, and the stone bs blocking the entrance were thergest and ttest ones they could find.
So, it was impossible topletely seal the cave entrance when two irregr things came together.
Having many cracks was normal; beingpletely sealed was abnormal.
What were the people from this tribe trying to do?
They came over, didn''t push the stone bs, but lit a fire outside. Were they nning to burn themselves and the others to death?
He looked at the stone bs, full of confusion.
With these stone bs blocking it, how could the fire get in?
This kind of confusion was not only felt by the Bone Tribe leader but also by most of the Bone Tribe''s people.
Their confusion didn''tst long because...
Cough cough cough
Cough cough cough
A series of heartbreaking coughs came from the cave, apanied by some children crying.
Fire couldn''t get in with the stone bs blocking it, but smoke could.
At first, Shang and others who had thought this method wasn''t very effective lit up at this realization.
Shang, who had long wanted to fight someone, also wanted to use the shields to fan the wind.
But the Eldest Senior Brother rejected him; he had other things to do.
Eight members of the spear team each thrust their spears into the bigger gaps at the cave entrance and vigorously pushed and pulled.
The Bone Tribe leader, coughing madly and shedding tears, truly experienced the power of smoke.
He coughed while shouting, ordering people to block up these gaps quickly.
He hurriedly tore the fur from his body and stuffed it into thergest gap.
They couldn''t see what was happening outside, with smoke pouring into these cracks. He just reached out his hand, and a spearhead stabbed through.
It pierced the Bone Tribe leader''s arm.
The spearhead was made of bone and much sharper than stone.
He pushed outwards with force, and the spear pushed inwards. His arm collided with the spearhead, which pierced into his arm, causing him to scream in pain and quickly retract his arm.
With these spears constantly poking in like this, the Bone Tribe''s people couldn''t block the gaps at all.
Because the cave was filled with smoke at this time, and their vision was severely affected, several people were even injured by the spears.
The Bone Tribe leader and the Bone Tribe''s people were all panicking.
They had thought hiding in the cave was safe, but now they realized it would have been better to fight their way out at the beginning rather than end up in this situation.
Somebody, coughing and intermittently speaking, shouted their thoughts to the Bone Tribe leader.
They wanted to rush out and fight desperately against the Green Sparrow Tribe''s people.
However, the Bone Tribe leader immediately refused.
Chapter 300: Rich Harvest
Chapter 300: Rich Harvest
The Bone Tribe leader''s refusal had its reasons. At this moment, he recalled the partially burnt bones he had seen at the feast in the eastern tribe and the ounts from the Pig Tribe.
Their past aggression against that tribe had already sealed their fate. Leading people out now would likely result in being killed or burned alive by them.
Staying put might offer a slim chance of survival.
With these thoughts in mind, he made his decision.
Outside, the Eldest Senior Brother and others continued to fan the mes and create smoke while Shang and the others enthusiastically jabbed their spears into the crevices.
The sound of agonizing coughs inside the cave grew louder, forming a unified chorus. Few could endure the power of the smoke.
In the cave, heated arguments erupted amidst the coughs and quickly escted into fights.
Even the authority of the Bone Tribe leader was ineffective in such a life-and-death situation. He was pushed and shoved aside amidst his desperate coughs and shouts.
In the chaos, the stone bs blocking the entrance were moved aside. Those who couldn''t bear the smoke rushed out, stepping on the embers and gasping for air as if they were drowning.For them, breathing freely again was a miraculous relief. Even when subdued with shields and ropes, they felt no fear, only relief in breathing.
As more and more stumbled out, barely able to resist, they were swiftly subdued by the waiting tribesmen.
Even those who had lost all strength copsed on the ground, allowing themselves to be tied up.
Everyone, including the Eldest Senior Brother, was deeply moved by the scene.
They marveled at the effectiveness of this method, finding it easier than fighting or hunting. It was like collecting rabbits caught in snares in the morning, effortless.
In no time, the open ground outside the Bone Tribe was littered with bodies.
Even the fleeing children were not spared and were bound.
Two spear teams watched over them while the rest guarded the entrance, waiting for more members of the Bone Tribe to fall into their trap.
Amidst the chaos, the Bone Tribe leader pushed around and trampled by those eager to escape, finally reached his limit.
Despite his earlier resolve to stay inside, he couldn''t endure any longer. Amidst violent coughs, he stumbled out.
His survival instinct was stronger than most. Upon emerging, he didn''t stop but staggered away, intent on fleeing the scene as quickly as possible.
By this time, most of the Bone Tribe members had emerged. The Eldest Senior Brother and others stood ready nearby, waiting for the remaining members toe out.
He couldn''t possibly escape.
Just as he started running, a bone spear pierced his calf, followed swiftly by a shield crashing into him.
Before the fallen Bone Tribe leader could struggle, Second Senior Brother sat down heavily on him.
Under his weight, the Bone Tribe leader let out a pained cry and ceased struggling, brutally bound by Second Senior Brother.
After the tumult caused by the fleeing Bone Tribe members trampling over him, the mes at the cave entrance gradually died down.
Earlier, the Eldest Senior Brother and his group were busy capturing members of the Bone Tribe and didn''t bother to add more fuel to the fire.
Now that most of the Bone Tribe members had been captured, they saw no need to add more fuel.
Shang wanted to enter the Bone Tribe''s cave, but the Eldest Senior Brother, seeing the lingering smoke, refused, saying they should wait until it cleared.
Shang looked at the Bone Tribe members bound on the ground but didn''t insist.
During this time, they couldn''t afford to be idle. So, the Bone Tribe leader had a rough time. The second Senior Brother and others dragged him up and gave him a brutal beating, causing him to howl in pain.
Shang and a few others, encouraged by the beating, wanted to kill the Bone Tribe leader outright.
When faced with this situation, the previously stubborn Bone Tribe leader couldn''t help but tremble in fear, uttering vague pleas for mercy.
The other Bone Tribe members watched in terror.
The Eldest Senior Brother didn''t agree to the killing. He reminded them that the Divine Child had instructed not to kill captives, as they would be useful alive.
Shang and the others, initially discontented, fell silent upon hearing it was the Divine Child''s order.
The Bone Tribe leader, now contorted in pain on the ground, trembled uncontrobly, partly from the pain and partly from fear.
After a while, when the cave smoke had mainly dissipated, the Eldest Senior Brother, apanied by two shield bearers, cautiously approached.
They held their shields in front, walking carefully. Behind them were Shang and five others armed with spears.
The cave was a mess, with broken pottery and overturned vessels.
Several peopley motionless on the ground in the innermost part of the cave. The Eldest Senior Brother kicked them and checked their pulses. They were all dead.
In the cognition of most primitive people, the deepest part of the cave was usually the safest, but this time, it turned out to be the most dangerous.
Apart from the adults, some infants died in the chaos, not being carried out by their mothers.
After a brief inspection, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others felt ufortable, so they dragged out the recent prey of the Bone Tribe.
The Bone Tribe members, now somewhat recovered, watched in horror, fearing they would all be killed.
The Eldest Senior Brother counted the captives. This time, they had captured thirty-one adults, fourteen males and seventeen females. These mainly were strong individuals, as the elderly and weak had mostly died inside the cave.
There were nine juveniles capable of walking and eight infants being carried.
There were forty-eight captives in total, almost approaching the total poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe before Han Cheng''s arrival.
Chapter 301: Slavery System?
Chapter 301: very System?
With so many people, transportation was indeed troublesome.
However, Eldest Senior Brother didn''t show a worried expression because Han Cheng had already instructed him to transport the captives.
Thick wooden sticks were brought over, and the ropes on the feet of the captured Bone Tribe members were untied. Before they could feel any joy, they were tied up again, not with their feet side by side, but with four people tied to one stick.
This way, these people could walk but couldn''t run away quickly.
Han Cheng instructed them to tie one leg, but Eldest Senior Brother, feeling uneasy, tied both of their legs.
The underage ones who could walk didn''t need sticks; their hands were tied with ropes, and they were made to walk in a row.
The expected big battle turned into an effortless victory. The thirty people from the Green Sparrow Tribe suffered the most minor injuries, with the second brother hurting his foot when carrying firewood and scraping his hand.
It could be said that it was an unexpectedly big victory, but many people''s emotions were not too high.
Most of these people had entered the caves of the Bone Tribe and seen the grim situation inside.However, the Third Senior Brother didn''t care much. In his view, these people attacked their tribe and deserved their current fate. ording to him, it would be better if they were all killed.
Therefore, when he followed Eldest Senior Brother''s orders to carry firewood and burn the caves, he felt nothing in his heart.
Watching the caves burning from the entrance, the captured Bone Tribe members all expressed despair and cried.
In this crying, they were scolded by the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe and slowly left the ce they relied on for survival, heading towards the direction of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The bonfire rose, and the aroma of food wafted in the night.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were eating the game caught by the Bone Tribe with great gusto today.
The Bone Tribe members, who were frightened and fearful, stole nces. Even though terrified, they couldn''t resist the temptation of food.
After everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe finished eating, the Eldest Senior Brother allowed the captives to eat.
Each person received only a tiny amount of food, not enough to satisfy their hunger but not enough to starve them.
This was to prevent them from having enough strength to escape.
The children, however, could eat their fill.
As the night grew darker, the Eldest Senior Brother did not go to sleep. He and a few others kept watch.
One person was responsible for watching four Bone Tribe members tied together in a row, so there was no need to worry about any of them escaping.
The flickering fire made Eldest Senior Brother''s face flicker, showing a hint of worry.
Indeed, he was worried, not just because he had seen the grim situation in the Bone Tribe''s caves.
Such a situation would make him ufortable, but it wouldn''tst this long. He understood that if his tribe had been attacked by these peoplest time, the oue wouldn''t have been good.
His more significant concern was for these captured Bone Tribe members.
Before they arrived, the Divine Child had gathered him and the Shaman and decided how to deal with the captives of the Bone Tribe.
It was decided to gradually absorb and integrate these Bone Tribe people into their Green Sparrow Tribe, just like with the Pig Tribe.
He and the Shaman agreed with this decision, as there was a precedent with the Pig Tribe that showed the enormous benefits of doing so.
Initially, this was a happy matter, but at this moment, Eldest Senior Brother was extremely worried because there were too many people captured.
Thirty-one strong men. That''s a formidable force.
There are currently only fifty-four adults in their Green Sparrow Tribe. The Bone Tribe people are different from the Pig Tribe they dealt with before. With the Pig Tribe, there was a debt of gratitude, but with the Bone Tribe, there was hostility. It can be said that they destroyed the Bone Tribe.
In such a situation, it''s challenging to integrate these Bone Tribe people into their tribe seamlessly. If mishandled, this could bring great disaster to their tribe.
As the tribe developed day by day and their exposure to new things increased, Eldest Senior Brother''s considerations gradually became more profound. He asked the Divine Child to see if the Divine Child had any good ideas. If not, they might have to kill all the adult men from the Bone Tribe.
After much contemtion, Eldest Senior Brother handed his spear to Shang, who took over the watch and slept.
Inside the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng also couldn''t sleep, constantly thinking about what the Eldest Senior Brother and the others might encounter. People are strange creatures; once they care about someone, consciously or unconsciously, they''ll think of the worst-case scenarios. Therefore, he also appeared worried.
After thinking for a while to distract himself, Han Cheng began contemting the attitude toward the captives, something he had already pondered countless times.
Initially, the idea was to turn the captured people into ves and develop a ve system. However, upon careful consideration, he felt it was inappropriate. It wasn''t because he thought very was too cruel, but rather because the Green Sparrow Tribe was not yet at the stage where a ve system could be developed. If they forcefully established a ve system at this time, the disadvantages would outweigh the benefits for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The main reason for this was the poption. The Green Sparrow Tribe''s poption was too small. Including the recent newborn babies and the little girl, Milk Tea Sister, who was sleeping beside him, they only had a hundred and thirteen people.
The master and the ve are naturally opposing sses, and with the Green Sparrow Tribe''s current poption, venturing into a ve system was extremely unstable. Even if there were no significant changes, it would severely affect the development of the Green Sparrow Tribe in the future.
Currently, the most suitable path for the Green Sparrow Tribe is to absorb and integrate the poptions of other tribes, assimting them entirely into the Green Sparrow Tribe to increase their strength. After achieving a certain poption level that belonged to the Green Sparrow Tribe, they could then begin to develop a ve system based on this foundation. The rtions between production and productive forces and the superstructure and economic base are two fundamental contradictions that cannot be vited.
"Pfft."
In the darkness, a slight sound interrupted Han Cheng¡¯s thought. Even though he couldn''t see, Han Cheng knew what was happening. He sighed helplessly, gently removing Milk Tea Sister''s legs from where they were draped over him and covering the skin she had inadvertently exposed.
This little girl, Milk Tea Sister, didn''t sleep well at night. Often, Han Cheng woke up to find her clinging tightly to him like an octopus, perhaps due to ack of security.
Gently kissing her cheek, Han Cheng collected his thoughts and stopped dwelling on these matters.
With so many people, transportation was indeed troublesome.
However, Eldest Senior Brother didn''t show a worried expression because Han Cheng had already instructed him to transport the captives.
Thick wooden sticks were brought over, and the ropes on the feet of the captured Bone Tribe members were untied. Before they could feel any joy, they were tied up again, not with their feet side by side, but with four people tied to one stick.
This way, these people could walk but couldn''t run away quickly.
Han Cheng instructed them to tie one leg, but Eldest Senior Brother, feeling uneasy, tied both of their legs.
The underage ones who could walk didn''t need sticks; their hands were tied with ropes, and they were made to walk in a row.
The expected big battle turned into an effortless victory. The thirty people from the Green Sparrow Tribe suffered the most minor injuries, with the second brother hurting his foot when carrying firewood and scraping his hand.
It could be said that it was an unexpectedly big victory, but many people''s emotions were not too high.
Most of these people had entered the caves of the Bone Tribe and seen the grim situation inside.
However, the Third Senior Brother didn''t care much. In his view, these people attacked their tribe and deserved their current fate. ording to him, it would be better if they were all killed.
Therefore, when he followed Eldest Senior Brother''s orders to carry firewood and burn the caves, he felt nothing in his heart.
Watching the caves burning from the entrance, the captured Bone Tribe members all expressed despair and cried.
In this crying, they were scolded by the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe and slowly left the ce they relied on for survival, heading towards the direction of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The bonfire rose, and the aroma of food wafted in the night.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were eating the game caught by the Bone Tribe with great gusto today.
The Bone Tribe members, who were frightened and fearful, stole nces. Even though terrified, they couldn''t resist the temptation of food.
After everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe finished eating, the Eldest Senior Brother allowed the captives to eat.
Each person received only a tiny amount of food, not enough to satisfy their hunger but not enough to starve them.
This was to prevent them from having enough strength to escape.
The children, however, could eat their fill.
As the night grew darker, the Eldest Senior Brother did not go to sleep. He and a few others kept watch.
One person was responsible for watching four Bone Tribe members tied together in a row, so there was no need to worry about any of them escaping.
The flickering fire made Eldest Senior Brother''s face flicker, showing a hint of worry.
Indeed, he was worried, not just because he had seen the grim situation in the Bone Tribe''s caves.
Such a situation would make him ufortable, but it wouldn''tst this long. He understood that if his tribe had been attacked by these peoplest time, the oue wouldn''t have been good.
His more significant concern was for these captured Bone Tribe members.
Before they arrived, the Divine Child had gathered him and the Shaman and decided how to deal with the captives of the Bone Tribe.
It was decided to gradually absorb and integrate these Bone Tribe people into their Green Sparrow Tribe, just like with the Pig Tribe.
He and the Shaman agreed with this decision, as there was a precedent with the Pig Tribe that showed the enormous benefits of doing so.
Initially, this was a happy matter, but at this moment, Eldest Senior Brother was extremely worried because there were too many people captured.
Thirty-one strong men. That''s a formidable force.
There are currently only fifty-four adults in their Green Sparrow Tribe. The Bone Tribe people are different from the Pig Tribe they dealt with before. With the Pig Tribe, there was a debt of gratitude, but with the Bone Tribe, there was hostility. It can be said that they destroyed the Bone Tribe.
In such a situation, it''s challenging to integrate these Bone Tribe people into their tribe seamlessly. If mishandled, this could bring great disaster to their tribe.
As the tribe developed day by day and their exposure to new things increased, Eldest Senior Brother''s considerations gradually became more profound. He asked the Divine Child to see if the Divine Child had any good ideas. If not, they might have to kill all the adult men from the Bone Tribe.
After much contemtion, Eldest Senior Brother handed his spear to Shang, who took over the watch and slept.
Inside the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng also couldn''t sleep, constantly thinking about what the Eldest Senior Brother and the others might encounter. People are strange creatures; once they care about someone, consciously or unconsciously, they''ll think of the worst-case scenarios. Therefore, he also appeared worried.
After thinking for a while to distract himself, Han Cheng began contemting the attitude toward the captives, something he had already pondered countless times.
Initially, the idea was to turn the captured people into ves and develop a ve system. However, upon careful consideration, he felt it was inappropriate. It wasn''t because he thought very was too cruel, but rather because the Green Sparrow Tribe was not yet at the stage where a ve system could be developed. If they forcefully established a ve system at this time, the disadvantages would outweigh the benefits for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The main reason for this was the poption. The Green Sparrow Tribe''s poption was too small. Including the recent newborn babies and the little girl, Milk Tea Sister, who was sleeping beside him, they only had a hundred and thirteen people.
The master and the ve are naturally opposing sses, and with the Green Sparrow Tribe''s current poption, venturing into a ve system was extremely unstable. Even if there were no significant changes, it would severely affect the development of the Green Sparrow Tribe in the future.
Currently, the most suitable path for the Green Sparrow Tribe is to absorb and integrate the poptions of other tribes, assimting them entirely into the Green Sparrow Tribe to increase their strength. After achieving a certain poption level that belonged to the Green Sparrow Tribe, they could then begin to develop a ve system based on this foundation. The rtions between production and productive forces and the superstructure and economic base are two fundamental contradictions that cannot be vited.
"Pfft."
In the darkness, a slight sound interrupted Han Cheng¡¯s thought. Even though he couldn''t see, Han Cheng knew what was happening. He sighed helplessly, gently removing Milk Tea Sister''s legs from where they were draped over him and covering the skin she had inadvertently exposed.
This little girl, Milk Tea Sister, didn''t sleep well at night. Often, Han Cheng woke up to find her clinging tightly to him like an octopus, perhaps due to ack of security.
Gently kissing her cheek, Han Cheng collected his thoughts and stopped dwelling on these matters.
Chapter 302: What is underwear?
Chapter 302: What is underwear?
The bright sunlight spilled down, and the fragrance of rapeseed flowers wafted in the air with the gentle breeze outside the courtyard.
Han Cheng squatted near the window, observing the bamboo he had nted.
Several small bamboo shoots originally exposed outside had lost their leaves, leaving only bare branches. However, two small bamboo shoots had sprouted from the soil, growing half a foot tall.
These two shoots probably wouldn''t survive either, as the buried bamboo whips below didn''t provide them with much nutrition.
It seemed that realizing his dream of listening to the rustling of bamboo leaves at night wouldn''t be easy.
After observing for a while, he gathered some stones and tiles and enlisted Hei Wa''s help to start building something not far from his residence.
Han Cheng was building a doghouse.
The Fu Jiang family had to move out of the house.
Fu Jiang was a hygiene-conscious Husky, but he couldn''t control his unruly sons, and as the weather warmed up, the room began to smell.Just as deer had deer pens and chickens had chicken coops, dogs naturally needed doghouses.
For the Green Sparrow tribe, who could build houses, constructing a doghouse was a piece of cake.
Digging soil, mixing mud, and moving stones and thatch were easy tasks.
Before noon, a doghouse with a roof appeared.
They removed the bedding from the house and ced it inside the newly built doghouse. Then, they caught the puppies running around the yard and stuffed them inside. It was time for Fu Jiang and his family to move to their new home.
Fu Jiang didn''t protect the puppies as much as before as the puppies grew. Besides Han Cheng, others could also hold and y with the puppies in their arms.
The puppies and even Fu Jiang weren''t very satisfied with this new home. Fu Jiang even wanted to carry the animal hide cushion and return home.
Han Cheng, assuming the role of the master, blocked the doghouse''s entrance, not allowing Fu Jiang toe out. Faced with such an evil master, Fu Jiang could only stay inside, looking at Han Cheng helplessly.
" Brother Cheng, Brother Cheng!"
A girl''s voice rang out, followed by a figure with two braids running over.
The girl''s face was fairer than anyone else''s in the Green Sparrow tribe, and as she ran, the two braids on her head swayed back and forth.
Just from how she addressed him, Han Cheng knew who it was.
Milk Tea Girl was the girl he had identified as his little wife. Naturally, her way of addressing him had to be different from others.
Hearing her call him "Divine Child," just like everyone else, made Han Cheng somewhat ufortable.
When he was young and watched "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," where Huang Rong kept calling Guo Jing "Brother Jing," he felt quite pleased when he imagined himself as the male lead Guo Jing.
Thinking of this, he began teaching the girl to address him simrly.
Milk Tea Girl was very conscientious as a young daughter-inw, so she naturally followed whatever Han Cheng taught her to do.
Just hearing the little girl call him "Brother Cheng," Han Cheng felt a tingling sensation in his heart.
The only downside was that after Milk Tea Girl started calling him that way, the peculiar Star, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li followed suit.
Seeing burly men wearing animal skins, with two braids tied on their heads, calling him "Brother Cheng" one after another, the scene made Han Cheng break out in a cold sweat.
After much exnation and strenuous efforts, promising to make two telephone cups, these primitive girls who shed tears of grievance finally stopped calling Han Cheng "Brother Cheng" and nodded to indicate their agreement.
Milk Tea Girl had gone to check on the silkworms after breakfast.
Although Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li were not particrly fond of silkworms, Milk Tea Girl was quite interested in them. She loved watching the silkworms eat mulberry leaves, often spending a good portion of the day observing them. Sometimes, her mouth moved like she wanted to eat mulberry leaves alongside the silkworms.
Her favorite activity was cing the silkworms in the palm of her hand. As soon as the silkworms started crawling, she burst intoughter.
In haste, Milk Tea Girl ran over as if something had happened.
Han Cheng was attentive to his little wife, smiling as he watched her approach.
"Brother Cheng, the silkworms aren''t eating mulberry leaves and are shaking their heads."
Milk Tea Girl''s face was a bit red from running, and she grabbed Han Cheng''s hand anxiously, exining while trying to run towards the silkworms, looking like she was about to cry.
When silkworms stop eating, it means they''re about to molt.
Having only recently arrived at the tribe, the little girl hadn''t seen silkworms molt before.
Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li, who had been raising silkworms for some time, knew about this. However, because they weren''t very interested in silkworms, Milk Tea Girl took charge of raising them alone.
Han Cheng rubbed her head with a smile and reassured her, telling her not to worry before following her to the silkworm area.
Initially, the silkworms were barely visible, but they had grown many timesrger.
Comparing them, Han Cheng estimated that these silkworms were about one-third the size of modern silkworms.
Usually, they loved mulberry leaves, but now they seemed indifferent to this delicious food, just swaying their heads like snakes.
The front half of the silkworms was semi-transparent, unlike the rest of their bodies.
Having raised silkworms when he was young, Han Cheng knew what was going on with these silkworms.
He reached out and flicked Milk Tea Girl''s braids, smiling at her continued concern. "Don''t worry, the silkworms are fine. They''re about to spin silk."
Spinning silk and such, Milk Tea Girl didn''t understand, but she could understand what Han Cheng said about everything being okay.
Over these days, she had seen many of Brother Cheng''s skills. Not only could he cure his illness, but many other things made Milk Tea Girl admire him.
If Brother Cheng said everything was fine, then it was fine.
She rxed.
After watching the dazed silkworms, she asked, "Brother Cheng, what are they spitting silk for?"
After recovering from her cold and fever, her voice was no longer hoarse. It couldn''t be described as silver bells, but it sounded much better than before.
"They spit silk to make cocoons, then weave good cloth, and with that cloth, they make underwear for the little wife."
A particr Divine Child said shamelessly without changing his expression.
"What''s underwear?" Milk Tea Girl stared with big, round eyes at Han Cheng''s ignorant question.
"That''s what I wear."
"Oh."
Milk Tea Girl thought with her head tilted to the side, still not understanding what kind of underwear Brother Cheng wanted to make for her.
After thinking for a while, she nodded in confusion, her braids swaying back and forth.
Chapter 303: Return
Chapter 303: Return
Han Cheng couldn''t help but secretly rejoice at the sight of Milk Tea Girl''s appearance.
With the lofty ideal of making little undergarments for his wife, Han Cheng found some thatch and rope and erected a silkworm mountain.
After it was done, he ced the silkworm mountain in the pottery basin to raise silkworms.
After a while, the silkworms began to climb onto the silkworm mountain.
After climbing onto the silkworm mountain, they used thest pair of legs at the back of their bodies to hold onto the stem of the thatch and began to shake their heads.
They couldn''t stop shaking their heads as if they were taking ecstasy.
In the afternoon, some silkworms couldn''t hold it anymore, and silk began toe out of their mouths.
Watching the silkworms cocoon themselves round and round with silk from their mouths, Han Cheng intuitively understood the idiom "making a cocoon for oneself."
By evening, all the silkworms had begun to spin silk.When they woke up the next morning and looked, the silkworm mountain was covered with cocoons of various sizes.
For this change, Milk Tea Girl and others like Xing, Xiaomei, and Xiaoli were very surprised and delighted.
In this emotional state, Milk Tea Girl began to worry again that the silkworms inside would feel suffocated.
Han Cheng exined the life cycle of silkworms to them.
While speaking, Han Cheng asionally nced at the gate, hoping the Eldest Senior Brother and the others would return.
The anxiety in his heart was inevitable, fearing that they might encounter some ident.
Between the Green Sparrow Tribe and the Bone Tribe, seventy to eighty people were slowly walking toward the Green Sparrow Tribe.
These were the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe, including the captives from the Bone Tribe.
Because each of the four people had their left and right legs bound together with two sticks, they didn''t walk very quickly.
But even so, the Eldest Senior Brother refused to untie the sticks on their feet.
Compared to the anxiousness when they were first captured, the people from the Bone Tribe seemed much calmer now, with a numbness in their calmness.
"Need to relieve myself."
As they walked, someone from the Bone Tribe called out.
Said in Mandarin, which was taught to them by the Eldest Senior Brother''s group.
Initially, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others didn''t understand why this matter was called "relieving oneself," but now they understood it too well.
After the person from the Bone Tribe called out like this, two Green Sparrow Tribe members holding weapons came over and stopped the group.
They untied the rope from the person who requested to relieve themselves and allowed them to do so.
While relieving themselves, two people with spears closely watched them.
After this person was relieved, his legs were tied again, and the stopped group resumed their journey.
Today was already the sixth day, and the Eldest Senior Brother and the others hadn''t returned yet, which made the people who stayed behind very anxious because, ording to the previous estimation, they should have returned yesterday.
Han Cheng was also unsure, praying silently that nothing terrible would happen.
"They''re back, they''re back!"
Standing on the wall, Liang spotted something, rubbed his eyes, looked again, and shouted with excitement.
The entire Green Sparrow Tribe instantly erupted with joy, including the two Bone Tribe women who had been captured before and had mostly recovered from their injuries.
Han Cheng quickly climbed up the wall, stood on his toes, and saw a long line of peopleing from the direction of the small river. Leading them was the Eldest Senior Brother carrying a rattan shield.
Seeing this, the big stone in Han Cheng''s heart finally fell, but then he felt a sinking feeling.
In war, casualties were inevitable because there were too many unexpected factors on the battlefield. Even though the Green Sparrow Tribe had advantages in all aspects, it wouldn''t be surprising if a few casualties urred.
"It''s best if nobody dies, but if there are deaths, there should be as few as possible."
Elder Senior Brother, Shang, Second Elder Brother, Zhuang, Tu Bagu, Sand Junior Brother.
Han Cheng stood on the wall, watching the arriving people from afar, silently reciting their names in his heart.
One, two, thirty-two.
Han Cheng skipped the captured people and silently counted the returning ones in his heart.
Twenty-nine, howe one is missing?
Han Cheng''s heart couldn''t help but skip a beat.
Suppressing the negative thoughts, he hurriedly counted again, but the result became twenty-eight.
Han Cheng''s heart sank, and he counted for the third time, reaching thirty-one.
Han Cheng shook his head wryly. It seemed he wasn''t very good at arithmetic, even getting confused when counting people.
He counted for the fourth time.
As he counted back and forth, the elder senior brother and the others gradually arrived at the tribe.
When they got closer, everything added up, and after confirming that all thirty people who had gone out had returned without any missing, Han Cheng jumped up with joy.
Only then did he have the time to deal with the numerous Bone Tribe captives.
Forty-eight.
Wow, this is a big harvest!
After counting the number of captives, Han Cheng was also surprised.
This was nine more than thergest number he had anticipated.
With joy in his heart, Han Cheng climbed down from the wall and went to the gate, inspecting each of the thirty people who had returned one by one. After finding nothing major other than fatigue, he finally rxed and began to inquire about the course of the battle.
Elder Senior Brother was very excited about the results of the battle and happily recounted them to Han Cheng. The others added a few words from the side, and the people who stayed behind in the tribe couldn''t help but marvel at what they heard.
Han Cheng hadn''t expected that the methods he had taught Elder Senior Brother would be so effective, and heughed along with them.
While they were happy, the Bone Tribe captives who had been brought back were filled with fear and anxiety, not knowing what awaited them.
As they thought about these things, many Bone Tribe people couldn''t help but look to the east, knowing that there were many people who had been burned after the failed attack on their tribe.
Maybe the people from their tribe who died a few days ago were also burned there.
"Let''s go in."
After confirming that everything was stable, Han Cheng told Elder Senior Brother and the others, who were covered in dirt and looked extremely uneasy.
Elder Senior Brother and the others led these people and began to walk towards the open gates of the tribe.
The Bone Tribe leader, with many wounds on his body, looked up at the tall walls and the open gates, his face showing a nearly tearful expression.
He had finally entered the tribe he wanted to enter, but unfortunately, it was far from what he had imagined.
As these anxious people were led into the Green Sparrow Tribe, the gate was closed behind them. Han Cheng ordered people to prepare ingredients.
Today, they would have a hearty feast to wee back Elder Senior Brother and the others and celebrate their victory.
The people who received the order went off cheerfully, and the returning warriors from the Elder Senior Brother''s group were also very happy.
They always had great enthusiasm for eating.
Han Cheng also ordered people to feed water to the Bone Tribe captives who were tied up there.
"Shenzi."
After things stabilized somewhat, Elder Senior Brother found the shaman and came to Han Cheng to express his concerns.
Seeing the number of Bone Tribe captives returning, the shaman also felt the same concerns rise within him.
Chapter 304: All sins are attributed to the leader of the Bone Tribe
Chapter 304: All sins are attributed to the leader of the Bone Tribe
Han Cheng, along with the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, entered the house and nodded involuntarily after listening to the Eldest Senior Brother''s words.
The Eldest Senior Brother''s concern was not without reason; the Green Sparrow Tribe could not withstand such a disaster.
Han Cheng was also reluctant to follow the Eldest Senior Brother''s suggestion to kill the fourteen adult males of the Bone Tribe. After all, these fourteen adult males were valuableborers.
Han Cheng had previously considered how to integrate the captured members of the Bone Tribe. Now, facing a new situation, he needed to devise new strategies.
After a period of discussion, the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother asionally asked about things they did not understand during the discussion and offered some advice.
It was not until they were almost ready to prepare the meal that they settled these matters. The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother breathed a sigh of relief, and their heavy hearts suddenly felt lighter.
Although the sun had not yet setpletely, the Green Sparrow Tribe had already started their meal. Han Cheng personally cooked a dish and shared it with everyone.
The fragrant aroma and the abundant and tempting food made the Bone Tribe members, who had not eaten well along the way, salivate. They wished they could rush over and eat to their heart''s content.
However, they could only think about it. After all, they were captives. Moreover, they had attacked this tribe before.Many of them felt strange that this tribe had not killed them yet.
Putting themselves in the tribe''s shoes, if someone attacked their tribe and were captured, they would kill them without hesitation.
While the adults were craving the food, the children were even more eager. Although the Eldest Senior Brother''s group did not withhold food from the children along the way, the hastily cooked meals on the road couldn''tpare to the food now.
With fear and envy in their eyes, the Bone Tribe children watched from afar as the tribe''s members enjoyed their meal, swallowing saliva one after another.
Such temptation was unbearable, not only for the children but also for the leader of the Bone Tribe.
His face mostly recovered from the swelling, and he suddenly widened his eyes, showing a startled expression.
How could this be?
Following his gaze, one could see two women squatting at the periphery of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Both had the trendyrge braids that the Green Sparrow Tribe was currently poprizing, and they appeared clean.
This utterly different hairstyle and image made the leader of the Bone Tribe only recognize them now.
These two were the members of the tribe who had attacked the Green Sparrow Tribe together with him before. They had been injured and couldn''t escape at the time.
"They should be dead. How are they still alive, and why are they dressed like members of this tribe?" The leader of the Bone Tribe felt his mind in turmoil.
Under his gaze, the petite Divine Child of the tribe walked out carrying a bowl and approached the two women who belonged to their tribe, saying something to them. asionally, he looked towards their group and gestured.
The two women, originally belonging to their tribe, vigorously nodded in response to the Divine Child''s words.
After giving instructions, Han Cheng returned to his seat with his bowl and continued eating, observing the performance of the two women.
For ordinary primitive people, the current Green Sparrow Tribe was immensely attractive; otherwise, the Bone Tribe wouldn''t have had the idea to attack them.
After living in the Green Sparrow Tribe for nearly twenty days since being captured, these two injured primitive women had developed a deep attachment to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Qing Hua, as Han Cheng named one of the women, was especially devoted to the Green Sparrow Tribe. Here, they ate their fill every day and enjoyed delicious meals every time.
Moreover, this tribe was not as strict as their original tribe.
Qing Hua identally dropped a pottery basin ten days ago, smashing it to pieces. This primitive woman, still frightened, was terrified at the time, thinking she would receive severe beatings even if she didn''t die. After all, it was a valuable pottery.
The beatings she received after breaking their tribe''s big jar were still fresh in her memory.
During this waiting period, she was not killed, nor did anyonee to beat her. Only that seemingly prestigious elder came over and scolded her with iprehensible words before leaving. On the other hand, the children were delighted and quickly cleared away the fragments, then ran off to make wind chimes.
Qing Hua stood there, stunned for a while, before graduallying to her senses and daring to believe that all this was real.
Since then, Qing Hua has wholly devoted herself to this tribe.
At Han Cheng''s arrangement, Tie Tou and Ru Hua, the couple, helped Qing Hua and Qing Cao, the two women, carry several jars of cooked soup and utensils and headed towards the bound Bone Tribe members.
"Divine Child, what is this?"
The third Senior Brother spoke up, expressing his dissatisfaction, feeling that those who had previously attacked their tribe should not be treated so well.
He was not alone in thinking this way, but most people remained silent.
Han Cheng had anticipated this situation long ago. Integrating the Bone Tribe would be much moreplex than the Pig Tribe, not only considering the Bone Tribe''s reaction but also the emotions of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s members.
Putting down the empty bowl, Han Cheng addressed the crowd, looking at him. "The attack on our tribe was the idea of the Bone Tribe leader. Without his leadership, the others wouldn''t have joined in. We can strengthen our tribe by incorporating them."
Whether the Bone Tribe leader had the idea to attack their tribe, the me would be ced squarely on his shoulders.
To integrate the Bone Tribe into their tribe, the Bone Tribe leader must be eliminated. He was the backbone of the Bone Tribe, unlike Shang, whose nature was utterly different. Leaving him in the tribe was like having a bomb waiting to explode at any moment. Therefore, Han Cheng attributed all the guilt to the Bone Tribe leader.
Guiding the people to hate the Bone Tribe leader and redirecting their hatred towards him rather than the ordinary people of the Bone Tribe would minimize resistance from the Green Sparrow Tribe people during the integration process.
Han Cheng''s words had a pronounced effect. Because of the Third Senior Brother and others'' inability to contain their anger, they set down their utensils. They headed towards where the Bone Tribe members were being held, intending to attack the leader.
Seeing this, Han Cheng was pleased and hurriedly instructed them not to kill the Bone Tribe leader. He still had other important tasks toplete.
Chapter 305: He is not out Leader
Chapter 305: He is not out Leader
With the help of Tie Tou and Zhuang, Qing Hua and Qing Cao approached with food.
The tantalizing aroma wafted over, and the hungry members of the Bone Tribe eagerly watched the food, knowing it was meant for them.
After cing the food down, ording to Han Cheng''s previous instructions, Tie Tou and Ruhua left, leaving only Qing Hua and Qing Cao, the original members of the Bone Tribe, in charge of distributing the food here.
This was Han Cheng''s way of dividing the Bone Tribe while testing Qing Hua and Qing Cao.
Out of sight of the Bone Tribe members and Qing Hua and Qing Cao, the Eldest Senior Brother, along with a few others, was watching her intently.
They held bows and arrows in their hands.
Following Han Cheng''s orders, Qing Hua and Qing Cao first served soup to the children.
The children, with mouths open like hungry fledglings, couldn''t wait.
"$$^$&%@#$"The Bone Tribe leader turned and saw Tie Tou and Ruhua leaving. The rest of the Green Sparrow Tribe people were eating there, utterly oblivious to this side, making him extremely happy.
He thought the people of this tribe were foolish to arrange things like this.
Thinking this, he spoke to Qing Hua and Qing Cao, who were feeding food to the underage people with their backs to him.
Upon hearing this voice, Qing Hua and Qing Cao''s bodies couldn''t help but tremble.
The other Bone Tribe members who heard the leader speaking also turned their attention to Qing Hua and Qing Cao.
Their eyes showed curiosity, surprise, and disbelief.
Because of the bath and the change of hairstyle and clothes, the Bone Tribe people did not recognize that the two responsible for feeding them were actually from their tribe.
At this moment, hearing the leader speak, they carefully observed Qing Hua and Qing Cao, finally seeing shadows of the past from the stark differences.
They were both happy and perplexed.
"^$%^$^"
The Bone Tribe leader struck a leader''s pose and called out to Qing Hua and Qing Cao again.
"&^&&^&(&%%&65"
When Qing Hua and Qing Cao looked back with some unease, the Bone Tribe leader continued speaking.
He told Qing Hua and Qing Cao to stop feeding the children and feed him first.
As he said this, the Bone Tribe leader felt very angry.
These two damned women had even forgotten the rule that the leader should eat first.
As for these two women, who had adopted the tribe''s dress and appearance, he didn''t have time to deal with that for now. He felt he should fill his stomach first.
However, something even more infuriating happened. After he spoke, these two women who usually obeyed him did note to feed him as he ordered but stood there motionless.
This made the hungry and thirsty Bone Tribe leader even more furious.
He red, his eyebrows furrowed, his scarred face looking fierce and terrifying.
In his lowered voice, extreme anger red at Qing Hua and Qing Cao.
These two women, who had been dealt with obediently in the tribe, now dared not to obey his orders as the leader, making him so angry that he wanted to kill someone.
After hearing the leader''smand, Qing Hua and Qing Cao became visibly frightened.
Qing Cao couldn''t help but take a few steps forward, but seeing Qing Hua standing still, hesitated for a moment and then stepped back.
Qing Hua suppressed her fear, looked away from the Bone Tribe leader, said something to Qing Cao, and then turned to continue feeding the children.
Qing Cao nced at the leader, whose angry face was contorted, then quickly looked away. After hesitating, she followed Qing Hua''s lead, turning to continue feeding the underage members.
Seeing Qing Cao step forward, the Bone Tribe leader''s anger diminished slightly. However, what happened next left him first dumbfounded, then highly furious.
"&&^^&("
He shouted angrily, demanding that Qing Hua and Qing Cao be killed.
Although Qing Hua and Qing Cao were frightened, they ultimately did not turn to acknowledge him. They continued to feed the children without interruption.
Meanwhile, Han Cheng recounted the crimesmitted by the Bone Tribe leader to Shang, the Third Senior Brother, and the others while keeping an eye on the situation. Seeing that Qing Hua and Qing Cao did not disappoint him, he silently nodded in approval.
When he felt it was almost enough, he ended his speech. Third Senior Brother and the others, inmed with anger, headed towards where the Bone Tribe members were, their expressions grim.
The Bone Tribe leader immediately fell silent, not daring to speak.
The rest of the Bone Tribe members were terrified, unsure of what the people from this tribe wanted to do to them.
"Smack! Smack!"
When Shang arrived, without saying a word, he delivered several heavy ps to the Bone Tribe leader.
The other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe also joined in the physical altercation against this evil leader who sought to invade their tribe. If it weren''t for Han Cheng''s instructions beforehand, the Bone Tribe leader would have been beaten to death.
The Bone Tribe leader wailed as he was beaten. At first, he tried to remain tough, but eventually, he couldn''t help but beg for mercy.
Qing Hua and Qing Cao, feeding the children, sneaked a nce when they heard themotion. They immediately rxed and fed the children cheerfully with their spoons.
The members of the Bone Tribe trembled in fear at seeing their leader being beaten, afraid that they would be next.
After a while, when they realized that only the leader was being beaten and not them, they felt a little more relieved.
After thoroughly beating the Bone Tribe leader, Shang, the Third Senior Brother, and the others left feeling relieved.
Qing Hua and Qing Cao finished feeding the children and began serving food to the adult members of the Bone Tribe. Instead of feeding the half-dead leader first, they fed others.
Compared to children, adults had a stronger sense of etiquette and protocol.
The adult members of the Bone Tribe, fed by Qing Hua and Qing Cao, nced toward the leader, who was swollen and bruised. They shook their heads and refused to eat, indicating that the leader should eat first.
To facilitate the following dialogue, the author, fluent in various tribalnguages, processed and tranted their words ording to their meanings.
Qing Hua also shook her head. "He''s not our leader."
Her voice was not low; many Bone Tribe members heard it, staring at her in extreme surprise.
The swollen leader, with his cheek, puffed up, red fiercely at her with his barely-open eyes.
Qing Hua''s heart raced, especially when the leader looked at her, filling her with even more fear.
"The leader only leads the tribe to a better life, not a disaster. Without him, we wouldn''t have lost so many people, and our tribe wouldn''t have been caught. He''s not the leader."
Qing Hua summoned her courage.
Chapter 306: Join our Tribe? Beat up your Chief first
Chapter 306: Join our Tribe? Beat up your Chief first
Qing Hua''s words were like a bolt from the blue for the Bone Tribe members.
Their eyes widened, filled with astonishment as they looked at her.
How could she speak against the leader like this?
After the shock, some realized that what Qing Hua said made sense.
If it weren''t for the leader, they wouldn''t have thought of attacking this tribe. In that case, there wouldn''t have been casualties, their caves wouldn''t have been burnt by fire, and they wouldn''t have been captured and faced with uncertain fates.
Maybe this person really shouldn''t be the leader.
As they thought about it, many remembered how the leader had blocked the cave entrance to suffocate them with smoke. It seemed like he wanted to kill them all in the cave.
With these thoughts, their gazes toward the Bone Tribe leader turned somewhat hostile and hesitant.
"I''m going to kill you all!"The Bone Tribe leader, hungry, thirsty, and half-dead from the beating, heard Qing Hua''s words and saw everyone looking at him. He couldn''t help but angrily curse and threaten the crowd.
Seeing this, the people felt even more convinced by Qing Hua''s words.
"Why are you still alive?"
"Will they kill us?"
Someone remembered the crucial question and hurriedly asked Qing Hua and Qing Cao.
The rest of the people perked up their ears, eagerly awaiting their response.
"This tribe is very good, excellent. They won''t randomly kill people, and we shouldn''t have attacked them."
When Qing Hua heard someone from her tribe ask about this, her spirits lifted, and she immediately exined.
Some of these words were what Han Cheng had told her, but most were her heartfelt words. Nearly twenty days of living here had made her fond of this prosperous, powerful, tolerant, and kind tribe.
Here, she experienced many things she had never experienced before, not just abundant food but also an atmosphere that was indescribable yet palpable. Anyway, she just unconsciously wanted to live here and found it veryfortable.
"We attacked their tribe, but they didn''t kill us. Why?"
Hearing Qing Hua praise this tribe so much, some people doubted it.
After a while, someone asked the core question.
"The leader led us to do this. If it weren''t for him, we wouldn''t have attacked. They only killed the leader and enemies who are not part of their family."
Qing Hua answered the crowd''s doubts again.
The Bone Tribe leader became frantic.
Kill the leader?
He whimpered and cursed at Qing Hua and the others.
Qing Hua, who had initially been extremely afraid of him and the other members of the Bone Tribe, didn''t feel so afraid anymore when faced with the enraged leader.
"What does it mean to be a family?"
Someone urgently asked.
No one paid attention to the angry leader''s roars. At this point, they were more concerned about their own lives.
"It means that once you join the Green Sparrow Tribe, you be family. Not only will you not die, but you can also live a life just like theirs."
The Bone Tribe leader roared furiously. He now fully understood that this tribe wanted to assimte their tribe''s people.
He angrily cursed, wanting to silence the two women who had utterly betrayed him, not wanting the others to hear their words.
However, none of this mattered. The people who usually followed his everymand and respected him immensely now wholly ignored him.
They paid no attention to his raging curses, instead bombarding Qing Hua and Qing Cao with questions about life in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
When they heard that one could eat three meals a day here and could eat to their heart''s content, the Bone Tribe members couldn''t help but exim in surprise.
Ordinary tribe members didn''t have a particrly strong sense of belonging to the tribepared to the tribe leader, making integration much easier.
Of course, tribes with shamans were another matter entirely.
Tribes like the Green Sparrow Tribe, which had both shaman and Divine child, instilled ordinary people with an even stronger sense of belonging.
Han Cheng and the shaman watched the situation from afar, deeply impressed by thepetence of Qing Hua, this original member of the Bone Tribe.
Especially the shaman, who felt that rescuing Qing Hua back then was an extremely wise decision.
Having Qing Hua and Qing Cao, two original members of the Bone Tribe, handle surrendering had surprisingly good results.
As dusk fell, several bright bonfires were lit in the courtyard of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
A Bone Tribe member, bound hand and foot, shouted out.
So, Green Sparrow Tribe members carrying spears approached and untied the ropes on his hands and feet.
The man stumbled a few steps, adjusting to the feeling of not having sticks on his feet, before walking over to the Bone Tribe leader.
The Bone Tribe leader was currently tied to a wooden stake nted in the ground, ring fiercely at the person approaching him.
Faced with the leader''s fierce gaze, the Bone Tribe member couldn''t help but take a step back. Realizing what he was doing, he stepped forward sharply and pped the Bone Tribe leader hard, harder than an average person would.
The already battered Bone Tribe leader let out a throaty yell from the force of the p.
The person who pped the Bone Tribe leader then walked casually to another bonfire.
Quite a few people were already gathered here, all of them having made up their minds to join the Green Sparrow Tribe, the original members of the Bone Tribe.
In the darkness of the night, the sound of a single cry of pain echoed. Out of the forty-eight Bone Tribe members brought back as captives, aside from the Bone Tribe leader tied to a tree stump unable to move, the other forty-seven had all joined the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Even the infants who couldn''t walk were held by their mothers and tapped on the Bone Tribe leader''s body to demonstrate their determination to join the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Seeing those who had abandoned him with joy on their faces, the Bone Tribe leader felt highly ufortable, harboring a sense of resentment, bitterness, and fear.
"Thud, thud, thud."
After a while, the Bone Tribe leader suddenly tilted his head back forcefully, repeatedly hitting the tree trunk behind him.
His idea was to save his own life first, then figure out other thingster.
The reason he was using his head to hit the tree stump behind him was that he saw people in the tribe being released after hitting him, so he wanted to hit himself, too.
But his hands and feet were bound, so he could only resort to hitting the tree stump.
This was a disy of recognizing the inevitable and wanting to end his life by his hand.
It''s surprising to find such loyal individuals, even among primitive people.
Watching the Bone Tribe leader''s actions, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel a sense of emotion.
He instructed his Eldest Senior Brother to go and stop the Bone Tribe leader.
Of course, it wasn''t out of any newfound affection for seeing his disy of loyalty that Han Cheng wanted to release him, but rather to prevent him from killing himself.
This guy still had some use.
Eldest Senior Brother bounded him tighter and came over to inform Han Cheng about the Bone Tribe leader''s plea for mercy.
Having figured out what was happening, Han Cheng was at a loss for a moment, then sighed helplessly.
He realized that his inner struggle was indeed too much.
For Han Cheng, who came from the future, killing was still a difficult hurdle to ovee.
But many times, it''s like this: not everything will go as you wish, and sometimes, you have to grit your teeth and do what needs to be done.
Regardless of which angle you look at it from, the Bone Tribe leader had to die, and sometimes, you have to harden your heart.
Chapter 307: Joining Ceremony
Chapter 307: Joining Ceremony
Under the campfire''s glow, tworge pots of freshly brewed meat soup appeared in front of the Bone Tribe people.
Qing Hua and Qing Cao, the two original Bone Tribe women, picked up bowls filled with delicious meat soup and handed them individually to the Bone Tribe people, who looked somewhat dazed.
Previously serious Green Sparrow Tribe members became kinder, eagerly teaching them how to use chopsticks.
It turned out that everything she said was true. After joining this tribe, they could indulge in such delicious food.
As the Bone Tribe people ate, their bellies filled with delicious soup, their inner unease and anxiety dissipated with each sip.
For primitive tribes, there''s nothing a hearty meat soup can''t solve. And if it doesn''t, they''ll just have more.
Han Cheng also fed the Bone Tribe leader, bound in ce. Unlike before, when he was given only a small amount of food to keep him alive, this time, he was fed until he was full.
Now that many things were settled, his meal wasn''t a priority.
After taking care of these matters, it was time to sleep.After more than a hundred Green Sparrow Tribe people settled in, the twelve rooms lined up side by side couldn''t amodate the remaining forty-seven Bone Tribe members.
Han Cheng arranged for two rooms to be cleared for the women carrying infants and the underage members.
The cave, which had not housed anyone for a long time, was cleared out. Thick hay was spread on the ground, covered with tanned animal skins, providing a soft surface to sleep on.
Of course, the cave wasn''t meant for the elderly members of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Although Han Cheng had intended to integrate the Bone Tribe members, he wouldn''t let the elderly members suffer.
Thirteen of the Bone Tribe''s men and a few remaining women were amodated in the cave.
This arrangement was partly due to practical constraints and Han Cheng''s considerations.
Although primitive people tended to have simple minds and straightforward thoughts, precautions were still necessary.
cing them in the cave for amodation made it easier to monitor them. Even if they had any malicious intentions, the distance from the women and children of the Green Sparrow Tribe would minimize the potential harm.
There''s no such thing as gaining without losing in this world. To achieve something, you have to give up something in return.
To ensure the tribe''s growth, corresponding risks must be borne.
Han Cheng was just a time traveler, a false divine child. He couldn''t control risks but minimize them as much as possible.
The Bone Tribe people were delighted with this arrangement.
The childreny on the beds, which they had never slept on before, rolling aroundfortably.
Compared to adults, their worries were always few.
The Bone Tribe women whoy on the beds with their infants were also filled with curiosity. It was their first time sleeping in such a stable and soft ce.
Those in the cave, with their bellies full and their hands resting on the soft hay and animal skins, felt like they were dreaming.
Not long ago, they were worried sick about whether they would survive. Now, they were free from worrying about their lives and could sleep soundly on soft animal skins without fear of wild beasts visiting the tribe.
Sleeping in caves that are morefortable than their original dwellings, these people are reminded of the stories told to them by Qing Cao and Qing Hua. They are unable to resist longing and eagerly anticipate tomorrow''s arrival.
Some even wonder why they weren''t the ones injured and captured during thest attack on this tribe. If that were the case, they could have enjoyed life here longer.
Lost in such reminiscence, they gradually drift into slumber.
However, Eldest Senior Brother, the shaman, and Han Cheng remain awake. They are excited about the sudden increase in the tribe''s poption, but they also worry that these people from the Bone Tribe might cause trouble.
Tonight, the Green Sparrow Tribe is responsible for standing guard, with the original three now increased to six.
In the past, standing guards were only required to watch outside the courtyard. Now, equal attention must be paid to the inside as well.
Even more precautions are taken within the courtyard.
Han Cheng wakes up twice in a cold sweat at night, peering out the window and listening carefully for any outside noise. Only after confirming that there is no disturbance does his pounding heart gradually calm.
In the darkness, Han Cheng chuckles self-deprecatingly, turning over to embrace the soundly sleeping Milk Tea Girl, with one leg and one arm draped over her, resembling a person holding arge doll.
The following day, after breakfast, while the people of the Bone Tribe are still immersed in the delicious food, the Green Sparrow Tribe, under the arrangement of Han Cheng, the shaman and Eldest Senior Brother, has already begun bustling about.
This is not for constructing new houses but for preparing the ceremony to wee the Bone Tribe into the Green Sparrow Tribe.
This ceremony is essential, as it provides a sense of formality and deepens the people''s sense of belonging.
In this era, the role that ceremonies can y is significant.
Holding the ceremony to wee the Bone Tribe into the Green Sparrow Tribe will have a powerful effect on better integrating them.
This ceremony will be even more grand than when the Pig Tribe joined.
In the puzzled eyes of the Bone Tribe, a small jar with both ends covered with hides is brought out, followed by a sudden booming sound.
Many of the Bone Tribe members, puzzled by how the jars could contain thunder, tremble with shock and fear.
They managed to trap thunder in the jars!
In the astonished hearts of the Bone Tribe members, a totem pole that their tribe had never had before is lifted. Apanied by the shaman, who wears a feather crown and holds a bone wand, dancing as he walks, they are carried into the cave.
Guided by the Green Sparrow Tribe, these Bone Tribe members, who appear curious and bewildered, follow the others into the cave.
The raging mes burn in the cave, illuminating the totem pole, Han Cheng in front of it, the shaman with the feather crown and bone wand, the drum that can produce thunder-like sounds, and the solemn and dignified faces of the people.
Experiencing this ceremony for the first time, the Bone Tribe members are also infected by this atmosphere.
One by one, they unconsciously stand up straight, close their mouths, and solemnly gaze at the flickering mes, witnessing everything that is happening, something they have never seen before.
"Sky God."
"Divine Son."
Drenched in sweat from his dance, the shaman stops and ces the bone wand against his chest, respectfully calling out to the totem pole and Han Cheng, who stands beside it.
After the call, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others follow the shaman''s example, paying their respects to the totem pole and Han Cheng, chanting "Sky God" and "Divine Son" in their mouths.
The Bone Tribe members have been deliberately instructed to call out these two terms despite their unfamiliarity with them.
In the past, the ceremony would have ended at this point, but today, it is different.
Chapter 308: We are one family after you drink our Green Sparrow Water
Chapter 308: We are one family after you drink our Green Sparrow Water
At Han Cheng''s signal, the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang went out, apanied by the Third Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother.
It didn''t take long for them to return with something.
Eldest Senior Brother and Shang led the way, carrying the most mysterious and eye-catching item covered with arge animal hide, concealing its true contents.
Everyone spected in their minds what could be hidden under the hide.
Being treated with solemnity in this situation indicated that it was no ordinary object.
Eldest Senior Brother and Shang carefully ced the ratherrge object they were carrying onto the stone tform in front of the totem pole, then stepped back to their original positions.
The second and third senior brothers also arrived, carrying two pottery jars and tworge pottery bowls.
After cing these items down, they also returned to their original positions.
Under everyone''s gaze, Han Cheng approached the stone tform with an extremely solemn expression. With both hands grasping the edge of the fur, he slowly lifted it.All the people in the cave focused on this moment, eager to know whaty beneath the hide.
As the hide waspletely lifted, the object underneath appeared before everyone.
What is this?
Everyone widened their eyes in astonishment.
Han Cheng looked at the abstract object before him and felt a bit perplexed. However, he maintained a solemn expression.
It was a pottery figurine, a bird made of pottery.
With a head, two wings, and two ws, it had all the features of a bird, but whenbined, it looked somewhat unrecognizable as a bird.
This object was Hei Wa''s handiwork under Han Cheng''s instructions.
Four y prototypes were made, one of which broke before being fired. The remaining three were fired into two pieces, and this one was the best-looking among them.
Han Cheng did not exin the purpose of this abstract bird to the crowd. Instead, he proceeded directly.
In such a solemn atmosphere, further exnation would have disrupted the mood.
He nced at the Divine Child, who had already received the message. The Divine Child bent down and took out a bowl from one of therge pottery bowls, using his hands to ce the bowl under the outstretched w of the pottery bird.
Han Cheng then picked up a long-handled pottery spoon from one of the pottery jars brought by the Third Senior Brother and scooped out some colored water.
He poured it into the mouth of the abstract pottery bird, which was slightly tilted upwards.
Soon, water flowed out from its w, forming a thin stream that fell into the bowl held by the Divine Child.
Initially, Han Cheng had intended for the water to flow out from the bird''s rear, which would have been more in line with the bird''s actual situation. However, heter felt it was inappropriate and changed it to this location.
Everyone appeared quite intrigued watching this pottery bird that could both drink and spit water.
The Divine Child ced the bowl filled with water to the side and picked up another bowl to continue collecting water. Han Cheng continued to scoop water into it.
Under everyone''s gaze, more bowls filled with colored water were ced on the ground, forming arge array.
After filling all the bowls with water, Han Cheng sighed imperceptibly and shook his slightly sore arms.
Being short in stature, continuously scooping water into the rtively tall pottery bird was not easy.
Afterpleting these tasks, Han Cheng instructed everyone toe forward individually, each carrying a bowl of water like this.
When everyone had a bowl in their hands, Han Cheng, who also held a bowl, spoke up.
"This is Green Sparrow Water," he dered. "After drinking Green Sparrow Water, you are considered members of the Green Sparrow Tribe. No one is allowed to rebel. Any act of betrayal will not only incur punishment from the gods but also result in expulsion from the tribe, wandering forever in the wilderness, never to return."
As Han Cheng spoke, his gaze slowly swept across everyone in the cave.
To integrate the Bone Tribe, it was necessary to attract them with food and shelter and instill fear and discipline.
With grace and severity, one could better prevent rebellion and actions harmful to the tribe.
The people of the Bone Tribe had no idea what Han Cheng was saying. Holding their bowls, they were influenced by the solemn atmosphere and wore expressions of confusion.
Han Cheng naturally understood this but paid no mind to it. Those who didn''t understand now would have it exined to them after the ceremony, helping them grasp its significance.
"Drink," hemanded, leading by example and raising the bowl filled with colored water to his lips, then gulping it down.
Understanding his words, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe also began to drink.
Although the people of the Bone Tribe didn''tprehend what the Divine Child was saying, they imitated the action of drinking from the bowls. Even those holding infants symbolically offered them a sip.
The taste of Green Sparrow Water wasn''t pleasant, and it was different from the water they were ustomed to drinking.
However, there were no objections from the crowd; different tastes were normal, and it wouldn''t be appropriate for the Green Sparrow Water, symbolizing the tribe, to taste the same as ordinary water.
Milk Tea Girl held her empty bowl, pursing her lips. The taste of Green Sparrow Water felt familiar to her, reminiscent of the medicinal water Cheng Ge had given her when she was ill. However, it was slightly different; the color of the Green Sparrow Water wasn''t as deep as that of the medicinal water, and its taste wasn''t as strong.
This was water boiled from Chai Hu roots.
In such a situation, alcohol would have been preferable, but the tribe had none. Han Cheng came up with the idea of using Chai Hu roots to differentiate Green Sparrow Water from regr water.
A small amount of Chai Hu roots boiled to make water would not harm anyone.
After drinking Green Sparrow Water, the ceremony for the Bone Tribe to integrate into the Green Sparrow Tribe was finallyplete.
The elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe also drank Green Sparrow Water, a ritual devised by Han Cheng that previous generations had not experienced. To reinforce the concept that those who drank Green Sparrow Water were members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng had everyone drink it.
In the future, when others join, those who have already drunk Green Sparrow Water will not need to do so again.
Of course, only the water flowing from the toes of the pottery Green Sparrow during this ceremony counted. Any other water did not have the same significance.
After the ceremony concluded and everything was cleared away, the original members of the Bone Tribe, who had never experienced anything like this before, felt profoundly shaken.
Today''s experiences once again left them deeply impacted.
After someone came to exin the significance of Green Sparrow Water and the words spoken by the Divine Child, those who had previously not understood felt more connected to the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Even the elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe felt this way.
As for the Bone Tribe leader bound in the courtyard, his face was ashen.
Chapter 309: The Happy Ping Zi
Chapter 309: The Happy Ping Zi
The sun rose, casting its radiant light upon the earth.
Though the morning air felt chill, Ping Zi was shirtless, with sweat glistening on his face and body.
He exerted some force with his hands, digging the bone shovel into the earth and bringing up clumps of soil.
Gripping the bone shovel handle, he tilted it slightly to the side and deposited the clumps onto the ground.
The Divine Child had said that doing so would prevent the grass above from being smothered.
After living here for a few days, Ping Zi had formed a positive impression of the new tribe, especially of the childlike Divine Child, whom he deeply respected.
He had heard that everything the tribe possessed now was thanks to the Divine Child''s leadership.
Ping Zi had never done digging and turning soil before, but he learned quickly and soon grew to enjoy it.
While Ping Zi was strong, he wasn''t skilled in hunting¡ªhis spear-throwing uracy and speed couldn''t match the women''s. Consequently, his status in the tribe was low, and his meals were not satisfying.However, in the new tribe, everything changed. People here didn''t hunt much; instead, they engaged in many unfamiliar tasks: weaving with tree branches, carrying stones, and digging.
Ping Zi quickly grew fond of digging. It didn''t require him to roam and call out in the wilderness; instead, he could eat three meals a day just by digging with the bone shovel. He found this lifestyle very satisfying, almost unbelievable at first.
"Time to eat! Time to eat!"
Someone shouted from atop the high walls.
When he heard the call, Ping Zi''s face immediately lit up with a smile. After a few days here, he understood what it meant.
This was his favorite time of day.
Grabbing his bone shovel, Ping Zi hurried with the others digging to return to the tribe, eager to devour the delicious food.
The food was as delicious as ever, but using the sticks called chopsticks was still awkward.
However, the Divine Child insisted they use them, so Ping Zi dared not disobey.
After the meal, they gathered together, and a boy named Shi Tou, about the same age as the Divine Child, came to teach them some words. He also used a tree branch to write something in the sand.
They said this was thenguage and writing of the gods, something all members of the Green Sparrow Tribe had to learn.
Ping Zi felt ufortable at moments like these, finding this seemingly effortless activity strangely distressing. In his view, it was far less enjoyable than wielding the bone shovel to dig.
He wasn''t alone in feeling this way; many others shared his sentiments. Interestingly, the younger ones seemed much more at ease.
After enduring the long ordeal, the boy called Shi Tou finally announced the end of the lesson.
Ping Zi, who had been feeling ufortable, suddenly felt relieved. He picked up his bone shovel and dashed happily toward the edge of the tribe.
As he ran, he nced sideways at the spot near the wall where the former leader was bound.
At first, Ping Zi had entertained thoughts of secretly rescuing the leader. But he had abandoned such ideas since drinking Green Sparrow Water and learning its significance.
Not only that, but he also felt that punishing the former leader was justified.
This tribe was kind, tolerant, and generous, yet their leader had led them to attack. It was unjustifiable.
Moreover, this was now his tribe. The former leader had attacked his tribe, so Ping Zi naturally harbored no goodwill towards him.
As Han Cheng, Shaman, and Eldest Senior Brother watched the original members of the Bone Tribe bathe, change their hairstyles, and work alongside the elderly members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, they couldn''t help but smile at each other.
Over these few days, the former leader of the Bone Tribe had been bound there without anyone to guard him. It wouldn''t have taken much effort to release him, yet none of the Bone Tribe members had done so.
They grew to hate the former leader even more as time passed, feeling that he should never have attacked the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After confirming that the integration was initially effective and that the new members of the Bone Tribe were unlikely to rebel or harm the Green Sparrow Tribe, ording to Han Cheng''s instructions, Eldest Senior Brother led Shang and a few others out of the tribe, heading towards a distant destination.
Apanying them were the two strongest individuals from the Bone Tribe.
Officially, they were being sent with the Eldest Senior Brother to carry out a task, a sign of recognition. Han Cheng was concerned that these two might cause trouble once Eldest Senior Brother and the others left. Having the Eldest Senior Brother take them away was easier, sparing him from worry.
There was no need to worry about them causing trouble outside; at this time, people had to stick together to survive. One or two people couldn''t live long in the wilderness alone.
This was also why Han Cheng mentioned exile for those who rebelled when drinking the Green Sparrow Water.
Being exiled from the tribe at this time was essentially a death sentence, much more severe than exile after the establishment of a country.
For primitive people, such punishment was very effective in deterrence.
The integration of the Bone Tribe would be a long process. After the initial intense measures, Shi Tou was responsible for what remained.
When these people learned to speak themonnguage, they could write some Chinese characters, dress like the elderly members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, adopt simr lifestyle habits, and eventually no longer show any differences. They would truly have integrated into the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The rapeseed flowers had fallen, and they would mature in a while.
This year''s rapeseed crop was muchrger thanst year''s, so Han Cheng instructed people to clean and prepare the wheat fields early.
This had to be done every year.
The wheat field was on the west side of the courtyard and had been expanded considerably, with the gate moved aside. This facilitated people''sing and going, and in a while, Han Cheng nned to build another twelve rooms, so the wheat field had to be located where it wouldn''t be in the way.
Previously nted mulberry and fruit trees mainly survived, and many fruit trees even blossomed.
However, these blossoms were unlikely to bear fruit because they had just been transnted, and the roots below had not yet fully grown,cking sufficient nutrients to support the fruit.
More than half of the nursery near the rapeseed field had suffered casualties, with only about half of the branches sprouting tender shoots. Nevertheless, this was enough to make Han Cheng happy.
When nting the branches before, Bugs Bunny had nted a lot, at least two thousand. Even if half of them died, they would still obtain many saplings.
After two or three years, they could be transnted.
By then, the Green Sparrow Tribe would have a helpful forest.
nting trees takes ten years, but cultivating people takes a hundred. This was indeed something that required careful nning ahead of time.
Chapter 310: Leizu
Chapter 310: Leizu
"Brother Cheng."
With her hair braided intomb horns, the Milk Tea Girl was leaning over, carefully examining the y basin before her.
When she saw Han Cheng approaching, she lifted her face happily and called out.
After a period of good food and drink, the Milk Tea Girl had put on some weightpared to before and no longer looked emaciated.
Her face also appeared much brighter than before.
Han Cheng squatted down, fiddling with her braids, then squatted there to carefully examine the y basin.
In the basin were some fresh mulberry leaves with small ck dots crawling on them; these were young silkworms that had recently hatched.
From the cocoons previously spun, Han Cheng hadpared and selected a few that were slightlyrger, leaving the rest to be opened and the silkworm pupae removed.
After cleaning them, he fried them in some fat in a y pot, which tasted quite good.After the Milk Tea Girl had eaten, she became even more enthusiastic about raising silkworms.
Han Cheng smiled. This was possible now because they weren''t yet relying on these cocoons to produce silk for weaving. When the weaving technique improved, they couldn''t do this anymore.
Because of therge cocoon openings, they couldn''t extract intact silk threads.
This was also why after the silkworms spun their cocoons, they had to be put in water to boil before they hatched into moths.
These young silkworms were hatched from eggs specially left behind by Han Cheng after the cocoons were spun and the moths mated.
In legends, silkworms were bred by Leizu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor, and passed down to the people, giving rise to the long and storied name of Leizu.
If their tribe could continue to pass down and develop, would the Milk Tea Girl with braided hair appear in ancient legends like Leizu and be a simr figure?
Observing the Milk Tea Girl ce some mulberry leaves into the bowl, Han Cheng thought about these things.
Han Cheng shook his head with a smile, pushing this thought out of his mind.
This matter was too remote. It was better to imagine the plump Milk Tea Girl wearing clothes made of silk, gradually undressing as she walked towards him, revealing the silk garment underneath, than to think about these things...
"Brother Cheng, why are you smiling? Are you drooling again?"
The Milk Tea Girl''s puzzled voice interrupted Han Cheng''s reverie, returning him to reality.
Han Cheng quickly pretended nothing had happened and wiped away the drool.
Looking at the Milk Tea Girl''s fish-like figure, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sneeze.
There was still a long way to go to live a happy life!
"I''m thinking about when my little wife at home will grow up."
Han Cheng said shamelessly.
"Very soon, she''ll grow up...," the Milk Tea Girl said earnestly, raising her small face.
She should grow up rtively quickly, and she is eating and sleeping well now.
Han Cheng looked at the Milk Tea Girl''s figure, not much different from his own, and sneezed again.
It had been three days since Eldest Senior Brother and the others went out, and judging by the itinerary, they should be back soon.
Han Cheng, withdrawing his gaze from the future wife, began to consider serious matters.
What Eldest Senior Brother was doing now could be considered the follow-up to the attack and assimtion of the Bone Tribe.
In the evening, the Eldest Senior Brother returned with his men and reported to Han Cheng on the results of their outing.
As expected by Han Cheng, the people of the Green Tribe agreed to depart for the Green Sparrow Tribe in ten days.
To prevent the people of the Green Tribe from misunderstanding the timing, Han Cheng gave Eldest Senior Brother a y tablet about the size of a palm engraved with ten squares.
He instructed Eldest Senior Brother to tell the leader of the Green Tribe that they should mark off one square each day after Eldest Senior Brother and his men left.
When all the squares were marked, they could depart.
After a night''s rest, the next day, Eldest Senior Brother set off again with his men, this time towards the Sheep Tribe, carrying food and weapons.
When Eldest Senior Brother left, Han Cheng gave him a y tablet, but this time, it only had five squares.
After Eldest Senior Brother left, the rest of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s people began to work on various tasks under Han Cheng''s orders.
Outside the gate, arge area ofnd was cleared.
Thanks to the blessing of the great wind two years ago, the Green Sparrow Tribe had gained a lot of opennd around it without mature trees.
Because most of the trees had been uprooted, the Green Sparrow Tribe was able to cultivate thend meticulously.
It would have been challenging if they had tried to cultivate thend where the tree roots were densely packed.
They cleared thend and built a tform with earth and stones near the north side of the open space, close to the Green Sparrow Tribe''s wall.
Although it was called a tform, it was only about a meter and a half high.
While arranging manpower for this task, Han Cheng also increased the efforts to catch fish and hunt wild animals.
Many fish traps and rabbit snares were set out, bringing in a lot of fish and small game.
The original members of the Bone Tribe, who saw these things for the first time, were all amazed and couldn''t close their mouths.
They had never imagined that catching fish and small game could be so simple and easy.
Wasn''t this hunting?
It was clearly like picking things up for free!
The elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who were ustomed to these things, found them ordinary, but in their eyes, each day passed in surprise.
For the reactions of these neers to the tribe, the elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe responded with kindly smiles.
Because they all remembered their reactions when they first saw these things, which were not much better than the neers.
As for the grand arrangements made by the Divine Child, the ordinary people in the tribe didn''t know what to make of it.
The original members of the Bone Tribe, who had just participated in the ceremony to join the Green Sparrow Tribe not long ago, thought that the Divine Child would hold arger-scale ceremony simr to the previous one.
The elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t quite agree with the spections of these people.
They were more inclined to think it was a celebration.
After all,st year, before the celebration, the Divine Child, just like now, had them prepare food to entertain the guests who came to the celebration.
Otherwise, why would the leader and his people keep visiting the surrounding tribes these past few days?
Apart from notifying the surrounding tribes toe to the celebration, they couldn''t think of anything else.
As for the fact that the celebration was held only once every two years, it was not impossible to change.
They also figured out the purpose of the Divine Child building this tform.
It must be for those strong men to... do something on the tform.
Thinking about anticipating being in the spotlight then, many people felt itchy inside...
Han Cheng didn''t know what these people were thinking. If he did, he would indeed spit out blood ten feet away...
Trantor¡¯s notes: Leizu is a legendary figure in Chinese history who was known for discovering silk and inventing the silk loom. She is considered the goddess of silk in Chinese mythology.
Chapter 311: Inviting the Tribes
Chapter 311: Inviting the Tribes
When the others were specting about what to do, the Eldest Senior Brother, apanied by others, approached the Sheep Tribe.
It was daytime, and most of the adult members of the Sheep Tribe were out hunting with the tribe''s leader. Only some elderly, weak women and children remained in the tribe.
Around the tribe, some members of the Sheep Tribe were searching and digging for edible wild vegetables.
The two semi-grown children herding sheep caught the Eldest Senior Brother''s attention the most.
Two sheep were tethered by vines around their necks, being led by the hands of the two children. They were quietly grazing, showing no signs of wildness, indicating they had been tethered for a long time.
The Eldest Senior Brother was surprised that the Sheep Tribe also raised sheep.
No wonder they could produce so many sheep and sheepskins.
He thought this way but then felt something was wrong because he only found these two sheep after looking for a while.
Could it be that they started raising sheep after discovering what their tribe raised?He spected in his mind.
The Eldest Senior Brother and his group did not hide their tracks on their way here, so the Sheep Tribe members who stayed behind soon noticed their presence.
The peaceful and tranquil atmosphere was instantly shattered.
The people of the Sheep Tribe shouted in panic and ran into the cave.
Seeing the cave almostpletely blocked, with only half of a woman''s body poking out from inside, anxiously looking around at them, Tie Tou suddenly had the idea of capturing the Sheep Tribe as well.
It was clear that not only him but most of those who came with him had the same idea.
He mentioned this idea to the Eldest Senior Brother but was rejected.
On the one hand, fundamentally speaking, he opposed such opportunistic behavior. Their Green Sparrow Tribe was not that kind of evil tribe.
After all, the Sheep Tribe differed from the Bone Tribe, and the Sheep Tribe did not attack them.
On the other hand, the Green Sparrow Tribe temporarily didn''t need any more outsiders.
The many people they had just obtained from the Bone Tribe would be enough for them to digest for a long time.
The Divine Child said this, and the Eldest Senior Brother noted it down.
The Eldest Senior Brother did not go to the Sheep Tribe''s cave again but stopped here with his men and began to rest.
Seeing that the Eldest Senior Brother and his group stopped here without continuing towards the cave, the people of the Sheep Tribe felt somewhat relieved.
After all, they had done something wrong by following the leader.
In the afternoon, the leader of the Sheep Tribe returned from hunting with his people.
Originally in a good mood, he was almost scared out of his wits when he saw the Eldest Senior Brother and the others standing not far from the tribe. He almost dropped his prey and turned to run.
The events of the previous period had left a deep impression on him and the other members of the Sheep Tribe.
Seeing the sudden arrival of the Eldest Senior Brother, the leader of the Sheep Tribe thought it was over, and their attempt to take the Divine Child from the Green Sparrow Tribe had been discovered. Now that he knew the situation, he would bring people over to attack them.
Only after seeing the smile on the Eldest Senior Brother''s face and realizing they had only brought a few people did his heart gradually calm down.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe wanted to hug the Eldest Senior Brother and pat each other''s shoulders, but the Eldest Senior Brother shook his hand instead.
The Eldest Senior Brother''s smile was natural and sincere, but the leader of the Sheep Tribe''s smile was somewhat forced.
Even though he learned from the Eldest Senior Brother''s subsequent words that a handshake was warmer and more expressive of goodwill than a hug and patting shoulders, his smile still seemed somewhat forced.
After all, he had something to hide in his heart.
The Eldest Senior Brother exined the purpose of their visit to the leader of the Sheep Tribe and invited him to visit the Green Sparrow Tribe five dayster.
He expected the Sheep Tribe leader to be as straightforward as the leader of the Green Sparrow Tribe, but to his surprise, after some thought, the Sheep Tribe leader politely declined. The reason was that their tribe didn''t have much food, and if they went to the Green Sparrow Tribe would dy their food gathering and leave many people hungry.
Upon hearing the Sheep Tribe leader''s response, the Eldest Senior Brother smiled. He thought it was a big deal but just about food.
He immediately assured them that when they visited, the Green Sparrow Tribe would provide food, and when they returned, they would receive a substantial amount of food, ensuring they wouldn''t go hungry.
With this assurance, the Sheep Tribe leader found it difficult to refuse.
By now, he was confident that the people of this tribe were unaware of what he had done before. However, he still hesitated.
When the Eldest Senior Brother mentioned that the Green Sparrow Tribe, the Donkey Tribe, and the Bone Tribe would also be going simultaneously, the Sheep Tribe leader finally agreed.
In this process, the Eldest Senior Brother used some tricks taught by the Divine Child. For example, he told the Sheep Tribe leader that the Green Sparrow Tribe would also participate, even though he hadn''t gone to the Donkey Tribe yet...
When asked what it was about, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t exin, only saying they would know when the time came.
After handing over a pottery board with five slots to the leader of the Bone Tribe and informing him how to use it, the Eldest Senior Brother didn''t linger and left with his group.
He had to hurry to inform the Donkey Tribe.
Instead of going directly from the Sheep Tribe to the Donkey Tribe, they returned to the Green Sparrow Tribe first and then went to the Donkey Tribe.
They needed to replenish their food supplies, and on the other hand, he only knew the way from the Green Sparrow Tribe to the Donkey Tribe...
Watching the departing Eldest Senior Brother and hispanions, all the people of the Sheep Tribe who knew what had happened before couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
But soon after, they became puzzled again.
Because they didn''t know why this tribe suddenly summoned them.
Four dayster, the Eldest Senior Brother and hispanions departed the tribe and arrived at the Donkey Tribe.
After continuous traveling, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others showed signs of exhaustion.
When they arrived, most of the adult members of the Donkey Tribe were also not in the tribe, and the reaction of the remaining members of the Donkey Tribe was simr to that of the Sheep Tribe.
However, the people of the Donkey Tribe didn''t make the Eldest Senior Brother and hispanions wait long. Before long, they returned from outside.
But one thing puzzled the Eldest Senior Brother: the people who returned from the Donkey Tribe not only brought back game, fruits, and wild vegetables but also carried many animal skins.
Howe they were still carrying so many animal skins? Did they eat all the meat they hunted outside and only bring back the skins?
But they couldn''t have eaten so much game, could they?
The Eldest Senior Brother and most of the others who came with him had this doubt.
The Eldest Senior Brother asked the leader of the Donkey Tribe about this matter, but as expected, the Donkey Tribe leader refused to say.
The Eldest Senior Brother didn''t press further, just as he wouldn''t tell others about how his tribe had so many pottery vessels and food.
He informed the leader of the Donkey Tribe of their intentions, and unexpectedly, the Donkey Tribe leader readily agreed without asking any questions.
Chapter 312: Reseller
Chapter 312: Reseller
In the mountains and forests, a group of people is walking.
The members of the Green Sparrow Tribe carry weapons like vine shields, spears, and bows and arrows, while the members of the Donkey Tribe also have some weapons, but more of them are carrying numerous pelts.
These pelts will be traded with the Green Sparrow Tribe for pottery, salted fish, and other goods.
As the Eldest Senior Brother walks, he scratches his head in puzzlement. He can''t understand where the Donkey Tribe got so many pelts.
Since the beginning of spring, they''ve exchanged goods at least four times, yet they can still produce so many pelts.
The Donkey Tribe doesn''t seem particrly formidable either. During a previous festival, Eldest Senior Brother and the Donkey Tribe''s leader had set their sights on a woman from the Green Tribe. Eldest Senior Brother easily defeated the Donkey Tribe''s leader.
With such limitedbat strength, how could they have hunted so much game and acquired many pelts?
Seeing Eldest Senior Brother''s puzzled expression, the Donkey Tribe''s leader couldn''t help but feel secretly pleased.
It used to be their tribe that surprised yours, but now it''s our turn to surprise you.The Donkey Tribe''s leader felt triumphant, recalling the event that changed their tribe''s fate.
It happened earlier this year when the snow and ice hadn''tpletely melted.
A group of people who hade out to hunt because their food stores were running low nearly froze to death in the cold weather.
The Donkey Tribe''s people found them, recognizing them as members of a neighboring tribe.
Although the Donkey Tribe''s leader wasn''t exceptionally skilled in hunting, he had a kind heart.
He brought those people back to their tribe and gave them hot water in pottery jars and some fruit.
After drinking the warm soup, those who almost froze to death regained their strength. Realizing the benefits of pottery jars, they requested them from the Donkey Tribe.
The Donkey Tribe only had two pottery jars, obtained through scrimping and saving by trading with the Green Sparrow Tribe, so the leader cherished them like precious eggs and refused to give them away.
Seeing how neighboring tribes coveted the pottery jars after experiencing their benefits, the Donkey Tribe wanted one, too, no matter what.
Amidst the ongoing dispute, the Donkey Tribe''s leader suddenly had an idea.
He knew of another tribe nearby whose hunting skills surpassed theirs, and they must have umted plenty of pelts. The two pottery jars were obtained by trading pelts with the Green Sparrow Tribe, so if there were enough pelts, he could trade with the wealthy tribe for more pottery jars.
Since that was the case, why couldn''t he let them trade pelts with him?
This sudden sh of insight opened a new door for the Donkey Tribe''s leader, leading them onto the path of prosperity.
At first, the Donkey Tribe''s leader only traded with this tribe, focusing on exchanging for pottery. Later, he also introduced salt, an unparalleled delicacy.
You can''t shear a sheep that''s not yours.
Once they had squeezed almost all the pelts out of that tribe, the Donkey Tribe''s leader, who had already tasted sess, naturally refused to return to their former way of life.
After much contemtion, another idea came to mind.
Apart from this tribe, they could also trade with other tribes!
So the Donkey Tribe''s leader brought pottery, salt, and food, and the tribe members set off toward nearby tribes.
Following the same method Han Cheng had used initially when they arrived at other tribes, they cooked food in pottery jars with added salt, offering it to nearby tribes that had never seen pottery or salt before.
The method proved remarkably effective, and those tribes readily epted the pottery and salt...
Of course, they didn''t visit the Sheep Tribe, which was closer to theirs...
Many times, events are abination of chance and inevitability.
For example, the sudden emergence of the Donkey Tribe as a secondary trader.
While the Donkey Tribe basked in their newfound glory, the Eldest Senior Brother and hispanions continued to approach the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Also nearing were the Sheep Tribe and the Green Tribe, both havingpleted their tally marks on y tablets.
...
In front of the courtyard gate of the Green Sparrow Tribe, a clear space had beenpletely cleared, and a tform of about four square meters had been built and could amodate people.
In the eyes of the elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe, this wasn''t just a tform; it was a heated bed!
As a result, spection about the uing festival and the selection of outstanding individuals for certain activities became even more widespread.
The first to arrive were the Donkey Tribe, along with the Eldest Senior Brother and hispanions who had returned with them.
Upon seeing the arrangement in front of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s gate, the leader of the Donkey Tribe seemed somewhat bewildered, clearly not understanding why this prosperous neighboring tribe was engaging in such useless activities.
However, this thoughtsted only a short time before disappearing.
Compared to these thoughts, he was more concerned about the uing exchange.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe, solely focused on trade, failed to notice the significant differences in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Little did he expect the people of the Donkey Tribe would be pretty clever and start acting as secondary traders.
No wonder they suddenly became more prosperous after the New Year. No wonder they treated salt like rice. It turns out it all stemmed from here.
Upon hearing Eldest Senior Brother''s ount of what he had seen and heard in the Donkey Tribe, Han Cheng lightly pped his forehead.
How could he forget about this?
This matter might have been difficult for the Eldest Senior Brother to figure out. Still, for Han Cheng, who came from the future and experienced the era of economic supremacy, it wasn''t difficult to guess.
He told Eldest Senior Brother and Shaman about the Donkey Tribe''s actions as secondary traders.
After pondering for a while, both of them showed realization.
After the realization, Eldest Senior Brother suddenly became somewhat displeased.
Not only him, but Shaman also felt the same way.
"Divine Child, don''t give them salt and pottery..."
Eldest Senior Brother voiced his thoughts.
When Han Cheng inquired about the reason, Eldest Senior Brother mentioned how the Donkey Tribe was profiting from their belongings...
Shaman''s opinion was simr, feeling that the Donkey Tribe''s actions were disadvantageous to them.
After understanding their thoughts, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile. It wasn''t surprising that Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother had such thoughts.
After all, the benefits gained by the Donkey Tribe were apparent.
However, they only saw the benefits gained by the Donkey Tribe and overlooked the gains their tribe made in this trade.
The neighboring tribes directly engaged in trade with the Green Sparrow Tribe were not significant in scale and had low levels of development, making it difficult for them to have much surplus.
After several trades, they were squeezed dry by the Green Sparrow Tribe.
If the Green Sparrow Tribe wanted to continue gaining things through trade, they needed to develop new tribes.
Traveling between tribes was time-consuming andborious, and there was also the risk of danger.
Moreover, they couldn''t afford to be short of manpower.
The Green Sparrow Tribe still had many things to do, so they couldn''t spare manpower to do this task. In that case, why not let the people of the Donkey Tribe continue to act as secondary traders?
This was a beneficial thing for them.
As for the profits gained by the Donkey Tribe, it was inevitable. If there were no profits to be made, the Donkey Tribe wouldn''t engage in such activities.
Chapter 313: The Three Shocked Tribe Chiefs
Chapter 313: The Three Shocked Tribe Chiefs
Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother did not understand the logic behind this, but Han Cheng understood it very clearly.
Immediately, he exined these matters in detail to the Shaman and Eldest Senior Brother.
After tossing and turning for a while, the two finally understood the reasoning behind it and agreed with Divine Child.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe didn''t know that Eldest Senior Brother had already discovered the thing he was proud of, and at this moment, Eldest Senior Brother stood even higher.
During the trade with Eldest Senior Brother, he still appeared proud and stubborn, unwilling to reveal anything to Eldest Senior Brother.
Eldest Senior Brother, who had already understood the situation from Han Cheng, looked at the proud appearance of the Donkey Tribe leader and felt proud of himself.
The trade began in this atmosphere and ended soon after.
After the trade waspleted, the leader of the Sheep Tribe also arrived with the people of the Sheep Tribe.
Unlike the leader of the Donkey Tribe, who turned a deaf ear to external affairs and was solely focused on trade, the leader of the Sheep Tribe, who had done something unscrupulous, was more cautious.As soon as he arrived at the Green Sparrow Tribe, he felt a significant difference.
Not only was there arge area cleared outside and a raised tform resembling a y bed but more importantly, the poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe!
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s poption was obviouslyrger than before, with many more strong adults!
What had this tribe done? How did they suddenly have so many more people?!
Had another evil tribe attacked nearby tribes, and the remaining people joined the Green Sparrow Tribe?
Just like what happened with the Pig Tribe before?
The leader of the Sheep Tribe was filled with suspicion and felt his heart pounding incessantly.
Suddenly, his gaze stopped, and he looked toward the wall where someone was tied up. It was none other than the leader of the Bone Tribe, whom the Green Sparrow Tribe had captured.
At first, the leader of the Sheep Tribe did not recognize who it was. He leaned closer and carefully observed for a while before finally recognizing the shadow of the Bone Tribe leader.
Was this the leader of the Bone Tribe?
The strongest leader among the nearby tribes before the rise of the Green Sparrow Tribe?
He widened his eyes, filled with disbelief.
How could he be here?
Could it be that after the people of this prosperous tribe returned from downstream, they learned that the Bone Tribe had attacked their tribe while the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were out, and then they led a retaliation and captured their leader?
For the leader of the Sheep Tribe, who had recently witnessed the extremely rapid end of a war and saw the return of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s people, thinking of these things wasn''t surprising.
He thought so but soon became puzzled again because there were no other captured people in the entire Green Sparrow Tribe except for the one who appeared to be the leader of the Bone Tribe, tied up.
This is very abnormal.
After all, if the leaders were captured, it''s impossible that none of the others were caught!
Could it be that the remaining members of the Bone Tribe were all killed? Leaving only one leader?
The leader of the Sheep Tribe thought this scenario was highly likely.
He puts himself in their shoes, and if another tribe attacked his own, he might do the same if capable.
But if that were the case, where did the extra people in this tribee from?
The leader of the Sheep Tribe was thoroughly perplexed.
What on earth was going on?!
After pondering for a while without concluding, hesitating for a moment, he finally couldn''t help but ask Eldest Senior Brother who had brought him in.
He expected a conversation like "What''s with the wall?" but Eldest Senior Brother unexpectedly and readily exined the situation.
"That''s the leader of the Bone Tribe, who attacked our tribe and was captured by us..."
Of course, these weren''t Eldest Senior Brother''s exact words, but that was the message conveyed to the leader of the Sheep Tribe.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe''s face changed drastically, his heart pounding loudly in his chest.
It was the leader of the Bone Tribe! Indeed, that powerful tribe had been attacked!
Sweat dripped from his forehead.
Because he suddenly realized that if it hadn''t been for the Bone Tribe leader arriving ahead of them not long ago, then the one tied up here would have been him!
While Eldest Senior Brother was exining this to the leader of the Sheep Tribe, the leader of the Donkey Tribe was also present.
Finally understanding what was going on, he snapped out of the pride from his lucrative trade and, looking at the bound leader of the Bone Tribe and the much more robust Green Sparrow Tribe, he stood there dumbfounded, unsure of what to say or even think...
Eldest Senior Brother was very satisfied with the reactions of the leaders of the Sheep Tribe and the Donkey Tribe.
The primary purpose of this event was to let the surrounding tribes see the strength of their tribe and to make it clear that they shouldn''t be crossed.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe finally regained someposure. As he thought of certain things, his eyes widened even more.
Could it be that the extra people from the Green Sparrow Tribe were really from the Bone Tribe?
With these thoughts in mind, he shook his head again. This kind of thing couldn''t happen.
The Green Sparrow Tribe attacked the Bone Tribe, so the people of the Bone Tribe should hate the Green Sparrow Tribe. Even if some of them might join the Green Sparrow Tribe, it''s unlikely that everyone would.
Moreover, the leader of the Bone Tribe was still alive and well here...
Yet, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe before him were peaceful, showing no signs of hatred.
After thinking for a while and still unable to understand, he asked Eldest Senior Brother again.
Following Han Cheng''s instructions, Eldest Senior Brother didn''t hide anything and said that these extra people were from the original Bone Tribe.
The leaders of the Sheep Tribe and the Donkey Tribe were dumbfounded.
They couldn''t understand why the people of the Bone Tribe would join the Green Sparrow Tribe and how the two tribes could live together in such harmony.
They were enemies! And not just enemies, but enemies who had attacked each other''s tribes...
The leaders of the Donkey Tribe and the Sheep Tribe felt like their brains were about to explode. Their minds were filled with this matter to the point that they lost their appetite even when presented with delicious food.
The leader of the Green Tribe also arrived, filled with excitement.
They could freeload in this prosperous tribe again!
And they could even take things for free when they left. How could he, who always liked to take advantage of situations, not be excited?
He didn''t care much about why this tribe had summoned them. Nothing was more important to him than freeloading and taking advantage.
However, his excitement quickly faded when he learned about these events. Looking at the leader of the Bone Tribe being fed by someone while bound and then looking at the visibly strengthened Green Sparrow Tribe, he lowered his head and took a sip of soup, looking troubled.
But this troubled feeling didn''tst long for him, as he figured out one thing.
After all, he hadn''te to attack this prosperous neighboring tribe...
Chapter 314: Beheading
Chapter 314: Beheading
Someone is standing on the newly built tform in front of the gate of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Of course, it''s not like what the elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe guessed, where the cream of the crop is doing some unspeakable things while looking down from above.
At this moment, the one on the tform is the leader of the Bone Tribe who has been detained in the Green Sparrow Tribe for some time.
As expected, he is still tied up with ropes.
After nearly twenty days of detention, even though he hasn''tcked food every day, it has made him quite weak.
There are also three people standing on the tform, the three leaders of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
On the open space opposite the tform, people from three other tribes have gathered, along with members of the Green Sparrow Tribe itself.
The atmosphere is somewhat tense, with a hint of inexplicable excitement.
Everyone is watching the tform.On the tform, Han Cheng, as the Divine Child, is speaking.
"...The leader of the Bone Tribe, taking advantage of our weakness, attacked our tribe... Must be executed!"
After saying this, he and Shaman together step down from the tform, leaving behind the bound leader of the Bone Tribe and the Eldest Senior Brother holding a bone knife with a wooden handle.
What follows is quite bloody.
Although Han Cheng nned this himself, he still doesn''t want to get too close at this moment.
Han Cheng and Shaman step down from the tform, and the Eldest Senior Brother approaches the sturdy leader of the Bone Tribe who is tied up, raising the bone knife in his hand.
This bone knife was confiscated from the Bone Tribe, but now it''s going to be used to decapitate the leader of the Bone Tribe.
The leader of the Bone Tribe doesn''t understand what Han Cheng said earlier, but he understands that death is imminent. His face turns pale with fear, sweat streaming down.
He shouts in fear, probably begging for mercy while struggling violently.
Unfortunately, he has been securely tied up and can''t struggle free.
The Eldest Senior Brother pays him no attention, gripping the handle of the knife firmly and fiercely chopping down towards his neck.
The knife falls.
Blood stters.
A scream of agony rises.
The bone knife, not sharp enough, is held by the Eldest Senior Brother with eyes turning red, relentlessly chopping down again and again.
Blood flows, and the screams gradually fade.
"Bang!"
The bone knife shatters, and the head falls to the ground...
The scene below is silent. Han Cheng suppresses the frustration in his heart and covers the eyes of Milk Tea Girl.
Gathering several tribes and publicly beheading the leader of the Bone Tribe is Han Cheng''sst resort.
There are nows or rules at this time. This simple and brutal method is most effective in intimidating people''s hearts.
To make the surrounding tribes understand not to emte the Bone Tribe.
This is simr to gathering the public to watch executions in ancient times.
The atmosphere below the tform was quiet for a while, then suddenly someone shouted, "Good!"
Han Cheng turned his head to see Shang raising his arms and shouting.
"Good!"
"Good!"
Under his influence, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe below the tform also began to shout along.
This included those who had recently joined the Green Sparrow Tribe, originally from the Bone Tribe.
Before the execution, the people from the other three tribes had already learned from the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe what the leader of the Bone Tribe had done, as Han Cheng had arranged.
At this moment, although they felt that the death of the Bone Tribe leader was somewhat tragic, no one sympathized with him, nor did anyone feel that the Green Sparrow Tribe shouldn''t have done what they did.
In their understanding, attacking other tribes and being killed by other tribes was justifiable...
Han Cheng originally wanted to disy the head for three days, butter thought that they were about to start harvesting seeds, and hanging such a bloody head was considered ominous, so he decided to burn them all together...
On the road to the Green Tribe, the leader of the Green Tribe led the people who followed him step by step towards the tribe.
These people were carrying a lot of food provided by the tribe.
Including delicious salted fish, some rabbits, and other small game.
With thisrge amount of food, they wouldn''t need to hunt for several days.
As they rejoiced over the food, they asionally discussed their experiences in that tribe, with the death of the leader of the Bone Tribe being the most discussed topic.
There was much celebration in their conversation.
At this point, the leader of the Green Tribe had fully recovered. Regarding the foolish behavior of the Bone Tribe leader, he simply sneered.
That tribe had high walls, and the Bone Tribe leader actually considered attacking them. It''s really hard to understand.
As for his own tribe, as long as they were clever, they could obtain precious items from that tribe with just some unappetizing grass spikes...
With such a clever leader in their tribe, it''s no wonder they prospered like this.
The leader of the Green Tribe wasn''t worried about whether the wealthy tribe woulde to attack their tribe, as the Divine Child of that tribe had said they wouldn''t attack other tribes.
Not long ago, when the leader of that tribe came to inform his tribe, there weren''t many adults in his own tribe.
At that time, as long as they were willing, they could easily have taken away the people from their tribe, but they didn''t do that.
From this, it can be seen that that tribe is still a benevolent tribe. Moreover, they have given so much food to their own tribe and have always provided them with free delicious food and salt.
As the leader of the Sheep Tribe walked back, wiping his sweat, he felt extremely fortunate.
At this point, he had no thoughts of attacking the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The wealth and strength of that tribe had reached a point where he looked up to them.
What worried him the most was how the people of the Bone Tribe willingly joined the Green Sparrow Tribe, even after their leader was beheaded, they remained indifferent, and many even excitedly cheered...
Fortunately, that tribe is benevolent and won''t proactively attack others.
His own tribe is also treated well, and its members don''t act like those from the Bone Tribe.
As the leader of the Sheep Tribe thought happily, he didn''t know that many people in their tribe had simr thoughts, such as ''Why didn''t they attack the Green Sparrow Tribe firstst time? Then we could have lived in that tribe'' although these thoughts were fleeting.
The Donkey Tribe returned homeden with goods this time. In addition to the food given by the Green Sparrow Tribe, he also brought many things obtained by trading fur, among which pottery was the most abundant.
When it''s time to transport these goods to those tribes, his own tribe will benefit greatly from it.
As for the fate of the Bone Tribe and their leader, he was initially extremely surprised, butter he realized that he had never harbored thoughts of attacking that tribe, so it had nothing to do with him.
After understanding all these things, the leader of the Donkey Tribe began to contemte his thoughts again and continued to savor the happy life of a middleman.
Chapter 315: Changing Milk Tea Girl’s Name
Chapter 315: Changing Milk Tea Girl¡¯s Name
The death of the leader of the Bone Tribe marked the end of this incident.
No one felt sad about his death. After burning his body and sending away the people from the nearby tribes, the Green Sparrow Tribe began the tense harvest.
There was no room forxity, as the previous execution assembly had ultimately affected the rapeseed harvest. More than half of the rapeseed had ripened at this point, and a mere squeeze would cause the oil pods to burst.
Thus, Han Cheng had to gather all avable manpower to rush the rapeseed harvest during the damp morning hours.
For the original members of the Bone Tribe, who had never done such work before, this task was rtively novel. Since they had recently joined the Green Sparrow Tribe, most were not skilled with tools like sickles. Therefore, they carried the harvested rapeseed back to the tribe''s prepared threshing ground.
The task was rtively easy with many hands, considering the poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe. The twenty-plus mu (13000 square meters) of rapeseed was not considered muchpared to the poption.
Each adult was allocated only two to three mu (1300 to 2000 square meters) ofnd, and everyone pitched in. Within two mornings and one day, all the rapeseed was transported to the threshing ground.
Land cultivation could not be stopped, and it had to be elerated. Ideally, they would have five to six hundred mu ofnd by next year.
With thisnd, once they harvested nearly thirty mu (20000 square meters) of grain this year, they would have enough seeds. When it was time to nt all thisnd with grain, even if the fish in the river decreased significantly, the Green Sparrow Tribe wouldn''t have to worry about food.Han Cheng looked at the rapeseed piled up in the threshing ground and then at the bare-lookingnd, pondering this.
This matter required careful consideration and nning. After such a long fishing period, there were fewer fish in the river.
Even if the river flooded and new fish came, the fish in the small river couldn''tpare to before.
With forty-seven more people from the Bone Tribe, food consumption would be even greater.
Fortunately, the Green Sparrow Tribe was no longer solely reliant on the river for food.
Building a few houses and intensifyingnd cultivation would be the main tasks for the Green Sparrow Tribe in the time toe.
Setting these matters aside, an even more pressing matter needed to be done quickly.
That matter was renaming Milk Tea Girl.
I don''t know if it''s because of this name, but during her time in the Green Sparrow Tribe, Milk Tea Girl had grown taller and had gained some weight. However, what troubled Han Cheng was that her chest still showed no signs of development.
The chests of Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, who were about the same height as her, were almost as big as Han Cheng''s fist, but Milk Tea Girl''s chest remained simr to Han Cheng''s, which made him wonder.
Milk Tea Girl liked this name very much and seemed reluctant when she heard that Han Cheng wanted to rename her.
After such a long time, Han Cheng had gotten used to calling her that. Suddenly, changing her name felt ufortable.
Should he not change it and continue calling her that?
Han Cheng pondered this, but as he looked at Milk Tea Girl''s in chest, anyzy thoughts that had just arisen were immediately dispelled.
For the sake of his future happy life, this name must be changed!
But what name should he change it to?
Red Tea Girl? Green Tea Girl? White Tea Girl?
Or should I remove the ''Tea'' and call her Milk Girl?
Han Cheng shook his head to dispel these messy thoughts.
Milk Tea Girl is quite fair-skinned. How about removing the word ''Tea'' and adding ''White'' instead, calling her Milk White Girl or White Milk Girl?
Han Cheng chuckled. While this name might be okay to use privately, it wouldn''t be appropriate in public.
After pondering for a while and dismissing dozens of names, the words ''Bai Xue (White Snow)'' suddenly popped into his mind.
How about calling her Bai Xue (White Snow)?
When he thought of Bai Xue, he couldn''t help but associate it with Snow White fromics and movies. Snow White had an impable figure, especially those... well, it''s not something Milk Tea Girl couldpare to.
Thinking like this, Han Cheng couldn''t help but chuckle. He silently repeated the name several times in his mind and found it rtively smooth. So, he told Milk Tea Girl about the name Bai Xue.
Milk Tea Girl was a little reluctant when she heard the new name, as it didn''t include the word Girl. But she quite liked the two words, Bai Xue.
After hearing Milk Tea Girl''s thoughts, Han Cheng''s mouth twitched.
Well, Bai Xue, it is, then. If my future wife likes it, and if her chest grows bigger...
From then on, Milk Tea Girl''s name was changed to Bai Xue.
Han Cheng informed the tribe about this matter, and the people were not used to it.
How did Milk Tea Girl be Bai Xue?
At first, they often called her the wrong name, but over time, as they called it more frequently, it didn''t seem so tongue-twisting anymore.
Ping Zi was pleased, as were the others who lived with him in the cave, because just a while ago, the Divine Child announced some good news, saying that another house would be built for them all to live in!
Thinking about living in a spacious and bright house like everyone else in a short time filled Ping Zi with boundless energy, and he couldn''t wait to build the house all at once.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were not unfamiliar with building houses. They dug foundations,id foundations, burned fires, poured water, and moved stones.
They were well-versed in this process, and the original members of the Bone Tribe, who were helping out, were amazed.
Especially when they saw the scene of splitting rocks with water, they were even more shocked and almost knelt.
Suchrge rocks could also be smashed. Is this something that humans can do?
They were shocked, but the subsequent activities made them suffer. Blisters formed on their hands from the bone shovel handles, their shoulders swelled from carrying loads, their arms ached, and when they slept at night, they felt like their bodies were falling apart.
Back then, they envied the tribe''s exemry life, but now that they contributed to it, they realized that achieving such a life was not easy.
It was even more challenging than the hunting they had done before.
And all this was just for building a house.
God knows how those original people built such magnificent walls!
Labor is the source of wealth. In human evolution and development history,bor upies a critical position.
At the same time,bor can also bring people closer together.
Through thisbor, the people of the original Bone Tribe became more harmonious with the elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Of course, this harmony was speaking in general. On a local level, there were sometimes some unpleasant incidents.
Trantion notes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_units_of_measurement
Chapter 316: Shu Pi felt unfair
Chapter 316: Shu Pi felt unfair
When seen by different people, the same thing often results in somewhat different oues.
Labor is no exception.
From the arduousbor of building houses, most of the members of the Bone Tribe gained insights such as "life is not easy, but effort pays off" and simr sentiments that were not entirely clear.
This led to a determination to strive hard and work towards building new houses as soon as possible.
Unlike others, Shu Pi only felt resentment and dissatisfaction from this experience.
He liked living in spacious, bright houses but disliked thebor that wore out people''s hands and made their arms swell.
He felt unfairly treated. Why did so many people in the tribe have to work hard while others like Hei Wa could y with mud all day?
Why did someone like Tie Tou only need to cut grass and feed the deer asionally?
Why could that fat guy nap all the time?Why could everyone else live directly in spacious and bright houses while they had to sleep in caves and build their own houses?
Heavybor and a new, different way of life caused individuals in this era to develop selfish thoughts.
These thoughts lingered in Shu Pi''s mind, but he had never spoken them out loud.
Today, Shu Pi had the same task as yesterday: to carry stones with a pole from the quarry to the wall with Ping Zi and a few others.
The pole pressed against his swollen shoulders, making him grit his teeth in unbearable pain.
When a stone popped the blister on his hand, and the excruciating pain shot through his hand, Shu Pi couldn''t bear it anymore.
He threw the pole and the carrying pole into the trench and, with abination of speech and gestures, expressed his thoughts to Ping Zi and the others working.
Initially thinking that Shu Pi had identally dropped the pole and the carrying pole, Ping Zi hurriedly helped retrieve them from the trench. But after understanding what Shu Pi meant, he stood there dumbfounded.
He didn''t understand why Shu Pi had such thoughts and said such things.
Wasn''t it natural for everyone to work for the tribe together?
Worse yet, the elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe were all working too, weren''t they?
Feeling somewhat unhappy, he patted Shu Pi''s arm and told him not to think like that.
But Shu Pi didn''t listen. His voice grew louder, and he threw the pole and the carrying pole back into the trench.
Ping Zi was thoroughly angered.
They had nothing before, but after joining the tribe, they had three meals a day and never went hungry again!
Moreover, they now had new clothes, just like everyone else.
Their sleeping arrangements were also much better than before.
The tribe didn''t use to build houses, but now they were doing it just for the sake of them.
The tribe''s elders didn''t have to do these things anymore, but they started doing them just so that they could have houses.
Ping Zi told Shu Pi all this, but Shu Pi was fixated on the idea of unfairness and didn''t want to listen to anything else.
Enraged, Ping Zi threw down the pole and punched Shu Pi, who was still discussing inequality.
Shu Pi also fought back without backing down, and the two wrestled, tumbling into the trench.
Another member of the Bone Tribe who was carrying stones with them also dropped his pole and carrying pole, jumped into the trench, and helped Ping Zi beat up Shu Pi.
Themotion quickly attracted many people.
The people fighting were pulled out of the trench...
The members of the Green Sparrow Tribe were gathered together and brought into the courtyard. The three people who participated in the brawl stood at the forefront, facing the leaders of the Green Sparrow Tribe: the Eldest Senior Brother, the shaman, and Han Cheng.
Han Cheng and the rest of the Green Sparrow Tribe already knew the reason for the fight.
Everyone red at Shu Pi angrily, and if Han Cheng hadn''t stepped in to stop them, Shu Pi would have received even more beatings.
Seeing Shu Pi standing there, Han Cheng sneered inwardly. He hadn''t expected someone like this to exist at this time!
With more hands avable in the Green Sparrow Tribe and more tasks to be done, it was naturally impossible to concentrate all the manpower on building houses.
Han Cheng divided the work into building houses, clearingnd, gathering food, raising livestock, etc.
Because the members of the Bone Tribe were new to the Green Sparrow Tribe, they didn''t understand many things, so they mostly did tasks that didn''t require much skill, like fetching water, carrying stones, and digging soil.
In terms of building houses, the basics, likeying stone foundations and quarrying stones with fire and water, were mostly handled by the experienced elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
In fact, under these conditions, there were hardly any easy tasks.
Mowing grass might not seem tiring, but it couldn''t be done for long periods. Tie Tou and Ruhua, who often mowed grass, had thick calluses on the palms of their hands.
Both hands were stained with grass juice, and the hand used to grab grass was covered in many scars from the sickle.
The first carpenter and weaver of the Green Sparrow Tribe had hands that were rough to the point of deformation...
(The following conversation will be written smoothly to make the dialogue more fluent. Readers, please don''t take it too seriously.)
"Do you think it''s unfair?"
Han Cheng waited momentarily, then looked at Shu Pi and asked.
At this point, Shu Pi was already a bit scared. But looking at his worn-out hands and aching shoulders and remembering that he had drunk Green Sparrow Water, he felt a little reassured. Summoning his courage, he spoke up.
"It''s unfair. They have easy and light work. Hei Wa, Tie Tou, Lame, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother... their work is easy."
Han Cheng was almost amused by this guy. So, he was the hardest-working and most tired person in the whole tribe, and everyone else''s work was easy and light.
Han Cheng asked these people mentioned by Shu Pi toe forward and hold out their hands,paring their calluses to Shu Pi''s. The calluses on everyone else''s hands were thicker than Shu Pi''s.
"We have what we have today because the Divine Child led us step by step!
We built walls, stacked houses, and dugnd. We did all of this with our own hands. How much sweat have we shed? How much hardship have we endured?
In winter, we almost starved to death. The Divine Child led us to fish on the ice, standing on the frozen surface, nearly numb from the cold..."
Lame pointed at everything around with extreme excitement, his eyes reddened, tears uncontrobly falling.
The elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe also recalled the hardships they had endured along the way. Some women were already crying, and even the Eldest Senior Brother and the shaman had tears in their eyes.
"And you,ing here, could have three meals a day, clothes to wear, and stay inside the walls without worrying about wild animal attacks... Yet you still harbor resentment..."
Lame loudly scolded Shu Pi, his voice filled with emotion, and then pped him twice.
"Divine Child, kill him."
"Yes, Divine Child, we don''t want people like him!"
The crowd was stirred up, with not only the elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe but also those who came with Shu Pi from the Bone Tribe shouting along.
Shu Pi turned pale with fear.
He thought that by doing this, at least those who lived with him would support him, and he had drunk the Green Sparrow Water...
"I... I drank the Green Sparrow Water. We are all part of the same tribe. You can''t kill me!"
He shouted in fear.
"We don''t want people like you..."
Everyone looked at Han Cheng, waiting for his decision.
Han Cheng looked at Shu Pi and nodded. "They''re right. In our Green Sparrow Tribe, we don''t have people like you.
If you think this ce is unfair, you shouldn''t live here."
"Yes, we don''t wee you. Don''t live here!"
Shu Pi,pletely stunned, was pushed out of the tribe''s gate by everyone.
"I made the clothes you''re wearing!"
A woman ran out, stripped off the clothes Shu Pi was wearing, and threw a dirty piece of animal skin at his feet.
Shu Pi picked up the animal skin, feeling lost and confused as he walked forward.
Where should he go?
He didn''t want to leave the tribe; he just wanted to do some easier tasks, and he felt unjust.
He stopped and turned around to look back at the tribe, wanting to return.
But those once kind and friendly people immediately began to shout angrily at him, and some even aimed their bows and arrows at him.
Shu Pi had no choice but to walk forward numbly...
Chapter 317: Fermented Compost
Chapter 317: Fermented Compost
The departure of Shu Pi did not affect the inherent life of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
In fact, with Shu Pi as a negative example, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe became even more supportive and appreciative of the tribe.
After harvesting the rapeseed, there was one more round to go, but Han Cheng was not in a hurry to have someone turn over the rapeseed field after harvesting.
Many rapeseed seeds fell to the ground this year, and their dormancy period is very short. By now, some small rapeseed nts have already emerged from the ground.
These newly emerged rapeseed nts are challenging to flower and fruit, but they are still suitable for cooking.
The new house in the courtyard has had its foundationid, and the stone walls have risen more than a meter above the ground.
From now on, the rammed earth construction method will be used to build the walls.
Just as everyone was eager to level the earth''s walls, they were stopped by the Divine Child.
Under Han Cheng''s guidance, everyone began to carry soil in from outside, dumping it into the already outlined rooms.Thisyer of soil was very necessary to elevate the terrain in the rooms, making them less susceptible to moisture.
The millet is growing well, with lush green seedlings, but the grass in the field is a bit too much.
At this time, without hoes, let alone pesticides, all that can be done is to pull by hand or squat in the field with a bone shovel or small stone shovel tied to a wooden handle.
The bone and stone shovels should not be too broad, as they could easily damage the seedlings.
Not to mention that the Green Sparrow Tribe doesn''t have hoes. At this time, even if there were hoes, they wouldn''t be of much use.
It''s not that hoes are useless, but the nting method of millet in the Green Sparrow Tribe is not conducive to weeding with hoes.
Except for a very small part of the millet nted in furrows, the rest is sown.
The seedlings are scattered, and the hoes are too big. At this time, weeding with hands or small bone shovels is more convenient and safe than using hoes.
Not using furrows for all the nting is also because using a bone shovel to open furrows on the cultivatednd and then sowing seeds by hand along the furrows is too troublesome.
So, except for the very beginning, the rest is all sown.
It''s convenient to nt this way but troublesome to manage.
Oxcarts and hoes, these two things also need to be brought out as soon as possible.
At this time, it''s okay to nt lessnd in the Green Sparrow Tribe. It''s busy, but if nting continues like this, some farnd will be fallow when the area for cultivation increases significantly next year.
Thinking about this, Han Cheng wrote down two things on the pottery board.
These two things need to be addressed as soon as possible, at least so that the nting of millet next year does not get dyed.
The grass pulled from the fields was not wasted. It was piled up in heaps among the seedlings, and after a day''s work, someone would collect these weeds back.
Some clean and good grass is used to feed rabbits and chickens, while the rest is piled up in arge pit near the tribe and the fields.
This pit was dug out when soil was excavated for building houses, and it has not yet been fully formed.
The weeds are piled up at the north end of the pit, while the south end still provides soil for the people of the tribe.
Shaman once asked Han Cheng about this matter. In his opinion, it would be great to use these dried weeds to light a fire. Now, they are all piled up in the pit, which is somewhat wasteful.
Fermented fertilizer?
The shaman pondered the new term he learned from the Divine Child.
With so much grass, what''s the difference between burning it and then spreading it on the ground and soaking it in water to make fertilizer? This seems even more troublesome.
With Han Cheng, a transmigrator, in the tribe, the starting point for farming in the Green Sparrow Tribe is very high.
Instead of starting from sh-and-burn agriculture and gradually gaining experience through years of trial and error to achieve meticulous farming, they aim to achieve as much as possible with limited conditions.
Many people in the Green Sparrow Tribe, including Shaman, have never seen what crops look like without fertilization. Therefore, they are somewhat skeptical of Han Cheng''s assertion of the importance of crop fertilization.
It''s not that they don''t trust Han Cheng; otherwise, they would all follow his instructions. It''s amon problem for most people to believe what they see and doubt what they hear.
After thinking it over, Shaman came to find Han Cheng and expressed his thoughts.
His idea is simple: He wants to leave a piece ofnd without fertilization until next year''s nting season andpare it with the surrounding crops.
Understanding Shaman''s meaning, Han Cheng secretly smiled and readily agreed to Shaman''s idea.
As a person from ater era, Han Cheng knows best whethernd needs fertilization.
Without fertilizers and superior varieties, the astonishing yields ofter generations would be impossible to achieve.
Leaving a piece ofnd forparison is a good idea. This can help Shaman and others understand the importance of fertilizing thend more deeply and improve their future nting.
Whether Han Cheng agrees to leave somend forparison or not doesn''t matter much because by next year, thend in the Green Sparrow Tribe will experience explosive growth, and it will be unrealistic to cultivate every piece ofnd meticulously.
The umted fertilizer can only cover a part of thend.
One thing that Shu Pi, who was exiled, did not say wrong is that the Second Senior Brother now loves to take naps.
Sometimes, he can even doze off while talking to people.
Once it gets dark, he lies down on the bed and falls asleep, not waking up much throughout the night, and his spouse doesn''t touch him much either.
Sometimes, when his spouse can''t help but listen to the primitive tunesing from next door, the Second Senior Brother sits at the head of the heated bed, leaning against it without moving, letting his spouse do as they please.
Not only that, the food isn''t as tasty as before.
The Second Senior Brother has always loved to nap, and this matter didn''t attract much attention from the others.
Han Cheng was busy figuring out how to get the hoes.
Getting hoes is vital, as they can be used to weed the fields and cultivate newnd.
Compared to bone shovels, hoes have more significant advantages innd cultivation.
He noticed something about the Second Senior Brother''s situation but didn''t pay much attention to it.
They say one gets drowsy in spring, lethargic in autumn, naps in summer, and sleepy in winter. Who doesn''t experience fatigue and loss of appetite from time to time?
This situation persisted almost a month before Han Cheng realized something was amiss.
After such a long time, the Second Senior Brother not only didn''t get enough naps but also became increasingly lethargic, looking somewhat dizzy and unable to wake up.
And the most important thing is that he looks much thinner, with a yellowishplexion and little blood color.
Even his favorite slingshot didn''t arouse much interest in him anymore.
Chapter 318: Second Eldest Brother’s illness
Chapter 318: Second Eldest Brother¡¯s illness
He''s pretty ill.
However, his illness is bizarre; there are no symptoms like fever, and he doesn''t have any pains or itching anywhere on his body.
Apart fromcking energy, appearing somewhat dazed, having no appetite, and his body gradually bing thinner, there are no other apparent symptoms.
This is the most worrying aspect for Han Cheng.
Being nothing more than a half-baked doctor, he knows only some basic knowledge at best. He can handlemon ailments like headaches, fevers, and minor injuries, but he truly has no clue about other illnesses.
Diseases like headaches and fevers aren''t particrly frightening; this type of invisible, intangible illness is feared.
Han Cheng is distraught, mainly because someone rarely gets sick suddenly falls ill.
In hister years, he witnessed many such urrences. People who frequently had headaches or fevers and soaked themselves in jars of medicine usually endured it well, and most of the time, they recovered. On the other hand, those who were robust and rarely fell ill often caught everyone off guard when they did get sick.
Compared to Han Cheng''s anxiety, the Second Senior Brother seems indifferent. He doesn''t believe he''s sick; he thinks he hasn''t slept enough and that once he does, he''ll be fine.However, Han Cheng doesn''t let him sleep too much and encourages him to move around more.
Sometimes, people be more tired the more they rest.
When facing Second Senior Brother, Han Cheng appears very rxed, saying that Second Senior Brother isn''t in much trouble and that he''ll be fine after a while.
Coming from ater era, he knows how significant the power of suggestion can be on a person.
What should he do? What should he do?
Han Cheng sits alone in the room, constantly running his hand through his hair.
Since emerging from the burnt cocoon, he has never felt so powerless.
Whether building walls, making charcoal, or even theplete absence of copper and iron up to now, although it presented significant challenges, it didn''t dampen his spirit.
But now, faced with Second Senior Brother''s increasingly emaciated appearance day by day, Han Cheng is entirely powerless.
"Creak!"
The wooden door creaks softly as Shaman enters from outside.
Han Cheng stops running his hand through his hair and quickly adjusts his demeanor, pretending to be nonchnt.
Second Senior Brother may have a terminal illness, a matter of life and death that only he knows at the moment, and he hasn''t told anyone, not even Shaman.
"Shaman."
Han Cheng shes a casual smile and greets Shaman.
Shaman smiles back and sits across from Han Cheng, bowing his head and remaining silent.
"Shaman, is there something on your mind?"
Seeing Shaman''s demeanor, Han Cheng speaks up and asks.
Shaman looked at Han Cheng and asked. ¡°Divine Child, is Second Senior Brother all right?¡±
The voice sounded low.
Han Cheng''s heart sank slightly; Shaman was very smart and had already sensed that something was amiss.
"It''s nothing," Han Cheng pretended to be very rxed.
"He just overexerted himself before. If he eats more good food and rests for a while, he''ll be fine."
Shaman''s expression didn''t lighten because of Han Cheng''s words. He lowered his head again, his voice lowering slightly, and paused momentarily before saying, "Divine Child, just tell me the truth..."
Seeing that Shaman had already guessed, Han Cheng thought momentarily and decided not to conceal anything, telling Shaman his spections.
These things had been weighing on his mind for several days, and he had initially thought he could handle it. But now, speaking to Shaman like this, he found it difficult to contain his emotions.
"Divine Child, it''s okay..."
In the end, it was Shaman whoforted Han Cheng.
After telling Shaman about this matter, Han Cheng felt relieved and morefortable than keeping it to himself.
Han Cheng adjusted his mood and went out. Shaman sat there without moving, letting out a long sigh.
Although he had seen death many times, he still felt uneasy at this moment, especially knowing that the Second Senior Brother, who was so crucial to the tribe, was about to die...
Putting away his weakness, Han Cheng became strong again. He didn''t want to give up; this was a living person, someone he had been familiar with day and night.
The second Senior Brother''s illness was in his belly.
Nowadays, every part of him was thin except his belly, which remainedrge.
His belly was originally somewhat prominent, and now it has be even more noticeable, almostparable to the belly of a pregnant woman several months along.
In such a situation, it was easy for people to make associations.
Han Cheng asked the Eldest Senior Brother, Shaman, and other people in the tribe when the Second Senior Brother''s belly started to grow.
After summarizing what several people said, Han Cheng got the following information:
Second Senior Brother had been rtively big and rtively strong since he was young. He had arger belly than most people, but it was still within the normal range.
The growth began about six or seven years ago.
Six years ago, Second Senior Brother''s belly grew, and his whole body also began to gain weight.
However, no one thought too deeply about it because it was a general weight gain.
Even if they did, there was nothing they could do. At that time, people in the Green Sparrow tribe were busy with daily food and had no time to worry about anything else...
Han Cheng squatted in the corner, watching as Bai Xue fed the silkworms with mulberry leaves, pondering the information he had obtained.
With his limited knowledge, there were two main possibilities for Second Senior Brother''s illness.
One was that he had a tumor in his belly, and the other was that he had parasites in his belly.
Overall, the possibility of parasites was greater. After all, before Han Cheng arrived, people in the Green Sparrow tribe didn''t have the habit of drinking hot water. And sometimes, their food wasn''t fully cooked over the fire.
But if it were parasites, then the food and water given to him by the people in the tribe should have been the same, and he shouldn''t have been the only one with a big belly.
As Han Cheng pondered this, he couldn''t help but smile bitterly, as if he had no solution, whether it was parasites or a tumor.
He couldn''t just cut open the belly and remove whatever was inside, could he?
He didn''t know the form for standard deworming medicine from his future era either.
In the whole Green Sparrow tribe, the only medicine that could be considered was one herb, chaihu, which wasn''t effective for this kind of symptom.
Han Cheng regretted not being a doctor in his future life. He wouldn''t feel so helpless now if he had more medical knowledge.
Because of the Second Senior Brother''s illness, Han Cheng didn''t have much mood to do anything else during this period. He always felt distracted.
The stone or bone hoe he had nned to make was only started and then abandoned.
Second Senior Brother became even more lethargic, his whole person somewhat absent-minded, and his gaze unfocused.
If this state continued to develop, many good days wouldn''t be ahead.
At such a critical moment, something happened again.
Chapter 319: Poison
Chapter 319: Poison
It was evening.
The weather was gradually getting hotter, and the days were bing longer.
It wasn''t until the sun set that the weather began to cool down.
The newly built houses in the Green Sparrow tribe had been leveled, and it was time to build the roofs.
People in the fields, houses, or by the river hastened their work in the fantastic evening, hoping to get more done during this time.
At the cooking cave, wisps of smoke rose slowly as several people busied themselves, cooking delicious-smelling meals that wafted through the air with the evening breeze, adding to the tribe''s tranquility and warmth.
A stack of clean dishes was ced near the cave, and soup bowls were served from arge basin.
As the call for dinner echoed, people scattered around the courtyard and its surroundings began to gather towards the dining area.
The second Senior Brother, who had been sleeping against the wall for a while, pushed himself up with difficulty and made his way to the dining area.Dinner consisted of two types of soup: fish soup and rabbit soup, both containing some wild vegetables.
The few people in the tribe responsible for cooking had received Han Cheng''s instructions and perfectly cooked the soup.
After everyone had served themselves soup in order, they dispersed to eat their meals around the area.
The second Senior Brother also carried a bowl and tried his best to eat.
A primitive person who couldn''t eat wasn''t an excellent primitive person. Despite having little appetite, he forced himself to eat quite a bit.
There were nomps at night, so dinner was usually served before dark.
It was at this time that something happened.
Smack!
Thud!
Han Cheng set down his empty bowl, preparing to leave with Bai Xue, who had also finished eating.
But just as they took a few steps, they heard these sounds.
Startled, Han Cheng quickly looked toward the noise, only to see a mess not far away.
A y bowly shattered on the ground, its contents spilled, steaming hot.
Next to the broken bowl and spilled soupy a person.
Seeing this scene, Han Cheng''s heart skipped a beat.
He thought it was over. He had thought Second Senior Brother could hold on for a while longer, but it seemed not!
With this thought in mind, he pushed Bai Xue aside and ran towards the scene.
As he ran, Han Cheng suddenly paused because the second senior brother was approaching with a bowl in hand.
If it wasn''t Second Senior Brother, then who?
With this hesitation, he didn''t stop his feet, and soon he was by the fallen person''s side.
He turned the fallen figure over, and only then did he recognize who it was.
It wasn''t someone else¡ªit was Liang, the one he had brought to the pit, aspiring to be a doctor!
The sky hadn''tpletely darkened yet, and in the evening light, Han Cheng could see that Liang''s face was somewhat purple.
His lips were tinged with ck.
His body trembled uncontrobly.
He was poisoned!
ustomed to walking by the river, who wouldn''t get wet shoes? Liang, who had grown bolder and often tasted herbs, had fallen victim today.
"Don''t eat anymore!"
Han Cheng''s immediate reaction was that Liang had poisoned himself by tasting too many herbs. Then he realized tonight''s soup contained wild vegetables, which might be the herbs!
Han Cheng immediately shouted to stop everyone and instructed them to check each other to see if anyone else was showing signs of poisoning.
At the same time, he asked for assistance in quickly straightening Liang''s body, lifting his neck to open his airway.
After some thought, he instructed someone to quickly fetch arge spoonful of dung from the pit behind the toilet.
Saving a life was urgent, and there was no time to consider much else.
Tie Tou swiftly obeyed the order and dashed off. Meanwhile, Han Cheng received reports from others that no one else was showing any abnormalities.
Han Cheng carefully checked himself and felt no difort, which brought him some relief.
Everything was fine as long as it wasn''t collective food poisoning!
Seeing that Tie Tou hadn''t returned yet, Han Cheng instructed someone to carry Liang toward the direction of the toilet. Every second counted in this life-or-death situation.
"He''sing, he''sing!"
Tie Tou''s loud shout rang out, and Han Cheng had someoney Liang down while waiting for Tie Tou to arrive.
"Pour it down his throat!" Han Cheng said without hesitation.
Tie Tou and the people around him were stunned.
What? Pour this stuff down his throat?
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and pour!"
"Oh!"
After a moment of hesitation, Tie Tou tilted the dung scoop and poured it into Liang''s mouth.
However, Liang was unconscious at this point and couldn''t swallow it.
Han Cheng panicked and quickly ordered someone to pry open Liang''s mouth.
Before Eldest Senior Brother and the others could act, Liang woke up.
Still groggy from waking up, Liang felt the dung scoop nearby. Realizing what it was, he immediately retched violently, bringing up bile.
"Divine Child?"
Tie Tou, holding the dung scoop, asked weakly as if he wanted to continue pouring.
Han Cheng retched and quickly waved his hand, telling Tie Tou to take the dung away and bring water for Liang to drink. He urged Liang to drink as much as he could.
After drinking to the point of being bloated, Han Cheng instructed him to vomit out the water he had drunk. However, Liang couldn''t vomit.
Han Cheng shouted for Tie Tou, who hadn''t gone far, toe back with something with a pungent smell.
Seeing this potent weapon, Liang immediately vomited again.
"Divine Child..."
Liang weakly called out, looking at the water in the jar before him, unable to swallow it.
He had already drunk four times and vomited four times.
"No, you must drink. If you don''t, you''ll be poisoned to death!"
Han Cheng''s face turned stern, and he spoke with great severity.
At this point, there was no clever solution, only to wash Liang''s stomach like this.
Hopefully, he hadn''t ingested those things too long and could recover his life with this method.
With determination, Liang swallowed another half jar of water.
Tie Tou had be quite proficient in his task. Seeing that Liang hadn''t immediately vomited after drinking, he shook the dung scoop in front of Liang''s face...
"Urgh~"
After being subjected to this torture eight times in a row, Liang felt like he had endured a cruel punishment.
Pale-faced, soaked all over, and weak, he was carried into the room. After a short while, he closed his eyes...
Han Cheng released his wrist and let out a long sigh.
Liang had fallen asleep, but hisplexion was grim.
Han Cheng stayed by his side without leaving. Whether this guy could survive depended on whether he could survive tonight.
"Urgh~"
Not long after falling asleep, Liang leaned over the edge of the bed and began vomiting again. Apart from some bile, there was nothing else.
After vomiting, he shivered uncontrobly, curled up into a ball, and kept moaning about stomach pain.
Han Cheng had someone bring arge bowl of warm water and helped Liang sit up to drink it.
The goal was to flush out the poison from his body through internal cirction.
Apart from this, there was nothing else they could do butfort him and encourage him constantly.
Chapter 320: God also need to sleep
Chapter 320: God also need to sleep
After tossing and turning for nearly a whole night, it wasn''t until just before dawn that Liang''s condition finally stabilized, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
Han Cheng stayed here for a while, seeing that Liang seemed fine, and gestured quietly to the Eldest Senior Brother and others who had stayed up all night in the room, discreetly arranging things.
He arranged for someone to rece Liang''s spouse to watch over him here, letting the others go back to rest.
"Divine Child..."
The Eldest Senior Brother and others asked anxiously about Liang''s condition. After learning from Han Cheng that Liang was fine, they went to sleep relieved.
Han Cheng led the sleepy Bai Xue to his room.
This girl, Han Cheng asked her to go back to sleep, but she refused and insisted on staying with Han Cheng here. Later, unable to resist sleepiness, Han Cheng let her sleep on another kang in the room.
At this time, it was the coldest part of the day, and it felt freezing outside the house.
Bai Xue tightly held Han Cheng''s hand, trembling either from cold or fear, her body shivering.Han Cheng looked at the sky and saw a few sparse stars in the white night sky.
In the future, he didn''t think much of the ancestors in the myths and legends.
Now that he had returned to primitive times and experienced these things firsthand, he deeply appreciated the hardships of his ancestors.
With knowledge and experience spanning countless millennia, he still struggled to progress in this era and faced obstacles everywhere.
He wondered how those ancestors struggled and stepped out of the wilderness, paving the way for a glorious path.
He wondered how many people like Liang had fallen on this increasingly glorious and broad path.
Pangu, Kuafu, Nuwa, Shennong, Fuxi... these famous ancestors, and many more unnamed ancestors who fought against the heavens and the earth...
The hardships he experienced in the future and now were insignificantpared with those experienced by those ancestors who cleared the way.
The few lonely stars disappeared as the sky gradually brightened, and the earth was still immersed in darkness.
"Brother Cheng..."
Bai Xue, shaking a bit from the cold, shook Han Cheng, staring nkly at the sky, and whispered.
Han Cheng collected his wandering thoughts. With emotions still stirring in his heart, he reached out to Bai Xue Mei''s braids, shook them, and held Bai Xue¡¯s hand as they walked back into the room.
They noticed a faint lighting through the crack when they reached the door.
Han Cheng pushed the door open with a puzzled expression, only to see a dim light inside the room.
In front of the totem pole ced against the back wall, between the hastily arranged couplet "The Great Heavenly God of the Green Sparrow, as fast as an edict," someone was kneeling in prayer.
Looking at the figure from behind, the Shaman had already returned to the room. He should be sleeping.
After a moment of hesitation, Han Cheng''s nose tingled.
He hadn''t slept all night and felt ufortable all over.
But this old man, the Shaman, had been kneeling here praying for nearly a whole night!
"Shaman."
Han Cheng called out.
After pausing for a moment as if ending his prayer, the Shaman turned his head and smiled at Han Cheng.
He tried to get up, but failed.
Han Cheng and Bai Xue Mei hurried forward to help the Shaman up slowly.
"Liang?"
Sitting on the wooden stool with great effort, the Shaman asked about Liang''s condition without even rubbing his almost numb legs.
"Liang is fine."
Han Cheng sniffed and said.
The Shaman smiled happily.
"Shaman, you can''t pray overnight like this in the future," Han Cheng said seriously, massaging Shaman''s legs.
The Shaman smiled, "I can''t do anything else..."
Unable to do anything else, he knelt all night, despite his old age, praying to the gods with his sincere heart, seeking blessings for the tribe.
Han Cheng sniffed, pointed to the totem pole, then to his chest, and said seriously to the Shaman, "You can''t pray all night. The gods said so. Even the gods need to sleep."
The Shaman opened his mouth, looking surprised and astonished. He obviously did not expect that the mighty gods also needed to sleep.
"The gods, like us, need to sleep. If you pray to the gods all night and they can''t sleep."
Han Cheng said earnestly.
The Shaman was not young anymore; if this continued for a long time, his body might not be able to bear it.
Regr persuasion wouldn''t work to convince him to stop, so Han Cheng, wearing the halo of the Divine Child, brought out the banner of the gods.
This big banner was indeed effective. The Shaman was speechless for a while and then went along with it.
Han Cheng and Bai Xue helped the Shaman move around the room for a while, then helped him onto the bed. After he fell asleep, Han Cheng and Bai Xue returned to their room and went to bed.
Lying on the bed and holding Bai Xue, Han Cheng fell asleep after a while.
By this time, it was already bright outside.
Bai Xue Mei slept for a whilest night, so she wasn''t sleepy now.
She didn''t move. Obediently held by Han Cheng, she blinked her eyes and looked seriously at her "godlike" brother, who was not much older than herself.
At this moment, Han Cheng, who seemed omniscient and omnipotent, indeed looked like an underage boy.
For some reason, Bai Xue Mei suddenly felt ufortable. She hugged Han Cheng''s hand tighter and pressed her body closer to him...
Han Cheng woke at noon and saw Bai Xue¡¯s two bright eyes in his arms.
He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips.
Soft and warm...
Without washing up, Han Cheng went to see Liang first.
Liang''s condition had stabilized, and he was still asleep. Han Cheng finally felt relieved after asking about the person watching over him and learning some information.
In the afternoon, Liang woke up and, despite his weak condition, insisted on washing up first.
Afterward, he reluctantly drank a bowl of meat soup, finally fully recovering.
"Are you scared?" Han Cheng asked him.
Liang originally wanted to shake his head, but after some thought, he nodded.
"Do you regret it?" Liang thought for a moment and shook his head vigorously.
"Will you dare to do it again in the future?" Han Cheng asked with a smile.
"I will!" Liang nodded vigorously.
"Try it again after a while."
He smiled somewhat nervously and said.
Han Cheng patted him on the shoulder and didn''t say anything more.
Han Cheng had something else in his hand, specifically a nt.
This nt belonged to a low-lying type, about the size of a bowl, when lying on the ground.
It was deep green, with slightly elongated leaves, and the root stems underneath were brownish-yellow. When broken, a thick, yellowish sap oozed out.
Liang was poisoned after ingesting the juice flowing from the roots of this nt.
Han Cheng didn''t recognize this type of nt. He hadn''t seen it in the future, but now it had a name: Poison Liang Grass.
Chapter 321: Adding poison to meat
Chapter 321: Adding poison to meat
"Di... Divine Child."
Liang called out anxiously from the side, worried that the Poison Liang Grass might have also poisoned the shaman.
Thinking of the excruciating pain twisting in his stomach like a knife, Liang''s face turned pale.
What distressed him the most wasn''t the unbearable pain but the dung shovel Tie Tou had used. Now, he couldn''t help but retch whenever Liang went to the toilet.
Han Cheng used two sticks to mp the Poison Liang Grass, like picking vegetables and began to walk back.
He nned to take this grass back to let everyone in the tribe see it, so they wouldn''t easily provoke such highly toxic nts in the future.
Those who cooked and prepared food needed to be extra careful. If they weren''t careful and ended up with some of this stuff in their cooking pots, this grass might not be called Poison Liang Grass anymore; it might be renamed Extermination Grass, wiping out the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
After confirming that everyone in the tribe remembered the appearance of this grass, Han Cheng had someone dig a hole to bury this highly toxic nt to prevent anyone else from being affected.
Liang''s life had been saved, and the entire Green Sparrow Tribe breathed a sigh of relief.Liang was also quite excited. First, he had identified a highly toxic nt that might reduce the harm to the tribe. Second, he learned another method to treat poisoned individuals. Although the method was a bit pungent, he was still very happy.
Han Cheng''s ease didn''tst long because he saw Second Senior Brother.
Compared to before, Second Senior Brother seemed even thinner, and his belly seemed to have grownrger.
He looked more dizzy and miserable.
When people are healthy, everything is fine. Once the body is ill, the real trouble begins.
Looking at Second Senior Brother now, it was hard to associate him with the person who used to throw stones a hundred meters away.
It was distressing to see him looking so emaciated.
Was Second Senior Brother going to die like this?
Han Cheng grabbed his hair in agony.
After doing this for a while, he stood up, went to where the Poison Liang Grass had been buried not long ago, and squatted down.
After hesitating, he found a stick and dug up the soil that had just been buried.
He picked out the Poison Liang Grass that had been mutted.
"Divine Child..."
Not far away, Liang saw Han Cheng''s actions, came over, and after seeing the situation, asked Han Cheng about it with some confusion.
Han Cheng didn''t answer Liang''s question. He threw the Poison Liang Grass back into the pit and buried it with soil again.
Liang scratched his head beside him, puzzled by the shaman''s mysterious actions.
"Let''s go,e with me."
"What are we doing...?"
"Get some Poison Liang Grass back."
...
There were seven or eight pieces of sliced ??meat in a zed pottery bowl.
These meats were steamed to a mushy consistency in the steamer, and you didn''t even need to chew when you put them in your mouth; they crumbled with a push of the tongue.
Some chopped green onions were also sprinkled on top, with salt added. Without deliberately smelling it, the rich aroma drilled straight into the nostrils, looking extremely enticing.
Liang, who usually loved to eat square-shaped meat the most, couldn''t muster the slightest appetite when faced with this tempting bowl of square-shaped meat now.
Not only that, he even had the urge to keep his distance.
Just a moment ago, he saw the Divine Child put some liquid into this bowl of fragrant square-shaped meat and carefully stirred it with chopsticks.
The impression of this liquid was deep in his mind; it was the juice of the Poison Liang Grass that had nearly taken his life not long ago!
After eating this enticing bowl of square-shaped meat, his mouth feltfortable, but whether he could survive afterward was another story.
Even he, the contemporary doctor, couldn''t muster the courage to eat such meat.
Han Cheng carried the bowl to find the Second Senior Brother, apanied by the Shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, the Third Senior Brother, Liang, and others who knew the situation.
Among them, Liang, who was most afraid of square-shaped meat, was the most nervous and excited because the Divine Child had said before that this poisoned square-shaped meat wasn''t meant to kill but to save.
This made Liang very curious and expectant, wanting to see how the Divine Child would use the juice that could poison people to save them.
The mood of Shaman and the others who knew the situation was simr to Liang''s. On the one hand, they were worried that the Second Senior Brother might be poisoned to death. On the other hand, they were hopeful that the Divine Child would work miracles and cure the Second Senior Brother''s illness, preventing him from waiting for death.
Han Cheng appeared calm, but he didn''t have much confidence. This kind of action was a desperate move in the face of illness.
His idea was simple: Parasites could have caused Second Senior Brother''s illness, and the toxicity of the Poison Liang Grass was very strong. He wanted to try this method to see if he could kill the parasites in Second Senior Brother''s stomach.
This was a risky move. First, it was uncertain whether there were parasites in his stomach, and second, even if there were, it was unknown if the Poison Liang Grass would work.
Thirdly, there was a concern that the Poison Liang Grass might directly poison Second Senior Brother.
Although he had carefully asked Liang about the amount, he had tasted that day and only mixed in one-third of the amount into the square-shaped meat, the possibility of Second Senior Brother being poisoned to death directly still existed.
Carrying the meat to Second Senior Brother, Han Cheng hesitated again.
Shaman stepped forward, took the bowl of square-shaped meat from Han Cheng''s hand, gently picked up a piece with chopsticks, and brought it to Second Senior Brother''s mouth.
The second Senior Brother was already a bit dizzy, and not very clear-headed.
"Eat it, and you''ll be better," Shaman said.
Under Han Cheng''s watchful gaze with clenched fists, the Second Senior Brother ate the entire bowl of square-shaped meat.
After finishing, he drank half a bowl of boiled water to relieve the greasiness.
Han Cheng, Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, Liang, and others did nothing else but keep an eye on Second Senior Brother''s condition.
After eating, Second Senior Brother appeared much more alert, looking as if he hadn''t been sick before. He even spoke to Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
The shaman and the others were excited to see this.
Han Cheng''s heart clenched secretly, hoping it wasn''t just a temporary improvement.
After being clear-headed for a while, Second Senior Brother became dazed again.
In the wait of everyone, there was still no response.
In the afternoon, there was finally some movement. The second Senior Brother held his round belly,ining of stomach pain.
If people didn''t know the situation, they might think the second senior brother was about to give birth with all themotion.
Tie Tou was already holding the dung scoop, ready to act at a moment''s notice, waiting for the Divine Child''smand to quickly demonstrate his astonishing skills.
Han Cheng carefully observed Second Senior Brother''s condition, examining hisplexion and body''s reactions.
Seeing that he didn''t react as strongly as Liang did when poisoned before and appeared to have more energy, Han Cheng clenched his fists with sweat in his palms, forcing himself not to mention gastricvage.
It wasn''t until near dusk that Second Senior Brother finally calmed down.
Estimating the time, Han Cheng figured it had been about two and a half hours.
But his calm didn''tst long. Soon, there was a newmotion.
Chapter 322: Group Poisoning
Chapter 322: Group Poisoning
The second senior brother lying there suddenly got up from the kang, startling everyone.
Just as they were about to ask what was going on, he dashed into the courtyard, bypassing everyone in a hurry.
At this moment, Han Cheng realized what was happening and couldn''t help but smile.
Sure enough, when people were in a hurry, their hidden potential would be immediately triggered...
Looking at the thing before him, Han Cheng felt nervous and relieved.
He was nervous because of therge mass of worms but relieved because his guess made half-blindly and half-aimlessly, turned out to be correct.
The second senior brother didn''t have a tumor in his stomach, something unimaginable in this era; instead, he had parasites.
The highly toxic Poison Liang Grass was effective against parasites!
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, including the shaman and the eldest senior brother, were shocked and puzzled. They couldn''t understand why a seemingly healthy person would have so many worms in his stomach!The weakened second senior brother, tortured by parasites and Poison Liang Grass, fell asleep without taking any more juice from the roots.
This substance was too toxic to be taken continuously. The possibility of continuous use was that the second senior brother and the parasites in his stomach would perish together!
Liang squatted there, scrutinizing the several Poison Liang Grass nts before him.
Excitement and realization shone in his eyes.
He couldn''t believe that the poisonous medicine that had caused him so much suffering and nearly cost him his life could not only be used to kill but also to treat and save lives!
When used properly, it turned out that even poison could be medicine...
As he squatted there, excitedly contemting, he vaguely felt he had grasped something.
While Liang was excitedly reflecting, Han Cheng, who had skipped a meal that evening, gathered the shaman and the eldest senior brother for a small meeting.
The core of the meeting was to provide everyone in the tribe with some juice from the Poison Liang Grass.
The worms in the second senior brother''s stomach had shocked Han Cheng.
Before he arrived, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had been drinking untreated water, sometimes containing invisible insect eggs.
This proposal quickly gained unanimous agreement from the people.
Han Cheng, the shaman, and the eldest senior brother were all frightened by the second senior brother''s ordeal and the terrifying worms.
How could there be life-threatening things in a person''s stomach?
As for experiencing stomach pain after consuming Poison Liang Grass, enduring a moment of pain was better than living in constant fear.
Now, if the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t consume some Poison Liang Grass, they felt ufortable all over.
The next day, Han Cheng and Liang carefully extracted the juice from the roots of the Poison Liang Grass and added it to rice bowls.
They were cautious, giving adults less than they had given the second senior brother the day before and dividing the dosage for children into several levels based on their age.
This substance must be handled carefully, as it could be deadly if not properly administered.
Han Cheng and Bai Xue also consumed some.
So, on that day, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were all suffering from stomach pain.
The effect was evident, and another twenty-two people were found to have parasites in their stomachs.
However, it was far less terrifying than the second senior brother had experienced.
These twenty-two people would also need to consume Poison Liang Grass several times to eliminate the parasites in their stomachs.
After experiencing this parasite crisis, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe became even more severe and meticulous about drinking boiled water, avoiding cold food and raw meat, washing their hands frequently, and paying attention to hygiene.
After taking the poison Liang grass two more times, Second Senior Brother''s condition improved. Although still rtively thin and weak, his spirits were much better than before, and he wasn''t as dazed anymore.
With this improvement, Han Cheng finally felt relieved enough to focus on making hoes.
Without metal, bone, wood, and stone remained the primary materials for making hoes.
Compared to bone shovels, making bone hoes was more difficult. Although bone grinding and drilling wereborious tasks, with the skilled bone craftsmen of the original Bone Tribe, they could slowly be aplished. However, the most significant issue was that the bone hoes were not sturdy.
"Crack..."
With a crisp sound, apanied by the tremor of the hoe handle, the fracture was clearly audible.
Han Cheng smirked slightly, knowing without looking that the newly made bone hoe had failed again.
As he lifted his hand, the bone hoe handle came off quickly. However, the bone hoe head connected to the wooden handle remained stuck in the ground, broken from where it was drilled.
Han Cheng sighed. The bone was still not sturdy enough to withstand too much force. While it was okay for weeding, once used for digging, the bone hoe would easily break after a few attempts to pry it out of the soil.
Han Cheng wrinkled his nose. It seemed that this bone hoe could only be used for weeding in the future; it was impossible to dig.
When turning the soil, a modified hoe like a mattock or a three-toothed nail rake was more efficient and handy than a bone shovel.
The so-called mattock was simr to a hoe but heavier, narrower, and longer, with substantial weight.
Such a tool could quickly turn the soil.
The three-toothed nail rake was excellent for breaking new ground due to its low resistance and sharpness.
Let''s not talk about the three-toothed nail rake; it could only be made of steel.
Wood could also be used to make it, but it would only be a temporary solution, good for a few digs before it broke, cleaner and more efficient than a bone shovel.
So, the only option left was the ax.
After several experiments, Han Cheng understood that bones could only be used to loosen soil but not for digging.
With limited resources, only stones remained as usable material.
Following the shape drawn by Han Cheng on the ground with branches, the first stonemason of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Mu Tou, spent three days painstakingly hammering a hard stone into a strip five centimeters wide, twenty centimeters long, and three centimeters thick.
Mu Tou was patient with these tasks. As long as he continued bit by bit, he would eventually get it done.
However, one problem puzzled him: drilling a hole in the upper part of this hammered stone to fit a wooden handle.
Drilling holes in stones had been done before, using another sharp, sturdy stone to carefully drill it persistently. After a long time, a hole could be made.
But all the holes drilled before were in rtively thin stone pieces. Thick stones like the current one had never been drilled before.
Moreover, Han Cheng had additional requirements: the hole not only had to berge but also should notpromise the overall solidity of the stone strip...
Chapter 323: Mu Tou drilling a hole in a stone
Chapter 323: Mu Tou drilling a hole in a stone
Mu Tou was a patient and stubborn person. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have spent his days persevering with stones and still enjoying it.
Although the task assigned by the Divine Child was daunting, he didn''t flinch. After sitting there for a while contemting, he grabbed a stone and began hammering it ording to the circles drawn by Han Cheng on the stone strip.
No matter what, you still have to take action; sitting there daydreaming won''t conjure a hole out of a stone.
"ck, ck, ck..."
With each strike, the stone emitted a slightly pungent smell apanied by flying stone chips. Gradually, shallow pits began to appear on the stone.
Han Cheng halted his Mu Tou.
It wasn''t that the woodwork wasn''t meticulous enough, but the pits chiseled out by this method were conical, wider on the outside, and narrower on the inside.
Even if he managed to create a hole in the stone, it wouldn''t be suitable for fitting a handle.
Because of the weight and volume of the stone''s hole, the handle couldn''t be too thin; it had to be at least two and a half centimeters in diameter.With Han Cheng''s current method, even if he managed to create a hole two and a half centimeters in diameter on the stone, it would almost reach the edge of the stone...
Such a handle, used for plowing the ground, was destined to be as fragile as a bone shovel, breaking off from the wooden handle after only a few uses...
The best solution was to use a drill bit to drill a hole, resulting in a generally thicker hole.
Drilling holes in stone required a metal drill bit...
Just this one issue was enough to leave Han Cheng helpless.
Why bother making a stone handle if he could make a metal drill bit?
Directly forging one from steel would be much better.
Would they only be able to dig the earth piece by piece with a bone shovel in the future?
Han Cheng frowned.
Then he smiled helplessly, realizing that he had gotten into a situation with drilling holes aftering here.
Last time, it was with wood, and this time, it was with stone; what a coincidence.
Mu Tou also furrowed his brow.
This person, who had always been patient, now felt very lost.
Because he was the chief stonemason of the Green Sparrow tribe, he couldn''t meet the Divine Child''s demands regarding drilling a suitable hole in the stone.
As the second senior brother''s condition improved day by day and Shaman¡¯s mood rxed, he once again had the mood to tease the Shaman''s rabbit. Discovering Han Cheng''s troubled state, he carried a rabbit he had trained obediently and approached, asking.
Han Cheng expressed his difficulties, and the Shaman felt very regretful after hearing them.
The bone shovel, which could dig and turn the soil, was already handy, in his opinion. Still, the Divine Child''s mentioned handle was even more suitable for turning soil, especially on harder ground.
Knowing that there was such a tool that would greatly benefit the tribe but not being able to produce it was truly regrettable for someone like the Shaman, who always schemed for the benefit of the tribe when he had nothing else to do.
But as for drilling holes in stone, he couldn''t help at all. The smartest Divine Child and Mu Tou, who dealt with stone the most, were both at a loss, let alone him.
Did drilling holes in stone have to be done with a metal drill bit?
How were the holes on stone tools made long, long ago?
Han Cheng, who had been pondering how to get some steel, realized that he seemed to have fallen into a misconception.
Was it ever stated that drilling holes in stone had to be done with a metal drill bit?
If not with a metal drill bit, then what material and method should be used?
"I''ve got it!"
Han Cheng, who couldn''t sleep at night while holding Bai Xue, suddenly eximed excitedly.
It wasn''t that Bai Xue had arrived; it was that he had found a way to drill holes in the stone.
Bai Xue, sleeping soundly, was awakened by Han Cheng''s shout, asking groggily what had happened.
Han Cheng smiled and hugged her closer, saying it was nothing and telling her to go back to sleep.
Bai Xue, being embraced by Han Cheng, felt very reassured and soon fell asleep again.
Han Cheng didn''t sleep. He would have gone out to implement his n if it weren''t midnight.
Unable to sleep at night and holding a young bride in his arms, Han Cheng''s hands were naturally not idle.
Han Cheng was deeply impressed by his wisdom and foresight.
After changing her name to Bai Xue, the ces where the young bride should have gained flesh finally began to fill out.
Although it wasn''t much and still tender, at least it wasn''t t.
With the famous verse "The little lotus just shows its sharp tip, and already a dragonflynds on it" by Yang Wanli echoing in his mind, Han Cheng drifted into dreams.
After dreaming all night, he couldn''t remember the plot; he only remembered Snow White''s proud weapons.
Quietly lifting the fur covering him, Han Cheng looked at Bai Xue beside him, still immersed in his dream. Immediately, he was brought back to reality...
The entire Green Sparrow tribe was in an uproar because, just a while ago, they were intelligent, wise, kind, and a series of other adjectives; Divine Child suddenly announced loudly that he wanted to use wood to drill holes in the stone.
After confirming from the Divine Child that Mu Tou and Shi Tou were real individuals of their Green Sparrow tribe, the crowd immediately boiled over.
Drilling holes in wood with hard stone could still be epted, but now the Divine Child had turned things around, using wood to drill holes in stone. This was genuinely unimaginable!
Some people, fearing their spection was wrong, deliberately found wooden sticks to drill on the stone. After half a day, apart from their palms turning red from rubbing, they gained no harvest.
Some people reced the drill bit with a pure wooden drill handle and began drilling on the stone, with the same result.
The stone remained intact, but the wooden drill handle was significantly worn down.
After these two experiments, people became even more curious and puzzled and found the Divine Child''s wisdom even more unfathomable.
Amidst everyone''s anticipation, the incredibly hyped Han, with a confident smile, came to the stone chiseled by Mu Tou.
In his hand, he carried a pouch made of animal skin.
All eyes were fixed firmly on this pouch, expecting their Divine Child to take out an awe-inspiring tool from it.
The pouch was opened, and under everyone''s unwavering gaze, Han Cheng took out a tool from it.
After seeing this tool, the highly expectant crowd almost stumbled.
They looked at each other in disbelief.
This... isn''t this a hand drill? Their people had already verified that it couldn''t drill into the stone.
How did the Divine Child take it out?
This... this...
Was the Divine Child going to use a hand drill to drill holes?
Yes, Han Cheng indeed intended to use this tool in his hand to drill holes.
Suddenly wanting to show off a bit in the tribe, Han Cheng was very satisfied with the reaction of the crowd.
He squatted there, adjusted the hand drill behind him, and began work.
Chapter 324: Stone Flint and Shu Pi
Chapter 324: Stone Flint and Shu Pi
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe stared wide-eyed, closely watching Han Cheng''s every move, especially those who had personally pressed the drills against the stones, refusing even to blink.
They wanted to see how the Divine Child would manage to drill out the eyes from the stones, a method they had already tested and confirmed to be unfeasible.
On one side of the groundy a groove previously carved by Mu Tou.
Han Cheng ced the well-adjusted hand-powered drill bit into this shallow groove.
Instead of drilling directly, he took a small handful of something from his pocket and ced it into the groove.
It was sand.
Han Cheng didn''t possess the magical ability to turn stones into gold. Like the other tribesmen who had tried drilling with wooden sticks, he couldn''t aplish it either.
But adding some fine sand into the mix changed everything.
This idea wasn''t something he came up with on the spot. When he was young, his family had two stone mills used to grind sesame oil to sell in nearby viges. He often yed around those oil mills and heard about this method from the idle chatter of the older generation.It was said that this method was used to drill holes into stone mills in the past.
Of course, Han Cheng didn''t know whether they used hand-powered drills.
Even stone mills with about ten centimeters could be drilled through, let alone these thin stone strips only three centimeters thick.
This was also why Han Cheng dared to boast confidently even without conducting a half-real experiment.
"Chirp chirp~"
"Chirp chirp~"
With Han Cheng''s up and down movements, the wooden drill began to rotate back and forth, squeezing the sand inside the stone groove and rubbing against the stone strip, emitting a slightly grating sound.
The river pebbles lose all their edges and be smooth due to the erosion of the river.
In addition to water, rivers also carry fine sediments, key elements.
Watching all of this, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe showed a sudden realization, not that they understood the principle behind it, but they had a simr revtion, "The Divine Child indeed doesn''t rely solely on hand-powered drills."
Drilling through stone was much slowerpared to drilling through wood.
They could finally see the effect after recing the ground-up sand three times in a row.
The pit became a bit deeper, and the surrounding walls, initially uneven from Mu Tou''s chiseling, appeared much smoother.
Mu Tou, squatting on the side, watched with shining eyes. The method the Divine Child had just devised progressed much faster than he had been using before!
When chiseling with stones, the speed is initially faster, but as the pit deepens, the speed decreases rapidly. Moreover, one must be constantly vignt to avoid damaging the tool.
However, this method was different. The deeper the pit, the faster the drilling, and there was no need to worry about the stones below breaking apart. Plus, using a hand-powered drill was much more convenient than holding a stone to chisel.
Don''t doubt why Mu Tou knows so much because the hand-powered drill is in his hands at this moment...
With these initial results, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribepletely believed what Han Cheng had said about drilling holes in stones with wood.
The next day, the holes in the stone strips were thoroughly drilled through, forming very round holes.
A prepared wooden handle was inserted into the hole, and wooden wedges were tightly inserted around it, finallypleting the pickaxe!
The angle between the wooden handle and the stone pickaxe was about seventy degrees, which was conducive to the leverage principle. This allowed the pickaxe to "catch" more soil and be morebor-saving.
After Han Cheng had personally demonstrated it, the pickaxe ended up in the hands of the Eldest Senior Brother.
"Splish!"
Under the crowd''s gaze, the pickaxe lifted by the Eldest Senior Brother fell directly into the soil, prating more than ten centimeters deep.
The Eldest Senior Brother lifted the pickaxe''s handle upwards, and the pickaxe embedded in the mud lifted arge chunk of soil.
With this action, it was almost equivalent to digging three times with a bone shovel!
Witnessing the usefulness of the pickaxe, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were very excited.
The Divine Child had described the golden dream of millet to them more than once, and they were deeply fascinated by it.
Now, with the pickaxe as a tool for turning the soil, they had more confidence in nting tempting grains around the tribe...
Starting things is always tricky, but with the first sessful manufacturing of the pickaxe, expanding production became much easier.
Three people who were skilled in making bone tools were selected from among the people of the original Bone Tribe to join Mu Tou in chiseling stones.
They chiseled stone strips about five units wide, three units thick, and twenty units long.
Several people were also assigned to use specially made hand-powered drills to drill holes in the stones and sharpen one end.
To do a good job, one must first sharpen one''s tools. Allocating manpower and manufacturing tools conducive to cultivation was necessary to carry outrge-scalend cultivation.
While the Green Sparrow Tribe was bustling with single-minded efforts to seek development and pursue a better life, things were happening in ces unseen.
"Ssh!"
The sound of breaking water echoed as a rudimentary fish cage woven from tree branches burst out of the water, tilting onto the grassy bank. A half-jumping, half-falling fish escaped from the cage, eager to return to the water to enjoy the legendary aquatic bliss.
"p!"
Tworge hands suddenly appeared, catching the fish and mming it hard onto the ground. It struggled for a moment before lying still, unable to return to the water, its eyes wide open in death.
A primitive man, wearing animal skins and leaves, picked up the fish that could no longer enjoy the water''s embrace. He threaded a twig through its gills and strung it with three or four other fish.
After finishing this task, he tossed the rudimentary fish cage back into the water and began to wait.
Not far behind him, there was a pile of slowly extinguishing fires with some fish bones beside it.
The primitive man stood there for a while, watching the fish cage sinking into the riverbed, then squatted down and used his hands to scoop up water to wash his face.
This was a habit he had developed in the tribe that had given him countless beautiful memories.
The cool river water washed away the dust from his face. Through the slightly rippling reflection, one could see his appearance. Although his beard and hair had grown, he was still recognizable.
This man was none other than Shu Pi, who had been expelled from the Green Sparrow Tribe and was believed to be long dead.
Having washed his face, Shu Pi squatted by the river, gazing at his reflection in the water, and began to recall his experiences during this period.
At first, he thought he was going to die. Homeless, he lingered in the Green Sparrow Tribe for a while before finally leaving that dreamlike tribe people longed for. He didn''t know where to go, wandering until he eventually returned to his original tribe.
Chapter 325: The Wandering Shu Pi and the Innocent Primitive Woman
Chapter 325: The Wandering Shu Pi and the Innocent Primitive Woman
Shu Pi didn''t return to the cave because a pack of leopards had taken over the cave they used to inhabit. Shu Pi didn''t have time to think about whether the scent of the unburned bodies of the tribe members attracted them. He was already too weak from hunger. He bypassed the cave and went to the riverside, using broken branches to spearfish to eat. That was his most urgent need.
Exhaustion and hunger greatly diminished his agility and strength, and despite his efforts, he couldn''t catch any fish for a long time.
He remembered the contraptions the tribe used for fishing and threw away the stick in his hand, gathering some branches instead.
In the tribe that had driven him out, he had never made what they called a fish trap; he had only observed it closely.
Now, he struggled to recall the appearance of that fish trap, clumsily weaving branches together.
After a long while, he finally created something barely resembling a fish trap.
With no Shu Pi left, he tied this crude fish trap with grass rope and exerted all his strength to throw it into the river...
"Ssh!"
A fish trap was pulled out several notches higher than before, this time containing two fish...He tied the fish trap around his waist, which he regarded as a treasure, and tied together eightrge and small fish with sticks, forming a circle, which he hung diagonally over his shoulder.
He held an extremely rudimentary bow in one hand and a spear made of a tree branch in the other then left the area.
He didn''t know where he was or where he was going.
He had already left his original tribe, unable to defeat the pack of leopards and reim his former cave. He had no choice but to leave.
Whether it was the blessing of a motherless child or some other reason, he encountered danger several times on this journey but narrowly escaped each time, surviving until now.
He needed to find a cave to sleep in.
This thought arose after he fell from a tree once again.
This gave direction to his aimless wandering.
He had to find a female primitive human to spend the night with.
This was another desire that emerged as he rubbed against something raised high.
An overstuffed, stimted bachelor is exceptionally terrifying.
He ate one of the lovey-dovey birds, and its beautiful feathers were tied to the back of wooden arrows. He tied the other bird to its two legs with grass rope, hanging diagonally over his shoulder as the next meal.
A cave was found!
A female primitive human was also found!
Hidden in the thicket, looking at the female primitive human fishing by the small river and then at a cave not far away, his mood was beautiful and nervous.
He didn''t act recklessly but waited quietly for a while here. After confirming that most of the people in this tribe had gone out hunting, he stood up from the thicket. He walked towards the female primitive human, gradually moving away from the others and towards himself, fishing along the river.
The female primitive human was fishing earnestly, and it wasn''t until the Shu Pi was almost beside her that she noticed the unexpected visitor.
Perhaps startled by this unexpected stranger, the female primitive human widened her eyes and mouth but didn''t shout.
Even though this female primitive human was dirty, the Shu Pi could still see that she was either a young adult or about to be one.
If she were an experienced female primitive human, she would have either shouted out or already turned and run away, not standing still like this.
The female primitive human finally reacted and was about to shout when the Shu Pi had already taken down the colorful bird on his shoulder and handed it to her.
The voice that the female primitive was about to make disappear, and her alreadyrge eyes widened even further.
She looked at the beautiful big bird, then nced at the Shu Pi holding the bird in front of her. After a while, she looked at the Shu Pi with a somewhat incredulous expression, pointing at the bird, then at herself.
The Shu Pi nodded earnestly.
The female primitive immediately smiled and reached out to take the colorful big bird from Shu Pi''s hand.
But the bird didn''t reach her hand as the Shu Pi moved away.
The female primitive stood there dumbfounded, looking at the unfamiliar man in front of her with a mixture of confusion and wariness.
Didn''t he just say he was going to give her the bird? Why did he change his mind now?
In her hesitation, the Shu Pi once again offered the colorful big bird from its hand.
But this time, it used only one hand, while the other empty hand also reached out, pressing against the female primitive''s exposed chest.
Her attention waspletely absorbed by the colorful big bird, ignoring the Shu Pi''s actions.
The bird wasrge enough to feed at least two people.
If she could bring this big bird back to the tribe, she could get some bird meat when it was time to eat. Normally, she rarely got to eat meat; the good food was always eaten by those stronger than her.
But if she could bring this bird back, it would be different. As the one who obtained the food, she could get some meat from this bird.
The delicious taste of meat filled the heart of this inexperienced female primitive.
Holding tightly to the colorful big bird, she was led by the unfamiliar male primitive who gave her the bird to a small grove not far away...
Satisfied, the Shu Pi rubbed its fingers together, sniffing them under its nose, revealing a lewd expression simr to that of an old stag.
Reaching out to fiddle with a dejected figure hiding behind the trees, he secretly watched the female primitive walking in a somewhat strange posture while holding the big bird.
By the riverbank, several other female primitives who were fishing, upon seeing the almost adult female primitive holding the colorful big bird, couldn''t help but exim in surprise.
It wasn''t easy to catch such a bird, and now, this person in the tribe who hadn''t even fully grown up had caught such a big bird. How could they not be amazed?
Everyone couldn''t help but marvel at the good fortune of this underage person.
In the evening, the news of the almost adult female primitive capturing a big bird caused a stir throughout the entire tribe.
This female primitive, who had never received such treatment before, squatted by the fire eating delicious bird meat, her mind involuntarily picturing the male primitive who had given her the colorful big bird.
The weather was fine, and many adult males and strong females from the tribe went out hunting again, while the few women who often fished continued to fish by the riverbank.
The fishing skills of the almost adult female primitive were not very good. After a long time, she hadn''t caught a single fish, so she began to walk upstream of the river...
Chapter 326: The Lucky Shu Pi
Chapter 326: The Lucky Shu Pi
Shu Pi had been waiting in the bushes for quite some time, feeling full after eating, and he couldn''t help but think of that primitive female human.
After waiting a while, the female primitive human finally started walking towards him. Shu Pi, feeling much bolder than before, emerged from the bushes before the female primitive human reached him, holding five or six fish of various sizes and smiling at her. When the female primitive human arrived, Shu Pi handed her the string of fish directly. Without him needing to pull it, she walked towards the small grove herself, and Shu Pi chuckled lightly as he followed behind her.
When the female primitive human returned with the fish, it inevitably caused a minormotion once again. The best angler had only caught four fish so far, but this novice female primitive human had managed to catch six. Are there more fish upstream? With doubt and anticipation, they headed upstream and found it simr to downstream.
Shu Pi''s mood wasn''t bad at all. This time, he had caught three rabbits and a string of fish. After eating one rabbit himself, he hung the other one up high. Considering it had been two or three days since he had seen the female primitive human, he carried the fish and rabbits back to where she usually stayed.
The underage female primitive human felt slightly disappointed because the person who often brought her plenty of food hadn''t appeared for several days. She missed the taste of bird meat and grilled fish, which were much tastier than wild vegetables. As she thought about this, after skewering some fish for a while, she habitually looked towards the small grove, and to her pleasant surprise, she saw the man appearing again, with fish and rabbits in his hands! She happily ran over with her fish spear made of sticks...
Underneath the river, a female primitive human who had been spearing fish had been paying attention to the movements of the underage female primitive human. When she saw her running towards the small grove, she followed suit. Regarding the consecutive strokes of good luck for this underage female primitive human, she had always been somewhat skeptical. The female primitive human widened her eyes, looking very surprised at the scene before her. The underage female primitive human from her tribe was lying on the ground, her animal skins gone. In front of her were a rabbit and several fish, and behind her was a strange male rapidly moving... This incident made her very angry because this underage person was her offspring! The sudden turn of events also made the underage person panic, bewildered, and unsure of what to do.
After another female arrived, Shu Pi calmed down. He stood up, picked up the string of fish from the bewildered underage person on the ground, and hung it around the neck of the new female primitive human... The female primitive, who was considerably older,y on the ground, looking at the slightly shaking five or six fish before her, feeling that today''s catch was quite good... Watching the female primitive who asionally looked back here as she left the grove with the fish and rabbits she was carrying, Shu Pi smiled again...
Food could be obtained behind the small grove upstream of the river, bing a secret among the five female primitive humans responsible for spearing fish along the riverbank in the tribe. While the adult male members and others had left the tribe to hunt, these five women continued to spearfish by the river. However, unlike before, they didn''t spearfish directly but went behind the small grove first. Shu Pi returned many games today: seven or eight fish strung together, a rabbit, and a colorful big bird.
Looking at the five female primitive humans standing in front of him, he didn''t hesitate much and handed the colorful big bird to the recently matured female primitive human who was closest to him. He then gave the rabbit to the second most familiar female primitive human and the fish to another female primitive human withrge buttocks. The three who received food stayed behind, while the two who didn''t were envious as they watched the three but still went to the riverbank to spearfish...The tribe didn''t have much sess in hunting today, and ording to past experiences, many would go hungry in such situations. However, the leader and others weren''t too worried this time because, recently, those responsible for fishing in the tribe had caught much more than before. Sometimes, not only did they bring back more fish but also some small game.
Back at the cave, the tribe leader looked at the fish, rabbits, and colorful big birdid out there and couldn''t help but smile broadly. These people didn''t disappoint him; they caught a lot of food. He reached out and patted the shoulders of these women vigorously, loudly praising their capabilities...
Those who often walk by the river will inevitably get wet shoes. Walking on the night road frequently, one is bound to encounter ghosts.
In the tribe, a man had injured his foot during yesterday''s hunt and couldn''t sprint for a short time. Under the leader''s arrangement, he was allowed to rest in the cave. After resting for a while, he couldn''t stay still and found a fish spear in the cave. Limping, he left the tribe and headed towards the river. Despite the injury, he could still spearfish. However, what puzzled him was that he didn''t see the figures of the several women who had gone out with fish spears not long ago.
With doubts, he followed the river upstream. After walking for a while, three women came out of the small grove, looking very panicked when they saw the male primitive not far away. The male primitive instinctively felt something good had happened and hurried towards the small grove. He saw a figure disappearing into the woods.
In the small grove, two female primitives were still hurriedly wrapping animal skins around themselves. Shu Pi ran for a while before stopping, panting heavily. Being discovered, he probably couldn''t continue like this in the future, and he couldn''t stay around this tribe anymore.
Shu Pi squatted on a tree, with excess food hanging on the branches he had collected. It had been a while since he had been to that tribe. Humans are social animals, and living alone is ufortable. He looked at the surplus food hanging there, reached down, and grabbed a handful, feeling very ufortable. After hesitating back and forth for a while, he finally carried the food and climbed down the tree with his bow and arrow, heading towards the enticing woods. The wilderness life during this period had made Shu Pi very cautious. He didn''t rush out but hid here to observe for a while. After confirming that the people of this tribe had gone out hunting again, he began to make sounds to attract the attention of the several women still spearfishing by the river. When he saw them looking over, Shu Pi raised the food he was carrying high. He brought plenty of food this time, and after some time without much interaction, he decided to keep all these female primitives today.
Chapter 327: Third, Fifth, and Ninth Tier is exemplary
Chapter 327: Third, Fifth, and Ninth Tier is exemry
Shu Pi was caught.
He held up the food, watching the five primitive women running towards him at full speed, his happy little tongue trembling.
He could experience that excellent taste again!
Smiling, he hung the food on the bodies of the primitive women.
Unexpectedly, after epting his food, these primitive women didn''t strip off their animal skins and lie down on the ground as usual but suddenly reached out and pinned him to the ground.
Shu Pi would run far away if time could turn back and never provoke these unfamiliar primitive women again.
As time passed, the people from this tribe should be returning soon. To Shu Pi''s horror, these five women, whom he was familiar with, firmly held him down.
No matter how hard he struggled or pleaded, they refused to let go, holding him even tighter than when they sat on him in the small forest before.
In Shu Pi''s extreme nervousness, the returning people from the tribe arrived..."£¤55!"
Amidst the furious roar of the tribal leader and others, Shu Pi, covered in injuries, threw the rudimentary fish trap he had woven into the river.
"£¤4!"
Watching the fish leaping on the grass in front of them, everyone in the tribe was stunned.
The tribal leader picked up the rudimentary fish trap, holding it and loudly praising it...
"Twang!"
With the vibration of the bowstring twisted from the inner fibers of the Shu Pi and the fluttering feathers of the wooden arrow, a bird with wings spread out, about a dozen meters away, squealed in protest and fell silent on the ground...
"5q!"
Once again, the surrounding onlookers eximed in amazement.
Shu Pi, holding his bow, looked somewhat smug.
"£¤4!"
The tribal leader snatched the bow from his hand, held it with awe and excitement, and examined it carefully.
Shu Pi didn''t die. Hey on the hay and animal skins, looking at the cave above his head, ckened by smoke. One of his hands unconsciously stroked the soft chest of a primitive person lying beside him.
He had a tribe again, but the people in this tribe were not as numerous as those in his previous tribe.
They were far from the dreamlike Green Sparrow tribe.
However, no matter what, he had a tribe again, a cave to live in.
And he even had a spouse.
This spouse was the young primitive woman who had often taken food from him before she reached adulthood.
As hey there, memories of everything he had seen in that tribe shed.
He hadn''t lived in the Green Sparrow tribe for long, but everything there was most vivid in his memory.
In the past, he had merely reminisced about the dreamlike life there, but now, his memories had acquired some other purposes.
The fish trap and bow and arrow he learned from that tribe saved his life and helped him establish himself here. This made him, who had tasted sess, feel eager.
To die and still be able to produce that precious pottery... Wouldn''t my status in the tribe be even higher?
When the timees, not only can I sleep with the woman who became my spouse, but I can also give to more...
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe, where all this happened, were unaware. If it weren''t for being asionally used as negative examples in propaganda, they probably would have forgotten about the person named Shu Pi long ago.
They had their affairs to attend to, without much time to think about the person who had been exiled from the tribe and likely eaten by wild beasts long ago.
For the people of the Green Sparrow tribe, today was a day worth celebrating because the new houses they began constructing this year could finally be officially upied.
Living in the newly constructed houses, the people of the original Bone tribe appeared particrly joyful.
They felt morefortable living in houses they had built with their own hands.
In the newly built houses, not only the people of the original Bone tribe would live. Han Cheng naturally wouldn''t overlook such a ring loophole.
The integration of the tribes wasn''t achieved overnight; it required starting from small matters and considering every aspect.
After the new houses were built, Han Cheng gathered the people of the tribe and, for very official reasons, reassigned the housing.
The old hands of the Green Sparrow tribe and the people of the original Bone tribe were mixed.
The ratio between old hands and neers was roughly two to one in each house.
Issues concerning the residents of the entire house being only from the original Bone tribe wouldn''t arise.
It wasn''t just housing; Han Cheng deliberately mixed the two groups even in dailybor.
The results were very significant. By now, there wasn''t much difference between the two tribes anymore.
Whether it was lifestyle habits or clothing.
Of course, the people of the original Bone tribe weren''t fluent in Mandarin.
Han Cheng believed that what appeared to be very crude stone sickles were popr in the tribe and received unanimous praise from all the settlers.
Now, the Green Sparrow tribe had a total of thirty-one stone sickles.
There were only five bone spades.
The scarcity was because these bone spades, which were used for weeding and loosening soil, were now unnecessary.
They would be useful once the new season''s millet was nted next year, but there was no hurry to make them now.
Han Cheng stood on the tall wall, looking towards the west of the tribe. A group of people was digging there, almost reaching the edge of the western forest, two or three miles away from the tribe.
From the wall to the forest''s edge, such arge area, less than a tenth of thend remained undeveloped!
Han Cheng led a group of people with disabilities yesterday and roughly measured it. Thend for nting rapeseed and millet was included. The cultivatednd of the Green Sparrow tribe now exceeds two hundred mu (133,333 square meters)!
It''s only the beginning of July in the lunar calendar. Based on this progress, it''s not a problem for the Green Sparrow tribe to have six hundred mu (400,000 square meters) of cultivatednd before winter.
The potential and energy of people are enormous. Once their enthusiasm is mobilized, they can achieve astonishing feats.
Leaving aside other matters, just reimingnd is enough to marvel at.
During the remation of Nanni Bay, some people from the Three-Five-Nine Battalion could reim ten mu (6666.666 square meters) ofnd in a single day, which is over five thousand square meters!
Such speed is naturally beyond the capabilities of the Green Sparrow tribe, which only has bone spades and stone sickles. However, on average, each person can reim about three mu (2,000 square meters) ofnd daily, which is still quite effortless.
The Green Sparrow tribe currently has eighty-five adults (thirty-one from the Bone tribe minus the Bone tribe leader and Shu Pi, plus two from the Qinghua and Qingcao tribes).
Excluding those engaged in other tasks, allocating thirty people fornd remation is not a problem.
Now that the newly built houses are finished, many hands can be freed up fornd remation, making the process even faster.
Chapter 328: Got Cuck by Deer Lord?
Chapter 328: Got Cuck by Deer Lord?
Of course, reiming farnd doesn''t just mean turning over the soil and removing some weeds and misceneous trees on the surface.
Another point that requires special attention is soil erosion.
The solution is to build ridges and construct drainage channels.
This not only dramatically reduces soil erosion but also effectively solves the problem of waterlogging in the fields.
Millet is a rtively drought-resistant crop, unlike rice, which can withstand being submerged in water for long periods. Therefore, it''s essential to pay attention to field drainage.
Farming is aplex activity that involves many tasks. Sometimes, neglecting one aspect can lead to significant losses.
And even when everything is done correctly, sess still depends on the weather.
However,pared to hunting, farming is much more stable.
Han Cheng allocated ten of the twenty people involved in building houses to dig drainage ditches in the reimed areas ording to the terrain.They don''t understand these tasks and need Han Cheng''s hands-on teaching first.
Currently, only a rough excavation of drainage ditches can be done. The rest will have to wait until after the rain and then be refined based on the traces left by the water.
Five of the other ten people joined the ranks of cultivating farnd, while the remaining five wielded stone axes to chop trees at the end of the fields to the west of the wall.
Saying they are chopping trees is not entirely urate; they are stripping bark from them.
It takes quite a long time for arge tree to die and dry out, even up to a year or two.
It will take even longer if they encounter trees like the millennium-old pors.
It''s precisely because of this consideration that Han Cheng started to deal with these trees while plenty ofnd was still avable for cultivation.
Next year, the Green Sparrow tribe needs to expand the millet nting area and ntrge areas of wild hemp, which requires considerablend.
What Han Cheng is doing now is preparing for the next step of cultivating farnd.
As the saying goes, "If you don''t n, you''ll suffer."
As the leader of the Green Sparrow tribe, Han Cheng has invested a lot of effort into its development.
Of course,pared to otherborers in the tribe, his work is much easier.
Once things are set in motion and running smoothly, he will assume the role of an overseer.
In grander terms, it''s about ensuring that everyone in the Green Sparrow tribe can be talented and valuable individuals for the tribe.
In more straightforward terms, it''s about him wanting to ck off quietly.
It''s great to spend time leisurely. Han Cheng used to find leisure boring, but now, with Bai Xue as his little wife, life has be much more enjoyable.
There''s nothing more enjoyable than training a little wife.
The weather is extremely hot in July. The scorching sun seems to want to ignite everything with its fiery passion.
Even indoors, it''s not cool. A slight movement results in sticky sweat all over.
When Han Cheng isn''t paying attention, Bai Xue quickly tears open the fur covering her upper body and blows air into the cor.
The wind elerates the evaporation of moisture, which takes away heat, making Bai Xue feel instantly cooler.
Bai Xue looks through the windowttice at the other female primitive people in the tribe, such as Xing, Xiaomei, Xiaoli, and others, who are bare-chested, showing off their chest muscles, and feel envious.
Why can they be bare-chested while she has to endure the difort of wearing this fur in the scorching heat?
This is a question that any man inter generations could quickly answer.
It''s like how many people are unwilling to let their wives wear super short skirts or shorts, but they hope that other people''s wives will wear even less and show even more skin.
However, unlike the men inter generations who sneak nces at their wives with peripheral vision when walking together, Han Cheng, the Divine Child, seems much more brazen. "Brazen" might even be an understatement.
Men''s psychology is sometimes strange. If people like Xing, Xiaomei, and Xiaoli were to be intimate with Han Cheng, he would undoubtedly protect their chastity to the death.
But he never tires of sneaking a nce at them when they''re free.
Could this be the main reason for the invention of bras?
Hearing Han Cheng''s footsteps at the door, Bai Xue quickly released her hand from the cor she held and tugged at her clothes, trying to tten them out as much as possible to hide any traces.
From Bai Xue''s little movements and expressions, Han knew precisely what she had done. This girl couldn''t lie.
Han Cheng put down what he was holding and came to Bai Xue with a smile. In Bai Xue''s nervous mood, he reached out and pulled open her cor.
With a shameless grin, Han cheekily blew two cool breaths onto the sweaty little bumps inside.
Then, he closed the door, drew the curtains, and, to Bai Xue''s astonished expression, stripped her of her upper garment.
Looking at the snowy-white Bai Xue, Han rubbed his hands together and grinned mischievously.
Licking his lips, he approached Bai Xue and then...
Carefully dressed her in the garment he had brought in earlier.
Feeling the coolness on her body, Bai Xue let out a cheerful cry.
Seeing the joyful Bai Xue, Han smiled.
The garment Bai Xue was wearing was made by Han fromrge leaves of trees.
These leaves are pretty sturdy and make decent clothing to cover up.
The condition is that one shouldn''t engage in any strenuous activity, or they might easily break.
Half an hourter, Han realized he was wrong. Another condition for wearing this kind of clothing: don''t go into the deer pen!
When Han Cheng went to milk the deer, Bai Xue followed along.
The old Deer Lord became even more shameless, perhaps feeling uneasy seeing Han milking his wife for no apparent reason and eating her milk. So, he turned his attention to Bai Xue.
Without paying attention, Bai Xue''s leaf garment was grabbed and eaten by the Deer Lord.
Eating is one thing, but this shameless creature even took advantage of the situation to lick Bai Xue with its tongue.
Hearing themotion, Han turned his head, his eyes widening instantly, and then he became furious.
This old thief!
Is this Father''s feast?
Damn it! Worried about having a green light on his head, he started raising a little wife.
But unexpectedly, after all the precautions, he was outsmarted by a deer?!
Han let go of the deer''s wife and milk jug, lifted his leg, and kicked the deer''s leg a few times.
But this guy didn''t care at all, just shaking its skin a bit as if nothing had happened, like a deer.
It even disdainfully snorted at Han Cheng a couple of times.
It''s unclear whether it disdains Han''s stinginess or his little wife.
After all, Bai Xue is far inferior in scalepared to its wife.
Chapter 329: Copper, Iron... the biggest hurdle
Chapter 329: Copper, Iron... the biggest hurdle
Fire prevention, theft prevention, and Pervert deer prevention!
This is the lesson learned by Han Cheng, who risked being "greened" from his own experience!
Suffered a loss!
A big loss!
He only dared toy a Han Cheng on that damn deer''s wife, yet this shameless creature dared to use its mouth directly!
Han Cheng looked at the fat weapon of the deer master''s wife, licked his lips, and ultimately couldn''t bring himself to do it, resorting to the deer''s ways.
Ultimately, he is no match for the ruthless Shitou.
Harvest hemp, weave cloth, make clothes!
Harvest hemp, weave cloth, make clothes!Harvest hemp, weave cloth, make clothes!
This is the roar of a certain Divine Child, who, having felt ashamed, now rises with courage from deep within his heart.
Bai Xue looked very aggrieved, appearing pitiful.
It''s not because that damn lecherous deer frivolously treated her, nor because Han Cheng med her for it, but because of food.
As the sun set, the heat gradually dissipated, and coolness rose, once again spreading fragrance throughout the Green Sparrow Tribe.
People dispersed in the courtyard to have dinner, the most heartwarming time of the day.
However, Bai Xue didn''t feel particrly heartwarming at this moment.
Brother Cheng wouldn''t let her eat more because she had only eaten one bowl of rice.
Xiaomei and Xiaoli could eat three bowls each, and she used to be able to eat three bowls, too, but now she could only manage one, not even half full.
How can she grow up if she doesn''t eat enough? How can she surpass Xiaomei and Xiaoli...
Seeing his little wife looking pitifully at him, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniffle.
Primitive people always burst out with strong enthusiasm for food, and the most obvious result is¨D gaining weight.
In the past few months, Bai Xue no longer looked as skinny as before and had gained a lot of weight.
A while ago, she looked just right, neither thin nor fat, perfectly proportioned.
But perfection is always effortless to pass by. As Han Cheng nodded silently to himself, the flesh on Bai Xue''s body grew incessantly.
When Han Cheng came to his senses, he found that his little wife was already overweight.
If measures weren''t taken, it wouldn''t be long before she caught up with Xiaomei and Xiaoli.
Weight loss and controlling diet are the top priority.
Inter years, Han Cheng had gone through a period of weight loss, insisting on running and ying basketball daily.
With increased physical activity, his appetite improved. However, believing that exercise alone could lead to weight loss, Han Cheng didn''t control his diet.
As a result, after a while, instead of losing weight, he gained three more pounds.
What a painful experience it was.
Weight loss requires abination of exercise and diet control, an experience Han Cheng learned from hister years.
"Sigh!"
Han Cheng sighed, unable to bear Bai Xue''s pitiful appearance, and finally relented, allowing her to eat another half bowl, but no more meat. She had to eat more vegetables.
Watching Bai Xue happily running towards the big pot of rice, Han Cheng couldn''t help but rub his head.
He felt lost. If he were an emperor, the harem would definitely be in chaos.
After resting for a while after dinner, Han Cheng nced at Bai Xue, and she obediently got up and walked to the wall to fetch something.
After putting it on, she began to sway her waist.
Yes, this exercise equipment is a h hoop.
Made with long, smooth branches as the core, wrapped around with soft fur, it doesn''t hurt the body when rotating.
After spinning the h hoop for a while, Bai Xue followed the exercises Han Cheng had taught her, such as bending down and stretching, to train her flexibility.
Firstly, it helps to rx the muscles and bones.
Secondly, hehehe...
These are some of Han Cheng''s more personal thoughts...
On such days, the empty space west of the wall was cleared entirely, and the eldest brother and others began moving to the wall''s east side.
The eastern side of the open space is also not small. Apart from the nted fruit trees, there is still plenty of vacantnd.
Expanding further to the east, reiming two to three hundred acres ofnd would be easy.
While training his little wife, Han Cheng was not idle either. He made the stone-made hoe, but there was no sign of the wooden plow.
For him, the inventor of this primitive seed drill, it is a must.
This three-legged plow pulled by livestock is essential for intensive farming and improving farming efficiency!
The idea isplete, but the reality is different. Many things cannot be aplished with enthusiasm alone; after all, the world is material and not subject to human will.
After finding the wood with holes in the middle suitable for making plow legs and having the woodworker and two bone craftsmen from the Bone Tribe sharpen them, Han Cheng still had to abandon the plow, which was very tempting temporarily.
Compared to bone shovels, bone spades, and stone plows, which require a higher degree of precision, the plow cannot be created with the current tools.
Sigh!
Lying in the shade, watching the dappled light filtering through the leaves, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sigh deeply.
Copper and iron, these metalsmonly seen inter years, have always been a tight constraint on their tribe.
Copper and iron are unavoidable obstacles to further development and manufacturing of more precise and practical tools.
But where can he get these metals?
Iron smelting?
Copper smelting?
Charcoal is avable, and they can somewhat manage to make y furnaces, but the key is that there is no ore now.
When Han Cheng had nothing to do, he would go out with the eldest brother and others. Within a radius of more than ten miles around the Green Sparrow Tribe, there was no trace of them.
Although there was some discontent in his heart, he could still ept it. After all, the range of movement avable now is too small. The fact that there is a salt mountain near the Green Sparrow Tribe is something to be thankful for.
If they could find copper and iron, it would truly be fortunate.
Understanding is one thing, but the frustration in his heart hasn''t diminished much. After all, the plow is an extremely importantponent of hisrge-scale farming n for theing year.
Now that they haven''t even started implementing it formally and they''re already facing such a problem, it''s headache-inducing.
Now that the problem is here, if they want to manufacture usable plows, they must have usable metal tools.
To have metal tools, they need usable metal.
To have metal, they must have metal ore...
After going around in circles, everything returns to the original point.
Why did the damn heavens send him here butt-naked? Couldn''t they have given him at least a backpack, if not a trenching tool? Inside it, besides some food, there were also two knives...
Han Cheng chuckled bitterly, no longer dwelling on these impossible scenarios. With this time and effort, going out and exploring is better. That way, the chances of finding copper and iron ore are higher.
Chapter 330: Catching Loaches
Chapter 330: Catching Loaches
How to dispel worries? Only with delicious food!
During this period, Han Cheng, thinking about metal ores so much that his head was spinning, decided to soothe his injured soul with a hearty meal.
He made this decision partly because he was feeling a bit down and partly because, while the group responsible for digging drainage ditches kept digging all the way to the riverbank, they spotted some loaches.
Upon hearing the news, Han Cheng decided he wanted to catch some loaches to eat.
Upon hearing the master''s request, the person in charge of using fish traps to catch fish, along with the others digging the water channels, felt quite hesitant. This was because loaches were extremely slippery and difficult to catch. Sometimes, they could be caught by chance while fishing, but they would still slip out of the gaps in the fish traps. (The gaps between the fish traps of the Green Sparrow Tribe were rtivelyrge, aiming to catch fewer small fish.)
Loaches were too slippery to catch?
After hearing what everyone said, Han Cheng chuckled. It seemed like he had to do it himself.
Before he could act, Lame patted his chest, saying he had a way and was guaranteed to catch loaches for the master.
Han Cheng was quite curious about what idea Lame hade up with.Loaches spent most of their time hiding in the mud, making them difficult to catch. With Lame''s confidence, could it be that he used conditioner?
Lame''s method was simple: weaving a finer fish trap with thinner branches.
This way, once the loaches entered the fish trap, they could not escape.
After hearing this, Han Cheng shook his head. It was a method, but its efficiency would not be too high.
Because loaches, unlike fish, didn''t like swimming in the water. It was not easy to get them into the fish trap.
Seeing his method rejected by the Divine Child, Lame scratched his head.
If this method didn''t work, then he really couldn''t think of a better one.
Should he use a bone shovel to dig by the river? That would be more trouble than using fish traps.
In his puzzlement, Han Cheng brought stone knives, bone knives, and the bamboo pole he had cut in the bamboo forest before, which he would use as a pole.
He used the stone knife and bone knife to split two sections of bamboo and carefully made some bamboo splints a few millimeters thick.
Making bamboo splints wasn''t easy without sharp metal tools. Although Han Cheng was cautious, he couldn''t make very thin and uniform bamboo splints.
Fortunately, he didn''t need to weave anything, and the carved bamboo splints needed to be cut into extremely short pieces so they could be used reluctantly.
After making them, he brought some tree branches thinner than his fingers, ttened one end, drilled a small hole, and then threaded one of the previously cut bamboo splints, about two centimeters long, through it and secured it in ce.
Lame looked at these half-meter-long sticks, unable to figure out how to use them to catch loaches.
In his opinion, this thing was not as reliable as his suggestion to reweave the fish trap.
But Han Cheng didn''t share Lame''s concerns. He knew best in his heart whether or not this thing was reliable.
Looking at the hundred or so of these things that had been made, and with the sun already leaning westward, ording to the calction from his past life, it was probably around five o''clock. The sun would set in about two hours, so Han Cheng stopped working.
Although some things were left, catching one or two bowls of loaches should not be a problem.
Han Cheng, with the bone shovel, Bai Xue, carrying the "cards," and some other spectators headed towards the small river.
Did they have to use a bone shovel to dig?
Watching the master calmly walk out with a bone shovel, Lame scratched his head in ce before following along.
After arriving at the small river, Han Cheng started digging, not for loaches but earthworms.
The riverbank was damp, and after years of umtion, it had dposed grass, leaves, and other materials, making the soil fertile, which earthworms liked to inhabit.
Sure enough, in no time, many earthworms were dug up.
Primitive people were much braver than people fromter generations and had no fear of various insects. Under Han Cheng''s orders, Bai Xue and the others pinched the cool, sticky earthworms from the soil and ced them in a cracked pottery bowl.
Then, following Han Cheng''s demonstration, they cut the earthworms into small pieces.
Han Cheng vaguely remembered that when an earthworm was cut in half, it wouldn''t die and could turn into two. However, these earthworms dug up didn''t have this opportunity because they were threaded onto the bamboo splints once they were cut.
Bai Xue pinched the bamboo splint threaded onto a small stick with her fingers and joined the two ends together. Due to its excellent flexibility, the bamboo splint didn''t break. Then, she threaded the cut earthworm pieces onto it.
After releasing her hand, the bamboo splint, constrained by the earthworms, arched but didn''t open up.
Because most of the "cards" had been threaded, Han Cheng picked up some of the finished ones and inserted them into the mud in the shallow water along the riverbank. They were inserted about ten centimeters deep, with one inserted every half meter.
The cards inserted into the water weren''t very conspicuous. Without careful observation, they could easily be overlooked.
Time was tight today, so they hurriedly made the cards. Later, they could tie feathers to the tops of the cards so that when it was time to collect them, they could easily see where the cards were and avoid losing them.
Looking at the line of cards extending along the riverbank, a smile appeared on Han Cheng''s face.
"Big Brother Cheng, are we going back now?"
Bai Xue looked at the cards in the river and asked with confusion.
The others also looked at Han Cheng with puzzlement.
Han Cheng reached out and twiddled Bai Xue''s braids, smiling and nodding. "Let''s go back to eat. We''ll harvest a lot of loaches tomorrow morning."
Following Han Cheng, everyone walked back, asionally looking back at the riverbank. They couldn''t figure out how these simple sticks could catch the slippery loaches.
But Lame, who was walking behind, showed a thoughtful expression.
"Another one!"
The sun had not yet risen, and on the grass, with dewdrops and a light mist gently enveloping the riverbank, Bai Xue''s cheerful voice rang out with surprise.
She was holding a card that had just been pulled out of the muddy water by the riverbank. At the bottom of the card hung a loach.
The usually slippery loach had be extremely docile now.
Its mucous couldn''t save it from misfortune anymore because the stretched bamboo splint firmly held its mouth open, making it unable to escape.
"There''s another one here!"
Xing also shouted happily. All the usually elusive loaches were now obediently caught, making them overjoyed.
For a moment, the riverbank was full of the joy of the harvest.
Watching this scene, Han Cheng also smiled, feeling as if he had returned to his childhood days of catching loaches under harvested rice fields...
" Brother Cheng, what''s that?"
Chapter 331: Iron-oxidizing bacteria
Chapter 331: Iron-oxidizing bacteria
"Brother Cheng, what''s that?"
Carrying a half-wattled pot of loaches, Bai Xue bounded over to Han Cheng with great joy, eager to show him their catch.
After a while, she saw something and pointed to a ce near the riverbank, asking Han Cheng.
Excitedly, Han Cheng followed Bai Xue''s gaze and saw a yellowish-red substance on the riverbank about half a meter from the water, gleaming with some oil droplets from the water.
This substance wasmon in small rivers, streams, and muddy ditches.
Han Cheng had asked adults about this when he was young, and the answer he got was eel urine.
He believed this until he grew up and learned the truth from his teammates.
It wasn''t eel urine; it was iron bacteria.
So Han Cheng told her the name of the iron bacteria.Bai Xue didn''t know what bacteria were, nor did she inquire further; she just nodded vigorously.
With an empty basket and the loaches, Han Cheng, feeling very happy, returned to the tribe with Bai Xue and the others, eagerly anticipating a delicious meal.
There was a famous dish whose name Han Cheng couldn''t remember, but he remembered the recipe clearly.
First, let the loaches soak in clean water for a few days, changing the water frequently to let them expel the mud and sand from their stomachs.
Then, boil the live loaches in a pot of water. Add a piece of tofu when the water is hot and the loaches are about to give up.
These loaches, which couldn''t stand the boiling water, would burrow into the cooler tofu and be cooked together...
The Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t have beans, so there was naturally no tofu. A good cook couldn''t make a good meal without rice. Han Cheng could only imagine this dish in his mind.
However, there were many ways to cook loaches, not just this one.
All the caught loaches were killed, and then a type of leaf called "gou tree" was used to wrap the loaches tightly and rub against them.
The surface of the gou tree leaf was rough, which could remove the slime from the loaches.
Afterward, the loaches were gutted and salted for an hour or two, then fried in animal fat until golden brown, with an unexpectedly delicious taste.
The only regret was theck of flour.
Otherwise, the taste would be unforgettable if coated in flour and deep-fried, and the neighboring children would cry with envy.
It seemed unnecessary to go through so much trouble now. The loaches fried like this already had the tribe members praising them non-stop, their mouths full of oil!
Although they had caught quite a few loaches this time, it was still not enough for the many people in the Green Sparrow Tribe. Each person couldn''t even get one.
So, a few teenagers like Chen started learning from Han Cheng, making fishing cards one after another, moring to catch all the loaches in the river and eat them up.
Han Cheng also joined them in making the cards, finding feathers to tie to the top of the cards.
"Snap, snap, snap!"
A few soft sounds rang out by the riverbank as Han Cheng vigorously pped his head.
Bai Xue, holding several dozen cards filled with earthworms, was stunned for a moment, then hurried forward to stop Brother Cheng, who was self-harming.
Of course, Han Cheng wasn''t trying to harm himself or get a concussion; he just had a sudden realization.
"Give me those cards, and give me the pot!"
Han Cheng said excitedly. Not waiting for Bai Xue to react, he picked up the ceramic pot beside her and, to her extremely shocked gaze, jumped straight down the riverbank.
Han Cheng didn''t jump into the river, as the riverbed wasn''t entirely water.
He didn''t care if the mud would dirty his grass shoes. He quickly arrived at the spot where Bai Xue had asked about the iron bacteria the day before. He found a piece of bark and carefully scooped up the iron bacteria, which looked simr to rust, along with some soil into the pot.
His sudden excitement wasn''t surprising because he remembered what his teammate had said when introducing iron bacteria: these bacteria had a very high iron content!
Since the iron content was high, could these substances be used to refine iron into solid blocks? Even if these iron bacteria weren''t as productive as iron ore, as long as they could be smelted into some iron, even if it was just enough to make a small iron knife or chisel, it would be possible!
Han Cheng felt confident he could make a functioning plow with such a tool!
Bai Xue and the others by the riverside didn''t understand why Han Cheng suddenly became so excited and attached such importance to these seemingly ordinary iron bacteria.
Could this stuff also be eaten? Like salt, could it make food exceptionally delicious?
Following Han Cheng''s example, everyone couldn''t help but be excited and collect iron bacteria along the riverbank.
By the afternoon, they had collected enough iron bacteria to fill half a pottery jar, weighing about 3 kg.
Han Cheng scooped out a lump of iron bacteria from the jar, rolled it into the size of a ping-pong ball with his hands, and ced it on a stone b to dry.
These iron bacteria, mixed with mud, were heavier than the mud of simr size.
Han Cheng was delighted; it seemed that this iron-making endeavor had hope!
Such peculiar behavior from the Divine Child quickly caught the attention of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Something harder than stone? More robust than stone?
The shaman looked at the lumps of mud on the stone b before him, finding it hard to connect them with what the Divine Child had just said.
Stones were the hardest and most robust things the shaman and the people of Green Sparrow tribe had ever seen. What could be harder and more robust than stones? He couldn''t think of anything.
He and the rest of the Green Sparrow tribe also had the same confusion.
Could this stuff be as hard as stones?
The shaman nced at the lump of mud on the edge, puzzled. It had an imprint from when he had poked it with his finger just now.
Wasn''t this just ordinary mud?
He thought this way, and his doubts suddenly lessened as he remembered the pottery and cement in the tribe.
These two things were made of soil and the ungrouped ash of grass and wood, but they ultimately became highly robust...
Feelingforted for a while, his doubts resurfaced.
The Divine Child said he wanted to use "iron" to create more practical tools.
This stuff was harder than stones, so how would he craft it?
He couldn''t understand, couldn''t understand...
The shaman shook his head, feeling dizzy.
Let''s see what the Divine Child does next.
The shaman resorted to his old method - wait and see.
The road ahead is tortuous, but there might be a way out of darkness and into brightness.
This line from the poet Lu You is well-written.
Han Cheng looked at the lumps of mud on the stone b before him, feeling sincerely moved.
As for them, Han Cheng wasn''t nning to exin too much for now. Everything would be apparent when the iron was refined and the tools were made.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron-oxidizing_bacteria
Chapter 332: Small metal pellets
Chapter 332: Small metal pellets
Within the Green Sparrow tribe''s courtyard space, Hei Wa was digging a hole.
Han Cheng was nearby, using the soil dug up by Hei Wa to mix with water and mud.
They were nning to rebuild a kiln or a forge here.
The earthen kiln by the river outside the Green Sparrow tribe was suitable for firing pottery and tiles, but it was toorge for charcoal fire to smelt iron.
Digging soil, stacking venttion holes... everything went smoothly. In half a day, a brand new small furnace was built.
mes burned brightly Inside the furnace, and the venttion was excellent.
It had to be said that Hei Wa''s skills in building these things were improving.
Han Cheng walked to the side of the stone b and picked up a few lumps of mud, which were only half dry.
After some thought, he brought over a dozen of them and ced them by the edge of the furnace to dry faster with the heat.After a while, when the lumps of mud were almost dry, Han Cheng ced the charcoal that had been burned previously into the furnace.
On top of the charcoal were four lumps of mud.
Just as the experiment of smelting iron had begun, Han Cheng encountered a problem.
The fire in the furnace wasn''t burning vigorously enough.
The solution was to get a small bellows or a blower.
Han Cheng was familiar with bellows. When the weather turned cold during his childhood, people woulde to the vige to make popcorn.
They set up a simple stove, lit a fire inside, and ced something that looked like a burnt and ckened bomb on top.
Inside were corn or rice.
After burning for a while, this "bomb" was removed from the fire, stuffed into a long pocket, and stomped on. After a loud bang, the warm popcorn was born.
What Han Cheng liked to do the most at that time wasn''t picking up the fallen popcorn with other ymates but squatting beside the stove and operating the bellows, also called a "wind gulu."
This device was rtively simple in structure. It mainly used the wind generated by rotating fan des to blow into the narrow outlet and then into the furnace.
Seeing hope, one would be full of enthusiasm.
Han Cheng couldn''t makeplicated bellows, but a simple one was no problem.
Without iron sheets to make the outer shell, he used y to sculpt a model, baked it dry, and then fired it into pottery.
Without iron rods for the axle or iron pieces for the fan des, he used wooden sticks and bark instead.
He carved a cross-shaped aperture at one end of a wooden stick with a stone knife and then ovepped two pieces of bark, each measuring ten centimeters long and four centimeters wide, at the cross point.
A two-centimeter notch was carved at each intersection, and then they were wedged onto the wooden stick.
After tying them with thin ropes, a shaft with fan des was made.
When pressed with the hand, a wind woulde out when ced inside the y shell, with a stone with small pits underneath.
A pre-made y pot was ced on the outlet, and the other end was inserted into the furnace''s air inlet. With a few presses, the wind entered the furnace through the y pipe, and the fire inside became stronger.
Hei Wa''s eyes lit up instantly.
After operating for a while, his hands hurt, so Han Cheng found a hand drill, removed the drill rod, and installed the shaft with fan des. A few presses back and forth became effortless.
One thing to mention was that ordinary bellows were ced upright, but the type made by Han Cheng was ced t so that it could be used for wind pressure ignition with a hand drill.
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
Hei Wa pressed the hand drill, watching the mes inside the furnace rise and fall with his movements, his eyes bright.
Just like, when Han Cheng used to squat beside the popcorn stove, shaking the bellows, having the bellows now would speed up the smelting process of these iron-containing lumps of y.
The iron-rich y lumps in the furnace turned red in less than half an hour.
After further heating, there were signs of melting and softening.
When the temperature seemed right, Han Cheng used two long sticks to extract them from the furnace and ced them on a nearby stone prepared in advance. He extinguished the fire on the two sticks used for ignition and picked up anotherrge stick to start forging while the iron was hot.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
With each strike, the red g shed and rolled aside.
Before long, the lump of iron-rich y turned from red to ck.
After a while of forging, Han Cheng stopped when he couldn''t continue.
At this point, the lump of iron-rich y had lost almost half of its original size.
After soaking the lump in water and lifting it out, Han Cheng carefully examined it in his hand and found that this irregr piece was still far from resembling iron.
After some thought, Han Cheng found a stone and smashed the iplete piece of "iron" open. Upon closer inspection, he found the shadow of tiny iron beads inside.
Looking at the eight beads in his hand, each no bigger than a green bean, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
Iron!
This was iron!
Having been in this era for four years, he finally saw metal traces. How could Han Cheng not be excited?
Looking at Han Cheng, whose smile almost reached his ears as he held the small lumps in his hand, Hei Wa, nearby, couldn''t understand why the Divine Child was so happy over such unremarkable things.
Could this tiny thing be used to make stronger and more durable tools than stones?
But soon, Hei Wa alsoughed, not because he understood what was going on, but because he was following the Divine Child''s foolish joy.
"Burn! Keep burning!"
Han Cheng cherished these tiny iron beads in his hand and excitedly shouted like he was on fire, throwing dozens of y lumps into the furnace at once...
From this day on, the newly built furnace in the Green Sparrow tribe burned continuously for five days before finally stopping temporarily.
"Ssh, ssh..."
Han Cheng held the not-toorge but somewhat heavy jar, shaking it asionally with a foolish smile.
Inside were iron beads of various sizes, the results of continuousbor over the past few days, weighing about 1.2 kg.
This was all the iron-rich y they scavenged near the Green Sparrow tribe.
Han Cheng became more confident about whaty ahead with these iron beads.
The next step with these high-purity iron beads was to heat and melt them to forge them into blocks of iron.
After much thought, Han Cheng''s method involvedying ayer of charcoal in the furnace and cing the iron beads in four different-sized y bowls on top of the charcoal.
Then, a thickyer of charcoal was added on top, and the fire was lit.
This crude method and tool consumed a lot of charcoal and time.
However, now was not the time to consider such things. Obtaining iron was already a blessing from heaven. Who had time to consider about those things?
Chapter 333: Iron Axe
Chapter 333: Iron Axe
After a heavy rain, the weather cleared up, and the entire Green Sparrow Tribe seemed excited.
Instead of a rainbow appearing in the sky, they finally smelt the chunks of iron, which the Divine Child had been working on for many days. They had been curious about it for a long time!
It was said that this thing called iron was harder than stone, sharper than the thinnest bone knife, and more piercing than the sharpest bone needle...
"Hiss!"
The Divine Child, with eyes widened and teeth ttering, looked at the iron in front of him, sucking in a sharp breath.
"Hiss!"
Even the Eldest Senior Brother, the leader, came forward and carefully examined the things ced on the y b. His face was full of disbelief, and he also took a deep breath.
"Hiss!"
Shang also approached...They looked at the four odd-shaped lumps of iron on the stone b, then stole nces at Han Cheng, lookingpletely dumbfounded.
So this was iron!
So this was what iron looked like!
This thing is supposed to be sharper than a bone knife and can pierce better than a bone needle.
Everyone was stunned when they saw the four lumps of iron on the stone b, each shaped irregrly.
This iron, which had received so much attention from the Divine Child and was awaited with infinite anticipation by them,pletely exceeded the imagination of primitive people.
Looking at the people''s expressions, and then at the four strange-shaped lumps of iron on the stone b, Han Cheng couldn''t help but twitch his nose.
No wonder the Shaman and the others had such expressions. These lumps of iron were disappointing in appearance.
If Han Cheng had not known the important role of iron, his reaction would have been simr to theirs.
It seemed that he needed to quickly forge the finished iron tools to let these guys widen their horizons.
Feeling embarrassed, Han Cheng thought to himself and rekindled the fire, putting the biggest lump of iron into the furnace.
Next to this furnace was another furnace with better-sealing properties than this one.
After experimenting many times to melt these tiny iron beads into molten iron, they finally built this furnace.
It was not easy to melt the tiny iron beads back into molten ironpared to aluminum, which had an even lower melting point than copper.
It could be said to have taken a tremendous amount of effort.
Han Cheng transformed the furnace with Heiwa several times and selected the best charcoal for iron smelting.
Han Cheng also tried adding some wood ash and carbon powder to these small iron beads to lower their melting point. After struggling for a long time, he finally melted them.
As a humanities student who loved history, this wasn''t easy.
Han Cheng had already nned out the life of these four hideous pieces of iron.
Thergest and thirdrgest pieces were to be used to make knives, while the secondrgest and smallest pieces were to be used to make chisels and saws.
Han Cheng wasn''t considering making iron weapons at the moment.
The de was made of good steel, but the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t have steel at the time, so they had to use the little iron they had.
At this time, it was more meaningful to use this little iron to make some essential production tools to improve the productivity of the Green Sparrow Tribe than to make a few weapons.
Of course, this also had a lot to do with the fact that the Green Sparrow Tribe now had walls, bows, and arrows, which put them in a leading position in the nearby area.
If the situation were really urgent, Han Cheng would roll up his sleeves and make a few strategic weapons first.
The disappearance of the most powerful Bone Tribe and the convening of the Beheading Demonstration Assembly gave the Green Sparrow Tribe enough time for peaceful development.
If peace were disrupted, there was no need to worry. A battle would restore peace.
Even the Flying Snake Tribe, which was more powerful than the Bone Tribe and had never shown itself, didn''t worry Han Cheng much.
With all these preparations, anyone daring to invade the tribe would not fare better than the Bone Tribe.
As the wind whistled and the once-white furnace burned, the iron inside turned bright red.
Han Cheng quickly removed the iron using two pieces of wood and ced it on the nearby stone.
The ends of the two wooden sticks were already on fire in just a moment. After waiting longer, the parts where the wood touched the iron wouldpletely burn through.
The stone underneath wasn''t in much better condition either, with small chips flying off where it touched the iron.
The temperature was too high for wood and stone to withstand, making iron tongs and an iron anvil more useful.
But now there wasn''t much good iron material avable, so they had to make do.
After cing these properly, Heiwa came over with arge wooden hammer made from a stone axe and fiercely hammered the iron.
Han Cheng hadn''t grown up, so he didn''t have much strength. For tasks like forging iron that required strength, he had to rely on Heiwa, who followed him the whole time.
Lame made this wooden hammer with the best quality wood around.
It was inferior to an iron hammer in every aspect but could still be used.
The dark red lump of iron gradually changed shape under the blows of the wooden hammer from irregr to regr.
When the temperature of the iron cooled down and it couldn''t be hammered anymore, the iron was picked up again and put back into the furnace to be reheated...
Han Cheng changed his mind. He wasn''t nning to make a knife from thergest piece; he would make a hammer instead.
Forging iron required the iron itself and the hammer to be hard. After two wooden hammers were burned and three were broken, he learned this lesson.
It was already so difficult to forge iron with a wooden hammer. If he didn''t update the forging tools soon, who knew when these lumps of iron would be turned into the desired tools?
At this moment, it was very important and necessary to forge a hammer.
Han Cheng admitted that he was a fickle man with new ideas about iron.
An iron axe.
That was what he nned to make after thinking it over.
With only this little iron in the tribe, using thergest piece to make a hammer was somewhat wasteful.
Recalling this, Han Cheng thought making an axe would be more cost-effective.
One end could be used for forging iron and smashing things, while the other end, after ttening the de, could be used to chop wood, even better than a firewood knife.
A pure iron hammer could be made after the tribe found iron ore, expanded its scale, and produced more iron.
In this small situation, an iron axe would be enough.
With a quadrangr ingot head, a t mouth, a waist with an eye, and a leg in the eye.
This riddle had once puzzled Han Cheng.
Though tricky, it urately summarized the image of an axe.
Chapter 334: Grinding an iron rod into a needle? Youll get beaten for it
Chapter 334: Grinding an iron rod into a needle? You''ll get beaten for it
"ng! ng! ng!"
The monotonous sound of wooden hammers striking the heated iron intermittently echoed throughout the Green Sparrow Tribe.
In the vicinity of the furnace, four pieces of iron were ced. This method not only saved time in ironworking but also conserved charcoal.
Although wooden hammers were less efficient than iron axes, they yielded some results.
This was something Han Cheng realized after two days of forging iron axes.
Among the pieces of iron, the iron axe that was forged first had made the most progress and had taken shape by now.
Shaman, who had fed the rabbits, walked over with the shameless rabbit in his arms.
Seeing the drastically transformed piece of iron, his expression became solemn.
In the past few days, he had witnessed the splitting of several stones and the pounding of iron with wooden hammers. Evenrge stones had cracked open, and the iron being pounded remained intact and became more refined. This sight convinced him and others of Han Cheng''s assertion that iron was harder than stone.Many people gathered around the ironworking furnace, eagerly anticipating another miracle from the deity and the emergence of actual iron products.
The iron products that had been forged for several days began to emerge.
The first to appear were the unsharpened axes. Due to limited tools, the axes were far from what Han Cheng had envisioned.
However, they were still usable.
The axes were unsharpened not because Han Cheng intended them to be "heavy axes without an edge" but because he wanted to quickly produce the other three pieces of iron that had been pounded with wooden hammers for days.
"ng!"
The sound of metal striking metal suddenly rang out and spread throughout the surroundings.
Holding the axe with a wooden handle, Hei Wa watched as the axe struck the red-hot iron, leaving a shallow mark. His eyes immediately lit up.
This blow was more effective than ten strikes with a wooden hammer!
"ng! ng! ng!"
The iron blocks, which had been challenging to shape with wooden hammers, quickly began to change shape under the iron axe, significantly increasing efficiency.
After the iron block was returned to the furnace, Eldest Senior Brother, observing for a while, took the axe from Hei Wa''s hand.
After carefully examining it and consulting Han Cheng''s opinion, he fiercely struck a solid stone weighing at least 3 kg.
With just one blow, the sturdy stone cracked into several pieces!
Eldest Senior Brother stared nkly at the broken stone, unable to believe he had caused it.
He had not exerted much force, but the stone had cracked open unexpectedly.
The people around, who had witnessed iron forging, were shocked. They had already witnessed how iron was harder than stone, but they never expected that directly striking a stone with iron would yield even stronger results!
The stone, which they believed to be the hardest, had no resistance against the iron axe!
Eldest Senior Brother appeared to have used little force, yet the stone had cracked open.
It made people wonder if it was still a stone.
"Quick, take a look at the axe!"
Someone snapped out of their shock and reminded the others.
Everyone turned their gaze to the axe de facing upward.
The back of the four-sided axe head had some white marks.
Eldest Senior Brother wiped them away with his fingers, and these white marks disappeared.
It was some stone dust stuck to it.
After wiping away the stone dust, the axe head looked as good as new.
"Hiss~!"
Seeing this intact axe head, someone began to gasp.
This tool made of iron was unexpectedly terrifying!
Shaman took the axe from Eldest Senior Brother''s hand, and his hands were trembling.
"Divine Child..."
He looked at Han Cheng and then at the broken stones on the ground and raised the axe in his hand, looking very surprised.
"Shaman, smash it."
Han Cheng looked at the amazed crowd and felt quite satisfied. He smiled at Shaman and then pointed to another nearby stone, telling Shaman.
"Smash it?"
Shaman was somewhat tempted but also hesitant.
"Yes, smash it!"
Han Cheng nodded vigorously and smiled at Shaman.
Encouraged by Han Cheng again, Shaman stood up excitedly, held the axe in both hands, showing a somewhat unfamiliar posture, and struck down with force.
Apart from sacrificial rituals and hitting rabbits, the Shaman rarely disyed such vigorous dominance.
"ng!"
The axe struck the stone, bounced off, and then fell again.
"ng!"
Another blow fell, and this stone could not withstand the hammering of the axe, cracking into several pieces.
The already shocked people of the Green Sparrow Tribe became even more astonished.
Even Shaman, who was so old and didn''t rely on strength, could easily smash stones with this axe. This... was truly unbelievable!
The fire continued to burn, and the sound of ironworking intermittently echoed in the Green Sparrow Tribe. The people working in the tribe appeared somewhat distracted, asionally ncing at the ironworking furnace.
The iron axe had refreshed everyone''s understanding and left them eagerly anticipating the emergence of new iron tools.
"Sizzle~ Sizzle~"
A finely textured and somewhat soft stone was ced on the ground, supported by another three to four centimeters thick stone.
Han Cheng squatted down, holding a piece of iron about ten centimeters long and four centimeters wide, thick on one side and thin on the other. He rubbed it up and down on the stone.
With his movements, ck material was left on the smooth stone, which was the iron that had been ground off.
This kind of delicate and soft stone was most suitable for sharpening knives. It was not easy to wear down the de, and there would be no nicks on the de.
After grinding for a while, Han Cheng scooped up some water from a y pot ced on the side, poured it onto the grinding stone, and then continued grinding.
The water washed away the ground stone powder, enhancing the grinding force and making it faster.
After grinding for a while, Han Cheng picked up the long iron piece that could barely be called a knife and used his fingers to test the sharpness of the edge that had been ground.
The shiny de lightly scraped across his fingers but couldn¡¯t cut it. This iron piece, simr to a kitchen knife, had not been sharpened to the extent where it needed to be. It still needed more grinding.
But it was already sharper than a bone knife.
It was not easy to give an iron knife an edge without grinding machines and other electric devices.
After grinding longer, Han Cheng looked at the still rtively thick de and suddenly remembered the old woman who had ground an iron rod into a needle and had a profound talk with Li Bai.
In his tribe, if anyone squandered arge iron rod like that, Han Cheng would personally beat her hard.
Chapter 335: The Sharp Iron Knife
Chapter 335: The Sharp Iron Knife
"Shaman, don''t move. You''ll cut yourself."
Han Cheng saw the shaman about to mimic his actions, put his finger to the edge to test it, and quickly stopped him.
In hister years, Han Cheng had cut grass countless times. At first, the adults would sharpen the sickles, butter on, he began sharpening them himself and learned to gauge their sharpness with his hands.
But it wasn''t the same for the shaman. The sharpest thing he had ever touched was a bone knife, so it was hard for him to gauge its sharpness with his hands.
Now, this newly forged iron knife had a sharp edge. Although it wasn''t as sharp or durable as a steel knife, it could still cut if mishandled.
Upon hearing Han Cheng''s words, the shaman withdrew his hand.
With eyes constantly assessing the iron knife, the shaman believed Han Cheng''s words but doubted that it could be that sharp.
In the tribe, he could hold the edge of a bone knife without injury. Although this iron knife looked sharper than a bone knife, he thought it should still be safe to hold. And the Divine Child had touched it earlier without cutting himself...
Seeing the shaman''s expression, Han Cheng could guess what he was thinking.He stood up, holding the iron knife weighing less than 0.3 kg, and picked up the piece of animal hide for testing. He wanted the shaman and others to see the sharpness of the iron knife and also to inspect the results of theirbor in the past few days.
Just as he was about to start, he suddenly remembered the stories of legendary swords and des, and his heart couldn''t help but stir.
Human sacrifices were made during the forging of legendary swords like Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, and some swords wouldn''t be sharp unless they tasted blood.
Now that the tribe''s first iron knife appeared in his hands, for its first test, it shouldn''t be so easy; it should also taste some blood.
Although this iron knife looked somewhat ugly.
Under the gaze of everyone, Han Cheng put down the piece of animal hide he had picked up, held the iron knife in one hand, and slowly surveyed the crowd.
The puzzled crowd also looked at their Divine Child and his knife.
After observing for a while, Han Cheng''s gaze fell on Shi Tou, slightly taller than him.
Then, he walked towards the stone.
Shi Tou, unaware of what was happening, looked excited when he saw Han Cheng approaching with the newly forged iron knife. It took a step forward to greet him.
A strange smile yed on Han Cheng''s lips as he raised the iron knife and approached Shi Tou.
Then...
He walked past it and headed straight for the chicken coop behind the stone.
The others followed him.
Inside the chicken coop, a particrly arrogant rooster saw so many peopleing to see it. Instead of being afraid, it climbed onto the back of a hen and put on a public performance of affection.
After finishing, it pped its wings and provocatively tilted its head towards Han Cheng.
Then it was caught.
With one hand grabbing its wing and twisting its neck and one foot stepping on its two ws, the rooster couldn''t move.
Han Cheng pulled out its feathers and raised the iron knife, cing it on the affectionate rooster''s neck.
With a bit of force, the iron knife cut through the skin on the rooster''s neck, and dark red blood flowed out, falling into the y bowl below.
After sprinkling salt into the blood, it solidified, and when stewed with the chicken meat, it tasted great.
Because of its arrogance and affection, the rooster was tested and bled, thrown out, and pped twice on the ground. Then, with a stretch of its legs, it ascended to the heavens.
"A good knife!"
Han Cheng secretly praised himself.
Although this knife wouldn''t be wanted even for cutting vegetables in the future...
The adults were amazed that this iron knife could kill a chicken in one stroke, and the children became excited.
But most of their excitement came from the chicken lying dead on the ground.
Han Cheng didn''t wipe the blood off the knife but used it to skin the chicken.
The tough skin was spread out on a piece of wood. Han Cheng pressed down with one hand and held the knife in the other, slicing from top to bottom.
After nine strokes, the skin was finally cut in half.
Han Cheng frowned as he looked at the knife in his hand. The knife wasn''t sharp enough without adding steel to the edge. It took so many strokes just to cut through the skin; it would be useless in the future...
Taking his gaze away from the knife, he looked up and found everyone around him staring at him, their mouths agape in astonishment.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniffle.
He had set his expectations too high for the sharpness of iron. Now, iron would be looked down upon by the people in the tribe.
"Divine Child..."
The usuallyposed and mature shaman was the first to speak, but now his speech was stuttered, and his voice trembled.
Han Cheng blushed and couldn''t help but sniffle again, realizing that the tribe''s people were indeed shocked by the ''sharpness'' of iron.
Indeed, one shouldn''t boast too much.
The shaman was genuinely shocked. This iron knife could cut through skin!
This was skin, after all!
Until now, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe used to cut skin, which was still the primitive method Han Cheng used at the beginning. Rubbing back and forth on stone edges.
It wasn''t that they didn''t understand innovation, but the conditions didn''t allow for it.
They had also tried other tools and methods.
Stone knives and bone knives were useless against skin or leather.
As one of the more idle people in the tribe, besides catching rabbits, Shaman had observed the women making clothes and even tried his hand at skinning, so he understood how difficult it was.
Now seeing the knife made by the Divine Child could cut skin faster than rubbing against stone edge. How could he not be amazed?
And the Divine Child hadn''t fully grown yet, his strength wasn''t enough. If an adult were to hold this knife, wouldn''t it be even faster to cut through the skin?
What... what was this iron thing after all, that it could be so magical?
No wonder the Divine Child didn''t let him touch it with his hands earlier. ording to his previous thoughts, his hands would bleed!
If it could cut open dry skin so quickly, then wouldn''t it be... when used to ughter prey or kill enemies,
The shaman''s old face turned a bit red.
Elder Senior Brother and the others also looked eagerly at the knife in Han Cheng''s hand, their expressions changing from initial shock to excitement.
"Divine Child..."
The shaman didn''t know what else to say, only repeating this sentence.
Han Cheng sniffled again. Damn it, this was embarrassing.
Even if it''s an ugly daughter-inw, she still has to meet her inws. The inevitable always happens.
With determination, he handed the knife to the shaman.
But unexpectedly, when the shaman took the knife, he held it and made twelve cuts before finally slicing open the skin. Then, holding the knife in both hands, he bowed deeply to Han Cheng, praising, "Divine Child!"
The others also excitedly shouted "Divine Child!"
Chapter 336: Knife that will anger the Heavens and the crooked saw
Chapter 336: Knife that will anger the Heavens and the crooked saw
After the beheading ceremony several months ago, the Green Sparrow Tribe, which had been quiet for a long time, once again sprang into action today.
Everyone was excitedly preparing for the uing ceremony meant to inform the heavenly gods.
Looking at the unimpressive and barely functional knife, Han Cheng''s face turned red again.
"Shaman, let''s not inform the heavenly gods this time," Han Cheng said again, looking at the excited shaman making final preparations.
This thing was embarrassing.
The shaman, who usually didn''t express much opinion, was persistent.
He insisted that the iron knife was a supreme treasure and must be presented to the heavenly gods.
He and everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe shared the same belief.
Han Cheng had no choice but to reluctantly agree. Every time he saw the grand preparations of the tribe and then looked at this crude knife, his face couldn''t help but blush.It would be fine if it were just this, but the key point was that Bai Xue, his little child bride.
"Brother Cheng, why is your face red?"
"Brother Cheng, why are you sweating?"
"Brother Cheng, let me fan you..."
Seeing the innocent and caring little child bride asking him, Han Cheng had the impulse to shut her mouth.
This little girl was naughty.
Amidst the drumming of the skin drums, the sacrificial ceremony, which made Han Cheng cry andugh, unfolded with unprecedented grandeur.
On the stone tform serving as the altary the iron axe that had not been sharpened and the iron knife that had been sharpened.
Rushed chisel and saw, about twenty centimeters long and not sharpened, were also among them.
The shaman danced a dance that Han Cheng still didn''t understand, appearing particrly vigorous, and uttered some iprehensible sybles continuously from his mouth.
Apart from the shaman and Shi Tou, there probably wasn''t anyone else in the entire tribe who could understand.
This scene reminded Han Cheng of a joke¡ªa few-year-old little girl shaking her little head, sweetly calling out, "Uncle, uncle, I don''t understand some parts of ''Journey to the West. '' Can you exin it to me?"
A particr uncle breathed a sigh of relief. He had read "Journey to the West" at least ten times and remembered every plot inside out. Could he not answer a little question from his niece?
So he patted his chest and promised confidently, "Ask whatever you want, Uncle''s got you."
The little girl tilted her head, her big eyes twinkling, and earnestly asked, "Uncle, can you tell me how to chant the Tightening Spell? He recited it too fast, and I couldn''t hear clearly..."
The uncle was speechless, utterly baffled...
Could it be that the shaman didn''t know what he was saying himself? Han Cheng thought with a mischievous smirk.
After the particrly grand sacrificial ceremony ended, several iron implements were ced on the stone altar. The shaman held onto the iron knife and refused to let go, saying they should all be treated as offerings to the heavenly gods.
Han Cheng''s face twitched. The quality of the knife he threw away in the future would be better than this...
Fortunately, these heavenly gods were just imaginary. Otherwise, the Green Sparrow Tribe would have a high chance of being struck by lightning.
Han Cheng felt helpless about the shaman''s behavior. He had put in so much effort to produce these iron implements, not for disy, but to use them, to create more valuable things.
Leaving them there to rust without using them was not a good habit.
After much persuasion, Han Cheng finally made the shaman realize the error of his ways.
These four iron tools were also taken down from the altar. The axe, chisel, and even more pitiful iron saw were each given to three individuals¡ªLame, Shi Tou, and Hei Wa¡ªto sharpen.
When Han Cheng sharpened the knives before, they all watched and learned. With some guidance, they were able to do it.
The most difficult to sharpen wasn''t the bulky axe but the jagged-toothed iron saw.
This tool had too many jagged edges, and if it was not handled carefully during sharpening, it could get stuck on the grinding stone.
Sharpening these iron tools was much slower than Han Cheng had expected.
The reason was that these guys were reluctant to exert force while sharpening.
Even though they knew these iron tools were tough and sturdy and wouldn''t easily be damaged, they were still very cautious and didn''t dare to use too much force.
It wasn''t until Han Cheng had spoken several times and kicked each of them in the butt that they finally started to loosen up.
"Bang!"
Lame gripped the sharpened axe in his right hand and swung it down fiercely at an upright wooden stake below.
The axe struck the wooden stake, which was more than three centimeters in diameter, and split it into two pieces.
One of the shorter pieces flew off far away.
When it came to chopping things, a knife was no match for a heavy and mighty axe.
Seeing the piece of wood flying off, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe once again collectively fell into a daze.
Initially, they thought the axe would be remarkable enough for chopping stones and iron, but after sharpening it, it turned out to be even sharper at cutting wood than the iron knife!
Moreover, these few iron tools were more tangible than the stone and bone tools they had previously made.
Iron was indeed a good thing!
No wonder the Divine Child had put so much effort into making these iron tools and insisted on presenting them to the heavenly gods.
Seeing these few divine weapons, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe felt sincere admiration for the Divine Child''s wisdom and actions.
Some people remembered the Divine Child''s determination to produce charcoalst year, and their admiration for him soared even higher.
It turned out that the Divine Child went to great lengths to produce charcoal not just for barbecue but also to refine these precious iron tools.
While everyone else in the Green Sparrow Tribe was marveling at the usefulness of the iron tools, the tribe''s chief carpenter, Lame, frowned.
He held the iron saw with a wooden handle in his hand, and more than half of the saw was stuck in a tree trunk in front of him.
Not only was he frowning, but Han Cheng also furrowed his brow.
When used to saw wood, this unique iron saw of the Green Sparrow Tribe was easy at first. In just a moment, it sawed nearly three centimeters deep.
However, as it went deeper, the speed slowed, and it became slower and slower until it was stuck inside.
Saw, a tool essential for carpenters in the future, was something Han Cheng was familiar with. It was supposed to be fast and shouldn''t have gotten stuck like this.
How could the saw he made himself be jammed by the wood like this?
Han Cheng rubbed his head with a furrowed brow.
After careful observation andparison with his mental impression of the saw, Han Cheng finally found the root of the problem.
The keyy in the saw teeth.
The saw Han Cheng made had vertical saw teeth on the saw surface, while the saws of the future were staggered, with every other one leaning in opposite directions.
With this arrangement, the gaps between the saw teeth wererger, and the saw wouldn''t get stuck.
Chapter 337: Tree trunks have rings. What about humans?
Chapter 337: Tree trunks have rings. What about humans?
Finding the crux of the problem made things much easier.
Han Cheng rekindled the iron forge, removed the wooden handle from the back of the iron saw, and then ced it back into the forge to heat it again.
Once it was glowing red, he removed it, ced it vertically between two stones with the saw teeth facing up, and mped it tightly. Then, he used an iron chisel to tilt the irregr, small saw teeth to the left and right.
The best way to sharpen the saw teeth wasn''t to grind them on a grinding stone as before but to first see a shallow groove on a round log or a stool-like object. Then, remove the saw, turn it over with the teeth facing up, and fit it into the gap sawed out earlier. Afterward, start sharpening each small sawtooth with an iron gouge.
However, because the Green Sparrow Tribe had too little iron, and each piece of iron needed to be used to its maximum potential, it wasn''t possible to specially make an iron gouge for sharpening. So, they could only temporarily use a grinding stone.
"Sizzle, sizzle~"
With the iron saw handle in Lame''s hand, he pushed and pulled it back and forth. Fine wood chips ran out of the saw teeth with his movements, scattered on the ground, and formed a small pile of sawdust.
After the modification, the saw no longer got stuck and became highly smooth to use for sawing wood.
Lame, the first carpenter of the tribe, was like a child with a new toy, unable to stop sawing wood.It is said that the saw was invented by the legendary carpenter Lu Ban after he was cut by a thatched grass in the mountains while cutting firewood.
Now that there was a transmigrator like himself, Lame, who was gradually further in the carpentry industry, had no chance to be cut by thatch grass and came up with the idea of inventing a saw.
"Click~"
The tough wood finally couldn''t withstand the severe torture of the saw and was cut into two pieces in one go.
The cut surface was very t, and it still felt a little warm to the touch.
The friction of the saw caused this.
Lame squatted on the ground, looking at the highly t-cut surface of the wood with admiration and emotion on his face.
He had never imagined such a t cut before.
The progress speed, much faster than using fire to burn, also astonished him.
Iron tools were so handy!
This was his heartfelt admiration.
With one hand holding the saw and the other holding the axe, Lame looked at the wood on the ground and became highly confident. With these tools, he could produce even more valuable and beautiful things!
"Brother Cheng, what''s this?"
Bai Xue, squatting beside him, curiously pointed to the cut surface of the wood.
Lame, wielding the axe, also slowed down, wanting to hear what the Divine Child had to say.
They had only recently discovered that there were rings inside the wood.
When cutting wood, they would break the smaller pieces by hand and burn the thicker ones with fire. The cut surfaces were never t, so they had never noticed the tree rings inside the wood.
"These are tree rings," Han Cheng said with a smile.
"Tree rings?"
"Yes, tree rings represent the age of the tree. Each year, a tree trunk will grow one ring."
Bai Xue tilted her head for a while, then understood what Han Cheng meant and began to count the rings on the ground excitedly.
"One year, two years... eight years! Brother Cheng, this tree is eight years old!"
After counting the rings clearly, Bai Xue shouted excitedly at Han Cheng.
The young girl, who had discovered something new and exciting, was thrilled. She skipped around, counting the tree stumps cut by Lame.
"Brother Cheng, this tree is ten years old... this one is nine years old..."
The cheerful counting voices kept ringing out, surrounding Han Cheng.
Shi Tou, who had dreams of flying, and the members of the Original Bone Tribe, who had learned Mandarin after learning a few characters, also came over to watch Lame use the iron tools to make utensils.
It wasn''t just them; other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe also liked to gather here when they had nothing else to do.
Many of them were hoping that Lame, who was busy working, would take a break soon so they could have a chance to touch the iron tools themselves.
As for the teaching in the Original Bone Tribe, it had started to differentiate.
Just like Han Cheng had taught the members of the Green Sparrow Tribe before, after adults had learned a few characters, they started letting them choose whether they wanted to continue learning. Learning Mandarin was no longer a mandatory requirement.
However, there was nopromise regarding the promotion and poprization of Mandarin.
These measures were aimed at adults. Unfledged individuals who didn''t need to work all day still had to study for nearly three hours daily.
Bai Xue didn''t study with them. As Han Cheng''s chosen future bride, she had always enjoyed special treatment from him.
Perhaps due to the possessiveness of men, Han Cheng didn''t want Bai Xue to have too much contact with other males, especially those around her age.
Living and eating together with the shaman, even though Han Cheng had never explicitly stated anything to the tribe members, gradually, their attitudes toward Bai Xue differed.
At first, when a few people around her age, like Xing, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Li, who wanted to sleep with Han Cheng, were somewhat dissatisfied, but now they had gotten used to it.
For primitive people, things like love, which were still in a state of ignorance, didn''t upy too much space in their lives, especially for tribes that worked hard every day for food.
Teenage love was like a summer storm,ing quickly and going quickly. After some unpleasant experiences, Xing, Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and others had stopped thinking about sleeping with Han Cheng.
Shi Tou squatted on the ground, touching the t-cut surface of the wood cut by Lame, his thoughts flying wildly. There was some sudden enlightenment and excitement in his eyes.
With a strong interest in astronomy and calendar systems, he had always been puzzled about his age.
Because when he was born, the calendar system hadn''t been developed yet, so there was no way to know his exact age.
This was also one of the main reasons most tribes determined adulthood based on height.
He had been pondering his age for a long time without finding a solution. Still, now, suddenly, he had a moment of enlightenment.
After a tree was cut with a saw, its age could be determined by the rings inside. Could humans also be determined in the same way?
But wouldn''t that be too painful?
Thinking like this, he suddenly felt regretful.
It would have been so much better if they had cut open the legs of those who came to attack their tribe and were killed instead of burning them immediately to see if there were any rings on their legs...
"Shi Tou, what are you thinking about?"
Han Cheng saw Shi Tou squatting there without saying a word and asked aloud.
Shi Tou was stunned for a moment, then told Han Cheng about his thoughts just now.
After hearing it, Han Cheng''s mind was full of circles, and he had an urge to retreat.
With the witch doctor resembling a rabbit and now Shi Tou wanting to cut off people''s legs to determine their age... was it too crazy?
Chapter 338: The drastically altered twelve zodiac signs.
Chapter 338: The drastically altered twelve zodiac signs.
Shi Tou looked somewhat lost, looking at the tree rings, feeling discontent.
Han Cheng quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead on the side.
It''s ridiculous!
He, as a modern person, felt inferior.
After calming down from this mood, Han Cheng began to ponder what was bothering Shi Tou.
Before the existence of a calendar, birthdates couldn''t be known.
But now, the Green Sparrow Tribe already had the most basic calendar. Children born after the calendar had birthdays, knowing how many years they had lived in this world.
After pondering these, Han Cheng suddenly remembered the method used by the tribe to confirm adulthood based on height.
This method was unfair.Some people grow fast. Some grow slowly, some are tall, and some are short. The most significant result of this is that those who are tall and young are already adults, while those who grow slowly and are short are still ssified as minors.
Human growth is not only physical but also psychological.
The adult standards in the tribe need to be adjusted, not based on height, but preferably on age.
Now that the tribe has a calendar, this can be achieved.
However, how many years old should Han Cheng be considered an adult? This makes Han Cheng somewhat embarrassed.
ording to his inherent thinking, it would be best to set it at eighteen.
But that''s a bit unrealistic.
Because of medical care, food, andbor methods, the lifespan of primitive humans is not longpared to that of people inter generations.
It''s not that they can''t live to a ripe old age, but the conditions don''t allow it.
The non-natural death rate is too high, reaching over ny percent.
It would be inappropriate if adulthood is set to eighteen at this time. The Green Sparrow Tribe is still better off. Still, for other tribes, ording to this standard, probably more than half of the people would have passed away before having the chance to pass on their legacy.
Moreover, setting adulthood toote is not conducive to the growth and development of the current tribe.
First, the working time would be shortened, and second, the appearance of the next generation would be toote.
Fourteen or fifteen years old for adulthood should be more appropriate...
This is just his initial idea for now. The specific age to be considered adult still needs to be based on the actual situation of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
However, these are things that can only be implemented several yearster.
After all, there are still many minors in the Green Sparrow Tribe, like Shi Tou, who were born before the calendar came out and don''t know their specific birth year.
Therefore, for the Green Sparrow Tribe to determine adulthood based on height, this matter still needs to be implemented for several more years.
But before that, other things about calcting age can be figured out.
"Shi Tou,e here..."
After his idea was rejected, Han Cheng called Shi Tou, who was squatting in front of the tree stump and unwilling to leave.
Shi Tou stood up, walked to Han Cheng''s side, and listened to Han Cheng''s words.
At first, he was puzzled, but after listening for a while, he had some enlightenment.
Finally, he became enthusiastic.
The method Han Cheng told him about was the twelve zodiac signs.
Twelve years for one cycle, each year named after an animal.
For Han Cheng, who came from ater era, the twelve zodiac signs had a deep sense of familiarity from the bottom of his heart.
One cycle of twelve years, as long as you know the zodiac sign, you can quickly calcte the age, and it''s also easy topare who is older and who is younger...
Shi Tou, who learned the calendar from Han Cheng, quickly epted the concept of one cycle of twelve years. After all, one year is twelve months.
Chapter 339: Where confidence lies
Chapter 339: Where confidence lies
"Brother Cheng, I want to belong to the fish."
The July sun scorched the earth like a furnace, with cicadas intermittently chirping from the distant woods, creating a noisy racket that sometimes abruptly fell silent.
Han Cheng didn''t know if cicadas had appeared earlier in history. Still, one thing was sure: they existed now, and judging by their widespread distribution, they had likely been around for a long time.
Han Cheng had a love-hate rtionship with cicadas.
After a summer rain, the nymphs, which hadin dormant underground for three to five years, began to emerge under cover of darkness. They favored thick, tall tree trunks, but if unable to find one quickly, they would settle for nearby grass stems.
Like humans, cicadas climbed upwards as soon as they were born, seeking to avoid danger and secure better living conditions to pass their brief lives sessfully.
Most cicadas managed to evade various dangers and became part of the summer chorus.
Those unfortunate enough not to reach a high perch before being knocked down by a small hand or bamboo stick ended up in all sorts of containers and disappeared into the mouths of various predators before they could even attempt their escape.
Han Cheng had always loved the nymphs, whether stir-fried or deep-fried. He couldn''t get enough of them, even now.In his hometown inter years, they called nymphs "Climbing Forks."
Because they were delicious, so he liked them.
Although he loved eating nymphs, Han Cheng deeply detested the cicada''s chirping, much like how he loved snow but disliked being hit by snowballs.
The cacophony of cicadas made his head feel chaotic as if one thing was being met with another in return.
Compared to previous days, today''s cicada noise wasn''t too disruptive. It wasn''t that Han Cheng suddenly changed his mind; it was because there was something even more annoying.
The appearance of zodiac signs was good for the Sparrow Tribe, but the downside was that the Sparrow Tribe''s calendar appeared toote.
Looking at the group of people assigning themselves zodiac signs, Han Cheng couldn''t help but twitch his face.
It was just too cruel!
Tie Tou, Hei Wa, Ruhua, and others saying they belonged to the Sparrow were eptable. They were around fifteen this year, so it barely made sense. But Bai Xue saying she belonged to the fish was a bit too much.
ording to the current Year of the Rabbit, Bai Xue''s age had several options ¡ª two years old, fourteen years old, twenty-six years old... none of which were suitable.
Excluding those born in the first year of the Sparrow andter, more than half of the people''s zodiac signs did not match their actual age.
"You belong to the sheep. Look how white and fluffy it is; it is like a cloud. So beautiful."
Han Cheng''s voice carried a hint of persuasion as he spoke to his young bride.
"Sheep are white, and Bai Xue is also white. Since Bai Xue is wearing two braids like sheep''s horns, she should belong to the sheep."
If calcted ording to belonging to the sheep, Bai Xue would be about ten years old now. Compared to their actual age, girls like Xiao Mei and Xiao Li were also around ten years old.
Compared toter generations, people in the tribe matured a bit earlier.
This might be due to the harsh living conditions of this era, where it wasn''t easy to live a long life.
For the sake of the race''s continuation, they could only adapt to nature and change themselves.
Natural selection, survival of the fittest, cruel or motivational, many species were gradually eliminated in this way.
Those who couldn''t adapt to environmental changes disappeared, and those unwilling to change vanished.
The world is never short ofpetition or substitutes.
The dinosaurs, once dominant on Earth, disappeared without causing muchmotion. The Earth continued to spin at its usual pace. After a brief period of destion, other species filled the, no less impressive than before.
On a smaller scale, it''s like a profession; some people like it, others don''t.
Some people don''t want to stay a day longer, while others are eager to join...
"...then I belong to the sheep...listening to Brother Cheng..."
Bai Xue touched her braids and smiled.
How could the little girl withstand Han Cheng''s coaxing? Before long, shepletely surrendered, only listening to Han Cheng.
After resolving the zodiac sign issue for the young daughter-inw, Han Cheng also corrected the zodiac signs of the minors.
In principle, it was estimated based on height to ensure that the zodiac signs did not differ too much from their actual age.
As for the adults, Han Cheng let them do as they pleased, ignoring thempletely.
After all, the primary purpose of determining the zodiac signs was cooperating with the Sparrow calendar, changing the tribe''s method of judging adulthood based on height...
While the Sparrow Tribe was caught up in the zodiac sign craze, other matters continued without pause.
With iron axes, chisels, saws, and other essential tools for carpenters, wooden plows were gradually taking shape in Han Cheng and Lame''s experimental explorations.
Han Cheng remembered the shape of the plow clearly, but he didn''t understand the specifics of how it was made.
For example, how the wooden buckets for seeds were assembled, how the three hollow legs of the plow were connected to the holes underneath the wooden buckets, and how to ensure an equal number of seeds entered each of the three legs...
These specific issues needed to be solved through trial and error.
With suitable tools, although these things were troublesome, they could still be aplished bit by bit.
The millet growing in the fields west of the Sparrow Tribe became more robust.
Although the scorching sun often withered them, behind the withering was a vibrant scene.
The scorching sunlight was more conducive to photosynthesis.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
People and even millet needed favorable conditions for a good harvest.
The early-nted millet had begun to ear, resembling dog tail grass at a nce.
Following this trend, the first batch of millet could be harvested in about a month.
The Sparrow Tribe was about to experience its first actual grain harvest.
It was a pity that wheat hadn''t been found yet. If wheat could be found after harvesting the millet, another crop of wheat could be nted, increasing yields and production.
Fortunately, there was plenty ofnd around the Sparrow Tribe that could be cultivated as farnd. Fallow periods and nting once a year were also eptable.
At this time, the contradiction between people andnd was not acute, and the vastnd and sparse poption were insufficient to describe the current situation.
These numerous pieces ofnd capable of growing food and the millet striving to grow under the scorching sun were the foundation of Han Cheng leading the tribe towards stability and prosperity.
Chapter 340: Harvest
Chapter 340: Harvest
"Ding ding dang..."
"Ding ding dang..."
In the shaded area of the Green Sparrow Tribe, there would asionally be a sound of this kind.
Although the tribe''s people were used to it, they couldn''t help but look over here a few more times whenever this happened, enviously watching Lame swinging an iron axe to chisel holes in the wood.
Nowadays, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe have developed a habit of not staying quietly in the tribe after meals and during other leisure times. Instead, they wandered around the small rivers and streams around the tribe.
Once they found some rust-like iron bacteria, they would excitedly collect them into jars.
The usefulness of iron tools fascinated the people of the tribe.
Several people who often cooked wanted to use iron knives to ughter, process game, and cut food.
The women who made clothes wanted an iron knife to cut open the skin.Iron knives could quickly cut open the skin and leave neat edges without damaging the fur.
"Gang..."
After sighing at the broken bone needle, Xing turned his gaze to Lame and Han Cheng under the tree shade.
If an iron needle could be made, it would probably be more beneficial for sewing clothes...
"Bang... Bang..."
Third Senior Brother pulled the feather arrow from the target, looked at it for a while, and put it back into the arrow pouch of folded bark around his waist.
Wouldn''t the power be greater if iron arrowheads were used on feather arrows?
Could this thicker target be pierced?
Touching the marks left on the target with his hand, Third Senior Brother thought deeply.
He must be able to pierce the target!
Thinking of the power of iron knives and axes, Third Senior Brother clenched his fists tightly.
However, there was too little iron in the tribe. After making four kinds of tools, there was no surplus left...
The appearance of iron tools broadened the horizons of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and many people hoped to create more and better tools with iron.
After a rain in autumn, the weather turned cooler. Nowadays, the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''tck clothes, and one person having two sets of clothes was still achievable.
So even those who liked to show off their muscles by going shirtless obediently put on their clothes.
Adding one more summer to the three summer periods, the tail of the autumn tiger was also unbearable.
As the weather cleared up, the temperature rose again, and the humid and warm water vapor mixed with the smell of mud rose in waves.
Han Cheng, wearing grass shoes, stood at the edge of the field, looking at the drooping heads of the sorghum with a smile on his face.
Modesty was a good quality. Those who were truly capable were generally more modest, and what they feared most were those who were conceited...
Just like the sorghumden with heavy fruit hanging their heads low, the dog-tail grass, which had grown for nearly half a year with little harvest, swayed proudly in the autumn breeze, wanting to attract the attention of Han Cheng standing at the edge of the field.
However, Han Cheng was oblivious to the hint, his gaze only falling on the heavy sorghum ears and Snow White beside them, refusing to be distracted.
Stepping on the edge of the wet ground, which was still very wet,ing to the field like this made it difficult to walk and damaged the sorghum. Moreover, plowing thend again after harvesting and turning the soil would be extremely difficult because the ground had been trampled down.
Looking at the sun hanging in the sky and then at the mature but not yet ripe sorghum in the ground, Han Cheng ultimately did not issue the order to harvest.
Let''s wait a little longer. The autumn tiger is fierce and will dry up a lot by tomorrow. It will be fine to harvest by then.
The next day, Han Cheng came to check the soil moisture, which was as he had expected.
However, the anticipated harvesting operation did not immediately begin.
Han Cheng, the shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, each holding a shiny handle of a scythe, carefully walked through the ripe grain fields.
asionally, some grains would be cut off, and the harvested heads would be ced in these scythes.
Those that were beheaded were rtively robust and hadrger grain ears than usual.
ording to military division methods, although they couldn''t be called generals, they could still bepared to low-level officers such as sergeants and lieutenants.
Han Cheng and the others had also experienced beheading enemy officers in the army...
Before the formal harvesting, selecting some of therger grains in the field was necessary for separate storage.
Increasing grain production involved crucial factors such as seeds, fertilizers, cultivation methods, and water management. Han Cheng couldn''t achieve things like gically modified or hybrid grains.
He could only select seeds, conduct natural selection, and gradually cultivate excellent and high-yielding seeds.
Excellent seeds could be considered an internal factor among the many factors contributing to increased grain production.
After about two acres ofnd had been plowed, Han Cheng and the others, standing at the edge of the field with stone and bone sickles, began harvesting ording to Han Cheng''s instructions.
The golden grain stalks collided with each other, making crackling sounds under the joint action of sickles and palms.
Sweat dripped from their cheeks and bodies, and their bronze-colored faces and chests, against the backdrop of golden grain ears, created a golden dream.
One by one, the grains fell, and after being bundled together, they were carried to the threshing ground in the tribe that had already been cleared.
During the busy farming season, no one was idle.
The women who were weak or hadrge bellies and couldn''t do heavy work untied the bundled grains brought back to the ground and spread them out on the ground, preparing for the next threshing step.
The weather had been good these days, and since the heavens had given them face, they had to quickly bring the harvested grains into the house while the weather was good. Only then could they genuinely rx.
Otherwise, any minor ident could ruin six months of hard work and hope.
The underage members of the tribe were also not idle. They walked around the harvested grain fields, picking up the grains that had fallen on the ground...
Thirty to forty acres ofnd, rtive to the current poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe, was not considered too much.
With everyone working together, these grains were harvested in three days and transported to the threshing ground.
Several people familiar with the threshing ground used wooden forks and other tools to pat the dried grains.
After the threshing, winnowing, stacking, and tossing, a pile of grains umted on the ground.
These newly harvested grains could not be stored directly. They needed to be dried for several days before being stored inrge jars.
Chapter 341: No need to wait
Chapter 341: No need to wait
"Swish~!"
Lifting the bone shovel filled with husked grains high, the golden sand-like grains scattered in the air, falling in long streaks.
This was the subtlety of the threshing ground, called ''scattering in a line, not in arge area.''
The long streaks of grains dispersed in the air made it easier for the wind to blow away any impurities mixed within them. Moreover, after falling to the ground, the surface impurities could easily be swept away with a broom.
In the Green Sparrow Tribe, when it came to threshing, Qi Qiu, who often did it, was considered the best, but no one dared to im the top spot.
However, as the supposed top expert looked at the grains being scattered and falling back down, he couldn''t help but frown.
In the past, after scattering like this, the grains that fell wouldn''t have any impurities, but now, there was a lot of bran mixed in.
It wasn''t that his skills had deteriorated; it was just that the weather wasn''t cooperating today. There was no hint of wind after only half of the threshing.
Setting down the bone shovel, he gently used a broom to sweep away the bran on top.When it came to threshing, he had an almost stubborn mentality. He didn''t want any impurities to appear in the grain heap.
After sweeping the bran aside, he felt a little relieved.
Looking at the motionless leaves, he became dejected again. He didn''t know when the threshing would bepleted...
Without wind, there was nothing the expert could do; he could only wait for the wind toe and start threshing.
However, they had to wait until the next day.
The weather wasn''t perfect the next day; the sun hung in the sky, baking everything beneath it.
All the grains harvested by the Green Sparrow Tribe had been threshed, and the grain stalks were stacked at the edge of the ground.
Except for thest half pile of grain that hadn''t been threshed, the rest had already been dried and stored in the house.
At this time, some people were busy bringing the grains drying in the courtyard back into the house, worried that it might rain today and ruin what they had worked so hard to harvest.
"Qi Qiu, don''t wait any longer. Bring the grains back and wait for the right time to thresh again..."
Someone called out.
Qi Qiu looked at the sky and then at the pile of grains mixed with a lot of bran, feeling unwilling to wait any longer. After waiting for a while, he reluctantly agreed with reality.
He fetched a scoop with a polished animal hide cover and started loading the grains mixed with bran to carry back into the house.
This kind of scoop with an open mouth and handle was much more useful for carrying things than y pots, except for carrying water.
Previously, these scoops couldn''t carry small grains like seeds and grains because they would spill out from the gaps.
Later, Han Cheng solved this problem by using old animal hides that couldn''t retain heat to cover the scoops.
"Qi Qiu, wait, use this."
Qi Qiu stopped when he saw the Divine Child holding arge, strange objecting towards him.
What Han Cheng held in his hand was a winnowing basket recently made by Lame.
The primary use of this object was to clean dirty grains, regardless of whether there was wind or not, and secondarily, it could be used to transport grains.
The primary materials used for the winnowing basket were flexible branches, ropes, and tree bark.
Han Cheng had seen winnowing baskets mostly made of unpeeled hemp inter generations.
Although Han Cheng had discovered traces of hemp before, he hadn''t brought back a few nts, so he could only use rattan instead.
Making winnowing baskets with rattan was more difficult than using hemp stalks, but they were stronger.
At therge opening of the winnowing basket, it was wrapped in tough tree bark.
This part was often used for shoveling things and was prone to wear and tear, so wrapping it in tough bark could give it the maximum protection it needed.
Qi Qiu''s eyes widened in rare surprise, squeezed by the excess fat on his face, as he looked at the winnowing basket in Han Cheng''s hand, filled with curiosity.
"This strange thing can clean grains? How does it work? Do you shovel the grains like with the bone shovel and then toss them up? But this head is too big. How can it toss so much grain?"
The winnowing basket Han Cheng held wasn''t small; its opening was over seventy centimeters wide, with a length of sixty centimeters front to back and a height of twenty-five centimeters.
This basket could hold more than twenty catties of grain when full, so it was impossible to toss it.
Seeing Qi Qiu''s reaction, Han Cheng knew he didn''t understand how to use it, so he didn''t say much more. Instead, he walked to the pile of grains that hadn''t been cleaned properly, bent down, and used the winnowing basket to shovel some.
Then, he walked to a ce where it wouldn''t cause any obstruction, held the winnowing basket in both hands and winnowed.
The grains inside the basket were lifted about ten centimeters high before falling back into the basket without stopping, only to be lifted again.
During this back-and-forth, dust, and bran were expelled from the mouth of the winnowing basket and fell to the ground.
As for the heavier grains, except for a few restless ones, the rest stayed well inside the basket.
Apart from being a bit dusty, there was nothing wrong with using a winnowing basket like this to clean grains.
With his eyes squeezed by the fat on his face, Qi Qiu widened them again, full of surprise.
"Divine Child, let me do it."
After pouring the cleaned grains into the animal-hide-lined scoop, Qi Qiu filled with excitement, rubbed his hands together and said to Han Cheng, full of anticipation.
This winnowing basket was originally intended for Qi Qiu''s use, so Han Cheng didn''t intend to spend too long on it. Seeing that Qi Qiu already understood how to use it, he handed it over and became a technical advisor.
Farming activities weren''t tricky; watching was enough to learn, as long as one was willing to work hard and not bezy.
The winnowing basket had just arrived in Qi Qiu''s hands, and he was still unfamiliar with it. After winnowing it a few times, he became familiar with it. He even surpassed Han Cheng, who made the winnowing basket in the first ce.
It wasn''t that Han Cheng was too dumb, but he didn''t use the winnowing basket much and didn''t have the advantage in height and strength.
"Swish, swish, swish..."
The sound of grains colliding with the winnowing basket continued, and grains were continuously cleaned.
At this time, the weather was getting hotter and hotter, and the moon-like sun in the sky had disappeared, reced byrge patches of clouds.
A heavy rain was about to fall.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had already brought back all the dried grains, and now some were busy covering the grain stacks that had been threshed once with thatched grass and then pressing them down with stones.
At this time, wooden forks were used for threshing. Unlike rapeseed, not all grains would be beaten down in one go. It required a second or even third or fourth threshing.
The harvest would plummet, but it was always good as long as there was a harvest.
Humans didn''t just feel the impending rain; other creatures also felt it. Deer, sheep, chickens, and others seemed a bit restless.
With his face full of fat shaking even more vigorously, Qi Qiu worked harder, winnowing continuously. Finally, just before the heavy rain fell, he cleaned out thest bit of dirty grain.
Carrying the winnowing basket and half of the scoop of grains, he ran back to the house, panting heavily, watching the bean-sized raindrops fall. Qi Qiu let out a sigh of relief, showing a rxed and victorious expression.
Then his gaze fell on the winnowing basket in his hand. Without it, they wouldn''t have been able to clean all these grains. Because until now, there hadn''t been any wind outside.
Such a good thing was too rare; the tribe needed more of them.
He decided that when he had some free timeter, he would ask the Divine Child and Lame for more guidance on making winnowing baskets.
Chapter 342: To fight against the heavens, to fight against the earth, and to fight against people.
Chapter 342: To fight against the heavens, to fight against the earth, and to fight against people.
The rain poured heavily, sshing up clouds of mist upon the ground.
On the eaves, water dripped down, forming beads resembling a pearl curtain.
Amidst the noise, there was also a sense of tranquil peace.
The misty water vapor floated into the house through the windows and doorway.
Han Cheng stood here quietly, watching the heavy rainfall.
It is said that most people sleep peacefully on rainy nights because, during the rain, many wild animals tend to hide away, no longer bothering or attacking humans. People can take advantage of this rare opportunity topletely rx their minds.
This subconscious feeling has been passed down from ancient times to the present.
Of course, the prerequisite for peaceful sleep is having a ce that provides some shelter from the wind and rain.
Like the poet Du Fu, who lived in a dpidated thatched hut, constantlymenting, "the raindrops are like hemp and never cease," it is impossible to sleep soundly while listening to the continuous rain leaking into pots and tubs inside the house.The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were not particrly at ease today because they still had work to do.
When life improves, there are more things to worry about and more things to do because every acquisition is not obtained out of thin air; it requires correspondingbor.
Especially in this era when the Green Sparrow Tribe far surpasses surrounding tribes, and the division ofbor is unclear, most of the things the Green Sparrow Tribe needs must be done by their own hands.
To want to focus solely on one type of work and then use the money earned to buy everything needed, like inter generations, belongs to the series of "within one''s lifetime."
With a straw hat on his head and a raincoat draped over him, Han Cheng and about thirty simrly dressed people walked out of the house, into the rain curtain, grabbed a bone shovel from the tool shed, and headed towards the fields.
The farnd of the Green Sparrow Tribe had been newly cultivated in the past two years, and the drainage facilities were not yet perfect. Many fields were easily washed away in the face of such heavy rain.
Han Cheng and the others came out for this reason. Whenever they saw fields rapidly being damaged by umting rainwater, they used the bone shovels to plug the breaches and divert the water into the drainage ditches.
For newly cultivated fields, activities such as inspecting and digging drainage channels during rainy days must continue for at least three years. When both sides of the drainage ditch are covered with grass, and the soil at the ditch has hardened again and is no longer easily washed away by water, then the job can be considered done.
After being soaked by rainwater, the newly dugnd became soft, and even walking barefoot on it felt cool and soft.
Walking on such soil barefoot was not feasible. Even wearing grass shoes would soon be torn off by the mud.
"Block it up over there."
"I''ll take care of this."
In the vast curtain of rain, there were faint sounds. The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe who followed Han Cheng, each holding a bone shovel, gradually dispersed across thend, quickly blocking and diverting the water.
With a chill in the rain hitting their straw hats and raincoats, hitting their hands holding the bone shovels and the shovels themselves...
Like untamed horses flowing freely, the rainwater that had drastically altered the appearance of the newly cultivated fields was gradually restrained. Following the movements of the bone shovels, it flowed reluctantly along the path designed by humans and ultimately merged into the small river.
Fighting against the sky brings endless joy. Fighting against the earth and fighting against people brings endless joy.
Looking at the history of human development, we see that it is, step by step, fighting against the sky and the earth.
Without the sky and the earth, we use axes to open up the chaos and use our bodies to create a space sufficient for survival.
If the sky leaks, we will refine colorful stones to plug the leaks.
The ground was flooded, so people kept continuously digging channels to divert water into the sea...
To be born as a human being is such a proud and fortunate thing. How precise and lucky it is to be born!
After blocking up a breach, Han Cheng stood up. He took a moment to rest, watching everything happening amidst the vast curtain of rain, feeling a sense of emotion.
A big dreamprises small dreams, and the realization of dreams relies on step-by-step hard work. Daydreaming and idle talk will only lead to the ruin of nations and oneself.
Each scoop of inconspicuous soil dug up by these bone shovels is a small step toward the dream of the Green Sparrow Tribe...
A steed can''t cover a thousand miles in one leap, and a horse can''t drive ten chariots, but sess lies in perseverance.
As long as one doesn''t give up, day by day, under their leadership, this tribe and thisnd will surely blossom with dazzling colors.
Looking back at how they were when they first arrived, they have unconsciously changed a lot. The Green Sparrow Tribe has be a presence that surrounding tribes can only look up to, hasn''t it?
In the heavy rain, Han Cheng, digging the channels, suddenly became full of ambition. He wondered if Shun, who emerged from the fields, had simr feelings when plowing the fields.
The heavy rain gradually stopped, the clouds in the sky slowly dissipated, and the water in the ditches flowed with a gurgling sound, gradually diminishing.
Watching the cultivatednd that the rain hadn''t severely damaged, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, covered in mud and wearing raincoats, couldn''t help but cheer as they held their bone shovels.
In the face of nature, they were small but not powerless. Through their struggle, they could aplish things that even nature couldn''t thwart.
Han Cheng also joined in the cheers with the others, then shook off the mud from his feet and walked back to the tribe with everyone...
The people who stayed in the tribe were not idle either. Fire One, Fire Two, and Ruhua, whose belly had grown again, collected rainwater and boiled it inrge barrels.
Han Cheng instructed this before leaving, saying that when they returnedter, the people who went out should bathe in hot water.
This could reduce the possibility of getting sick from getting wet in the rain.
Knowing the significance of doing this, Fire One and the others took it very seriously.
They couldn''t protect the fields like the men and strong women who braved the heavy rain, so they could only do their best to heat the water hot and let the tired people wash away their fatigue...
Inside the cave, the air was misty with water vapor.
The people who returned from building water conservancy facilities were washing themselves with hot water, feelingfortable all over, and all the chills they had felt outside were driven away.
A few original members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, enjoying thefortable bath, squinted their eyes contentedly.
Taking a hot bath was sofortable. Why didn''t they know about it before?
Thinking back to the years when they rarely bathed, they felt itchy all over.
Han Cheng was also taking a bath, or more urately, soaking in a bath.
He wasn''t in the cave but in a room.
Firstly, there were too many people in the cave, and it was too crowded and not asfortable as in the room.
Secondly, bathing in a "private room" offered pleasures themunal pool couldn''t provide.
Han Cheng sat in the steamy bathtub, leaning against the tub''s edge, already feelingfortable being enveloped by the warm water. Moreover, Bai Xue, the little bride, was on the side, using her small hands to scrub his body.
Because she often worked, Bai Xue had calluses on her hands, not as soft as girls inter generations, but still making Han Cheng feel ticklish as she scrubbed him.
Due to the steam, Bai Xue''s face seemed even whiter, and her braided hair trembled with her washing movements.
Watching the little bride scrubbing his body so diligently, Han Cheng felt even itchier in his heart. He reached out and held the hand that was wandering on his body...
Chapter 343: Bathing feels so good
Chapter 343: Bathing feels so good
"Brother Cheng?" Bai Xue asked in confusion, her big eyes filled with puzzlement, not understanding why Brother Cheng suddenly grabbed her hand.
How could she wash and scrub herself like this?
Han Cheng chuckled shamelessly, "Bai Xue,e and wash with me."
Bai Xue''s alreadyrge eyes widened even more, lookingpletely bewildered. She didn''t understand why Brother Cheng suddenly wanted her to bathe with him.
However, this warm water should be veryfortable to wash in, just...
Just...
She looked a bit hesitant, biting her lip here.
Han Cheng looked at Bai Xue''s expression, surprised and puzzled. This little girl sleeps in a heated bed with him every day and has never seemed shy, so why is she acting so coy today? This is strange.
"The tub is too small, it won''t fit."Bai Xue said hesitantly.
Han Cheng sighed. So that''s what she''s worried about.
I knew it. How could this little white flower suddenly change her personality?
Knowing Bai Xue''s dilemma, Han Cheng smirked. "It''s okay. It can fit both of us. Let''s see how much space is left."
To coax the young Bride into the water, Han Cheng deliberately curled up his body, pointing to the remaining space in the tub, and said to Bai Xue.
His voice carried some temptation, like a cat preparing to steal a fat fish.
Bai Xue looked seriously at the remaining space in the bathtub. She felt fitting herself in with Han Cheng shouldn''t be a problem. After wiping her hands wet with water on her braided sheep''s horns, she dried herself a bit, grabbed the sleeves of her animal skin clothes, and began to exert force to take them off.
The animal skin clothes, simr to a hoodie, were lifted with her movements, revealing inch by inch of skin from her navel upwards.
Because she hadn''t seen the sun all summer, her skin looked rtively pale.
Han Cheng, with eager eyes, anticipated the revtion of the secrets hidden beneath as Bai Xue''s animal skin top reached her chest. His carefully nurtured secret was about to be exposed. Still, Bai Xue stopped her movements, loosening her hands, and the loose animal skin clothes fell, covering up everything that had been revealed.
Han Cheng''s eager expression instantly turned into disappointment.
When did this little Bride learn to tease people like this?
"What''s wrong?"
Han Cheng endured his impatience and asked.
Bai Xue pointed to the bathtub with her small hand. "The water wille out."
Han Cheng looked at the water in the bathtub and couldn''t help but pat his forehead. Sure enough, love can make people foolish.
With Bai Xueing in like this, his room is bound to have a flood.
Aftering to the primitive era, Han Cheng had long lost his shame. He came out of the bathtub naked, filled two cans of water from the tub, chuckled, took off Bai Xue''s clothes in three or two moves, hugged her, and put her in the tub, then eagerly got in himself.
The warm water enveloped their bodies, and Han Cheng was almost ecstatic, holding a soft body in his arms.
No wonder people like to take a bath together. It turns out the feeling is so wonderful.
Somebody who had been single for many years and was still a virgin until he ran to the primitive era to bring back a little Bride couldn''t help but feel sentimental...
Fighting against the heavens and the earth is enjoyable, especially against people.
As expected, it didn''t disappoint. Fighting against the heavens and the earth was endlessly enjoyable, especially against people.
After taking a hot bath and washing together, Divine Child, lyingfortably on the heated bed, turned his head to look at Bai Xue, who was cuddling up to him with her cheeks flushed and thought to himself with satisfaction.
Although what he had just been fighting against was Bai Xue''s little hands...
During the bath together, Han Cheng wandered around the edge several times but did not go further.
It''s not that he didn''t want to, but Bai Xue is still young, and until now, no rtives have visited. It''s better to wait longer for this enjoyable yet embarrassing thing. Otherwise, it''s not good for her body.
Han Cheng is not promiscuous, nor is he reckless. He can be impulsive sometimes, but most of the time, he can be bound by reason.
He treats Bai Xue not only with desire. After a long time, something simr to familial affection has already appeared.
Because he cherishes her, he doesn''t want to cause her harm.
I used to hear people say that taking love further isn''t the grave of marriage but somewhat familial affection. Han Cheng, who had never been in love, couldn''t understand this statement.
Now, in this era, thinking about everything that has happened between him and his young Bride, it seems like he hasn''t experienced the so-called love, but he can understand the correctness of this statement.
Bowing his head, he kissed the flushed cheeks of his young Bride. Han Cheng tightened his arms around Bai Xue a little more, closed his eyes, listened to the patter of rain outside the window, felt the breath of the young Bride in his arms, and, exhausted frombor, he soon fell asleep.
However, the energetic little Bai Xue didn''t sleep. Quietly, she raised her hand and looked at it for a while, thinking about that magical thing that could be big or small, her eyes filled with curiosity.
After looking at it for a while, she quietly put her hand down, groped for something, and softly muttered in her tiny mouth, "Big, big..."
After a while, a mischievous smile appeared on the face of the young Bride, like a child who had just received a new toy, reluctant to let go...
As the night fell, dinner was ready in the tribe, and someone came to call Han Cheng to eat.
Han Cheng woke up from his dream, looking at Bai Xue, who had just woken up, and his old face couldn''t help but turn red.
Because he remembered the absurd dream he had just had, and the main character wasn''t Bai Xue...
In the following days, Han Cheng became somewhat helpless because inappropriate scenes kept appearing in his dreams. He sighed, realizing that he was still too inexperienced. What would happen after they consummate their marriage if this was the case?
This situation continued until one night when Han Cheng couldn''t sleep, lying there for a long time without falling asleep, and could only finally fall asleep after being touched by a small hand sneaking over...
After the heavy rain, the sky did not clear up, and the rain continued for three days.
In light rain, most water will seep into the ground and not umte rapidly, turning into floods.
So, during these few days, only a few people carried bone spades to inspect the fields along the ridges, and the rest of the people were rtively idlepared to usual.
However, among these idle people, the first carpenter, Lame, was not included.
This is the pain of doing indoor work. When it rains outside, those doing outdoor work can take a break, but those indoors are not affected...
Chapter 344: Green Sparrow Tribe Beyond the Golden Age
Chapter 344: Green Sparrow Tribe Beyond the Golden Age
Beyond the Golden Age
This year, the Green Sparrow Tribe has constructed twelve new houses, but they haven''t all been upied yet. Six of them remain empty.
Han Cheng didn''t allocate the six vacant houses for families. Currently, four of them serve as granaries, storing various grains inrge pots and small jars. Han Cheng realizes it''s time to make more grain storage containers, especially considering that the production scale will expand next year, posing a potential storage challenge.
Han Cheng looks at the grains stored in the pots and spread out on the ground, contemting. The so-called "Xue Zi" is a long strip woven from the hard skin of sorghum stalks. It''s about thirty centimeters wide, and there are no specific requirements for length. This item is used explicitly for storing grains. When not used, it''s rolled up and tied with a rope, taking up minimal space in the corner. When needed, the rolled-up "Xue Zi" isid out on the ground, preferably on a dry surface, and then unrolled in a spiral to form a circle for storing grains. With enough "Xue Zi," it''s not difficult to create a cylindrical storage space with a diameter of two to three meters and a height of two to three meters.
This is essentially a primitive granary. However, with technological advancement, rubber or alloy products have gradually reced these hand-woven granaries. Han Cheng doesn''t expect rubber or alloy grain containers; sorghum skin "Xue Zi" is fine. But even this seems like a luxury, considering he hasn''t even found any sorghum yet.
Nevertheless, he can find alternatives; sorghum stalks and some tougher grasses can serve the purpose, although they aren''t as effective as those made from sorghum skin. Han Cheng now deeply appreciates the importance of carpenters and weavers. He ns to select a few talented individuals from the tribe and teach them these skills to ensure the continuity of these techniques.
With skilled artisans, Han Cheng can delegate some responsibilities and focus on creating more advanced items. Currently, the items made by the tribe are already quite advanced. Two of the six vacant houses are used for storing misceneous items, and one serves as a "carpenter''s room."
The carpenter, Lame, sits in this room on a small tree stump, holding a chisel in one hand and an axe in the other, diligently cutting a wooden board. Nearby lies a moreplex structure¡ªa plow¡ª which Han Cheng exined in detail and which Lame has been working on for over a month.
The plow consists of a tall bucket for seed storage, three slightly forward-leaning, hollow wooden legs, and two wooden shafts extending forward. At the end of these shafts is a wide leather strip that connects them. At the back is a handle raised above the wooden bucket used to control the plow. This is the general structure of the plow.The wooden board Lame is currently working on will be attached under the wooden bucket. The holes drilled into the wooden bucket aren''t quite suitable for controlling the flow of seeds. After several unsessful experiments and modifications, Lame makes a new one.
Lame''s axe skills are good, and he chops the surface of the wooden board quite smoothly. However, itcks the tness achieved by a ne. When Han Cheng gets some iron again, he''ll make a ne so Lame can have aplete set of tools. It''s not that Han Cheng is biased; it''s just that carpenters are crucial for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After hearing Han Cheng''s exnation about the ne, Lame walks joyfully, his limp less noticeable. He thought using an axe and sawing with iron was good enough, but he didn''t expect the Divine Child to know about this even more efficient tool. He works with more vigor afterward.
Three dayster, the weather finally cleared up. As soon as the ground dries, the Green Sparrow Tribe eagerly brings out the stored grains from their houses. These grains haven''t been properly dried and are starting to heat up. It might even mold if it stays cloudy for a few more days.
The threshed grains are spread out on the ground, ready for a second beating. Watching these grains drying in the yard, Shaman and other Green Sparrow Tribe members can''t stop smiling, asionally picking up a handful and examining it closely. They''ve never seen so much grain before!
However, Han Cheng isn''t as happy as Shaman and the others. It''s not that he doesn''t enjoy the joy of harvest; it''s just that the grain yield is a bit low. He deliberately chose an area with strong growth to start harvesting and measured out one acre, resulting in less than one hundred catties of grain. This yield is too little for Han Cheng, who knows that a small household with only a few acres ofnd can easily produce over five hundred catties in modern times.
Calcting based on one hundred catties per acre, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s thirty acres ofnd can only yield three thousand catties of grain. Assuming each person consumes one catty of grain daily, this grain would onlyst the tribe for thirty days. And that''s not even ounting for seed retention.
After six months of hard work, the harvest is less than a month''s worth of food, which is disappointing. However, Han Cheng shakes his head and smiles lightly. This is just the beginning. The total grain yield will increase when they nt grains on arger scale next year. If the yield per acre is low, they can nt more acres. After all, they have plenty ofnd now.
Even if they practice extensive farming with low yields per acre, they can still increase the total production. Moreover, not everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe relies solely on grains for food; they have other food sources. In reality, the living standards of the Green Sparrow Tribe are iparable to modern times. Still, they seem to have surpassed the prosperity of feudal dynasties.
In the context of those times, prosperity meant having some spare grain, a few pieces of clothing, and enough food to eat. Indeed, this is a golden age.
Chapter 345: Different surprises over the same incident
Chapter 345: Different surprises over the same incident
The development and productivity of the Green Sparrow Tribe are not necessarilyparable to the feudal period but rather because of the small poption of the tribe, making it easier to manage. With certain changes, they can achieve immediate results.
Feudal kingdoms, on the other hand, face variousplex issues when their territory and poption are vast. They have to deal with many problems, especially during natural disasters and times of conflict, where scenes of devastation, famine, and suffering are all toomon.
From this perspective, the people of feudal kingdoms may not necessarily be happier than those of one''s tribe. Otherwise, poets wouldn''t fantasize about secluded paradises like the Peach Blossom Spring.
Of course, this doesn''t apply to the privileged sses.
Indeed, whenever one thinks about it, there''s always someone better off and worse off...
"Divine Child, we''ll have millet for lunch..."
Shaman walked over with a handful of unhusked grains, looking delighted.
Han Cheng halted his thoughts, no longer dwelling on such matters. The prosperity or adversity of feudal kingdoms was distant and irrelevant to him and the Green Sparrow Tribe. Overthinking about it wouldn''t change anything in his lifetime.
Just focus on taking each step steadily."When it''s time to be happy, be happy; when it''s time to celebrate, celebrate. Thinking too much and worrying too much will only drain the color out of life."
"Eat millet for lunch!"
Han Cheng stood up, took a deep breath, and looked at Shaman and the others with a big smile.
"I''ll cook lunch myself!"
He added.
People initially happy about having millet for lunch became even more excited after hearing Han Cheng''s words.
They had firsthand experience of Han Cheng''s cooking skills.
Following Han Cheng''s arrangements, someone began to bring out two jars of dried grains stored away, brought them to the courtyard, picked up a wooden stick, and began to pound the millet.
During this time, the stonemason had not been idle. Under Han Cheng''s instructions, he struggled with arge stone, slowly chiseling a conical mortar.
This stone mortar was for pounding millet.
The original stone mortar used to crush apricot kernels in the cave was too small. It couldn''t hold more than a few catties of grains at a time, and grains would ssh out quickly if not careful. Using it to pound millet was not only inefficient but also inconvenient.
So, before they began harvesting the grains, Han Cheng had instructed the stonemason to carve a new mortar.
Others in the tribe hadn''t thought about this, but Han Cheng couldn''t overlook such details as the leader.
Now, this newly carved mortar was proving its worth.
It could hold up to two catties of unhusked millet at a time, and pounding it with a wooden stick resulted in less spige, significantly improving efficiency.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
"Swish, swish, swish..."
The muscles on the Eldest Senior Brother''s arms bulged as he lifted and dropped the wooden stick, squeezing the husks of the grains inside the stone mortar, revealing the golden kernels.
After pounding, the millet was poured out of the mortar into a winnowing basket. Someone carefully winnowed it, removing the husks leaving behind the golden millet.
Pounding millet was a novel task, and many people in the tribe were eager to do it, as evidenced by their eagerness to take turns.
Han Cheng watched this scene with a smile but remained silent.
Han Cheng deeply understood the difficulty of pounding millet; otherwise, it wouldn''t have been used as punishment in the pre-Qin period.
The people in the tribe were only enthusiastic about it temporarily. Once the quantity of grains increased and pounding millet became a daily task, they wouldn''t be as active and enthusiastic as they are today...
The enticing aroma wafted through the Green Sparrow Tribe on top of the golden millet, delicious meat, and vegetables piled high. Just looking at it and smelling it lifted one''s spirits.
Those who had eaten millet before were somewhat better off. However, for those who had just joined from the original Bone Tribe, they couldn''t express their feelings. They could only wolf down the food in their bowls, not saying a word, afraid of wasting time.
As the delicious food entered their mouths, everyone felt all the previous hardships were worth it.
Indeed, the hard work was challenging, but when you finally harvested the results, all the hard work turned into a satisfying smile.
While the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were contentedly enjoying their meal, the people of the Green Tribe were setting off with hearts full of joy.
What delighted both tribes was something that resembled dog tails.
The difference was that the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe tasted the deliciousness and saw hope for the tribe''s prosperity.
On the other hand, the people of the Green Tribe were pleased with themselves for being able to exchange this unappetizing wild grass for pottery and some soft hats and gloves.
They had a reason to be pleased with themselves. After all, neighboring tribes only traded precious food and warm animal skins for goods while using wild grass that nobody else would eat.
"£¤£¤!"
The leader of the Green Tribe called out, leading the people carrying the wild grass away from the tribe towards the prosperous and generous Green Sparrow Tribe.
Based on past trading experiences, the wild grass they brought could not only provide each person in the tribe with a pottery bowl but also bring back arge cooking pot.
Thinking about the people of their tribe eating with pottery bowls, the leader of the Green Tribe couldn''t help but feel ecstatic from the inside out, filled with energy, and eager to rush to the other tribe and exchange their pottery bowls.
Walking ahead, he reached out and touched the wild grass he was carrying on his shoulder, then looked back at the people from his tribe dressed simrly. His smile grew wider.
The people of that tribe certainly wouldn''t expect them to bring so much wild grass.
When they saw them, they would be very surprised.
Thinking about this, the leader of the Green Tribe became even more eager for the arrival of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
As for the safety of their tribe, he wasn''t too worried. This season was when food was rtively abundant, and generally, no one would attack other tribes.
The nearby tribes, especially the powerful Bone Tribe known for attacking others, had already been destroyed. Furthermore, the prosperous Green Sparrow Tribe had made a promise not to attack as long as their tribe didn''t initiate aggression...
Even if a tribe dide to attack, he wasn''t too worried because he had made arrangements near the cave entrance simr to the Green Sparrow Tribe''s fortifications.
Chapter 346: Helping the Green Tribe
Chapter 346: Helping the Green Tribe
The birds in the forest chirped incessantly, and the remaining people of the Green Tribe would asionally nce toward the tribe''s entrance. Seeing those tree stumps still standing at the cave entrance, the unease caused by most people leaving the cave gradually dissipated.
These tree stumps formed a semicircle around the entrance of the Green Tribe''s cave. Although it was somewhat inconvenient toe and gopared to before, no oneined because it served as a protective barrier for them.
The destruction of the powerful Bone Tribe made the people of the Green Tribe realize the importance of fortifications even more deeply.
Upon their return, the leader of the Green Tribe and others began to try to figure out how to build fortifications to protect their cave. However, without suitable tools and difficult-to-dig soil, and although plenty of stones were nearby, it was impossible to build a wall with just these resources.
Themon sentiment among the people of the Green Tribe was: "How did that tribe manage to dig up so much soil and find so many stones?"
Furthermore, the people of the Green Tribe had to spend their days running around for food, so after trying for some time, they gave up on building the wall.
In the end, they used tree stumps instead.
The "wall" made of tree stumps was only a little over a meter high and no more than thirty meters long. Yet, it took the people of the Green Tribe more than three months of effort to build it...
Although it was rudimentary,pared to having no cover when leaving the cave, it still made the people of the Green Tribe feel secure and confident."Someone''s here! Someone''s here!"
The person standing on the wall shouted, and the wooden ppers sounded.
After the raids from the Flying Snake Tribe in the second year of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and the Bone Tribe this year, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe became even more cautious and wary of neers.
The Flying Snake Tribe was already evil, but the Bone Tribe, although not evil before, would still attack their tribe.
This incident made the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe understand the truth: sometimes, even friendly tribes can be hostile.
Seeing the tribespeople quickly taking action, Han Cheng momentarily instructed someone to cover the stone mortar used for pounding millet with something. He also had the millet pounded in the sieve and carried back into the room.
At the same time, he picked up a broom and swept the millet husks on the ground to a less noticeable ce, covering them with dry straw.
After carefully inspecting the surroundings and ensuring that no traces were left, he smiled and turned his gaze to the people who had already arrived at the wall and outside the gate.
As expected, the visitors this time should be from the Green Tribe.
The Green Tribe was not too far from their tribe, and the climate was simr.
The grains in their tribe were already ripe for harvest, and it was likely the same for the Green Tribe.
Based on the Green Tribe leader''s tendency to be fond of small advantages, it was highly possible that after harvesting their grains, they woulde to their tribe to exchange goods.
The main reason why the Green Tribe did not value millet was that they didn''t know how to consume it after husking.
Once the people of the Green Tribe discovered the correct way to consume grains, along with the cultivated fields around their tribe, the Green Tribe would undoubtedly develop towards agriculture.
Agriculture was immensely significant for a tribe, and as someone from the future, Han Cheng understood this better than anyone in this era.
Nomadic and hunting-fishing lifestyles cannot sustain a race''s continuous growth and development or lead to the development of a world-leading civilization. The only way to achieve this is through agriculture, which can feed a sufficient poption and bring people together in settledmunities.
Without food, who would sleep soundly?
In his n, the Green Tribe would eventually integrate into the Sparrow Tribe. To facilitate this integration, the Green Tribe needed to remain impoverished and backward.
The absorption and assimtion of lower civilizations by higher ones is far easier than the reverse.
On a small scale, Han Cheng had to resort to these measures to grow and prosper the Green Sparrow Tribe, while on a grander scale, it was about rescuing the Green Tribe from dire straits.
Not allowing them to return to the days of uncertainty, where they wouldn''t know where their next meal woulde from...
It''s a bit shameless.
Han Cheng thought to himself as he touched his face.
But it feels good somehow...
The Eldest Senior Brother on the wall shouted towards Han Cheng. As Han Cheng had anticipated, the visitors were indeed from the Green Tribe.
"£¤2!"
The leader of the Green Tribe looked up at the tall, impassable wall with envy.
At the same time, a deep sense of admiration was rising within him.
Only those who had tried it themselves knew how difficult it was to build such a wall.
It was simply beyond human capacity.
He touched the wild grass on his shoulder, and the sense of loss in his heart regained confidence.
He wanted to encourage himself because there was too much disappointment just now.
As the leader of the Green Tribe approached the edge of the wall, he vigorously patted the wild grass on his shoulder, loudly boasting to Han Cheng and the others of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and moring to exchange all the Sparrow Tribe pottery.
The Eldest Senior Brother, who understood the leader of the Green Tribe''s intention, was somewhat astonished.
He looked back at therge amount of grain drying in the yard and then at the unthreshed grain carried on the shoulders of the Green Tribe and others, which couldn''t even match half an acre of their own tribe''snd. He really couldn''t understand where the courage of the leader of the Green Tribe came from.
After the initial surprise, the Eldest Senior Brother smiled.
Some people who understood the leader of the Green Tribe''s intentions alsoughed along.
The rest of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who were unaware of what was happening, couldn''t help butugh when they learned the reason from those who understood the leader of the Green Tribe.
The leader and people of the Green Tribe, seeing the peopleughing without exining why they were allowed in, found it inexplicable.
What were these guys doing? What happened that was so funny?
Why were theyughing so contagiously?
"£¤!"
Unable to bear this strange atmosphere, the leader of the Green Tribe asked loudly for the reason.
Seeing the leader of the Green Tribe''s serious appearance, the Eldest Senior Brother and others on the wall burst intoughter again.
It took a while for theughter to subside. Then, they ordered the gate of the tribe to be opened, allowing the very cooperative Green Tribe to enter, having already conscientiously ced their weapons aside.
What a tribe of lunatics!
The leader of the Green Tribe didn''t know the term "lunatic," but if he did, he would have handed it to the Sparrow Tribe without hesitation.
"Hiss~!"
The leader of the Bone Tribe, who was inexplicably puzzled by the strange behavior of the people of the Sparrow Tribe, stopped abruptly after entering the gate, stood still for a long time, and took a deep breath...
Chapter 347: Standardize measurements
Chapter 347: Standardize measurements
The scorching sun descended beyond the mountains, painting the sky with red clouds, while birds chirped joyfully for reasons unknown.
As the heat dissipated, a chill crept in.
The leader of the Green Tribe walked with a somewhat vacant expression, carrying some pottery on his back.
Not only him, but the others apanying him also wore simr expressions.
Before they arrived, they had imagined countless times what it would be like to walk back with pottery exchanged for wild grass seeds.
Surely, there would beughter and joy all the way.
However, now that they had sessfully exchanged wild grass seeds for pottery, there was noughter as they had imagined.
The reason for this drastic change was what they saw in that tribe.
Recalling the scene, the leader of the Green Tribe felt a strong sense of unease, his mind dizzy, as if he were dreaming.It wasn''t that he couldn''t bear it, but the scene was just too unbelievable!
Wild grass seeds everywhere!
Who knows how many more wild grass seeds they had than they did?
No wonder theyughed after hearing what he said.
Seeing this scene, the leader of the Green Tribe alsoughed, but it was a bitterugh, and his face felt a bit feverish.
Did this tribe receive blessings from the gods?
They always seemed to have countless astonishing things, and every visit left people amazed.
And it seemed like they could obtain whatever they wanted, and in such vast quantities...
After thinking for a while and seeing the dusk gradually descending, the leader of the Green Tribe decided to stop and rest in this open area.
Someone produced a fire starter and struggled to make a fire.
They used the fire to cook food and keep warm.
The leader of the Green Tribe drank water from a pottery bowl, feeling somewhat calmer.
This bowl was obtained from that tribe today, along with arge jar and other bowls.
The oue was almost exactly as he had anticipated, even more so as they ended up with an extra bowl.
At first, he found it unbelievable, much like when he learned that the tribe suddenly had many wild grass seeds.
After seeing so many wild grass seeds drying on the ground anding to his senses from the shock, the leader of the Green Tribe thought he would return empty-handed this time.
After all, the tribe already had so many wild grass seeds. Why would they trade precious pottery with them?
Even if they were willing to trade, the pottery they could obtain would be greatly reduced.
He had a deep understanding of the cunning of that tribe''s leader.
When the leader of the Green Tribe proposed exchanging the wild grass seeds for pottery, as he had expected, the leader of that tribe only brought out a few bowls, not even arger pottery jar.
The leader of the Green Tribe felt angry, as well as disappointed.
The tribe had put a lot of effort into gathering these wild grass seeds and even missed out on two days of hunting opportunities.
Before they came, including himself, everyone was excited and eagerly anticipating each person having their pottery bowl, but now...
The leader of the Green Tribe took another sip of water, looked at the pottery bowls andrge jar before him, and sighed.
A figure appeared in his mind, the person from that tribe known as the Divine Child.
The tribe leader had clearly expressed his unwillingness to trade and seemed to imply that they should carry the wild grass seeds back with them.
Under the eaves, one must lower one''s head.
Faced with such a situation, even if unwilling, the leader of the Green Tribe had to ept it reluctantly.
Because if he disagreed, they wouldn''t even be able to bring back a single pottery bowl.
They could only return to the tribe carrying the undesirable wild grass seeds.
At this moment, the Divine Child of that tribe appeared, intervening to stop the tribe leader''s actions and offering the pottery they had anticipated exchanging...
He had previously thought this so-called Divine Child was foolish, but now he hadpletely changed his mind.
For the underage person known as the Divine Child, he felt genuine admiration.
And it wasn''t just him who witnessed this; the other members of the Green Tribe who witnessed it also felt admiration for the Divine Child of that tribe.
Upon careful consideration, if the positions were reversed, they would never be able to act to the same extent...
Of course, this was a y prearranged by Han Cheng and the Eldest Senior Brother.
Since it was a y, there needed to be antagonists and protagonists. Without antagonists, how could the protagonists'' noble image be highlighted?
And how could the Green Tribe feel the great favor bestowed upon them by the Green Sparrow Tribe?
Recalling the various performances of the Green Tribe leader, the three giants of the Sparrow Tribe gathered together, revealing a smile of sessful deceit.
Han Cheng, the mastermind, smiled the most cunning and sly among them.
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s external policy was abination of benevolence and authority.
The main purpose of doing this was to facilitate the future integration of these tribes...
The second batch of grain was also harvested, and this time, they obtained a total of one hundred and ny-eight pounds of grain.
Don''t doubt why Han Cheng knew this precisely because he had already made a scale.
It was a simple construction, and anyone who had seen a scale in modern times could make one with some effort.
The difficulty in making a scale wasn''t in these constructions but rather in urately depicting the scale on the rod.
Han Cheng put in a lot of effort to find the correct position for the scale of this bnce.
After much thought, he adopted a method simr to when he made the ruler.
First, he found a rtively neat stone, estimated to weigh about the same as a pound, and used it as a standard.
Then, he tied this stone with a rope and hung it on the scale''s hook. Holding the rope on the scale, he lifted the stone off the ground with one hand.
With the other hand, he moved the rope of the weight hanging on the bnce arm.
After moving the weight to parallel the bnce arm, he used an iron knife to carve a mark at this position, marking it as one pound.
Then, using this one-pound standard, he weighed out many small bags of sand, each containing one pound.
By hanging these bags on the scale''s hook together with the original stone used as the standard, he could then obtain markings for two pounds, three pounds, four pounds, and so on.
After the scale was made, the stone used as the standard was solemnly preserved with the ten-centimeter wooden stick used as the ''standard.''
As long as these two standards were preserved, his measurements and weights would remain urate.
It was essential to establish standards for weight, length, and other daily essible items.
Chapter 348: Missing half a pound at the critical moment
Chapter 348: Missing half a pound at the critical moment
Scales are helpful, such as urately knowing how many pounds of grain per acre.
For example, urately tracking the changes in Bai Xue''s weight.
And now, for weighing newborn babies.
Hei Wa is a father again.
This guy has been with Zhuang for almost three years, yet their passion is still burning strong.
Han Cheng doesn''t know where they get so much energy and passion.
Even though Han Cheng has told Hei Wa more than once that young people should be restrained to avoid tears in the future, their passion hasn''t diminished much.
The more diligent the sowing, the higher the seed germination rate. Just as the first child of Hei Wa''s family had just started to walk unsteadily, the second one was already born.
For this child, Zhuang suffered a lot, even more than giving birth to the first child. Painful screams filled the entire tribe.Han Cheng even thought about going in to deliver the baby himself.
In the face of life, gender differences and all those things had to take a back seat.
And Zhuang had already been seen through by Han Cheng...
Just as Han Cheng was getting ready to roll up his sleeves and wash his hands to go over, the room was filled with the loud crying of the newborn baby.
Then Hei Wa''s voice of joy rang out.
Han Cheng and some other people waiting outside entered the room.
"Wow!"
Seeing the newborn baby, who was not yet very clean, Han Cheng couldn''t help but be surprised.
It wasn''t because the little guy had two birdies but because his head was big enough.
He looked noticeably fatter than the average baby.
No wonder Zhuang struggled so hard during the second delivery!
Thinking like this, Hei Wa was already busy looking for a scale to weigh the newborn baby.
Weighing newborn babies had be popr in the tribe since Han Cheng made the scale.
Before the scale was made, the people in the tribe were very concerned about the size of newborn babies.
Experience told them that the bigger the newborn baby, the stronger and more likely it is to survive.
Before the scale, they could only rely on size forparison, but they couldn''t determine which baby was bigger and by how much.
Now that there was a scale, everything changed. People could urately know the weight of newborn babies.
As a result, there were several babies in the tribe named Five and a Half Pounds, Six Pounds, and so on.
Giving birth to a chubby baby made Zhuang, the mother, and Hei Wa, the second-time father, extremely happy.
The two-month-old child of Liang''s partner reached six pounds and seven ounces, making him the heaviest baby born in the Green Sparrow Tribe since they had the scale.
Whenever they heard Liang calling their baby six pounds and seven ounces, Tie Tou felt ufortable.
Because his first child was bigger than Liang''s child, but because there was no scale, Liang''s six pounds and seven ounces became the standard.
Now that Zhuang had given birth to such a chubby baby, it would be strange if he didn''t rush to find a scale.
The scale was brought over, and after the crying baby was wrapped in a one-pound animal fur nket, it was hung on the scale hook.
The rope on the scale hammer passed over eight pounds, and the scale beam was still high, indicating that the baby hanging in front weighed more than seven pounds.
Hei Wa''s face was filled with joy as he moved the hammer backward until the scale beam bnced at nine pounds and eight ounces.
This child weighs eight pounds and eight taels, excluding one pound of skin.
Seeing the result, Han Cheng on the side couldn''t help but widen his eyes in astonishment.
Hei Wa and Zhuang are something!
Hei Wa''s mental arithmetic ability was not strong enough. Subtracting one pound from nine pounds and eight ounces equals eight pounds and eight ounces, and it took him a while to figure it out.
Just as he was about to joyfully announce this good news to everyone, the previously stable scale suddenly began to droop slowly.
At the same time, a crystal-clear stream of water spurted out from between the newborn baby''s legs, reaching a shameful distance of two meters that made all the adults in the room blush...
Hei Wa widened his eyes, looking at the continuous stream of water spraying from his son''s legs, then nced at the slowly drooping scale beam, his face dumbfounded.
"Plop!"
The scale hammer fell to the ground, and the unbnced scale beam soared high. At this moment, Hei Wa''s chubby little son was still peeing.
By the time he finished urinating and picked up the scale hammer to weigh again, only nine pounds and three ounces remained, meaning this little guy peed out more than half a pound, leaving only eight pounds and three ounces!
"You little rascal!"
Unable to ept this result, Hei Wa, in frustration, pped the innocent baby sucking on his fingers in the swaddling clothes.
"Hahaha..."
All the people watching around couldn''t help butugh.
From then on, Hei Wa''s second child was named Half a Pound.
Whenever someone called him that way, Hei Wa pat Half a Pound with a frustrated expression.
Looking resentfully at him, he''d say, "You just can''t hold it in..."
The third batch of grains was also threshed, yielding only fifty-one pounds.
While Han Cheng and the others threshed the grains, Eldest Senior Brother and the others also wielded stone sickles and bone spades, turning over the harvested grain and rapeseed fields.
After drying for a while, they would be ready to nt rapeseed.
These fields had all been turned over at least once, and there were few grass roots, tree roots, or small stones, so it didn''t take too much time.
While Eldest Senior Brother and the others were doing this, Han Cheng was not idle either. He led some logistics specialists to prepare and store food that could be stored for a long time.
At the same time, he conducted aprehensive inspection of the original four canoes and the two newly made ones.
The oars and cables of the canoes were also carefully inspected.
These were all things rted to life safety so they couldn''t be checked too carefully.
In addition, stone sickles, bone sickles, ropes, and other items were also prepared and inspected.
Autumn winds had begun, leaves were falling, and it was time to go downstream to harvest hemp and fulfill the promise to the Fire Tribe.
By now, the grains had been harvested and stored in the house, and the rapeseed fields had been turned over. It was not yet time to harvest the fruits, so it was a leisure period.
When they returned from downstream with the hemp, they could nt the rapeseed and harvest the fruits.
Looking at the empty deer pen and the several canoes moored by the riverbank, Tie Tou seemed somewhat preupied.
The deer herd had gone out to graze; ording to experience, they should have gone out with the other grass-cutters.
But now, he was in the tribe.
The others who usually went grass-cutting with him were also in the tribe.
Looking at the stacked haystacks, which were not yet tall, and thinking about the significantly expanded deer and rabbit herds, Tie Tou hesitated for a while before finally heading towards Han Cheng, who was directing people to load things onto the canoes.
Chapter 349: Men who catch horses is strong and brave
Chapter 349: Men who catch horses is strong and brave
"Get ready quickly; we should also leave."
Han Cheng appeared somewhat cheerful as he said to Tie Tou, who hade to his side.
After speaking, he continued to direct people to move things onto the wooden boat. After a while, he found Tie Tou hadn''t left as instructed but was standing in ce, looking hesitant.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel a bit strange. What was going on with this guy today?
"What''s wrong?" Han Cheng asked aloud.
"Divine Child, I don''t want to go..." Tie Tou gathered his courage and finally blurted out the words he had held back for days.
Doesn''t want to go?
Tie Tou''s sudden response took away Han Cheng.
How could this guy suddenly not want to go?Could it be because of Ru Hua?
For most young couples and middle-aged couples, long separation periods were hard to bear.
As one of the pairs in the Green Sparrow Tribe whose passion burned second only to Hei Wa and Zhuang, it wasn''t surprising that Tie Tou had such thoughts.
It''s just that Ru Hua''s belly was already quite big. Even if he stayed in the tribe, there were many things he couldn''t aplish.
If someone else were saying this, after considering it, Han Cheng would basically agree, but Tie Tou was a bit different.
The primary purpose of this downstream journey was to harvest wild hemp, and Tie Tou and a few other experts in harvesting things were naturally indispensable.
"What? Can''t bear to leave Ru Hua?" Han Cheng asked with a smile.
As one of the two people whom Han Cheng had kicked for singing too loudly at night, Tie Tou''s face rarely blushed when Han Cheng asked him about this kind of thing face to face.
"It''s not Ru Hua." He hurriedly exined.
"It''s the deer."
Han Cheng widened his eyes and looked at Tie Tou with extreme surprise.
It was rumored that Chang Yuchun, the founding hero of the Ming Dynasty, was exceptionally talented. Whenever he went on a march or into battle, fierce women would apany him in the military camp.
While others would conserve their strength before battle, Chang Yuchun wouldn''t befortable without a few rounds.
What was even more infuriating was that after sharpening his de before battle, he would be more than twice as fierce as those who carefully conserved their strength!
Chang Yuchun''s fierceness didn''t just stop there. If there were no women, even mares could...
Tie Tou now couldn''t bear to leave the deer, could it be... cough cough cough...
Han Cheng suddenly coughed violently.
"Yo yo..."
Talk of the devil.
The proud deer lord led the herd back from outside, its horned head held high, its four long legs moving gracefully, stepping out with an uninhibited gait.
The cough that Han Cheng had just managed to suppress resurfaced with the appearance of the deer lord.
This guy, why did it look like he was wearing an apology on his head...
Tie Tou looked at Han Cheng with a puzzled and worried expression, not knowing how he suddenly turned into this appearance.
"There are more deer now and not enough grass. I want to cut grass for the deer..." Tie Tou added, Seeing that the Divine Child''s cough had eased.
So that was it.
Han Cheng suppressed his cough and lightly patted his head. What was he thinking about all day long?
Living in a safe ce at night, not having to go out to find grass even in the dangerous winter because of the existence of the Green Sparrow Tribe and the vigorous and hardworking deer lord, the deer herd grew rapidly indeed.
With more deer, the consumption of hay would increase in the winter. Tie Tou''s worry was not unreasonable.
Han Cheng was very pleased that Tie Tou could consider these things. Only when more people spontaneously consider the tribe can it be more prosperous and developed.
However good the idea was, Tie Tou still had to go on this journey to harvest hemp, and it wasn''t just him; the few people who regrly cut grass couldn''t escape either.
Just as Tie Tou smiled happily at Han Cheng''s praise, his smile froze when he heard Han Cheng''s words behind him.
Looking at Han Cheng, his mind was full of iprehension.
Since the Divine Child knew there wasn''t enough fodder for the winter, why wouldn''t he let him stay in the tribe to cut grass?
Was he nning to hunt deer on arge scale after winter?
"Where''s the fodder?" Han Cheng smiled and pointed to the stacks of stalks.
The current grains had small ears, but the stalks were flourishing. Thirty acres of stalks were piled up there, forming arge heap.
After being threshed three times, these initially quite hard stalks had softened. Combined with the fact that they hadn''t been rained on, they were just right as fodder for feeding deer.
Thirty acres of stalks were more than Tie Tou and the others could cut in a month.
With these stalks, plus the grass they had cut and dried earlier, they had enough for winter.
After the scale of grain cultivation increased the following year, Tie Tou and the others wouldn''t need to cut grass all day long anymore. Just the hundreds of acres of stalks would be enough to feed the tribe''s livestock.
When feeding, they would just mix some chopped green grass with the simrly chopped stalks.
After hearing Han Cheng''s words, Tie Tou suddenly showed an enlightened expression.
Influenced by the fact that rapeseed stalks were used for fuel, he thought these threshed grains would be treated the same way. Now that Han Cheng had enlightened him, he suddenly felt clear-minded.
After a moment of joy, he ran to the stacks of stalks, pulled down some stalks, carried them to the deer pen, and ced them in the y trough.
The deer, ustomed to being kept, came over, sniffed with their noses, and began to eat.
The three nearly adult sheep also came over and took a mouthful.
Their goat beards moved up and down.
After a long time together, several sheep hadpletely integrated into the deer herd.
They spent every day mingling in the deer herd, following the lead of the deer lord, grazing together, and returning together.
Han Cheng was skeptical that they might already consider themselves deer.
The deer lord was now outrageously powerful, transforming into the leader of the two major races.
Or, to be precise, the leader of the three major races.
Fujiang also liked leading his five silly children to mingle with the deer herd when he had nothing to do.
Seeing that the deer were indeed eating these stalks, Tie Tou''s worries disappearedpletely.
Without Han Cheng needing to say anything, he prepared all the sickles, ropes, and other things himself.
As night fell, fires were lit in the Green Sparrow Tribe, and the aroma of food wafted back and forth in the tribe, creating a lively scene.
With all preparations made, they were going to set sail tomorrow. This was Han Cheng and his group''sst night in the tribe. The somewhat negligent witch specifically prepared a sumptuous dinner to bid Han Cheng and his group farewell.
After dinner, Han Cheng chatted with the Shaman, the Eldest Senior brother, and others who stayed behind in the tribe for a while before returning to his room to rest.
Pushing open the door, illuminated by the moonlight outside, he reached the edge of the heated bed, took off his clothes, andy down, leaning over to look at the already sleeping Bai Xue. Han Cheng bent down and kissed her softly.
She was so tender.
Just as he was about to lie down, Bai Xue suddenly opened her eyes. Before Han Cheng could react, the little snow leopard-like Bai Xue hugged him tightly.
Chapter 350: The man who was hit by a carp
Chapter 350: The man who was hit by a carp
Han Cheng was caught off guard by the sudden move of his little bride.
Then he reacted.
He was about to leave tomorrow; parting was imminent. Could it be that this little bride suddenly had an epiphany and wanted to...
Heh heh heh...
Han Cheng smirked for a moment.
"Brother Cheng, I want to go too."
Bai Xue''s words slightly disappointed Han Cheng. This little girl was still too young to make demands.
Wasn''t the normal procedure supposed to be this and that... and then making demands?
How could she be so unreasonable?"Stay in the tribe. Wait for me toe back. I''ll bring you delicious food when it''s time..."
Han Chengforted her aloud as if coaxing an inexperienced child.
Han Cheng didn''t want to take Bai Xue with him this time. One reason was that Bai Xue was too young and unsafe outside the tribe, and another was that they were going back to Bai Xue''s original tribe.
He was worried that Bai Xue might not return to the tribe and thus lose the wife he had finally found.
Although he knew the likelihood of this happening was small, he was still uneasy.
"...I want to follow Brother Cheng..."
Bai Xue shook her head vigorously as she hugged Han Cheng.
"Who will feed those silkworms when you leave? They will starve to death."
Han Cheng, feeling helpless, had to resort to his trump card.
Sure enough, as soon as he mentioned the silkworms, Bai Xue became less firm and hesitated.
Seeing her reaction, Han Cheng knew he had a way.
He inwardly chuckled. How could he, with his abilities, not persuade a little girl like her?
"Let Xing, Xiaomei, and Xiaoli feed them first..."
Bai Xue''s voice rang out with a hint of surprise at finding a solution.
Han Cheng conceded defeat. His face, which had just shown a hint of pride, turned sour.
"Alright, you win. You cane with me tomorrow."
Unable to resist the persistent pleading of the little bribe, Han Cheng finally conceded.
Bai Xue joyfully hugged Han Cheng''s neck, calling him "Brother Cheng."
Bringing Bai Xue along would be beneficial. It would be more convincing when he tell the Fire Tribe about Chaihu. Besides, after spending time with the little girl for nearly a month, he found himself missing her.
There was no need to worry about whether the little bribe would abandon him. If such a thing happened, he could bring her back.
Han Cheng held the little bribe in his arms, shamelessly thinking so.
The sun hadn''t risen yet, and the sky was still somewhat dark when a faint mist enveloped the small riverbank already crowded with people.
Some were on boats. Some were on the shore.
Although it wasn''t the first time they had parted, the emotions of parting still spread along the riverbank like the faint mist shrouding the area.
"Let''s go back, guard the tribe well, and wait for us to return with the goods."
Han Cheng said to the Shaman, Senior brothers, and others who were reluctant to leave the shore.
"Set sail!"
Farewell words were always endless, and the emotions of parting always made people feel mncholy.
Under the constant reminders of the Shaman, Han Cheng nodded vigorously. After a while, he gave themand to depart.
The anchors on the shore were lifted, and the boatmen pushed off with their poles. The small boat left the riverbank, drifting downstream, gradually getting farther away.
When only a few dark dots were left on the shore bidding farewell, even the most optimistic person couldn''t help but feel a little sad.
Han Cheng felt much more rxed this timepared to thest time; after all, everything he facedst time was unknown.
The unknown always leaves people feeling lost and fearful.
In such emotions, the oars cut through the river, flowing downstream. The deep green mountains on both sides and the towering trees receded continuously.
asionally, a small gray bird called "Jiaolian" flew in the sky, constantly calling out "Jiaolian, Jiaolian," circling towards the distant blue sky as if trying to prate the clouds.
Only when only a small ck shadow remained did it suddenly fall silent, fold its wings, and plummet like an arrow into the grass, disappearing without a trace.
The high sky, white clouds, and the flowing water under the boat carried an indescribable sense of autumn... Han Chengy in the small boat, squinting at the sky, experiencing the wonderful feeling of lying down and watching the unmoving clouds, unable to describe the beauty of the clouds and myself.
"Ssh!"
A red-tailed carp, startled by the oars or brushed by the wooden boat, leaped out of the water and sshed onto Han Cheng''s face, which was caught off guard and exuding charm.
The shock in his heart was quickly reced by the surprise of the lively fish falling from the sky.
This beautiful carp with whiskers and a red body was put into a fish cage and moved along with the boat.
Bai Xue leaned over the side of the boat, continuously watching this beautiful fish she had never seen before.
Han Cheng wiped the fish scales from his face with water,ughing happily.
This was a good omen. Just as they set sail, they were hit by a good luck carp, so this journey was bound to be smooth.
The leader of the sheep tribe, who lived downstream and hunted on the hill not too far from the river bank, once again saw the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe flowing downstream.
He looked at the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe with surprise and puzzlement. Apart from wondering why the people of this tribe were so far away from their tribe, no other thoughts arose.
The fate of the Bone Tribe and its leader hadpletely killed his idea of seizing the position of the shaman when the opportunity arose.
Six small boats continued downstream, much slowerpared to the spring journey.
It wasn''t because the river was flowing slower or the boatmen were cking off, but because the wooden boats would asionally stop.
People would get off the boats and collect some things from the water''s edge using bone tools, putting them into the pottery jars they carried.
These things they collected were iron bacteria.
The usefulness of iron tools had left a deep impression on everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
They collected iron bacteria without Han Cheng''s instructions with enthusiasm and fervor.
However, the iron bacteria around the Green Sparrow Tribe''s small rivers and streams had been almost depleted during thest casting of the four iron tools. This distressed the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who were eager to produce more iron tools.
This time, except for the initial stretch of water, the rest of the journey was through waters where iron bacteria had not been collected before. For those who were obsessed with iron tools, it would be strange if they didn''t stop collecting these iron bacteria.
Han Cheng was naturally very willing to do this. After all, there were still many ces in the tribe where iron could be used.
Iron bacteria smelted produced iron and forged iron tools. Although mass production was not possible, fortunately, the Green Sparrow Tribe was not veryrge.
If they used this method to slowly make some iron tools and search for iron or copper mines, maybe they would find them by the time they needed them.
Better to be prepared than to have nothing when the timees.
The donkey searches for a horse, which is better than searching for a horse barefoot.
Chapter 351: The consequences of the imitated bow and arrow
Chapter 351: The consequences of the imitated bow and arrow
The small boat journeyed on, stopping here and there along the way, but by the time the sky was darkening, they had yet to reach the Red River''s end. Seeing dusk approaching, Han Cheng ordered the boat to halt at a nearby shallow bay.
Docking the boat, Third Senior Brother and Shang brought the small boat ashore to clear a space for cooking and resting. Those who had apanied Han Cheng on a previous boat journey had no issues, having grown ustomed to it over the near month-long voyage. But for those experiencing it for the first time, the initial novelty wore off quickly, leaving many feeling ufortable and weak, their legs like jelly upon stepping onto solid ground.
Living ustomed to thend, they felt uneasy on the water, finding itcking in stability. Third Senior Brother and Shang, taking their responsibilities seriously, arranged for guards while Han Cheng''s absence required them to be particrly vignt.
Han Cheng had decided to leave the Second Senior Brother behind after considering his prolonged struggle with intestinal parasites. Although the parasites had been eradicated after two months of treatment, his weakened state had yet to recover fully.
For the tribe''s defense, it was essential to have someone in sound health. Additionally, several neighboring tribes that had frequent contact with the Green Sparrow Tribe had begun replicating bows and arrows. Han Cheng foresaw the inevitability of imitation from the moment the bows and arrows were introduced. After all, bows and arrows were not particrlyplex devices¡ªat their simplest, just bent sticks and strings. Imitation was a notable human trait.
His only recourse was to prolong the time it took for other tribes to replicate them as much as possible. Bows and arrows weren''t particrly difficult for primitive people to learn. This fact was evident from the records of almost all ancient civilizations using bows and arrows.
The emergence of bows and arrows had pros and cons for the Green Sparrow Tribe. On one hand, it provided them with a more powerful and longer-range weapon. On the other hand, once the bows and arrows were imitated, the tribe, relying on tall walls for protection, faced a certain threat. Although the imitators'' bows and arrows were less effective than those of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who could say they wouldn''t improve the basic equipment?
In this world, seemingly miraculous urrences were abundant, and humans were adept at creating miracles. These seemingly illogical events brought about change and propelled humanity from barbarism to civilization.
Otherwise, people should still be living like animals, fighting over a few fruits with broken heads and bloodshed. Yet, from the mountains of corpses, people emerged. In ces ravaged by gue where both humans and animals perished en masse, some thrived, burying one body after another.In the wilderness, abandoned infants with no means of defense, discovered by wolves, should have faced certain death. But instead, wolf children emerged. Just as those expelled from the Green Sparrow Tribe for their unwillingness to work were deemed destined for death, they emerged from a near-death experience with a spouse, akin to bark on a tree.
Humans are truly a miraculous species, capable of enduring hardships that seem insurmountable. Many times, before adversity strikes, people exim, "Oh my, how will we ever endure this?" But when adversity doese, those who previously expressed such sentiments often persevere just fine.
One of the most important factors in this resilience is human adaptability. The world is material and in motion, and humans living within it are no exception. In different circumstances and experiences, the same person will often exhibit different behaviors.
For example, there''s Lu Meng, who, after three days of separation, showed remarkable insight; Zhou Chu, the prime instigator of trouble, who woke up to his folly; and those who, living carefree in the Green Sparrow Tribe, struggled for survival after being expelled, striving to recall the tools and survival techniques they had seen in the tribe.
However, due to Han Cheng''s appearance, it wasn''t easy for surrounding tribes to catch up to the Green Sparrow Tribe in terms of bows and arrows. While they were still reveling in their ability to replicate the most basic and long-range weapon, Third Senior Brother''s bow was already wrapped in snakeskin, with deer sinew treated with pounding, recing the string, bing the bowstring. Iron arrowheads would also appear if they collected enough iron bacteria on this journey.
When those imitators exhausted their efforts to replicate these things, they would be even more sorrowful to discover that the Green Sparrow Tribe had already developed more powerful recurve andpound bows.
Of course, this was just Han Cheng''s conjecture; the surrounding tribes were unlikely to replicate this. The iron, which gave Han Cheng a headache, was enough to trouble them. And Han Cheng wouldn''t give them much time toplete these tasks. Before they could finish, the growing Green Sparrow Tribe would have already overwhelmed them.
"Brother Cheng, have some fish."
The sweet voice and the steaming grilled fish brought Han Cheng back to reality. He took the grilled fish offered by Bai Xuemei and reached out to y with her braids, his expression turning from a hint of helplessness to a smile.
Whether it''s a series within one''s lifetime or an endless series of generations, walking each step steadfastly is what matters. As for how far one can go, let it be; perhaps only fate or reaching that step will reveal.
After dinner, as darkness fell, everyone boarded the boat, pushing it away from the shore and securing it with poles for the night''s rest.
Some were pleased to spend the night on the boat, like Bai Xuemei, while others, like Ironhead, trembled uncontrobly. Ironhead swore that even after a night of passion with his new bride, his legs had never trembled like this before.
The next day, after breakfast, the boat set sail once again. By midday, it anchored again, and everyone disembarked, staying here for two days before setting sail downstream once more.
Chapter 352: Three bon fire
Chapter 352: Three bon fire
The wide Egret River flowed gently while the six small boats bobbed slightly.
The people on the boats followed the flow downstream.
Unlike before, there was no longer anything behind the six small boats.
Six rafts, muchrger than the small boats, floated on the water, moving downstream along with the small boats.
On top of these rafts stood one or two people holding bamboo poles to help steer them and control their speed, preventing them from colliding with the small boats ahead.
These rafts were made of bamboo, with a width of no less than two meters and a length of over three meters. They were tied with bamboo poles on the upper and loweryers so people standing on them wouldn''t get their shoes wet.
The heavy andrge rafts were undoubtedly more stable than the swaying small boats. Therefore, those prone to seasickness opted to stand on the rafts, holding bamboo poles.
It was strange that they didn''t feel seasick once they got onto the rafts anymore.
Tie Tou, whose legs were no longer trembling, held a long bamboo pole. When he saw that the raft was moving too fast, he inserted the bamboo pole into the riverbed to slow down the raft and create distance between the raft and the small boats.Compared to the previous days of cutting grass all day, this was undoubtedly much easier.
The only thing that bothered him was the numerous bamboo tubes tied to his body.
Having these things tied to him was inconvenient, and he wanted to untie them. However, he remembered what the Divine Child had said before: with these bamboo tubes, they wouldn''t drown if they fell into the water. So, he endured the difort, valuing his life over temporary inconvenience.
He wasn''t the only one with bamboo tubes tied to him. Apart from Han Cheng and Bai Xue, everyone in the group had bamboo tubes tied to them.
This wasn''t because Han Cheng was afraid of death; rather, he and Bai Xue had the more buoyant and lighter dder tubes tied to them...
These six rafts resulted from Han Cheng leading the team to shore for two days.
Making these rafts was necessary; without them, there would be no way to back the harvested wild hemp. After all, the small boats were almost full of just people, leaving no extra space for the hemp.
And even if they cleared space on the boats for the hemp, how much could one boat carry? It wouldn''t be as much as the rafts could transport.
Moreover, this move was a win-win. They could use the rafts to transport the hemp, but when they returned to the tribe with the hemp, they could dismantle the rafts and obtain a lot of bamboo.
Now that the tribe had iron knives, with more practice, they could gradually produce even and useful bamboo strips.
When the time came, whether for making sifters or mats, these bamboo strips would be excellent materials.
Han Cheng looked at these rafts with a smile on his face.
Grain production will expand next year, and by then, the bamboo sifters made coulde in handy.
With enough sifters and winnowing baskets, even without wind during grain cleaning, they wouldn''t have to worry too much.
To cut down these bamboo, Han Cheng had brought the tribe''s only iron axe and saw.
He also brought the stone chisel that had been sharpened by grinding on the ground.
If they hadn''t brought these tools, likest time when they only brought bone shovels, they wouldn''t have been able to cut down enough bamboo to make so many rafts, even with two more days.
The Third Senior Brother carried a bow and paddled with both hands. He looked at these rafts, admiring the Divine Child''s wisdom as he looked.
Before, he had worried about how the Divine Child would transport the harvested wild hemp on the water.
From the Divine Child''s preparation of so many sickles and bringing Tie Tou and other skilled harvesters, he understood that the amount of wild hemp needed to be harvested by the Divine Child was not small.
The only things he knew that could travel on water and be used to transport the wild hemp were the wooden boats they were riding in.
These few wooden boats were crowded with people. Even if they managed to free up two boats, they still wouldn''t have been able to fit much hemp.
This doubt persisted until the first bamboo raft wasunched after cutting down the bamboo,pletely dispelling it...
"Little bamboo raft, flowing with the water, birds singing, fish swimming... in thend of abundance in the south, the little bamboo raft floats with the current..."
Bai Xue sang childishly, mingling with paddles hitting the water, chasing after the waterfowl flying close to the water''s surface.
This verse, which resembles a poem yet is also a simple nursery rhyme, was taught to Bai Xue by Han Cheng, something he had learned before attending school.
Reciting it now seemed fitting, albeitcking the presence of people and the scent of rice paddies.
It''s strange how many things learned in childhood are deeply engraved in the mind and never forgotten, while things learnedter, even if difficult to remember, are easily forgotten.
Was it because of the simple-mindedness of childhood and less external interference?
Or was it because of the excessive pragmatism and the abundance of things to learn as one age?
Han Cheng pondered these thoughts, but the answer remained unknown.
As darkness fell again, the small boats and bamboo rafts docked one by one, and people began to disembark. Campfires were lit, and fish were taken out of the fish traps...
In the dusk, the first wisp of smoke rose from the riverbank, the only cooking smoke here, drifting slowly over the water''s surface in the evening breeze.
When the food in the y pots was cooked, the river water, heated by the sun all day, began to emit a heat mist resembling cooking smoke.
At this moment, the cooking smoke mixed with the heat mist, and it was impossible to tell where the cooking smoke ended and the steam began.
At the same time, hundreds of miles away in the Green Sparrow Tribe, they were also having their meal.
The eldest senior brother, who stayed behind with the shaman in the tribe, put down his chopsticks and climbed the woodendder to the top of the fence in thest light of day. Looking towards the east, he could vaguely see the shining water surface.
Outside the tribe''s gate, Fujiang and its five cubs squatted.
The eldest senior brother was somewhat worried about this trip. He feared the Divine Child would be in danger without him by Han Cheng''s side.
Moreover, half of the people the Divine Child took with him this time were from the original Bone Tribe and were all robust individuals.
The eldest senior brother understood the Divine Child''s intentions in doing so, but precisely because of this, he was even more worried.
After all, the people from the original Bone Tribe were not as reliable as the original tribe members. By taking them away, the tribe would naturally be safer, but there would be an added danger on the Divine Child''s side.
Although he knew no one could match the Divine Child in wisdom, the Eldest Senior Brother couldn''t help but worry.
It was like when he apanied the Divine Child on outings and couldn''t rx about the tribe.
When you are in a high position, you worry about your ruler; when you are far away from home, you worry about your people. Whether advancing or retreating, there is worry. So, when can there be joy...
The Eldest Senior Brother didn''t know about the ancient masterpiece "Preface to the Pavilion of King Teng." But his feelings were simr.
I wonder what Mr. Fan would feel if he knew that his thoughts and feelings coincided with those of an ancient person beyond ancient times.
"Ptui, ptui..."
In the Green Tribe, where the cooking smoke rose, the Green Tribe leader spat out the cooked wild grass seeds stuffed in his mouth with disgust.
Even when cooked, this stuff wasn''t any good to eat. He didn''t know why that tribe had so much of it...
Chapter 353: The Nostalgia of the Fire Tribe
Chapter 353: The Nostalgia of the Fire Tribe
Autumn''s steps were swift, and even though Han Cheng and the others were traveling by boat, they were still caught up with her along the way. At first, they didn''t notice, but when a gust of wind blew, and a tree by the river shed a flurry of yellow leaves, Han Cheng realized with surprise that autumn had already arrived so deeply.
Amidst the fluttering yellow leaves like butterflies, Han Cheng and the others stopped the boat by the shore and stepped onto the xennd adorned with tattered gs of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
xennd, as named by Han Cheng, had no x but rather wild hemp nts towering above one person''s height. Such a ce should be called Hemp Land instead.
The reason for this misnamednd was rted to Han Cheng. In the works of every writer, there''s usually an unresolved, magical realm of the soul. Mo Yan had Dongxiang Gaomi, where blood-red sorghum grew; Cao Wenxuan had the xennd in the water vige.
In the xennd, there was a small school covered with golden thatch, a mischievous yet kind-hearted boy named Sang Sang who loved raising pigeons, and a high school with red-tiled roofs and a middle school with ck-tiled roofs... There, there was the innocence of children, as well as the troubles and growth of adolescents.
There was also a teenager named Du Xiaokang, who lived in the red door, went on a lonely journey with his father to deste ces, experienced a profound journey of loneliness in his soul, and grew up in adversity...
Before entering primitive society, Han Cheng preferred reading Cao Wenxuan''s books, especially "The Grass House" and "Red Tiles, ck Tiles." When troubled, flipping through a couple of chapters could cleanse his soul and find those long-lost things that faded away with growing up and busyness.
Plenty of wild hemp was in the xennd, with many ripe hemp pods containing the seeds inside. Just as sesame flowers blossom continuously, so does wild hemp.
Seeing the handful of dark wild hemp seeds in Bai Xuemei''s palm, Han Cheng smiled. With these, plenty of wild hemp would be around the Green Sparrow Tribe next year.Han Cheng pulled up a finger-thick wild hemp and peeled the hemp skin from the tip to about twenty centimeters from the root. Seeing the resilient hemp skin, Han Cheng smiled again. Making ropes and cloth from hemp was not just a pipe dream.
After confirming the usefulness of the wild hemp, Han Cheng, with a yful mood, broke off the tender wild hemp stems from the roots, divided the hemp skin remaining on the roots into three even strands, and began to twist the ropes.
A whip made of wild hemp appeared in his hand in no time. With a few vigorous swings, it made a sound much louder than a muffled fart.
"Brother Cheng, what is wild hemp used for?" Bai Xuemei asked with twinkling eyes.
Han Cheng, who was fantasizing about using the whip to strike Bai Xuemei, didn''t hesitate to answer immediately, "To weave cloth, to make a set of underwear for the little bride."
Tie Tou and the others held sickles and began to try harvesting the wild hemp. It wasn''t as fast as harvesting millet or thatching grass, but the speed was still eptable. However, after the wild hemp was harvested, they needed to be careful when walking from there. The straw sandals worn by Han Cheng and the others couldn''t resist the attacks from the wild hemp stubble. If they weren''t careful, they could get scratched and bleed.
Han Cheng and the others didn''t stay here for too long. After confirming that the wild hemp was ripe and harvestable, they all returned to the boat and continued downstream.
It would not be toote to return and harvest the wild hemp after finding the Fire Tribe downstream.
Han Cheng didn''t take the six bamboo rafts with him but left them in the xennd, securely tied to arge tree. There was no need to worry about them being stolen at this deserted ce.
Sitting in the boat, Tie Tou watched the xennd gradually shrink and felt reluctant. He wanted to stay here with the others to harvest the wild hemp and wait for the return of the Divine Child and the others. This way, they could save themselves from the trouble of traveling by boat and speed up the work to return to the tribe sooner. Unfortunately, the Divine Child disagreed, saying that splitting up was unsafe. After careful consideration, Tie Tou felt that the Divine Child¡¯s words made sense, so he didn''t insist.
He didn''t know that besides this consideration, Han Cheng had some other thoughts that he didn''t mention. He wants to prevent the Fire Tribe from seeing Bai Xue fully recovered and trying to take her back. He brought more people along to be prepared if things went wrong and they needed to take Bai Xue back forcibly. She was the bride he had set his heart on, and no one could take her away from him.
The boats swayed down the river, past Wang Dong Mountain, and continued forward...
The leader of the Fire Tribe held a crudely made wooden spear in his hand as he stood on high ground. He put a somewhat sour fruit in his mouth and looked at the empty riverbank ahead. The whole fruit quickly disappeared into his mouth without spitting a single seed. With his empty hand, he took a reddish leaf from his messy hair, looked at it, and threw it away casually.
Many trees had started shedding leaves, and it was already autumn, as mentioned by the water tribe. Why hadn''t the people from that tribee yet? Did they find the journey too far and decided not toe, or... were they all infected by the sick child from his tribe and...
Thinking of this, the leader of the Fire Tribe shuddered and shook his head, not allowing himself to think further. That scene was too terrifying. He strongly hoped that the people from that tribe were telling the truth and had a way to cure this seemingly incurable disease in their eyes. This way, not only would the people from the waterborne tribe not die, but his tribe would also find a way to treat the disease without having to throw the infected people into the fire pit.
But recalling his tribe''s past experiences and thinking about the fact that the leader of that tribe was just an unreliable teenager, the ominous feeling grew heavier.
Actions speak louder than words. This was not just what people of the future would think; primitive people thought the same way but couldn''t express it sinctly.
Not only the leader of the Fire Tribe but also the other members of the Fire Tribe were hoping for the arrival of the people from the water tribe. Especially the women of the Fire Tribe. Going from frugality to extravagance is easy, but going from extravagance to frugality is hard. In this aspect, they hadn''t felt much before, but since they tasted the satisfaction of being full from the Green Sparrow Tribest time, the women of the Fire Tribe had increasingly felt that the men of their tribe were not good enough and had begun to miss the tribe that came from the water...
Chapter 354: Nice to meet you
Chapter 354: Nice to meet you
"£¤4!"
The leader of the Fire Tribe stood there for a while longer, then turned and said something. Following that, someone picked up the not-yet-dry leaves and ced them onto the burning fire.
Thick smoke quickly rose, standing out prominently against the clear sky...
"Why are those guys still lighting fires?"
The air was crisp and the sky was clear, with an unobstructed view. Han Cheng and hispanions, drifting down by boat, saw the rising column of smoke upstream of the river.
It felt as if time had crossed back for a moment, returning to the first time they came here and saw the smoke column.
Han Cheng muttered to himself, wondering if someone in that tribe had fallen ill again and was being burned in that cruel way.
"Bai Xue."
Han Cheng, thinking of something, called out. Bai Xue didn''t respond. In the past, she would have answered immediately whenever Han Cheng spoke.Puzzled, Han Cheng turned his head and saw that Bai Xue was also staring at the column of smoke.
Herrge eyes were full of fear, her face, already pale, was now almost deathly white, and her body was trembling slightly like a lone leaf quivering on a branch by the river in the cold wind.
"Bai Xue, don''t be afraid, Brother Cheng is here."
Han Cheng''s heart ached. He quickly walked over to embrace the lonely and helpless little child bride, gentlyforting her.
He didn''t need to ask to know that the smoke column had reminded Bai Xue of her previous experiences and those terrifying scenes.
Bai Xue, in terror and somewhat dazed, stared at the smoke column. Feeling the warm and solid embrace and hearing the familiar voice by her ear, much of her fear subsided.
Instinctively, she clutched Han Cheng''s hand tightly, as if holding onto thest lifeline.
Yes, with Brother Cheng here, Brother Cheng who saved her from the fire and cured her illness, she wouldn''t be thrown into the fire again...
Han Cheng gently patted Bai Xue''s back, feeling heartache and reassurance.
He felt heartbroken for Bai Xue''s tragic past and her current fragile, helpless state.
Reassuring was Bai Xue''s reaction now, which assured him that even if the Fire Tribe people came to ask, the little child bride wouldn''t return to the tribe that had once brought her nightmares.
As long as Bai Xue was unwilling to return, no one could make her stay.
Han Cheng''s concern was not without reason. At this time, the most valued things in the tribe were twofold: food and people.
Seeing Bai Xue unharmed, the Fire Tribe people might indeed demand her return to the tribe.
"Get all the weapons ready, and be carefulter."
Han Cheng, gently patting the now calm Bai Xue''s back, issued orders to hispanions.
Third Senior Brother and the othersughed, skillfully taking their respective weapons into their hands.
Their training has not ceased in the past six months. Besides clearingnd, hunting, and nting, as long as it wasn''t the busy farming season or rainy weather, they never missed the thrice-weekly training sessions.
Two months ago, those who had integrated into the Green Sparrow Tribe from the original Bone Tribe also began participating in the training.
The reason for waiting a while before allowing the people from the original Bone Tribe to join the training was still for the tribe''s safety.
After all, there was a significant difference between those with weapons and those without.
"£¤4!"
Standing on the high ground for a while longer, seeing that the river was still empty with no oneing on strange vessels, the Fire Tribe leader prepared to leave.
After all, they still needed to gather fruits and hunt for food and couldn''t stay here indefinitely.
However, the two people tending the fire would remain to ensure that if the water tribe came, they wouldn''t miss the Fire Tribe.
The method that could cure what he considered a fatal illness was extremely valuable to him.
Even though he didn''tpletely trust the words of that tribe''s childlike leader, he still held onto some hope and didn''t want to give up.
Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly saw some ck shadows appearing on the empty river.
At first, it startled him, but then he realized what it was and immediately became excited.
That water tribe wasing from the river again¡ªthey had not broken their promise!
The Fire Tribe leader shouted excitedly, and the tribespeople scattered nearby gathered around him. Together, they all ran towards the riverbank.
"We''ll bring these thingster."
Han Cheng also saw the people running towards the riverbank. Looking down at the items in the boat''s cabin, he thought for a moment and then spoke to Shang, who had asked.
These items included salt, salted fish, and some pottery.
These were the gifts he intended to give to the Fire Tribe.
This time, Han Cheng had not only brought weapons but also gifts.
The weapons were for self-defense and, if necessary, for stealing a bride. The gifts were for presenting to the tribe.
After all, the Fire Tribe could be considered his inws, and he had taken a girl from their tribe as a child bride, so he had to bring some betrothal gifts.
Although people of this era did not know these customs, Han Cheng, as a modern person from the future, did not want to take advantage of the Fire Tribe.
Of course, the premise of giving gifts was that the Fire Tribe did not do anything excessive. If they did something Han Cheng did not want to see, then what happened next would be unpredictable.
"Hello, hello everyone."
As the boat gradually approached the shore, Han Cheng, holding Bai Xue''s hand in one hand and a small bundle of dried Chai Hu roots in the other, responded in Mandarin to the Fire Tribe people who were excitedly greeting them from the shore.
Han Cheng also raised the hand holding the dried Chai Hu roots, waving it slowly towards them, the roots swaying gently.
Making a gesture of greeting was enough; it didn''t matter if they understood.
As instructed earlier, Shang, Third Senior Brother, and the others went ashore first. After ensuring some level of security on the shore, Han Cheng led Bai Xue, whose eyes were blinking slightly, ashore.
Six people remained on the boat. Unlike previous times, when no one was on the shore, they had to leave a few people to guard the boat this time.
These people were skilled archers. They stayed on the boat to guard it and, if necessary, to provide long-range support for Han Cheng and the others on the shore.
As Han Cheng walked slowly ashore, he carefully observed the Fire Tribe.
There were quite a few Fire Tribe members, about forty or fifty gathered here.
The youngest children were slightly younger than Han Cheng; the rest were all adults with no younger children.
The previous incident of burning the sick person seemed to be some kind of ritual for the Fire Tribe, so everyone hade, but this time it was different.
The Fire Tribe leader stood at the front, smiling, with the men and women of the Fire Tribe behind him. Although they were holding weapons, they were rxed and showed no signs of wanting to fight.
It was the female primitives, most of whom were still bare-chested, that made Han Cheng shiver slightly.
These people looked at them with eyes gleaming as if they wanted to eat them all up.
In contrast, the male primitives of the Fire Tribe appeared much more peaceful, though their smiles were somewhat meaningful. Some even chuckled as if thinking of something amusing.
Han Cheng was basically certain that the Fire Tribe had no hostile intentions, which made him feel much more at ease holding Bai Xue''s hand.
When they reached the Fire Tribe leader, he spread his arms as if to give Han Cheng a warm bear hug. Han Cheng quickly let go of Bai Xue''s hand and took the Fire Tribe leader''s hand instead.
Putting on a solemn expression, he gently shook the leader''s hand while saying, "Hello, hello."
Chapter 355: War started
Chapter 355: War started
It''s not that Han Cheng refused to hug the chief of the Fire Tribe, but there was an unspeakable reason behind it.
His height was still his Achilles'' heel. Faced with the Fire Tribe chief, who was a head taller, the kind of hug used to express affection had to be done in a manner reminiscent of a helpless little bird.
Thinking of that scene, Han Cheng felt a headacheing on.
Moreover, the Fire Tribe chief maintained the typical style of primitive people, not bathing much.
Dirty all over, Han Cheng even saw a pair of fleas crawling out from deep within the Fire Tribe chief''s hair, achieving a feat in front of everyone''s eyes...
At this moment, hugging him was difficult for Han Cheng.
A handshake would be better.
Indeed, influenced by Han Cheng''s solemn expression and seemingly serious demeanor, the Fire Tribe chief was quickly led off track by Han Cheng.
No longer thinking about hugging Han Cheng, the Fire Tribe chief followed Han Cheng''s movements with some stiffness and clumsiness, using this strange, never-before-seen, odd, but seemingly more advanced handshake."£¤34~!"
With primitive people, there was no beating around the bush. After a simple meeting, the Fire Tribe chief was already eager to ask about the cure for the disease.
Although Han Cheng couldn''t understand the Fire Tribe chief''s words, he understood what he meant based on his actions and recall of previous events.
He nodded vigorously, smiled, and handed over the small bundle of dried Chai Hu roots he held to the Fire Tribe chief.
After asking the question, the Fire Tribe chief fixed his eyes on Han Cheng. When he saw Han Cheng nod, he was both surprised and delighted.
This obvious adolescent leader had cured the disease that they regarded as an unstoppable disaster!
The rest of the Fire Tribe, especially the female primitive people, couldn''t help but cheer, looking at Han Cheng with bright eyes.
The Fire Tribe chief took the small bundle of dried Chai Hu roots from Han Cheng''s hands, cradling it like a treasure, and carefully examined it, afraid of damaging it.
The rest of the Fire Tribe also cast their gaze upon the small bundle of Chai Hu roots, eager to see this life-saving treasure.
"£¤53..."
After looking at it for a while, the Fire Tribe chief suddenly looked at Han Cheng and opened his mouth, pointing to the Chai Hu roots in his hand.
Han Cheng smiled. Those who could be tribal chiefs were indeed not too stupid, knowing to ask for more details.
Turning around, he beckoned to Liang, who was carrying a pottery jar over.
Inside the jar was a Chai Hu nt that had just been transnted from Wang Dong Mountain.
Instead of giving the Fire Tribe a small bundle of dried Chai Hu roots, it would be better to let them know about the nt itself.
"That''s dug up from here."
Han Cheng pointed to the bundle of dried Chai Hu roots in the Fire Tribe chief''s hand, then pointed to the Chai Hu nt in the jar and said to him.
The Fire Tribe chief took the jar, looking at the Chai Hu nt inside with several small yellow flowers, then pointed to the dried Chai Hu roots in his hand and used his fingers to probe the soil.
Then he looked at Han Cheng. "£¤6?"
It seemed that this guy already understood that what he had in his hand was the root of this nt.
Han Cheng smiled and nodded vigorously.
The smile on the Fire Tribe chief''s face became even brighter as he carefully examined the Chai Hu nt, which seemed like a priceless treasure.
Not far away, a woman from the Fire Tribe looked at the nt with a puzzled expression.
She had seen this thing before, and quite a few were not too far from their cave.
She had even tried eating it before, but it tasted bad.
Could such a thing be used to treat the disease that, as long as one got it, they would be thrown into the fire and burned to death?
"£¤..."
She approached the chief of the Fire Tribe and, after closely observing the Chai Hu and confirming it was the same grass she had seen before, she began to speak to the Chief.
Upon hearing her words, some of the Fire Tribe women nearby also remembered the nt. They usually gathered more wild vegetables around the tribe than the average male primitive person, so they knew more about them.
"£¤4?"
After listening to the words of these people in the tribe, the Fire Tribe chief vaguely remembered that there seemed to be such a nt growing not far from their tribe.
Could such amon thing cure the disease that was so dreaded?
How could that be?
Was this young chief of the Water Tribe just spouting nonsense and deceiving them?
The words of the female primitive people in the tribe made him calm down from his initial excitement of obtaining a treasure.
He couldn''t help but nce at Han Cheng and the others, but he didn''t see the sick tribesman they had taken away.
It seemed that the tribesman had already died.
This tribe that came from the water was indeed deceiving them!
Using such a worthless grass as a medicine to cure diseases!
Primitive people mostly didn''t beat around the bush; good was good, bad was bad. And opposite to this straightforward temperament was their extreme aversion to being deceived.
So, the Fire Tribe chief got angry.
The Chai Hu, which he had just carefully held in his hands to avoid damage, was thrown forcefully onto the ground.
£¤£¤~!
He red, shouting angrily at Han Cheng.
The Fire Tribe people, who had seemed rxed just a moment ago, also tightened their grips on their weapons and followed their chief''s gaze, ring at the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Women always cause trouble.
Everything was going smoothly just now, but it was ruinedpletely by a few words from that woman!
Han Cheng, who didn''t know what had happened, retreated while pulling Bai Xue with him, thinking like this in his heart.
The people from the Green Sparrow Tribe who followed were equally unwilling to back down. Upon realizing that the Fire Tribe had be unfriendly, the Shield Team, standing aside, immediately raised their shields to separate Han Cheng and Bai Xue from the Fire Tribe people.
Shang, apanied by a few spear teams, came to the back of the shield team, holding their sharpened spears firmly against the Fire Tribe people not far away.
Third Senior Brother, with the bow and arrow team, also drew their longbows, aiming sharp bone arrows at the Fire Tribe people, their bows like full moons, ready to release!
The six people left on the boat also reacted, each bending their bows and nocking arrows.
The harmonious situation just now suddenly became tense.
If they fought, the Fire Tribe people would truly gain nothing, but starting a fight without reason was damn stupid. He came here with full sincerity.
"Brother Cheng, let me go..."
Just as the conflict was about to erupt, Bai Xue, who had been silent before, suddenly spoke up and struggled to move forward.
Han Cheng held her tightly, not letting her move. It was too dangerous ahead at this moment.
"Brother Cheng, they are looking for me..."
Seeing that both sides were about to fight, she could no longer care less about her fear and anxiously told Han Cheng.
Han Cheng became even angrier when he heard this. Damn it, it turned out he had guessed right. This damn tribe intended to break them up!
Chapter 356: Releasing her braids
Chapter 356: Releasing her braids
This makes it even more imperative not to go forward!
Anxiously protecting his wife, Han Cheng tightly held Bai Xue''s hand, not letting her move recklessly. This silly girl, why is she so careless? Doesn''t she know where it''s safe to stay and where it''s dangerous to go?
This little bride is still too young to understand the importance of preserving her life. It seems she still needs more guidance and education.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel helpless as he thought like this, deeply feeling how difficult it was to be the head of a household.
"Brother Cheng... £¤£¤!"
Bai Xue anxiously shouted, seeing the conflict about to erupt, and Han Cheng kept pulling her back, too preupied to exin too much to him. In the first half of her sentence, she still used Mandarin to call Han Cheng "Big Brother," but in the second half, she turned to the Fire Tribe and shouted in theirnguage.
Worried that she would be blocked by the people in front holding shields and spears, the Fire Tribe people saw her.
Bai Xue is kind-hearted, unwilling to see conflicts between two tribes, and even less willing to see casualties on her side. So, at this critical moment, she overcame her fear, stepped forward, andmunicated with the people of her original tribe in theirnguage.
Seeing Bai Xue''s reaction, Han Cheng''s heart sank, and his expression became unpleasant.What did this mean?
Was she so eager to leave him and return to her original tribe?
Couldn''t he even hold her back?
After such a long time of carefulpanionship and care, it turned out that it still couldn''tpare to that tribe that wanted to burn her alive.
When people care, they always involuntarily think of the worst or associate it with what they were worried about before. Han Cheng was like this now, to the point that even someone usually quite clever like him didn''t perceive the truth of the situation.
Seeing Bai Xue still struggling and shouting towards the opposite side as if she couldn''t wait to return to the embrace of the Fire Tribe, he felt even more ufortable, so he let go of her hand.
Deep down, he was still a modern person. In such matters, he couldn''t adopt the fierce style of the primitives. If he had followed the primitive style, Bai Xue would have been knocked unconscious and dragged away with a stick...
Bai Xue didn''t expect her big brother Cheng to let go, and caught off guard, she almost fell to the ground.
She nced back in surprise, her face showing a puzzled and uncertain expression. She did not understand why Brother Cheng had done this.
Feeling something different vaguely, she didn''t go forward but instead shouted towards the Fire Tribe while moving back towards Han Cheng, returning to his side.
In contrast, the Fire Tribe people were no longer as angry as before. Most of them looked puzzled, continuously sizing up Bai Xue.
With her strange hair, unique clothing like that of the Water Tribe, no ck ash on her body, and a very pale face, she didn''t look like the tribesman who had been taken away and fell ill.
But how could she speak their tribe''snguage?
"£¤£¤..."
After scrutinizing Bai Xue for a while, the Fire Tribe chief voiced his doubts.
For a moment, Bai Xue didn''t know how to prove that she was herself, anxiously spinning in ce.
Suddenly, as if she remembered something, she untied her hair tie and let her braids loose, messing them up with her hands.
Then, she picked up some mud from the ground and smeared it on her face.
"53£¤~"
Pointing to her face, she shouted.
Seeing Bai Xue return to his side after noticing his unpleasant expression, Han Cheng gradually calmed down.
He carefully analyzed everything that had happened: the Fire Tribe chief''s joy at receiving and discarding the medicine, his sudden change in attitude, and Bai Xue''s reaction from initially being somewhat fearful of her long-time tribe to suddenly having a drastically different attitude.
Gradually, Han Cheng began to guess the truth behind the situation.
This wasn''t a particrlyplex matter, and after careful analysis, Han Cheng didn''t find it difficult to guess the true nature of the situation.
Seeing Bai Xue untie her hair and dirty her face made him even more certain of his suspicions.
Still not calm enough.
Han Cheng thought with a wry smile, lightly tapping his forehead.
He reached out and gently pulled Bai Xue''s hand up again, feeling guilty and indulgent as he lightly patted her head with his other hand.
Bai Xue turned her head and smiled at Han Cheng. She brushed her teeth every day with willow twigs, making her face appear particrly white against the dirt.
With messy hair and a dirty face, the people of the Fire Tribe finally recognized the person who had gained some weightpared to before as the sick tribesman from their tribe!
This sick tribesman, who would have been burned in their tribe, had survived all this time!
And she seemed even healthier than when she lived in their tribe.
This...
This...
This was truly a miracle!
The Fire Tribe chief, unable to believe it, stared nkly for a while, then suddenly dropped the weapon in his hand and hurriedly picked up the small bundle of Chai Hu that had rolled into the grass.
After sporadically shaking off the dust and grass from it, he held it tightly in his arms, unwilling to let go.
It turned out that the tribe from the water hadn''t deceived them. This thing, notcking around their tribe, could cure that terrible disease!
Why hadn''t their tribe discovered it when it was so close by?
Realizing it was a misunderstanding, all the people from the Fire Tribe put down their weapons, turned their anger into joy, and looked at Han Cheng and the others with gratitude.
Shang and the others from the Green Sparrow Tribe looked at Han Cheng, asking what to do next.
They also felt a little unhappy that the tribe had been ready to fight without understanding the situation.
After all, to tell the Fire Tribe about this medicine, they had to travel for five days.
Han Cheng waved his hand, telling them to put down their weapons.
It was best to avoid bloodshed whenever possible, especially in such meaningless conflicts.
Looking at the enthusiastic Fire Tribe chief before him, Han Cheng couldn''t help but wryly smile. Dealing with primitive people wasn''t easy. A misunderstanding could easily lead to a fight.
But this straightforward way of dealing with things, where everything wasid out in the open, was much easier to deal with than the hidden daggers ofter generations.
Because of the misunderstanding that had just urred, Han Cheng and the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t want to stay there any longer. After telling the Fire Tribe chief how to use Chai Hu, Han Cheng prepared to take Bai Xue and the others back.
However, the Fire Tribe chief stopped them.
He felt a little guilty about the misunderstanding that had just urred, and on the other hand, it had been a long time since their tribe had encountered another tribe.
Since thest time this tribe from the water left, several women have be pregnant, indicating that their tribe will increase in poption after some time.
The Fire Tribe chief didn''t want to miss out on people with such efficient and precise nting methods...
Chapter 357: Incomprehensible Han Cheng
Chapter 357: Iprehensible Han Cheng
To show their sincerity, the chief of the Fire Tribe generously offered to provide food for the members of the Sparrow Tribe if they stayed.
With Bai Xue acting as an on-site trantor,munication between Han Cheng and the chief of the Fire Tribe became much smoother, avoiding the significant misunderstandings of before.
As for whether to stay or leave, Han Cheng was undecided.
Wiping off the mud from Bai Xue''s face and clumsily braiding her hair into sheep horns, Han Cheng, after understanding the chief of the Fire Tribe''s meaning through Bai Xue''s trantion, intended to consult with Shang and the others.
However, upon turning around, he realized it seemed unnecessary to ask. The guys who had just been furious were now flirting with the women of the Fire Tribe after hearing Bai Xue''s trantion and understanding the chief''s meaning.
These guys were typical examples ofcking morals in the presence of the opposite sex!
Upon reflection, it had been over ten days since leaving the tribe, and it was customary for these guys to have a bit more energy. Letting off steam at this moment was not necessarily a bad thing overall. After all, wasting all these seeds would genuinely be a waste.
After pondering for a while, Han Cheng nodded to the chief of the Fire Tribe.
Seeing Han Cheng agree, the chief of the Fire Tribe was delighted, knowing that the people of this tribe couldn''t resist the temptation of food. After all, their chief was just an underage kid, and their weapons looked strange and not very powerful. It would be difficult for a chief like that, apanied by people with such strange weapons, to obtain sufficient and abundant food, incredibly delicious meat.To thank the tribe from the waters for bringing the cure for their disease to their tribe and to broaden the horizons of the people of this tribe, the chief of the Fire Tribe instructed people to bring over most of the food they had recently obtained to entertain the tribe from the waters. All the meat should also be brought over.
Even in the animal kingdom, one showed off one''s strengths or wealth. Humans, who were much more intelligent than apes and monkeys, were no exception.
With the chief of the Fire Tribe''smand, over ten people quickly headed toward their cave. As for the people who stayed behind, they had already gone from flirting with their eyes to closebat...
Like a protective mother hen, Bai Xue opened her arms and shielded Han Cheng behind her. She red with her eyes and bit her lower lip. Her two braids swayed slightly, like a littlemb ready to charge.
In front of her stood a strong female primitive person.
This female primitive person was lifting the animal skin on her body, gazing affectionately and meaningfully at Han Cheng, whom Bai Xue was protecting.
Seeing this woman continuously boasting about beauty while lifting the animal skin, Han Cheng shook his head helplessly.
In the past, someone like him who hadn''t fully grown yet wouldn''t be well-received in such situations. However, today was an exception. This was already the fifth female primitive person who hade to explicitly express her desire to sleep with him in the bushes.
ording to the primitive people''s aesthetics, all five female primitive people were considered reasonably attractive.
From being ignored by everyone to now being a sought-aftermodity, Han Cheng naturally understood why.
It wasn''t because he was particrly powerful, but because he had found a way to treat the incurable disease that the Fire Tribe considered necessary to burn to death.
This guy, wouldn''t both of his kidneys be in jeopardy?
Seeing the massive female primitive person who could almost rival him in size doing nothing, Han Cheng felt a bit of kidney pain without even taking any action.
He shook his head repeatedly to indicate refusal. Seeing that the strong female primitive person still refused to leave and was approaching with a trend of forcefulness, the desperate Han Cheng hugged Bai Xue, who was blocking him and gestured to the other party that he already had someone.
Seeing signs that she still wanted toe over, Han Cheng, without any other option, grabbed Bai Xue and ran away, cleanly diving into the bushes with her while being watched by the primitive woman, and hugged her tightly.
The beautiful female primitive person stood there watching Han Cheng and Bai Xue hugging without doing anything, feeling somewhat dazed. She was surprised that someone like Bai Xue defeated her.
She stood there for a while, expressing her dissatisfaction with Han Cheng''sck of understanding, and then continued to search for her target.
This time, before she could lift her animal skin, she was intercepted by Tie Tou, who came over with a smirk.
Without Tie Tou''s fast reflexes, she sighed regretfully and shifted her target.
This made the female primitive person feel much better.
Perhaps to prove how clueless Han Cheng was, she deliberately brought Tie Tou to the edge of the bushes where Han Cheng and Bai Xue were hugging. Once she got to the point, she cleared her throat and shouted.
As she shouted, she stared fixedly at Han Cheng and Bai Xue hugging each other, the provocation in her eyes very obvious.
Han Cheng had a ck line on his forehead. What was going on here? Since when did primitive people be so good at teasing others?
Unable to bear the female primitive person''s roar any longer, Han Cheng nned to leave the bushes with Bai Xue. With Tie Tou as a potentialpetitor now, this woman was unlikely to still be interested in eating him.
"Brother..."
However, Bai Xue hugged him, her face turning red, whether influenced by the atmosphere around her or stimted by the primitive woman nearby.
Just like Tie Tou couldn''t stand the teasing from Hei Wa before, Bai Xue, who had seen a lot of such things, couldn''t stand the provocation from the primitive female person nearby.
Seeing Bai Xue''s appearance, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel a bit moved.
After hugging and kissing her a few times, Han Cheng''s somewhat oxygen-deprived brain finally regained a bit of rity brought by reason.
With the sky as the nket, the earth as the bed, and other female primitive people singing nearby... Han Cheng still couldn''t act like a primitive person.
He intended to break free, but the stimted Bai Xue refused to let him go, so...
More than ten people from the Fire Tribe who had gone to fetch food returned, piling up the food they had obtained near the campfire and forming arge pile.
The people from the Fire Tribe looked at the pile of food, then at the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe, their faces showing discontent.
They were somewhat unhappy. The tribe from the waters, faced with the food their tribe had brought out, didn''t show much surprise or admiration, nor did many of them speak up.
However, their dissatisfaction quickly dissipated because they felt that the people from this tribe were tired from the journey after all...
Unlike some unwilling Fire Tribe men, these female primitive people appeared much more generous. They kept handing over roasted meat to the men from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After they were full, they couldn''t let them go hungry, could they?
Chapter 358: The Fire Tribe wanted to surprise the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Chapter 358: The Fire Tribe wanted to surprise the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Fighting has never been an easy task, whether it''s fairies or humans.
After a fight, the best way to recover strength is by sleeping, followed by eating some food.
Since sleeping wasn''t an option, they had to rely on eating to replenish their energy.
The Fire Tribe had good hunting abilities and caught a lot of meat. They generously gave most of it to Han Cheng and his group.
The Fire Tribe acted this way partly because of their leader''s orders and gratitude towards Han Cheng''s tribe for bringing them the valuable remedy. Another reason was the personal preferences of the women of the Fire Tribe.
Additionally, they wanted to see the surprised expressions on the faces of the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe when they ate the food.
This psychological satisfaction sometimes surpasses physical satisfaction, which is why many people choose to endure hardships. However, the Fire Tribe was disappointed because the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t react as they expected.
The people from the Green Sparrow Tribe, ustomed to salted food, found it difficult to eat unsalted meat. Some even struggled to eat it.
Seeing this, some hot-tempered members of the Fire Tribe expressed their dissatisfaction, feeling offended that their hospitality wasn''t appreciated.They couldn''t understand why the Green Sparrow Tribe members weren''t impressed, thinking they must be used to feasting delicious food daily.
To demonstrate the taste of their food, some Fire Tribe members intentionally exaggerated their chewing movements.
However, the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe remained calm and unaffected. They were ustomed to a higher standard of living, especially when it came to food. They believed that they would be truly excited only when the Divine Child used his magical cooking skills.
"Divine Child..." Shang and the others spoke up, seeking permission.
Han Cheng nodded, signaling for them to go ahead.
Shang led half the group to the riverside boat to fetch their food.
Han Cheng instructed them to bring the food he had prepared for the Fire Tribe.
The Fire Tribe members didn''t care much about the departure of the Green Sparrow Tribe members, as they didn''t believe the Green Sparrow Tribe could offer better food than them.
With her braided hair, Bai Xue picked up a piece of roasted meat to eat but was stopped by Han Cheng, who took it from her. She looked at him with a pouty face, her big eyes blinking.
"Wait until Shang brings the utensils... You... you should rinse your mouth first."
Han Cheng couldn''t resist Bai Xue''s pleading eyes and said, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Blushing, Bai Xue nodded obediently, her braided hair swaying gently.
She couldn''t help but wonder why Han Cheng insisted on such formalities when she didn''t mind.
Shang and the others brought some jars and bottles, with two people carrying a long string of salted fish on their backs.
Once these items were ced down, they immediately caught the attention of everyone from the Fire Tribe, whether they had noticed them before or not.
Many people''s mouths fell open in an "o" shape.
However, it wasn''t the dried fish that caused this reaction but the jars and bottles.
Neatly arranged items naturally attract people''s attention. Humans have always pursued neatness, whether it''s tools, living spaces, or essories.
Of course, this rule always has exceptions, but there are few.
Hei Wa and his two apprentices had be more skilled at pottery making. Especially after Hei Wa ingeniously invented a method of cing y on a rotating stone b, allowing people to slowly turn the stone while shaping the pottery with their hands. This innovation elevated the quality of pottery in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Even the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who were ustomed to pottery, couldn''t help but praise the pottery when they first saw it, let alone the Fire Tribe, who had never seen such well-organized objects.
Previously, they had been amazed by the jars used to store a herb called "chaihu" for medicinal purposes. They never expected the tribe to possess so manyrge organized jars.
How did they manage to polish the stones so neatly? And how were they able to hollow them out to store things inside?
Even the most skilled stone craftsmen in their tribe couldn''t produce perfectly round stone balls. The difficulty level of creating these objects from stone was undoubtedly higher than making stone balls.
Watching the Fire Tribe members cautiously touch the pottery, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniff in exasperation.
He wanted them to appreciate the food inside the jars. Yet, they were so captivated by the jars themselves that they ignored the food.
Encountering a situation like this, akin to throwing pearls to swine, might not have happened for thousands or even tens of thousands of years.
What idiom would emerge if this were to be recorded as an amusing anecdote?
"Treasure in the trash"?
"Surprised by simplicity"?
Han Cheng chuckled at the thought.
Suddenly, amotion and loud shouts from the Fire Tribe members interrupted his thoughts.
What''s happening now?
That was his immediate thought.
He quickly focused his gaze to see a water-filled pottery jar overturned near the fire, spilling its contents and wetting arge patch of ground. The water was flowing downhill, carrying some bits of dry straw on its surface.
A pile of extinguished fire emitting white smoke was not far from the jar.
Standing nearby were Tie Tou and a few others, along with several bewildered members of the Fire Tribe.
What''s going on here?
Chapter 359: Triumphant Baixue Sister"
Chapter 359: Triumphant Baixue Sister"
"What''s going on?" Han Cheng asked.
"I was cooking food, and they grabbed the pottery..." Tie Tou said indignantly.
The water in the pot had been brought from the river and was about to be used to make soup, but for no apparent reason, the people from the Fire Tribe snatched the pottery, causing it to spill on the ground. This kind of incident would upset anyone.
"Grabbed the pottery?" Han Cheng furrowed his brow.
"What''s happening?" He asked Bai Xue.
Of course, he wasn''t asking Bai Xue directly since she wasn''t involved. He wanted her to ask the people from the Fire Tribe why they did it.
After much chattering that Han Cheng couldn''t understand, Bai Xue turned around.
Before she could speak, she giggled.
"Big Brother Cheng, they''re worried the fire will damage the pottery..."Upon hearing Bai Xue''s oue, Tie Tou and the others also chuckled, and the slight difort from earlier disappeared instantly.
Tie Tou returned to the river to fetch water and simmer the salted fish soup. By now, the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe felt uneasy about not having soup meals each day. It was almostparable to Popeye after eating spinach.
Three rocks were arranged triangr around the fire, and a pottery filled with water was ced on top. Inside, some cleaned, salted fish and dried meat, along with some vegetables the Fire Tribe had dug up, were added.
The people from the Fire Tribe widened their eyes as they watched the pottery ced on the fire, and some of them even pinched themselves.
Although they had learned from Bai Xue that the fire wouldn''t damage the pottery, they couldn''t help but worry. Even if it couldn''t be damaged, it wouldn''t look good if such a beautiful thing turned ck from the fire.
The mood of the Fire Tribe vanished with the appearance of the delicious salted fish soup.
The most knowledgeable leader of the Fire Tribe took the precious pottery, called "pottery," and looked at the strange food they had never eaten before, unable to start.
After waiting for a while and seeing the people from the Green Sparrow Tribe start to eat, he followed suit and brought the bowl to his mouth, taking a sip.
As the hot soup entered his mouth, a wonderful taste that couldn''t be described in words filled his mouth...
The leader of the Fire Tribe widened his eyes, and so did the others who tasted the soup. They stared dumbfoundedly at the food in their hands, then at the seemingly ordinary people from the Green Sparrow Tribe. They wanted to ask questions but couldn''t resist the temptation of the food.
No wonder they didn''t show surprise or admiration when eating the meat roasted by themselves; with such delicious food, the food provided by their tribe couldn''t evoke admiration from others.
The leader of the Fire Tribe thought more deeply than the ordinary people. While the Fire Tribe people thought that the Green Sparrow Tribe had brought out such delicious food topete with them, just as they wanted to surprise each other by bringing out all the meat, the leader of the Fire Tribe didn''t think so. When the people from this waterborne tribe ate this food, it amazed and praised them. They seemed very rxed and casual, just like the people from their tribe, who were used to eating wild fruits, vegetables, and meat daily.
The leader of the Fire Tribe''s hand holding the bowl trembled slightly. What kind of tribe was this?
Even their everyday food was so delicious. What would they eat on more important asions?
At Han Cheng''s signal, Third Senior Brother and the others opened a salt shaker, pinched some fine salt from it, sprinkled it evenly on the roasted meat from the Fire Tribe, and then handed it back to them, indicating for them to eat.
The people from the Fire Tribe hesitated, then took a bite. Their eyes widened instantly with disbelief.
Are the people from this waterborne tribe endowed with magical hands?
The meat is still the same, but how does it be so delicious after passing through their hands?
Many stared intently at the salt shaker, eager to know the secret.
"This is salt produced by our tribe. It makes food taste very delicious..." At Han Cheng''s signal, Bai Xue began to exin to the people from the Fire Tribe.
The people from the Fire Tribe listened attentively to Bai Xue''s exnation, sighing in amazement from time to time. They looked at Han Cheng''s group, then at the salt, and took another bite of the food with salt added, feeling like their brains couldn''t keep up.
In awe of the salt, they found nothing inappropriate about Bai Xue referring to herself as "our tribe" from the waterborne tribe''s perspective.
"Can we have some salt..." The leader of the Fire Tribe licked his lips, looking somewhat eager and cautious as he asked Bai Xue.
Just earlier this spring, they had been nning to throw this sick little girl into the fire to burn her to death. Today, after recognizing this girl, who was different from before, as the sick minor, they were happier to have found an effective way to treat the disease.
They were pleased with this fortunate tribe member who had returned from the dead, but they didn''t pay too much attention to her. After all, she was just a minor.
But now, things were different.
As the waterborne tribe revealed more wonders, this clearly favored minor girl began to receive more attention from them.
By now, even the most esteemed leader of the tribe wanted to inquire about the situation from her and ask if the leader of the waterborne tribe could provide them with some salt and pottery.
And no one felt that there was anything inappropriate about doing so.
At this point, Bai Xue no longer felt any fear toward the tribe she had once lived in because, behind her, her big brother Cheng was smilingly pushing two jars of salt toward the leader of the Fire Tribe.
With Big Brother Cheng around, the tribe where she had lived before would never do anything harmful to her again.
"Talk to them about our tribe''s matters, but don''t mention how salt and pottery are made." Han Cheng affectionately patted Bai Xue''s head and said with a smile.
The adult women from the Fire Tribe soon surrounded Bai Xue. They listened earnestly to her words, sometimes asking questions but mostly showing expressions of disbelief and uttering exmations.
The delicious food that couldn''t be finished, houses morefortable than caves, fences that kept wild animals away, little bugs that could spin silk, hemp that could be used for weaving...
All these things they had never heard of before left the women from the Fire Tribe dumbfounded.
What impressed them the most and sparked their imagination the most was Bai Xue''s mention of underwear.
Because when talking about these things, Bai Xue''s expression was the most excited and proud...
Chapter 360: Fire Tribe? Weaving workers?
Chapter 360: Fire Tribe? Weaving workers?
Bai Xue undoubtedly became the most dazzling presence in this encounter with the Fire Tribe.
The women and the male primitive people of the Fire Tribe were gradually drawn by what she said. Like the women, they gathered around and listened attentively to Bai Xue''s stories.
Han Cheng kept smiling as he watched Bai Xue, like a star surrounded by many moons. Through his efforts, he had made the daughters-inw who were not valued by their "natal families" shine brightly upon returning to their "natal families". It felt good.
When idle women gathered together, the final topic always revolved around clothes, hair, and simr things, whether in ancient times orter eras.
After a round of storytelling, while the men were still amazed at the various aspects of the Green Sparrow Tribe, the women of the Fire Tribe had already turned their attention to the braids that Bai Xue wore.
Bai Xue, mindful of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s customs, called a few women from the Tribe over and handed them the method of braiding adult women''s hair.
Han Cheng, watching the women of the Fire Tribe with their braids tied up with washed ash, smiled even more. If you stripped off the animal skins they were wearing, cleaned them up, and then dressed them in their tribe''s clothes, they would look exactly like people from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After teaching the women of the Fire Tribe how to braid their hair, Bai Xue bounced over to Han Cheng. The hesitant chief of the Fire Tribe followed her.
For the chief of the Fire Tribe, many things Bai Xue said were iprehensible, but they were also surprising and somewhat unbelievable. He felt that a tribe could not possibly make these things.After all, they exceeded their understanding too much.
The rest of the Fire Tribe''s people had the same attitude.
It''s just that these pottery, salt, and boats can sail on water... These things, as seen with their own eyes, all confirmed the correctness of what Bai Xue said.
What kind of tribe was this?
Simr words had lingered in the mind of the chief of the Fire Tribe more than once.
Originally, he thought that being led by such an underage person would be difficult, but the fact was that they were living better than their tribe.
He also discovered that there were more people from this tribe than there werest time.
And regardless of gender, they seemed to have more energy than the people of their tribe.
This made him believe about seventy or eighty percent of what Bai Xue said about the Green Sparrow Tribe being more populous than their Fire Tribe.
"Ask him what''s the matter."
Seeing that the chief of the Fire Tribe had been hesitant and silent aftering over, Han Cheng opened his mouth and asked Bai Xue, the little trantor.
Do they want more pottery and salt?
Han Cheng pondered over this sentence.
The chief of the Fire Tribe looked at Han Cheng, who didn''t speak. He felt somewhat awkward and felt that he had gone too far. They had already been given some precious pottery and salt as dowry, yet they still wanted more.
Thinking this way, he was about to withdraw the request, but at this moment, the silent underage tribal leader spoke up.
Could they have some more?!
The chief of the Fire Tribe, upon understanding Bai Xue''s conveyed message, stood up from the ground with excitement.
Han Cheng looked at the excited chief of the Fire Tribe and smiled kindly.
Of course, this time, it wouldn''t be free. The things given earlier were considered Bai Xue''s betrothal gifts. If they wanted more, they would have to pay a price.
Could they exchange them for bamboo or hemp?
The chief of the Fire Tribe waspletely puzzled; he didn''t know what bamboo and hemp were.
Han Cheng had Bai Xue tell the chief of the Fire Tribe that these were things that grew upstream in the river.
Bamboo and hemp were too far from the Green Sparrow Tribe, and a round trip would take nearly a month, which was tooborious. It would be much morefortable if a tribe could transport them to its own tribe.
With these imported hemp, their own tribe could nt less hemp and more edible grains in the future.
It would be even better if the Fire Tribe were taught to weave with hemp and then let them use the woven cloth to trade with their own tribe for salt, pottery, and other things.
Weaving cloth had always been aborious and not easy task.
When the Green Sparrow Tribe began to grow hemp and weave cloth, many people were inevitably bound by the small looms and unable to move freely.
Correspondingly, the number of people doing other work would decrease, and productivity would decline.
If such a time-consuming andborious task were outsourced to the Fire Tribe, the Green Sparrow Tribe would be much easier.
As long as they harvested wild hemp and wove cloth, they could exchange what their tribe needed. The people of the Fire Tribe did not refuse.
If this continued, as the Fire Tribe continuously expanded production and became ustomed to trading with woven hemp cloth for their livelihood materials from the Green Sparrow Tribe, their lifeline would be controlled by the Green Sparrow Tribe, and when the time came... hehehe...
Didn''t want to exchange for hemp and bamboo?
The message conveyed by Bai Xue was undoubtedly a bucket of cold water poured down, extinguishing the fire burning in Han Cheng''s heart.
After thinking for a moment, Han Cheng said, "If they are willing to join our tribe, then they will have everything we have, not just pottery and salt, but also other things..."
As expected by Han Cheng, as soon as such conditions were stated, the chief of the Fire Tribe immediately shook his head and refused.
As a leader, he would not give up his tribe to join another tribe as long as they could still survive. On the contrary, some female primitive people who heard these things around them were somewhat moved.
First, they were not leaders and didn''t consider much, and second, Bai Xue''s life was too tempting.
Bai Xue herself was the best example - a person who was about to be burned to death, but aftering to that tribe, she transformed and became an existence they admired...
After thinking for a while, the chief of the Fire Tribe shook his head and left, looking disappointed.
Although he longed for pottery and salt, he had not reached the point of giving up his tribe for them. After all, their tribe was doing fine without pottery and salt.
Compared to that, exchanging for bamboo and hemp seemed a good choice, making him somewhat tempted.
But as soon as he thought about the need to travel upstream for these two things, he gave up the idea.
They were not from the tribe that came from the water and couldn''t make boats that could sail on water. Moreover, they didn''t know what hemp and bamboo looked like.
"We can send a few people to go with us to see what hemp and bamboo look like and then see if our tribe is as Bai Xue said..."
Seeing that the outsourcing of weaving was about to fail, Han Cheng thought for a moment and spoke up.
"We don''t need to exchange for hemp this time. As long as someone goes, it will be given as a gift..."
Chapter 361: The Flying Snake Tribe encountered a monster
Chapter 361: The Flying Snake Tribe encountered a monster
The warm autumn sun spread down, the autumn breeze gently brushed, and the water in the river swayed slightly, gentlypping against the riverbank. Water flowed into the crab holes, and snake burrows along the riverbank, emitting a murmuring sound akin to lulling a child to sleep.
On the riverbank, the small boat swayed gently with the water, and four members of the Fire Tribe, who were riding a boat for the first time, nervously grasped the boat rails, experiencing this unfamiliar sensation.
As the mooring rope was untied and the bamboo pole was propped against the shore, the boat was pushed off from the riverbank into the river, leaving behind a trail of fine fan-shaped ripples.
"%&&!"
Standing on the shore, the chief of the Fire Tribe watched intently as the four people from his tribe who were on the boat departed, loudly reminding them.
On the shore, many people seeing off the Fire Tribe members did not share the chief''s worries. Some even felt envious of those few who were boarding the boat.
After all, they were going to that magical, dream-like tribe...
With Bai Xue, a member of the original Fire Tribe, preaching on the spot, most members felt curious and longing for the mysterious tribe she described.
So when the chief of the Fire Tribe announced that he would select a few people to apany Han Cheng and the others to the tribe''s dwelling ce on the water, many people volunteered.They overcame their fear of traveling with Bai Xue''s presence and the allure of the magical things she described.
Considering the tribe''s need to gather food, the chief of the Fire Tribe selected four people...
The paddles broke the surface of the water, and their handles rubbed against the upright wooden poles tied to the boat, making a creaking sound.
Watching the four Fire Tribe members on the boat, who seemed slightly restrained, Han Cheng smiled kindly.
As long as people came, it was fine.
Under gradual contact and temptation, he did not doubt that the Fire Tribe would follow the direction he had previously nned.
I wonder if the chief of the Fire Tribe also understands the principle of pairing men and women, working without getting tired. Among the four people from the Fire Tribe who came along were two men and two women.
After a while, Han Cheng instructed them to separate and disperse into two groups of two on two different boats.
It wasn''t about implementing divisive tactics right away but rather letting them learn how to paddle.
After all, when they returned from the Sparrow Tribe, they would need to row the boat themselves.
Han Cheng couldn''t specially send people to escort them back.
Moreover, after the trade in hemp was opened, the people of the Fire Tribe would inevitably have to deal with bamboo rafts and wooden boats frequently. Therefore, it was necessary to teach them how to row and paddle.
At first, the people of the Sparrow Tribe were somewhat dissatisfied with these four people rowing the boat in circles, but as they gradually became proficient, their dissatisfaction disappeared. After all, with these four people rowing, they could save a lot of effort.
The people of the Fire Tribe did not find rowing tiring. Having juste into contact with such things, they were quite cheerful about paddling.
Seeing this scene, Han Cheng felt somewhat regretful. If he had known, he would have asked for more freebor from the chief of the Fire Tribe...
Six small boats moved upstream like fish, exposing their backs.
They passed Mount Wangdong and arrived at the hemp field.
The leaves of the wild hemp had turned yellow, and even the low ones had shed.
Tie Tou, Third Senior Brother, and others held sickles and began to harvest the wild hemp.
Han Cheng and Bai Xue were also not idle, carrying stone sickles and joining in the harvest.
Stone and bone sickles were far less sharp than iron ones, and the hemp was already old, and the skin was quite tough. Therefore, those with less strength didn''t harvest quickly with these tools.
After harvesting for a while, Han Cheng set aside the stone sickle and began pulling the hemp out by hand. The four members of the Fire Tribe followed the example of the Sparrow Tribe, doing this novel task they had never done before.
At this point, they also took baths and styled their hair like the people of the Sparrow Tribe. The men tied their hair up with a wooden stick while the women braided theirs intorge hemp braids. If they didn''t speak, they looked almost identical to the people of the Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng ignored the hemp seeds at the moment. Collecting them now would be too slow, so he nned to deal with them slowly after bringing the hemp back to the tribe. Although some seeds fell on the ground at the moment, they were very few.
The harvested hemp was ced in one ce and then bundled up. In thete afternoon, when the sun was still high above the horizon, they began to transport these bundled hemp to the riverbank and load them onto bamboo rafts, much to the amazement of the Fire Tribe members.
"Splish, ssh..."
Warm water poured from above, and Han Cheng wiped the water off his face, exhalingfortably.
Harvesting and transporting wild hemp was not a veryfortable task. Fatigue was one thing, but the most ufortable aspect was the itching. After a day of working with hemp, the body would feel itchy all over, and it wouldn''t stop until washed with water.
The next morning, Han Cheng and his group set out again to harvest wild hemp...
The sky was vast and high, and the increasingly yful autumn continued to tease everything growing on the earth. Even those whose faces were already red or had little faces turned yellow were not spared...
The chief of the Flying Snake Tribe led a group of more than thirty people, advancing in such weather.
They carried grass-woven backpacks on their backs and held crude weapons in their hands.
In a ce not far from their tribe''s cave, a familiar, early-ripe fruit with good storage qualities had already ripened. Today, the shaman had spoken, so he brought people over to pick it.
"Rumble!"
"Roar..."
"Hiss~!"
In the not-so-deep valley ahead, strange beast roars suddenly sounded.
The size of the beasts making the sounds seemed quiterge.
The Flying Snake Tribe members who heard the movement suddenly became alert and panicked.
"£¤5!"
The chief of the Flying Snake Tribe shouted, telling everyone not to panic, and then he carried his weapon and led the people cautiously closer to the valley ahead.
What was happening in the valley would be something the chief of the Flying Snake Tribe would never forget!
Seven or eight small mountain-like monsters were in the valley.
They had long fur on their bodies, sharp white bone clubs on their heads, and in the middle of the bone clubs, there was a python.
The python was terrifying. With his own eyes, he saw a tree as thick as his thigh being entwined and pulled up by the python!
Just like pulling up a tuft of grass so effortlessly.
In front of these small mountain-like monsters, there was another type of creature whose size was not as big as theirs but still not small.
This kind of creature also had long fur on its body, sharp horns on its head, and a somewhat heavy appearance.
There weren''t many of these creatures, only two big and one small.
The roar came from the mouths of these two types of creatures.
Their roaring was because these two equally terrifying-looking creatures were fighting in an extremely fierce manner!
Chapter 362: Single horn creature
Chapter 362: Single horn creature
"Sss~!"
The leader, a monster muchrger than the average creature, roared with red eyes, and the giant python between the two white bone clubs immediately entwined itself around the creature with a horn charging toward it.
With a swing of its massive head, the long white bone club pierced into the body of the creature charging towards it.
Dark red blood flowed out, staining the white bone club and wetting the ground.
"Plop, plop, plop..."
The mountain-like creature swung its head, and blood spurted with each movement.
"Boom!"
With its force, the creature, weighing at least a thousand pounds, was lifted and thrown away.
After tumbling on the ground for a while, it finally stopped.The smaller horned creature was knocked down by the fallen giant pinned beneath it.
"Sss~!"
The call continued as thepletely frenzied giant python-like creature, with legs as thick as trees, charged toward another horned creature...
As the call gradually faded away, the mountain-like creature walked away, its hoofprints gradually disappearing into the distance. The dust settled, revealing a valley in disarray.
The chief of the Flying Snake tribe struggled to climb out of the grass above the valley, gripping a wooden spear with trembling legs.
There was a puddle of water in the spot where he got up.
Under his orders, someone hurried back to inform the wisest shaman of the tribe of this terrifying news.
He stayed with others to guard the valley from above. After seeing the valley calm down, with no sign of the departing behemoths returning, he hesitated for a long time, gathered his courage, and ordered the other tribe members, who hadn''t recovered from their shock, to take weapons and head into the valley.
Upon receiving the report, the shaman of the Flying Snake tribe hurried over with his people.
White bone clubs? A powerful giant python? Mountain-like creatures?
Horned behemoths...
He recalled the descriptions given by the tribespeople, memories from when he was still very young. It wasn''t something he had seen with his own eyes but something he had heard from the elders.
They said that there was a tribe''s settlement that such monstrous creatures had wiped out.
The descriptions sounded simr to what the tribespeople were describing.
The shaman of the Flying Snake tribe arrived at the valley...
The people of the Flying Snake tribe went from initial panic to joy.
For them, the two mountain-like creatures lying on the ground were a stroke of luck!
After trying to lift one and finding it too difficult, under the shaman''s guidance, they began using stone knives and axes to peel off the tough, thick, hairy hides.
Then they divided the meat into pieces and packed them into woven grass baskets on their backs...
In the shaman''s hands was something bone-like, heavier than an ordinary bone, constantly being examined.
It was the horn from the creature''s head that had been dismembered.
"Roar..."
"£¤!"
A not-too-loud roar suddenly rang out, frightening the person who was dividing the second creature into pieces. They retreated several steps. Someone quickly looked towards the valley''s entrance, worried that another, more terrifying creature had returned.
"Roar..."
The intermittent roars continued, and the people of the Flying Snake tribe had already found the source of the sound. It was the fallen creature.
"£¤!"
He, the shaman of the Flying Snake tribe, loudly addressed the people, pointing towards the fallen creature.
After a while, over a dozen people cautiously approached and moved the creature to the side.
Underneath it was a small ditch, and inside was a little creature.
It was the one making the cries.
The small creature also appeared injured, curling up in the pit and failing to stand up even after attempting twice. Surrounded by people holding spears, the little one looked very frightened and helpless.
"£¤53!"
The Eldest Senior Brother of the Flying Snake tribe shouted and fiercely stabbed the injured small creature with a wooden spear.
Killing it would yield plenty of meat.
The creature''s skin was thick, and the spear only removed some of its fur, causing minimal injury.
To disy his bravery, the chief of the Flying Snake tribe spat in his hand, rubbed it together, and clenched the spear, preparing to aim for its eyes.
"34!"
The shaman intervened, stopped him, and ordered someone to pull the small creature out of the ditch...
The Flying Snake tribe, having had a bountiful harvest, had a rare feast today. Even the weakest among them had enough to eat.
However, tender liver was reserved for those with poor dental health, a specialty of the shaman.
The shaman, choking on the liver as he ate, had to drink several mouthfuls of water before finally recovering.
Having eaten and drunk their fill, he went to a corner of the cave where the injured small creature was.
He had someone fetch fruits, leaves, grass, stones, and a piece of meat and ce them in front of the seemingly bewildered little creature. After waiting for a while, the small creature began to eat the grass, then the fruit.
Under the clear sky, the oil hemp field.
With many wild hemp trees gone, the hemp field looked much more spacious.
Bundles of wild hemp over a meter high were piled on six bamboo rafts. These bundles were tied to the rafts with ropes made from wild hemp bark to prevent them from rolling into the river.
Each raft had two people holding bamboo poles ready to push off.
"Let''s go!"
Han Cheng shouted, and the Third Senior Brother shook the oar. The boat he was on was the first to leave the shore, heading upstream.
With six wooden boats and six bamboo raftsden with hard-earned harvest, they formed a long dragon in the river, gradually rowing against the current toward their ce of origin...
"£¤!"
After several days of sailing, the boats separated from the main river and entered the Red River. Finally, on a misty afternoon, they arrived at the Green Sparrow tribe.
Seeing the many people pouring out, the towering walls, and the excited people from the four tribes, Han Cheng couldn''t understand their words.
Amidst the joy of reunion, Han Cheng inquired about the situation in the tribe from the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, relieved to hear that nothing had happened.
The shaman noticed the four extra people from the Fire Tribe and, assuming they were like Bai Xue, warmly weed them.
After unloading the hemp from the bamboo rafts, Han Cheng recounted their experiences in the Fire Tribe to the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, exining the purpose of the four people''s arrival and his ns.
The shaman''s enthusiasm waned after hearing that the four were only here to freeload. But upon hearing Han Cheng''s ns, his smile returned.
Chapter 363: Retting hemp and Cold Dew
Chapter 363: Retting hemp and Cold Dew
After unloading the wild hemp, Han Cheng made arrangements before the four people from the Fire Tribe.
Including not firing kilns and using bows and arrows as little as possible while these people were present.
Do not disclose confidential matters such as the method of salt production.
This was necessary.
The four members of the Fire Tribe, who had beenpletely stunned by everything before them, did not understand the meaning of what the enthusiastic, hospitable, and seemingly magical Divine Child had just said. If they understood, who knows what their mood would be like...
The iron bacteria, about half the size of four pottery jars, were carefully ced on the ground in the room and left to dry, much treasured by Hei Wa and hispanions. These were valuable items that could be used to make iron tools.
While Hei Wa and hispanions were doing these tasks, Han Cheng, along with the senior brother, several others, and the four members of the Fire Tribe, went downstream of the creek.
They blocked a ditch connecting the creek with a bone shovel, drained the water out, and then began digging and expanding it.
After the expansion, they opened the mouth and let the river water in before sealing the opening again.While they were doing these things, the underage members of the tribe, as well as the elderly and the weak, were not idle. They plucked the hemp seeds from the wild hemp, stored them in pottery jars, and kept them as seeds for nting the next year.
Bundles of wild hemp with the seeds removed were thrown into the expanded pit and then covered with stones.
Retting hemp was an indispensable step in obtaining hemp fiber and weaving cloth.
Through retting, the microorganisms in the water would dpose the useless parts of the hemp bark, leaving behind the flexible fibers.
These fibers were what was truly needed for spinning yarn and weaving cloth.
Moreover, the bond between the hemp bark and the core became loose through retting, making it easier to peel.
But when it was time, the smell...
Thinking about it, Han Cheng couldn''t help but wrinkle his nose.
It was not much better than a sewer and was too smelly!
While performing these tasks, Han Cheng asionally asked Bai Xue to exin what was going on to the members of the Fire Tribe, making sure they remembered the procedure.
When it was time to transport the retted hemp, only the outer hemp bark stripped after retting was transported. To help the members of the Fire Tribe understand what was going on, Han Cheng took out a bundle that had been immersed in water for ten days and demonstrated the peeling process to them.
Ten days of retting was certainly not enough, and the hemp was taken out so quickly and peeled because the four members of the Fire Tribe were about to leave.
Han Cheng''s n for the Fire Tribe to weave cloth and transport it here would not be implemented this year because retting hemp alone took a long time.
Furthermore, they had not yet perfected the spinning yarn and weaving cloth processes themselves, so the instructions given to the four members of the Fire Tribe could only cover the retting process.
As for the next step of weaving cloth, they could only wait until next year when they returned.
Han Cheng was confident that they would be able to weave cloth by next year.
As for the fact that the four members of the Fire Tribe would not return the next year, Han Cheng was not worried because, among the people of the Fire Tribe, only they knew how to row a boat on the water.
Another reason was the allure of salt.
Once ustomed to eating salt, enduring a long period without it was truly unbearable.
First, there was the taste, and second, there was the effect on the body.
For those ustomed to robust health, they truly did not want to return to a state of physical depletion...
A small boat moored on the creek''s bank contained two jars of salt, some salted fish, two stone sickles, and other items donated by the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng walked up and shook hands with each member of the Fire Tribe, expressing his reluctance to see them go.
The rest of the Green Sparrow Tribe also came over to shake hands with them.
"When the leaves fall, we''lle back."
Bai Xue conveyed Han Cheng''s meaning to the four people from the Fire Tribe.
The four members of the Fire Tribe, almost moved to tears by the enthusiasm of the Green Sparrow Tribe, nodded vigorously, indicating that they woulde back.
As the light boat left the shore, the figures of the people standing on the bank gradually became blurred by the sound of the water, turning into ck dots and finally disappearingpletely.
In their field of vision, only the earth-yellow wall connected to the mountain range remained.
The four members of the Fire Tribe looked at the precious items on the boat and recalled the experiences of the past ten days, feeling as if it had all been a dream.
It turned out that what the underage member of their tribe had said was true, and people could live like this...
At this moment, all four of them had the idea of returning to this aquatic tribe, living here permanently, and never leaving again, just like the underage member of their tribe who had been sick and then cured.
Come back when the leaves fall! With hemp bark.
They thought to themselves as they looked at the neatly bundled hemp bark on the boat.
As long as they and their people brought back such hemp bark, they could still exchange it for these precious items.
As they thought, they kept recalling the process of making hemp bark in their minds, afraid that they would forget some of the steps.
Ten dayster, the four members of the Fire Tribe returned to their original location on a boat.
Returning with arge number of precious items, they were warmly weed and treated by the people as if they were brave warriors who had captured arge number of prey.
The four of them recounted everything they had seen and heard in the Green Sparrow Tribe to the people who crowded around them, eager to know whether Bai Xue''s words were true. The people of the Fire Tribe were astonished when they heard it.
They had thought that what Bai Xue had said was already exaggerated enough, but they had not expected that everything was true, and the current situation of that tribe was even better than what Bai Xue had described!
With the return of the four individuals, the people of the Fire Tribe became even more eager for the mysterious aquatic tribe.
Even the leader of the Fire Tribe, who kept examining the hemp bark brought back by the four individuals, had the idea of seeing it for himself...
Some grass had turned yellow, while others had be even greener. These grasses and the leaves on the ground were now covered with ayer of cool dew.
It was already the time of Cold Dew, and next would be Frost Descent.
Standing outside the wall and looking out together with Han Cheng, Shi Tou recorded this feeling on the pottery tablet he carried. The tablet had thirty squares, each with a moon drawn inside. Corresponding to today''s square, he recorded this sensation.
Under Han Cheng''s guidance and inspiration, Shi Tou¡¯s gaze was no longer solely on the moon''s changes. The daily changes in weather and corresponding nt changes were within his observation and recording range.
Calendars never existed in istion; they should also have a series of extensions.
What Shi Tou was doing now was supplementing and expanding the calendar.
Many people in the tribe disapproved of Shi Tou''s behavior, feeling that it did not contribute to obtaining food.
As a neer, Han Cheng understood the significance of Shi Tou''s work and gave it affirmation and strong support.
Besides Cold Dew, another item was recorded in today''s square on the pottery tablet...
Chapter 364: A Man, A Deer, and a Cart
Chapter 364: A Man, A Deer, and a Cart
"Yo yo..."
Deer Lord, whose face was tied with a rope, grumbled discontentedly in the seemingly spacious field.
As themanding leader of the deer, sheep, and dog tribes, the mighty and invincible Deer Lord felt aggrieved to have fallen to this point.
He, the mighty leader, would now have to toil as aborer, plowing and harrowing thend here.
Unfortunately, Deer Lord was a deer from ancient times and knew nothing of Han Yu, who wrote "A Song of the Horse."
In this world, animals were not allowed to be spirits. Otherwise, they would surely turn their heads and speak, uttering something like ''Only humiliated by the hands of ves...'' to the despicable bipeds who were leading them andughing.
The soil was in perfect condition thanks to the autumn rain a few days ago. The rain made it easy to break up the clods of earth that had risen from the ground, making it the perfect time to sow rapeseed.
Deer Lord, who had been living in the Green Sparrow Tribe for so long, enjoying free food and lodging with someone serving him every day, naturally could not escape this fate. Now, those physically strong individuals were all harnessed up and, under the guidance of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, were imitating the appearance of their leader, Deer Lord, plowing and sowing here.
Deer Lord was treated differently from ordinary deer because, while other deer pulled harrows, he pulled a plow.A wide piece of leather was draped over Deer Lord''s back at the end of the plow beam, covering half of it.
Underneath the leather, a rope was tied around Deer Lord''s waist, passing through his belly. Together with the leather above, it tied Deer Lord around the waist.
In this way, as he moved, the plow behind him would move forward with him.
Unlike oxen, deer''s necks were not as thick as oxen''s, nor did they have the strength to bear thousands of pounds like oxen, so Han Cheng had to imitate donkeys and mules and ce the weight on their backs.
Behind Deer Lord, a hobbling individual was supporting the plow.
The three plow legs, bound with triangr bones, parted the finely tilled soft soil, leaving three parallel lines on the ground no matter how they turned, with a spacing of twenty centimeters in the middle.
Inside the hopper, ck rapeseeds leaked down from the bottom of the hopper and, about three centimeters from the hopper, split into three, each going down one of the hollow plow legs and falling into the furrows opened by the plow legs.
"Wait."
Lame suddenly spoke, and Han Cheng, leading Deer Lord forward, stopped as instructed.
It wasn''t that Han Cheng enjoyed "helping with the plow," but Deer Lord would only work properly when led by Han Cheng. No one else could make it work properly.
"What''s wrong?" Han Cheng asked.
"The eye of the hopper is blocked."
As he answered, Lame let go of the plow handle, bent down, and pulled out a wooden piece inserted into the blocked connection between the funnel and the three plow legs, making it clear again.
He quickly inserted the wooden piece back to its original position. Otherwise, if too many seeds were sown, it would be too dense over time.
While Lame was doing this, the individuals nearby were earnestly watching with their heads stretched out.
Lame was a carpenter, and sowing was not his responsibility. After teaching the individuals with the balloons and bottles, he no longer got involved in sowing.
After the adjustment, Han Cheng continued to lead Deer Lord forward, leaving shallow furrows on the smoothly harrowednd...
In the distance, the mountains were tinged with varying shades of yellow and red, while the nearby water flowed clear and calm. A few wisps of smoke rose slowly from the burning dry grass on the ground, where farmers were scattered, plowing and sowing...
There were no gunshots, wars, or much fighting, only a tranquil and enchanting scene of autumn farming...
The efficiency of the plow was unmatched by humanbor.
Fifty mu could be plowed in a day with one deer, two people, and one plow.
This is still under the condition where both humans and deer are not very familiar with each other.
If the deer is trained well and people master the use of the plow, one person, one deer, and one plow can plow more than twenty mu in a day without the need for someone to lead the deer and help with the plow.
Controlling the deer''s direction can be done in two ways, one directly and the other indirectly.
The direct method is to tie another rope around the deer''s head, in addition to the leather rope fixed on the deer''s waist, like tying shoces, passing through the deer''s facete, and tying the ends of the rope behind the deer to the handle of the plow, within reach of the person supporting the plow.
Pull the left rope when a left turn is needed; pull the right rope when a right turn is needed.
Because the rope is tied to the deer''s head, a strong pull will cause it to turn around.
The so-called voice control is a method based on this: When pulling the deer to the left, shout "da da," when going right, shout "lie," when urging the deer to move forward, shout "ha," and when stopping it, shout "two."
After doing this repeatedly, the deer will develop a conditioned reflex. Instead of needing to pull the rope, just shouting amand will let them know what to do and how to cooperate with humans in farming.
Suchmands are not only for deer; when the timees to find oxen and horses, they will also be trained simrly.
This year, fifty mu of rapeseed were nted, mainly for eating. The rapeseed was used to feed deer, rabbits, and chickens, and it was mixed with chicken feed.
Han Cheng has not yet tried using rapeseed for oil extraction. On the one hand, he has too many other things to worry about, and on the other hand, so far, just animal-fat oil is enough to eat.
So, the use of rapeseed for oil extraction has been postponed, and there are signs of further dy.
After nting rapeseed, Han Cheng also nted the ''Big Cabbage'' and ''High-Quality Rapeseed,'' which he had cultivated for two years.
The appearance of the plow significantly increased the efficiency of nting. After nting thesends in three days, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe set off with baskets on their backs towards the orchard.
It was time to gather and store the fruits.
Many hands make light work. With everyone''s efforts, piles of fruits appeared in the tribe and quickly increased.
Tonight''s meal in the Green Sparrow Tribe was strange. There were no roasted meats as usual, nor was there steaming fish soup. There was only arge pile of fruits stacked together.
Han Cheng was a bit puzzled, not understanding what the Eldest Senior Brother in charge of preparing food meant.
He was puzzled, but the other tribe members were not, especially those from the Bone Tribe who had joined just this year. They felt it was only natural.
Food was always so precious to primitive people. Even in the affluent Green Sparrow Tribe, people still hesitated to waste.
These fruits were all damaged, bruised, or had ruptured.
Such fruits were not durable for storage. If not eaten in time, they would quickly spoil.
Understanding the reason, Han Cheng couldn''t help but give a thumbs up to the Eldest Eldest Senior Brother. Eating the perishables first and saving the good ones was a suitable method that could reduce food waste.
However, after praising him, Han Cheng immediately asked the Eldest Eldest Senior Brother to take out some meat and let people add water to the pottery jars, preparing to start boiling soup.
The weather had already cooled down, and at this time, unlike in summer, not eating some hot soup or just relying on these cold fruits to satisfy hunger wouldn''t do. First, it wouldn''t be filling enough, and second, it could easily upset the stomach.
In this era where catching a cold and fever could be thrown into the fire and burned to death, no illness could be underestimated.
"Divine Child..."
The Eldest Senior Brother seemed a little anxious. With this arrangement, these fruits would be wasted.
Han Cheng smiled and waved his hand to reassure him, indicating he didn''t need to worry.
Chapter 365: Canned food, and a Virgin Boy’s Pee
Chapter 365: Canned food, and a Virgin Boy¡¯s Pee
Can these damaged fruits be preserved?
The shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, and others who understood Han Cheng''s intentions couldn''t help but widen their eyes. They looked at therge pile of fruits on the ground, then at Han Cheng, who seemed confident, and then innocently touched their own heads.
Could it be that the Divine Child nned to preserve these fruits like the salted fish before by sprinkling salt on them and drying them outside?
Salting the fruits... the taste...
Many people from the Green Sparrow Tribe who had eaten like this couldn''t help but lick their lips.
Or perhaps these fruits need to be boiled in water and dried before storing? Like drying wild vegetables before?
They couldn''t think of a good solution.
Following the instructions, the Eldest Senior Brother took out some fish, meat, and vegetables to make soup. He knew there must be a solution since the shaman said so, and he wouldn''t just watch these fruits go bad.
After dinner, Han Cheng saw that everyone wasn''t sleepy, so he started instructing them to find as many empty jars in the tribe as possible and clean them with water.The next day, the Eldest Senior Brother and others, the strong ones, continued to pick fruits, while the underage and weak ones stayed in the tribe. ording to Han Cheng''s instructions, they used only an iron knife and many bone knives to peel the damaged fruits.
Since the integration of the Bone Tribe into the Green Sparrow Tribe, bone knives have not been in short supply. Most people in this tribe are quite skilled at making bone tools.
The peeled fruits were ced inrge pottery basins filled with clean water. After washing, they were sorted and ced in clean wooden baskets forter use.
Tworge pottery jars were burning, with fire underneath. Two people were tending to the mes. About half a jar of water was inside the jar, emitting hot steam.
"Ssh!"
A basket of peach-like fruits was poured into the water-filled jar, covered with a lid, and simmered. (There are early-maturing May peaches andte-ripening stubborn peaches.)
A fragrance different from fresh fruits soon spread.
After simmering for a while, Han Cheng scooped out some to taste. It was sour and sweet, and the taste was pretty good.
Seeing that they were almost cooked, Han Cheng instructed someone to scoop them out of the jar and put them in arge bowl prepared in advance to cool.
After cooling, when tasted again, the vor was even better than when hot.
The people who worked here each tasted a small bowl, and everyone praised it.
Han Cheng didn''t add too much water to enhance the vor of the fruits, so these waters contained a high sugar content. If identally sshed onto the hands, they would be sticky after a while.
This rich vor of sourness and sweetness was iparable to eating fresh fruits.
This vor conquered everyone who tasted it for the first time.
Bai Xue drank a little water carefully and thenfortably closed her eyes.
Reluctant to drink too much at once, she took a long time to finish a small bowl of simmered fruit juice.
The reactions of others who received the fruit juice were not much different from Bai Xue''s; they all treasured it exceptionally, even more than children inter generations would treasure candies.
Looking at Han Cheng, their bright eyes were full of admiration.
To think that these damaged fruits could be turned into something so delicious! It was even better than good fruits!
After tasting this vor for the first time, they all wanted to simmer all the fruits in this way.
The shaman watched carefully from the side, preparing to record this method again. He didn''t let the Shi Tou do it this time but nned to do it himself.
No, that''s not right.
As the shaman came to his senses from the taste of this delicious vor different from salt, he remembered something.
After Han Cheng''s operation, these fruits tasted even better than before, but the problem of long-term storage still hadn''t been solved. This...
As he was about to inquire, Han Cheng instructed people to mix the cooled fruit flesh with the juice and fill the jars that had been washed clean the previous night.
After filling them, they usedrge leaves from trees growing near their tribe, which were broad and somewhat oily, to seal the mouths of the jars. They then applied ayer of well-mixed mud outside and had people carry them to the cave''s depths in the house for storage.
What Han Cheng did was the primitive and simple version of canning.
Canned food, this delicious thing, was a weapon against damaged fruits.
When he was a child, many families would bring a jar of canned fruits during the New Year. In those days, this thing was simply the favorite of children.
"Ding ding dong, ding ding dong..."
There was no "jingle bell."
Large-scale shedding of leaves, white frost descended, dyeing purple the originally bright red leaves.
The air became cold, and white mist spewed from everyone''s mouths and noses.
But such coldness couldn''t stop the enthusiasm of the Green Sparrow Tribe for forging.
Bright red iron was taken out of the furnace and ced on a thick stone b for forging. Axes that had been prepared long ago quickly descended, smashing hard onto the red-hot iron block, practicing the widely circted saying "strike while the iron is hot."
After two days of forging, thergest piece of iron finally took shape.
"Sizzle~!"
The red-hot iron was put into water. In the somewhat harsh sound, white steam rose, apanied by an unpleasant smell.
Of course, this smell wasn''t pleasant because the water used for quenching wasn''t ordinary water but pure child urine!
Han Cheng couldn''t remember where he had seen this method, but he vaguely remembered that it was said that iron tools made this way performed better than those made with ordinary water.
For Han Cheng, who was trying to improve iron tools, such a method naturally couldn''t be overlooked.
Any human urine would do, but Han Cheng deliberately raised the bar by using child urine. After all, in many ces, child urine was said to be extraordinary...
The iron smelted; this time, it weighed more than four catties but less than five catties.
Some wanted to make knives, some wanted to make hammers, some wanted needles, and some wanted iron arrowheads...
Compared to the huge demand, these irons remained scarce.
The first iron tool forged this time was nothing like everyone had hoped for. It wasn''t a hammer, iron knife, iron needles or arrowheads, but an iron rod.
To be precise, it was a rather pointed iron rod at one end.
This iron rod wasn''t light; it weighed one and a half catties!
Nearly a third of the iron that had been soboriously obtained this time was used for it!
Seeing this newly forged iron tool, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe looked at each other. They didn''t understand why he chose to make such an extremely useless iron rod out of so many things the shaman could forge.
Was he nning to mount this iron rod on a wooden spear for hunting?
As they looked at this somewhat inexplicable iron rod, everyone began to specte in their minds.
Chapter 366: Stone Weapons will not be regulated
Chapter 366: Stone Weapons will not be regted
Han Cheng set aside the iron rod, which was over fifteen centimeters long and about two centimeters in diameter and pointed at one end. Instead of immediately exining the purpose of these items to everyone, he walked back to the furnace to watch Hei Wa and the second senior brother, who was working on the second iron tool that was nearingpletion.
Forging iron wasbor-intensive; otherwise, why would they say it required a rigid body?
In the Green Sparrow Tribe, Hei Wa, who specialized in pottery, was not particrly strong, and although he had some talent for forging iron, he still had some shorings.
Moreover, prolonged ironwork would make his fingers and arms stiff and less agile than before. This slight change might not be a problem for others, but for Hei Wa, it was different. After all, the more sophisticated the pottery, the higher the requirements for craftsmanship. Hei Wa''s development in this area would be affected if his fingers were not agile.
So, after the preliminary development of ironworking techniques, Han Cheng called the second senior brother toe and forge iron. He also had Hei Wa and the two "technical elders" assist him.
The second senior brother''s belly had shrunk significantly, and he seemed more energetic. However, his belly had shrunk too quickly, leaving some wrinkled skin.
But at this moment,pared to before, he appeared stronger, ranking first in strength in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Handing the iron forging task to the second senior brother was the best choice.
"Ding ding dong..."The second senior brother held the axe with one arm and swung it with force, equivalent to two strikes from Hei Wa.
"Alright, use a little less force and strike down here."
Seeing that it was almost done, Han Cheng instructed the second senior brother to change his approach.
After this busy period, the second iron tool was alsopleted, using a considerable amount of materials, weighing one catty.
Han Cheng called over Lame, who chopped a wooden handle with an iron axe and fitted it onto the iron lump, creating an iron hammer.
Han Cheng lifted the iron hammer and struck a stone with it, causing the stone to crack open. The iron hammer was much more effective than the axe.
Amidst the crowd''s admiration, Han Cheng stood up with a hammer in one hand and an iron rod in the other.
No one spoke anymore, eagerly watching Han Cheng holding the two iron tools, waiting for the Divine Child to announce their purpose.
Everyone hoped that the iron tools they produced would be rted to their expertise.
This was because previously manufactured iron tools, especially the chisel and saw, had almost be exclusive to Lame''s use.
Although the Green Sparrow Tribe still operated undermon ownership, the surplus of goods gradually increased with the enrichment of the means of production, and people began to have different thoughts.
However, these thoughts were only a budding idea, and they still adhered to the joint ownership they were ustomed to.
The desire for the iron tools they produced to be rted to their expertise embodied this budding idea.
The development of all things in the world seemed to follow specific rules, no matter how unpredictable they might be.
Like people scattered worldwide with different origins, they would eventually transition from standard to private ownership.
At some point in the future, perhaps they will transition from private ownership to joint ownership.
The transition frommon ownership to private ownership and then back tomon ownership was not a repetition of the past but a spiral-like ascent. In this process, productivity would experience significant development...
In the gaze of the crowd''s anticipation, Han Cheng walked up to the wooden figure standing on the outermost periphery, holding up the hammer and iron rod, and smiled as he exined their purpose to everyone.
This iron rod was an iron chisel that worked in conjunction with the hammer. Of course, it wasn''t used to make thunder like the Thunderous God''s rod but to chisel stones.
Using more than half of the iron collected this time to manufacture these two items was a decision made by Han Cheng after careful consideration.
Stones and wood are the mostmon and widely used materials found in many ces. Handy instruments are necessary to turn these ubiquitous materials into suitable and useful tools. Otherwise, relying solely on primitive stone and bone tools won''t lead to significant advancements.
That''s why we saw the emergence of tools like axes, saws, chisels, and now, hammers and iron chisels. Hammers and iron chisels are the most essential tools for shaping stones. With these two items, woodworking skills are bound to advance, producing better stone tools.
There are alreadyrge stone tools that require wood to make. Otherwise, Han Cheng wouldn''t have rushed to create these two items. One such tool is the stone rolling mill used for threshing grain and the stone il (not sure if the word is correct).
As the area of ??grain cultivation gradually increases, the traditional method of using sticks or wooden forks to beat grain from the stalks can no longer keep up. This method is not only inefficient but also exhausting. Without a change, threshing alone will be a huge burden when the grain nting area reaches several hundred acres next year.
Moreover, grain harvested and threshed in the field during irregr weather, particrly when it''s not sunny, may get spoiled if not done properly.
Combining harvesters and threshing machines is something Han Cheng could only dream of, but in reality, the solution he could provide was something ancient yet highly effective: stone rolling mills and stone ils.
When it''s time to sun-dry the grains in the field, harnessing a group of deer to pull the stone rolling mill and stone il in circles on the threshing floor, all people need to do is lead them. Not only is it effortless, but it''s also efficient.
While grazing in the wilderness, the deer lord suddenly shuddered, its fur bristling. It lifted its head, stopped grazing, and looked around warily, prepared to bolt at the first sign of trouble. However, the surroundings remained as calm as ever, and even itspanions, the lucky ones and the Five Little Fu Jiangs mingling among the herd, didn''t react unusually. After waiting a while, the deer Lord lowered its head and grazed...
Inside the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng exined the importance of the hammer and iron chisel in forging stone tools in simple terms, using the stone rolling mill as an example. This helped everyone understand his reasoning for creating these tools.
When Mu Tou received the hammer and iron chisel from Han Cheng, he appeared dazed and somewhat skeptical. He had never dreamed that the Divine Child would spend so much iron to create these two items, especially for making stone tools.
Mu Tou was a rtively quiet and unassuming person, not particrly confident. That''s why he stood on the outskirts while everyone else crowded around to watch the newly forged iron tools and discuss their uses. In his opinion, whether it was the iron needles desired by the women, the iron knives desired by the cooks, the iron arrowheads desired by Third Senior Brother, or the iron tips desired by Shang, which could be mounted on wooden spears to rece stone and bone, they were all of great significance to the tribe. They could all contribute to the tribe''s development.
As for his expertise in making stone tools, he didn''t overthink about it. Because the new iron tools were harder and sharper than stones, far surpassing what stones could offer. From the desire for iron axes, knives, and hoes expressed by people, he could sense the decline of what he was good at.
Stone tools would be reced, and just like him, the person skilled in making stone tools would be even more obscure.
At that moment, the Divine Child suddenly appeared with precious iron-made tools, telling him they were for making stone tools. He told him that stone tools still had a very, very bright future, and their importance to the tribe would not diminish with the appearance of iron tools; on the contrary, it would significantly increase.
How could he not be excited? How could he not be stunned?
Unlike Shaman, like the second senior brother, like Lame, this person who didn''t speak much also had a strong sense of belonging to the tribe and a determination to do his best for the tribe.
Chapter 367: Personal Belongings
Chapter 367: Personal Belongings
"Divine Child..."
Mu Tou held the two precious and significant iron tools, not knowing what to say for a moment, only able to murmur the Divine Child''s title.
Han Cheng raised his arm and gave Mu Tou''s shoulder an awkward pat, smiling as he said, "Just keep up the good work."
Mu Tou nodded vigorously.
Shang''s expression wasplex as he watched the two iron tools in Mu Tou''s hands, feeling a mix of envy, resentment, and dissatisfaction. Perhaps due to his experiences, he ced great importance on weapons and the like.
Now that there was iron, stronger and sharper than stone or bone, he naturally associated it with weaponry. If this sturdy and sharp iron could be mounted on wooden spears to rece stone or bone spearheads, wouldn''t that increase their power?
Iron spears would greatly enhance theirbat effectiveness, whether for hunting or defense. If they were to encounter the evil tribes that had ravaged their own in the past, having iron spears would surely lead to victory.
With such thoughts in mind, Shang was the most fervent in searching for iron deposits within the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Seeing the newly forged iron chisel, he was overjoyed because, in his view, it was simr to the bone or stone spearheads attached to wooden shafts. Therefore, he assumed that these new tools were meant for him.However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. After spending so much iron to create these tools, they were used to smash stones... How could he calm down after this?
Previously, they made tools, and now they are still making tools. There were no weapons...
... Wasn''t it enough to thresh grain using wooden forks? Wasn''t that how the tribe had been doing it for the past two years? The grain had been brought into the houses, so why make some unknown-looking stone rolling mill?
"... Threshing grain with wooden forks isn''t tiring. We don''t need stone rolling mills..."
Even the calmest person can feel impulsive at times. After holding back for so long, Shang finally couldn''t help but speak up.
Han Cheng stopped in his tracks, looking at Shang''s somewhat anxious face with a hint of dissatisfaction. He sighed softly to himself.
Sharing adversity is easy; sharing prosperity is hard.
When everyone was equally impoverished and worried about their next meal, it was easy to work together. Firstly, because everyone was in the same boat, there was no room forparison, and secondly, sticking together made survival easier.
However, once the hard times passed and life became more prosperous, it became less easy to work together harmoniously.
There would always be those who felt they were contributing more but receiving less, leading to a sense of injustice and resentment.
Moving from the most primitive form ofmunal ownership to private ownership was progress in history. However, as surplus wealth increased, desires for self-interest, personal gain, and power that had been suppressed began to grow and eventually surfaced.
This was an irreversible trend in historical development; there would be a loss for every gain.
This was also the reason for Han Cheng''s sigh.
To wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
What he desired, the harmony and unity they currently enjoyed, would one day be shattered by the increasing wealth and material possessions.
The downfall of humanity, the cause of mass death, would not be natural disasters but rather...
When nature ceased to be humanity''s adversary, more powerful individuals would turn their strife towards their kind.
However, in the face of all this, they were not powerless.
Through establishing systems, strengthening ideological education, and developing etiquette, one can guide and utilize these inherent aspects in people''s minds.
Thinking like this, Han Cheng smiled, feeling that he might have been thinking too far ahead and worrying unnecessarily.
The transition from public to private ownership is not immediate but a gradual, long-term process.
The Green Sparrow Tribe still has a long way to go to reach that point.
With its existence and the adoption of appropriate methods, the Green Sparrow Tribe may not necessarily find itself in the chaotic situation it imagines.
"Isn''t threshing tiring?" Han Cheng looked at Shang, who had stopped talking and asked.
Threshing is usually handled by a few people, and others don''t get involved much. Shang doesn''t have much experience with it.
In his view, threshing doesn''t require much effort; it''s just a matter of continuous beating. How tiring could it be?
However, he didn''t say anything because he felt what he was doing today seemed somewhat inappropriate, but with the iron weapons...
Without Shang saying anything, Han Cheng could understand his thoughts.
Having lofty aspirations but little skill, magnifying one''s own suffering while belittling others'' efforts, and always feeling that others can seed easily are perhaps innate human nature traits.
He didn''t dwell on this matter any longer, instead looking up at the sun in the sky.
Despite the low temperature, the weather was fine.
Pointing to the pile of threshed grain stalks, Han Cheng smiled and said to Shang, "Let''s go thresh some more. What we did before wasn''t thorough enough, so let''s do it again today."
Seeing the smile on the leader''s face and hisck of anger, Shang felt relieved.
He was genuinely worried about upsetting the leader.
Shang set off with his pitchfork. To make him understand the tiring nature of threshing, Han Cheng instructed others to help spread the grain, leaving Shang to handle the threshing independently.
Carrying the pitchfork, Shang lifted some of the lighter grain stalks, feeling the weight of the pitchfork and smiling.
This thing was too light, nowhere near as heavy as moving stones. Even when facing stone-breaking, he never felt afraid. How could such light-grain stalks daunt him?
The leader had indeed made a fuss over nothing this time.
"Whoosh, thud..."
The pitchfork whirled through the air, making a swooshing sound as it struck the spread-out grain stalks, appearing effortless.
Han Cheng stood by the iron furnace and watched Shang threshing the grain stalks in the distance with a smile on his face.
Light burdens can travel far. Many things seem easy at first nce, but you realize their difficulty once you do them repeatedly.
"Let''s continue forging," Han Cheng said to the second senior brother, smiling as he looked at Shang, who had already removed his shirt.
Since Shang had some different thoughts, it was best to let him endure this threshing task for now.
"Huff, puff..."
Shang wiped his sweat and panted heavily.
At this moment, he no longer had the same energy as before. His strong arms had be somewhat sore, and there was a slight tremble when he lifted the pitchfork.
Why was it so tiring?
Looking at the remaining grain stalks yet to be threshed, he couldn''t help but think this way.
This task shouldn''t be this tiring. It''s even more exhausting than moving stones.
After resting for a while, he lifted the much heavier pitchfork again and resumed threshing the remaining grain stalks...
Chapter 368: Iron Spear
Chapter 368: Iron Spear
"How''s it going?"
Han Cheng walked over from the iron forge and asked with a smile, looking at Shang, who was sitting by the pile of barley stalks panting heavily.
Shang quickly stood up when he saw it was the Divine Child, but he didn''t get up in one go. He tried three times before managing to prop himself up with the wooden fork.
"Divine Child, I was wrong..."
Shang willingly admitted his mistake.
Today, he hadn''t even finished a third of the barley stalksid out for drying. And this wasn''t even the first batch of barley; if it were, it would have been even more exhausting.
What seemed like an easy task turned out to be so tiring. Perhaps the Divine Child''s idea of making "stone rollers" and using deer instead of people to thresh the grains was necessary.
Otherwise...
Thinking of the vast stretches ofnd around the tribe they had cleared and imagining the scene of endlessly threshing barley with wooden forks, Shang couldn''t help but shudder.This was too exhausting.
But what about the weapons he had yearned for...?
His expression dimmed at the thought of it.
Let''s wait a bit longer. Let''s wait until we find the iron bacteria, then...
Seeing Shang''s sincere remorse, Han Cheng patted him on the shoulder and brought his hand from behind to the front.
"Hey, take a look at this."
Han Cheng raised his right hand, revealing an iron piece before Shang. It was over ten centimeters long, two centimeters wide, and about three to four millimeters thick. Near the base, there was a three-centimeter-long crossbar.
A perfectly circr spearhead would be too heavy and wasteful of iron, not to mention less effective. What Han Cheng held in his hand, which he called a "halberd" based on his memory, was made from this consideration.
His immature drawing skills,bined with Second Senior Brother''s amateur ironworking and the idea of saving iron, resulted in something that didn''t quite look like a halberd.
But this thing was more practical than an iron spearhead. After sharpening the edges, it could easily pierce through prey''s bodies. Meanwhile, the crossbar could help prevent the halberd from being inserted too deeply and bing difficult to pull out.
Han Cheng had also considered making some weapons. The vine shields led by the eldest Senior brother and the slingshot team led by the second senior brother didn''t need iron. Or even if they did, the increase in power wouldn''t be significant.
To maximizebat effectiveness with the least amount of iron, the spear and archery teams led by Shang and Third Senior Brother mattered.
Even if Shang hadn''t spoken up, Han Cheng would have made some ordingly. But before he could finish, Shang had already started talking.
So, Han Cheng naturally teased him a bit.
"Iron weapons?!"
Shang, feeling dejected, eximed in surprise and disbelief when he saw the iron halberd Han Cheng had brought out. Normally steady, he was now filled with excitement and incredulity.
"Take it, go sharpen it. After it''s sharp, put it on the spear shaft."
Han Cheng handed Shang the slightly misshapen iron halberd and smiled as he spoke.
"Divine Child..."
Shang held the iron halberd in his hand, looking at Han Cheng with a dazed expression, not knowing what to say.
Han Cheng smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "Alright, go on. Hurry up and sharpen it. Let''s see how powerful it is when it''s mounted."
"Mm."
Shang nodded vigorously with slightly reddened eyes and ran towards the whetstone, holding the iron halberd as if it weighed a thousand jin.
From afar, Han Cheng smiled as he watched Shang squatting there, vigorously sharpening the iron halberd.
Giving a little punishment and a sweet reward proved to be a simple yet effective method.
Next to the whetstone, not only Shang but also Third Senior Brother was there, fervently and cautiously sharpening iron arrowheads. There was a total of five such arrowheads.
In addition, Ruhua, who had recently given birth, was also grinding iron needles there.
Compared to otherrge items, Han Cheng was generous with iron needles, directly making ten of them. However, due to his limited skills, the iron needles he produced were the equivalent of five in modern times. Moreover, their surfaces were not smooth, so they needed to be gradually smoothed using the whetstone before use.
But these were already enough to make everyone happy. The women squatted there, grinding, chattering excitedly.
Apart from these, Han Cheng used the remaining iron to create an iron de for a ne and a knife specifically for cooking.
All the iron bacteria obtained on this trip were used up.
The iron de for the ne was ten centimeters long, four centimeters wide, and half a centimeter thick. One end was sharpened on the whetstone, then mounted on a wooden piece thirty centimeters long and ten centimeters wide.
The bottom of the wood was chopped t with an axe, and a hole five centimeters long and four centimeters wide was chiseled slightly behind the middle. The sharpened iron de was then diagonally inserted into this hole so that its surface was leveled with the wood underneath. When pushed back and forth, it could scrape off any uneven parts of the wooden board.
Behind the wooden trough, a horizontal hole was drilled, into which a horizontal wooden stick was inserted. This made it convenient to grip and push the ne back and forth.
"Sss... sss..."
Wood shavings of the original color rolled out from the mouth of the ne, fell to the ground, and emitted the unique fragrance of wood.
Han Cheng put away the ne, looked at the smooth wooden board below, and couldn''t help but admire it. Making the wooden board so smooth and neat was something he hadn''t dared to imagine before. However, now, such things appeared so easily under his hands.
He looked at the smooth wooden board and then at the ne in his hand. Although he had used such tools several times, he still felt somewhat unreal.
This was iron. This was the iron that they had once looked down upon...
"Thud!"
As the bowstring rang out, a feathered arrow shot out fiercely and nailed itself firmly onto the target, its feathers swaying slightly.
"Pierced through! Pierced through!"
After someone ran over to see the result, they eximed excitedly.
This was a target deliberately thickened, yet a single arrow prated it. The power of this iron arrowhead was truly astonishing!
"Pfft!"
Shang forcefully thrust the iron halberd in his hand, its sharp tip easily piercing through the straw-stuffed dummy.
Fantasizing that this was the evil tribe that had once abducted members of his tribe, a grim expression appeared on Shang''s face.
If any tribe dared to invade their tribe again, he would stab them to death with this iron halberd!
In the courtyard bathed in sunlight, away from the wind, a dozen women from the Green Sparrow Tribe made clothes, gloves, and other winter necessities. Holding iron needles, they pierced the tanned hides treated with alum. The sharp iron needles were much more effective than the bone needles used before.
The appearance of iron tools brought joy to the entire Green Sparrow Tribe.
Chapter 369: Sheep’s Migration
Chapter 369: Sheep¡¯s Migration
"$#%#$!"
The sky was overcast, with fine rain drizzling down and the wind blowing forcefully, lifting the animal hides and skewing the raindrops, carrying the chill ofte autumn.
On such a day, hunting outside was not suitable, a fact well understood by many primitive people.
However, the chief of the Sheep Tribe went against the norm. He shouted in the cave, and the people inside, armed with various crude weapons, responded to his call. They cheerfully followed their leader out of the cave and into the dreary rain and wind.
It seemed that they were not facing ufortable weather but rather exciting food.
Inside the blocked cave, the children and the weak reminisced about past glory days, eagerly awaiting the tribe''s return.
When the tribe returned, they would usher in a year of abundant harvest.
At a ce near the lower reaches of the Red River, which Han Cheng and his group had passed by more than once, the chief of the Sheep Tribe, along with the people of the tribe, braved the drizzling autumn rain and cold wind, waiting here, gazing at the north bank of the Red River.
The dim sky hindered their vision, preventing them from seeing farther.Seeing the calm opposite bank, the chief and the people of the Sheep Tribe appeared somewhat anxious.
It wasn''t just them; several scattered beasts were along this line.
The saber-toothed tiger yawned,zily swinging its long teeth, ignoring its cousin, the scimitar-toothed tiger, and the striped tiger with a ''king'' pattern on its head.
The leopard, usually fond of staying in trees, also descended to the ground, swaying its tail as it walked in a small area.
Several bears licked their pawszily.
Several groups of wolves,rge and small, squatted here, quietly frolicking under the leadership of the alpha wolf...
Many beasts guarded this ce, living together peacefully, which felt eerie.
This scene continued, carrying a sense of calm before the storm.
Suddenly, the striped tiger on the ground stood up, the bear licking its paws raised its head, the leopard lowered its tail, and the yful wolf pack stopped their actions. All the beasts looked towards the opposite bank of the river.
Seeing these beasts'' reactions, the chief of the Sheep Tribe and the people of the tribe became alert.
After waiting for a long time, what they had been waiting for was finallying!
The chief of the Sheep Tribe looked towards the north bank of the river, where it was still calm, but he knew that something was about toe.
Sure enough, after waiting a short while, a wide white line appeared in the dim sky on the north bank, looking very conspicuous.
This white line rapidly approached here, like waves rolling in from the distant sea, gradually increasing.
Slowly, its true appearance was revealed.
Sheep!
Endless sheep!
They ran from the horizon like a flood spreading over the earth, unstoppable and boundless.
"Ssh!"
The rushing flock of sheep faced the wide Red River and the predators waiting on the opposite bank without hesitation, and they leaped directly into the river.
In an instant, the Red River turned into a white river.
Normally timid animals now disyed courage and moved forward boldly.
They leaped into the river one after another, jostling each other as they swam toward the waiting predators on the opposite bank.
"Rumble."
As the sheep swam across the Red River and reached the shore, they shook off the water from their bodies, preparing to step ontond and continue running. However, a giant mouth with extraordinary teeth reached out, biting its neck and pushing it to the ground, where its long teeth easily pierced its throat.
"£¤!"
The chief of the Sheep Tribe shouted excitedly, continuously thrusting his bone spear outward. Several tough vines had been erected where they were stationed. Some sheep leaped over these man-made obstacles, while others stumbled over them.
At this moment, the people of the Sheep Tribe became particrly excited and agile.
They cooperated, continuously stabbing and capturing the fallen sheep.
Because they dividedbor and cooperation, they, who didn''t seem to have the advantage, ended up with the most harvest among all the predators.
However, the captured sheep were always in the minority. More sheep crossed the river and continued running forward in a vast procession.
Even the fiercest predators dared not charge into the middle of their marching procession.
They could only lurk on both sides of their advancing queue, waiting for opportunities.
South of the river, many predators were waiting along the route, relying on this flock of sheep to survive the winter.
This spectacle continued until evening before finally ending. The satiated predators, movingzily, left contentedly.
The busy people of the Sheep Tribe, who hadn''t felt tired until now, also left with a full harvest, heading towards their home.
A feast soon unfolded in the Sheep Tribe, and everyone indulged in eating.
The chief of the Sheep Tribe alone held a roasted leg of mutton full of meat, tearing into it with gusto, feeling triumphant.
It seemed that the heavens favored their tribe alone!
He thought proudly, but suddenly, the image of a tribe with high walls, which had risen rapidly in recent years, shed in his mind.
Compared to their tribe, they seemed more like the one favored by the heavens, having be a towering existence in just a few years.
The sudden emergence of the Green Sparrow Tribe made the chief of the Sheep Tribe feel ufortable as if he had eaten a mouse.
He took a fierce bite of the oily roasted leg of mutton, using it to vent his frustration...
While enjoying the feast bestowed upon them by heaven, the Sparrow Tribe, which made the chief of the Sheep Tribe feel ufortable, also had a "feast" of its own.
However, the taste of this "feast" was somewhat strong, enough to make one nauseous.
"Ssh!"
The murky water was broken, and a wooden stick with a hook emerged, dragging a bundle of hemp emitting a "charming" smell ashore.
The soaked hemp was ced on the bank, and someone came over to drag it to a t area, where it was untied, and immediately, hands reached out to divide it.
Almost all the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe mobilized, and under the call of the great Divine Child, they all started peeling the hemp, which had an unusually strong smell.
Fire One sat on a stone with a tree stick nailed before her.
In her hand was a piece of hemp with one end peeled, and in the other hand was a hemp stick, which she brought to the wooden stick in front of her. With a pull of her hands, the soaked hemp peeled off the hemp stick.
Fire One, an old primitive person, devised this simple and efficient method, which Han Cheng and the others apuded.
Chapter 370: Peeling hemp and love songs competition
Chapter 370: Peeling hemp and love songspetition
"Water gently curves, like your big eyes. Like the round shape before you, the moon in the water calls out. Fish swimming past the moon in the water is like my hand caressing you..."
Alongside the small river of the Sparrow Tribe, where the smell of hemp peeling and washing was strong, there arose a tuneless singing.
Rather than calling it singing, it was more like roaring.
However, the people peeling hemp on the shore were enjoying themselves.
As soon as this nonsensical song ended, someone immediately followed up with another verse: "ck hemp skin is your garment, white hemp stick is your body, I peel off the hemp skin..."
Peeling wet hemp in this season was not pleasant. The most unbearable aspect was not the pungent smell but the cold hands.
After all, staying here for a long time would dull one''s sense of smell, making them less sensitive to the odor, akin to the story of the fishmonger who bes ustomed to the stench of fish.
But they couldn''t wear gloves to solve the problem of cold hands while working.
So after doing this kind of work for a while, people''s moods became somewhat low.To boost everyone''s morale and spirits, Han Cheng resorted to singing.
He didn''t sing modern songs but improvised ones, using many metaphors, much like the poems in the Book of Songs.
Of course, Han Cheng''s metaphors were all very serious and used as examples to inspire everyone.
This novel approach immediately received unanimous praise.
Inspired by Han Cheng, people improvised songs using simr metaphorical styles and "sang" them.
Compared to Han Cheng''s seriousness and subtlety, the metaphors created by the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were much more direct and explosive.
The two songs they just sang were created by themselves.
Artes from life, especially primitive and rustic art, which are closely rted to life.
The earliest poetry was created from various life situations.
Confuciuspiled the Book of Songs, leaving behind three hundred poems passed down through the ages. Among them are famous verses like "Guan guan ju jiu, zai he zhi zhou..." which is a fantasy of the single life, indicating howrge the scale of deletion was.
The initial songs of the Sparrow Tribe, with more direct elements, were still eptable.
As the tribe continues to develop and expand, talented individuals may emerge who, based on this foundation, innovate and create more beautiful and subtle poems.
Originally, the arduous task of peeling hemp now unexpectedly left many people with watery eyes, and two fellows had even sneaked into the nearby bushes. They didn''te out for a while, which was something Han Cheng hadn''t anticipated.
Perhaps this program could be preserved and developed into an annual hemp-peeling serenade festival.
When the tribe besrge enough and the poption plentiful, it could evolve into a festival where mature men and women use love songs to find spouses.
Peeling hemp, entertainment, and settling marital matters would all proceed smoothly.
Watching Hei Wa and his wife, picking leaves off each other''s hair, Han Cheng envisioned this in his mind.
Following Han Cheng''s previous demonstration, the peeled hemp was bundled neatly, one bunch at a time.
Then, someone washed these hemp skins to the riverbank with river water, rinsing off some of the foul-smelling mud and removing impurities that hadn''tpletely rotted off the fibers. Then, theyid them out to dry on the grassy area by the small river, ready to take them back to the tribe when they returned.
The Shaman twisted some of the hemp, which had only fibers left, into a rope andpared it with a rope made of the same thickness of grass, finding that the rope twisted from hemp was stronger.
He nodded in satisfaction. Regardless of what the Divine Child said about hemp cloth and the clothes made from it, just the fact that ropes twisted from hemp were stronger than those from grass was enough for the tribe to invest so much effort into it.
Piles of stripped hemp stalks endured the sun and cold wind torture here. Their clothes had been ruthlessly taken away by the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, just like how the Cowherd took away the clothes of the Weaver Girl when she was bathing in theke.
The difference was that the Cowherd''s misbehavior was to get the Weaver Girl to bear him children, while the people of the Sparrow Tribe simply wanted "clothes" made of hemp. After these hemp stalks were dried, they would be used as firewood and burned.
Han Cheng didn''t follow his senior brothers and others'' suggestions to open and drain the hemp-soaking pits directly, as this would pollute the river.
The Sparrow Tribe still relied on this river for food; if too much sewage were poured into it, it would drive away all the fish. Then what would they eat?
So, after all the hemp was peeled, upon Han Cheng''s suggestion, the people of the Sparrow Tribe began to carry the water from the soaking pits to a field not far away that had been cleared for cultivation, using it to fertilize the fields.
The water from the hemp pits soaked many things, making it quite "strong" for use as irrigation water.
The sludge from the hemp pits was also not left behind. It was dug out and spread on the fields. This stuff was even better for fertilizing the fields than the water from the hemp pits.
After this series of operations, the adverse effects of hemp soaking on the small river were minimized.
Cleaning up the hemp pits sounded the horn for the Sparrow Tribe to fertilize thend, kicking off the event.
After this, they transported the fertilizer soaked in the pits for nearly a year to the fields. The soil dug up from where fish were buried after frequent fishing was also dug up and transported to the fields.
Early winter was a good time to fertilize the fields.
First, people had more free time, and second, fertilizing the fields at this time was beneficial because it mixed the fertilizer with the soil, making it perfect for plowing and nting in the spring of the next year.
The agreement between Han Cheng and Wu was not forgotten. Ten acres ofnd were enclosed, and nothing was applied to them, not even the ashes of burned branches and fallen leaves.
Many people in the Sparrow Tribe were interested in thisparison.
Since they started farming, they had always heard the shaman say that fertilizing thend was good for it and could increase yields. However, they didn''t know how much it could increase or how the effectpared to unfertilizednd. They didn''t have a clear concept of it.
The suggestion to enclose ten acres ofnd came from Han Cheng.
These ten acres included slopes, tnd, andnd near the river, epassing all types ofnd owned by the Sparrow Tribe.
This way, the results would be more convincing, and there would be noter doubts that the difference in yield was due to different terrains.
As the Green Sparrow Tribe was actively fertilizing thend, expecting a bumper harvest next year and witnessing the importance of fertilization, a crisis was also looming over the deer grazing far away from the tribe.
Chapter 371: Catching the Deer Herd quickly
Chapter 371: Catching the Deer Herd quickly
Many trees, like the hemp lying in the grass by the riverbank of the Green Sparrow Tribe, have be bare.
The earth is covered in dry yellow.
Amongst this dryness, there are asional hints of green, with some frost-resistant grasses definitely facing the wind and frost.
The fighters braving the wind and frost have not been defeated by the severe cold but rather by the rough, green-dyed tongues of the deer.
Deer Lord is a rather unrestrained deer who wants to take advantage of thest opportunity to lead the deer herd outside for a stroll. Otherwise, it will be difficult toe out again once the heavy snow falls.
And they don''t want to freeze in the icy snow either.
Deer Lord lowered his head and took a few bites of grass, looking at the Fu Jiang and their five little fortunes mixed in with his subordinates. He shook his head, making a loud sound as he flicked his ears.
Perhaps due to their long time together, the Fu Jiang and Deer Lord, old opponents, had already developed a tacit understanding. Sensing something in the air, the Fu Jiang no longer dug holes to catch moles with her butts up but instead suddenly turned around and pounced on Deer Lord.
Deer Lord was already ustomed to the Fu Jiang'' moves and, seeing this, calmly lowered his head and resisted the Fu Jiang with the branches and antlers on his head.As the two yed around, they didn''t notice that someone was quietly observing them from a distance, through the withered grass, their eyes filled with excitement.
Of course, they were excited.
All animals, including humans, needed to take advantage of the final moments before the heavy snowfall to search for and store food.
The difference was that some animals chose to eat the food they found, fattening themselves up and relying on hibernation to withstand the long winter, while others, like humans, stored the food they found and consumed it bit by bit.
As a member of humanity, Cao Geng was naturally no exception.
Today, he and his threepanions were searching for edible food nearby.
Winter had arrived, and everything was deste. Many fruits that couldn''t be stored had already disappeared. It wasn''t easy to find abundant food in such a season.
Cao Geng and his threepanions searched for a long time but found very little.
In such a mood, a miracle happened: arge group of deer appeared in their field of vision.
Cao Geng and a fewpanions widened their eyes in surprise, and after the shock came immense joy.
If they could bring back these deer to the tribe, they wouldn''t have to worry about food for the entire winter.
Excitedly, Cao Geng looked at the deer herd and couldn''t help but touch his hair with his hand, where there were still some ashes that the wind hadn''t blown away.
When they left, the oldest elder in the tribe had sprinkled something on his head, saying that with this, they would receive the blessing of the sky god.
Cao Geng had never really believed in such things because the old man often did this, and they had never seen the sky god bless their tribe. Otherwise, why couldn''t the tribe''s poption increase?
But that was all in the past. Today, Cao Geng truly believed the words of the old man. If it weren''t for the blessing of the sky god, how could it be such a coincidence to encounter such arge group of deer just as the heavy snow was about to fall?
A tribe naturally wouldn''t consist only of them; some people were scattered in groups of three or four to the south, beyond their sight.
The four of them were the ones furthest north from the group.
After the brief excitement, Cao Geng prepared to send someone to the south to inform the others in the tribe toe over.
With so many deer, the four of them couldn''t catch too many by themselves.
Why not call the other people from the tribe over and harvest together?
However, before they could execute the n, Cao Geng changed his mind again.
Because the herd of deer had already turned back and was not moving slowly.
They were quite far from the others, and by the time they called them over, the herd of deer would have already disappeared.
In this way, they wouldn''t catch anything.
With their wooden spears and stones in hand, they followed the herd of deer for a while as if they had discovered something before the herd of deer finally stopped.
After resting in the grass for a while and preparing to make a move, Cao Geng made a discovery.
Wolves!
There were wolves in the deer herd!
And not just one!
No wonder the herd of deer had just run away; it turned out a wolf pack had spotted them.
When this group of wolves charged out and attacked the deer herd, Cao Geng and hispanions didn''t notice or think much about it.
Being fierce predators, wolves were not easy to deal with, especially in packs. So Cao Geng and hispanionsy low again, tensing up and waiting for the wolf pack to attack the deer herd before they would scavenge.
However, what puzzled them was that the wolves mixed in with the deer herd didn''t immediately attack the nearby deer. Instead, both sides seemed to coexist peacefully.
Scratching his head, Cao Geng couldn''t understand the situation. Why weren''t the wolves hungry? Even if the wolves weren''t hungry, the deer herd should have fled in panic when they encountered the wolf pack. Why were they now ignoring the wolves?
After observing this strange situation for a while, the situation finally took a favorable turn.
The obvious leader of the wolves couldn''t resist any longer and pounced on the deer.
But what puzzled them even more was that instead of running away as expected, the lead deer, which should have bolted, lowered its head to meet the wolf''s attack.
And after fighting, the herbivorous deer stood firm against the wolf.
Moreover, while the two fought, the other wolves and deer did their business as if nothing had happened.
Since when were the wolves so weak? And since when were deer so fierce?
What on earth was happening?!
Cao Geng, who had always considered himself one of the sharpest minds in the tribe besides the elders, now felt like his brain wasn''t enough.
The tribe where Cao Geng belonged was not any of the tribes familiar to the Green Sparrow Tribe but a new one.
If it had been one of the tribes that regrly interacted with the Green Sparrow Tribe, they wouldn''t have been as surprised by such a sight.
After waiting for a while in astonishment and seeing that the wolves were still unable to gain the upper hand, Cao Geng intervened to help the wolves. They would kill the deer together and then divide the meat.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but this saying didn''t quite apply here.
Even after Cao Geng had spoken a bunch of words that the wolves couldn''t understand, expressing his stance, the wolf that had been bullied by the deer in the fight immediately got up and, along with five other wolves, stood up, bristled their fur, bared their teeth, and threatened them with aggressive growls.
Chapter 372: Wolf that does not attack deers, and Cao Geng’s painful ass
Chapter 372: Wolf that does not attack deers, and Cao Geng¡¯s painful ass
The deer, clearly in a disadvantaged position and waiting to be ughtered, didn''t take the opportunity to run away. Instead, they watched them as if nothing was wrong.
What''s even more outrageous is that the lead deer stood with the wolves, imitating the wolves by shaking their heads at them.
Cao Geng and hispanions didn''t dare to confront the six snarling wolves and stopped in their tracks.
While facing off with the wolves, they cursed them in their hearts.
By all ounts, shouldn''t we be on the same side?
After a while of confrontation, Cao Geng and hispanions slowly retreated while a few wolves stared at them menacingly.
Their retreat didn''t mean they were giving up on the easily essible food. They were preparing to attack from another direction.
However, after testing this strategy several times, they were always intercepted by a few stupid wolves.
Seeing the sky darkening, Cao Geng''sst bit of patience was finally worn out. He shouted and, along with the others, hurled stones at the deer herd, preparing to scatter them and attack the herd from where the wolves couldn''t protect them.There were quite a few young deer in the herd; they could catch at least one or two.
With so many deer within reach, these wolves shouldn''t have attacked Cao Geng and the others.
The thinking was one thing, but the reality was like a cold rain pping him.
This was the realization Cao Geng gained from his bitter experience of lying on the ground battered and bruised.
He stood up, wincing in pain, and rearranged the scattered animal skins around him.
Thinking back on what had just happened, he felt the urge to take revenge on that lead deer with branches growing on its head.
Being bitten by a wolf wasn''t surprising, but being knocked down by a deer that should have been prey, only to be hit on the butt by the branches growing on its head afterward? How ridiculous was that?
This couldn''t entirely be med on the shameless deer; it used its antlers to target sensitive spots, just like it often did to Fu Jiang when they were sparring.
Now that it was targeting humans, it was only following suit.
Cao Geng and the other three people, who had suffered simr fates, found their weapons in the grass and helped each other up, limping away to the south. There was a somewhat mncholy sense of aging heroes about them.
No matter what, these deer couldn''t be let off the hook. Whether it was for revenge or their bellies, the oue wouldn''t change!
When Cao Geng and the others met with the rest of the tribe, they made this decision with clenched teeth and bitterness.
Early the next morning, under the leadership of Cao Geng and a slightly recovered group, armed and eager, they headed toward the ce where Cao Geng and the others had been tormented.
There, they searched for edible fruits to store forter and kept an eye on the deer herd, waiting for the opportunity to hunt and enjoy a hearty meal.
Neither the Deer Lord nor Fu Jiang could speak, so naturally, they couldn''t exin what had happened today to Han Cheng.
Otherwise, Han Cheng wouldn''t be here now, pondering over weaving textiles; he would be with the eldest senior brother and the others, dealing with those who dared to target their deer herd with extreme protectiveness.
They were usually reluctant to kill these deer, so why would Han Cheng sit back and do nothing when unrted people dared to target them?
The second day was still a fine day, albeit a bit colder.
After the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had eaten, the deers, having drunk some salt water, followed Deer Lord out of the tribe to continue grazing. Fu Jiang and the Five Little Fu Jiangs were also apanying them.
Since Bai Xue''s arrival, Fu Jiang''s time mingling with the deer herd gradually increased.
The departure of the deer herd to graze was something the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had long been ustomed to. From the third spring of the Green Sparrow Tribe until now, nearly two years have passed without any hups.
No one paid too much attention to this. After the deer herd left, everyone continued to do what they should ording to the divine child''s arrangements.
In an empty room, Han Cheng waspletely focused on studying the tools for weaving. In front of him were two rectangr wooden frames, one meter long and half a meter wide and the other ny-five centimeters long and half a meter wide.
The longer wooden frame was ced on top, and the shorter one was ced below. One end of the shorter wooden frame was aligned with the longer one, while the other end was drilled with small holes and had many bamboo sticks, about five centimeters long and not much thicker than toothpicks, securely nailed to it.
The spacing between these bamboo sticks was very small, only about three millimeters, and some small grooves were carefully carved to increase friction.
Each bamboo stick was tied with a thin hemp thread, with the other end tied to this side of the wooden frame.
These vertically tied threads were stretched tightly and bnced with each other without intersecting.
The wooden frame above underwent the same process, with many threads tied using the same method.
However, the difference was that the other end of the wooden frame above didn''t have those toothpick-like objects.
All the threads were tied to the wooden frame. Furthermore, the threads above and below were staggered and didn''t ovep.
Han Cheng instructed the people of the tribe to spin these fine hemp threads into hemp fibers using spinning tops.
A finger-thick hemp rope was tied in the middle of the other end of the wooden frame above, which hung on a horizontal wooden piece standing there.
"Whoosh."
Sitting at this end, Han Cheng pulled the thick rope in his hand, and the other end of therge wooden frame rose with the rope tied to it.
The ropes on therge wooden frame and the small wooden frame below are separated, creating an angle between them.
Han Cheng used his foot to step on the rope to prevent it from falling, and then he passed a polished wooden stick, held in his other hand, through this angle.
The thin hemp thread wound around the wooden stick also passed through the angle and stayed inside.
Han Cheng used his hand to tightly wind the hemp thread horizontally through the angle, making it tighter with the other hemp threads.
Then he released the rope under his foot, and therge wooden frame that had been pulled up fell.
Because the hemp thread on the small wooden frame was tied to the upright bamboo sticks, after therge wooden frame fellpletely, the rope tied to it also came down below the rope on the small wooden frame.
Between the two, an angle was formed once again.
Han Cheng once again passed the wooden stick used as a shuttle through the angle and pulled up therge wooden frame.
Between these up-and-down movements, these originally single threads were interwoven into fabric.
Chapter 374: Forty-Six?
Chapter 374: Forty-Six?
"What''s going on?" Han Cheng asked, furrowing his brow slightly and appearing anxious and worried.
"I don''t know, they usuallye back by now..." Tie Tou also seemed worried.
Besides Han Cheng, Tie Tou, the professional grass cutter and deer feeder, was closest to the deer.
Han Cheng put down the cloth and approached the gate with Tie Tou.
Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, and the others from the Green Sparrow Tribe had also received the news, and everyone gathered at the gate.
The spacious deer pen, which was alreadyrge, seemed even emptier now due to the absence of the deer, spreading a sense of worry and anxiety throughout the Green Sparrow Tribe.
"When did the deer leave?" Han Cheng inquired.
"The same as usual," Tie Tou replied.
Han Cheng felt somewhat anxious.Since the deer entered the Green Sparrow Tribe, they had only returnedte twice¡ªonce after the spring of the third year of the Green Sparrow Tribe and once now.
It was winter now. Neither humans nor animals were as restless as they were in spring. Even if the stag was in high spirits, it shouldn''t have been at this time, nor should it havested so long.
At this time, unlike in spring, animals should be migrating or hibernating, and the remaining ones would be seizing thest opportunity to gather winter supplies.
Whether it was the fierce beasts not umon in this era or the primitive humans not much simpler than wild beasts, the deer, which only ate grass, were just prey when confronted with them. No matter how they transformed, they would never be hunters.
"What about Fu Jiang?" Han Cheng asked again.
"They haven''te back together," Tie Tou replied.
Han Cheng''s heart clenched again.
Fu Jiang, the stag, and the others were creatures he hade into contact with shortly after arriving here. To say there were no feelings involved would be a lie.
Moreover, with the development of agriculture in the Green Sparrow Tribe, the role of the deer has be increasingly important. Now that they hadn''t returned, this...
Thinking like this, Han Cheng''s heart settled slightly.
Fu Jiang was no longer alone; five Fu Jiang juniors were about the same size as her. Even if they encountered danger, they were not without the ability to fight.
Furthermore, even if they were defeated, considering the number of deer and Fu Jiang, not one should be missing.
Now that none had returned, things shouldn''t be as bad as imagined.
Han Chengforted himself like this in his heart.
"Shaman, I''ll go out and take a look..."
"Yes, go and take a look..."
Amidst the flickering firelight and the chilling atmosphere, Shang, Third Senior Brother, and others spoke up.
Everyone in the tribe highly valued the increasing number of deer herds, and their absence stirred everyone''s hearts.
"We can''t go..." Before Han Cheng could answer, Eldest Senior Brother was the first to express his opinion.
His reason was that the night was too dangerous, and safety came first.
"Divine Child..." Everyone turned their gaze to Han Cheng, waiting for him to decide.
Han Cheng fell silent for a moment.
To go out or not to go out was indeed a dilemma.
"Woo, woo, woo..."
"Yo, yo, yo..."
He didn''t hesitate for long. Before he could decide, familiar calls came from the darkness outside the walls.
There were dogs and deer.
The oppressive atmosphere was suddenly shattered, and everyone felt relieved.
As the gate opened, the first to arrive was Fu Jiang, the fellow who spent all day with the deer herd, followed by five little Fu Jiangs. They bounded around Han Cheng, wagging their tails enthusiastically.
Seeing them jumping around lively, it was clear that nothing serious had happened.
While Fu Jiang and his gang circled Han Cheng, the Deer Lord also entered.
It rubbed its big face against Han Cheng''s body, then silently walked towards the deer pen, followed by a group of swaggering little brothers.
After confirming that all the deer had returned, the gate was shut from the inside.
Han Cheng and the others went to the deer pen, lit a fire, and counted the number of deer to see if they had any injuries.
As the fire flickered and Han Cheng spoke, several deer inside the pen seemed uneasy and retreated to the corners.
Han Cheng furrowed his brows slightly. It seemed the deer had indeed suffered some attack; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been so panicked in the presence of familiar people like themselves.
"One, two, three..." Han Cheng calmly began counting the deer.
"Forty-six?" Han Cheng eximed in surprise.
"Divine Child, are some missing?" someone nearby asked urgently.
Han Cheng shook his head, not speaking. ording to this result, not only were there no missing deer in his tribe but there were more.
Thinking like this, Han Cheng inwardly criticized his arithmetic skills, which seemed to worsen. He couldn''t even count properly anymore.
Counting all the big and small deer, including Fu Jiang and the three sheep mingling with the deer herd, there should be forty-one. So where did the forty-sixe from?
Still forty-six?
Han Cheng widened his eyes.
What was going on? How did so many more deer suddenly appear?
"Shaman, there are forty-six deer."
Even after counting four times and still getting forty-six, Han Cheng, who was somewhat incredulous, called Shi Tou, the best at arithmetic in the tribe, to count.
The result was still forty-six!
What on earth was going on?
Not only was Han Cheng puzzled, but also the other tribe members who knew the reason.
Considering today''s situation, many of them had mentally prepared for a reduction in the deer herd.
But now the result was that not only were there no fewer deer, but there were also five more!
This result was truly unbelievable.
Could it be that five deers gave birth today?
So not only did the deer herd returnte, but there were also five more deer?
As Han Cheng thought like this, his gaze wandered among the deer herd, but he didn''t see any fawns that looked like they were just born today.
Was it them?
Han Cheng''s gaze fell on several deer that seemed somewhat out of ce and less calm than the others.
Counting them, there were exactly five.
"Did you lure them here?"
Surprised and delighted, Han Cheng approached the deer lord resting on the ground, turned its head, and asked.
In response to Han Cheng''s question, the deer lord only snorted arrogantly.
"Hahaha..."
Han Cheng couldn''t help but burst intoughter.
Just like humans, social animals also had the habit of sticking together.
In his future life, Han Cheng remembered when another flock enticed away several pigeons he raised. But he never expected the Deer Lord to lure five adult deer back here.
"What a skill!"
After confirming that all five deer were female, Han Cheng patted the stag''s head and praised it with a thumbs up.
Chapter 374: Forty-Six?
Chapter 374: Forty-Six?
"What''s going on?" Han Cheng asked, furrowing his brow slightly and appearing anxious and worried.
"I don''t know, they usuallye back by now..." Tie Tou also seemed worried.
Besides Han Cheng, Tie Tou, the professional grass cutter and deer feeder, was closest to the deer.
Han Cheng put down the cloth and approached the gate with Tie Tou.
Shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, and the others from the Green Sparrow Tribe had also received the news, and everyone gathered at the gate.
The spacious deer pen, which was alreadyrge, seemed even emptier now due to the absence of the deer, spreading a sense of worry and anxiety throughout the Green Sparrow Tribe.
"When did the deer leave?" Han Cheng inquired.
"The same as usual," Tie Tou replied.
Han Cheng felt somewhat anxious.Since the deer entered the Green Sparrow Tribe, they had only returnedte twice¡ªonce after the spring of the third year of the Green Sparrow Tribe and once now.
It was winter now. Neither humans nor animals were as restless as they were in spring. Even if the stag was in high spirits, it shouldn''t have been at this time, nor should it havested so long.
At this time, unlike in spring, animals should be migrating or hibernating, and the remaining ones would be seizing thest opportunity to gather winter supplies.
Whether it was the fierce beasts not umon in this era or the primitive humans not much simpler than wild beasts, the deer, which only ate grass, were just prey when confronted with them. No matter how they transformed, they would never be hunters.
"What about Fu Jiang?" Han Cheng asked again.
"They haven''te back together," Tie Tou replied.
Han Cheng''s heart clenched again.
Fu Jiang, the stag, and the others were creatures he hade into contact with shortly after arriving here. To say there were no feelings involved would be a lie.
Moreover, with the development of agriculture in the Green Sparrow Tribe, the role of the deer has be increasingly important. Now that they hadn''t returned, this...
Thinking like this, Han Cheng''s heart settled slightly.
Fu Jiang was no longer alone; five Fu Jiang juniors were about the same size as her. Even if they encountered danger, they were not without the ability to fight.
Furthermore, even if they were defeated, considering the number of deer and Fu Jiang, not one should be missing.
Now that none had returned, things shouldn''t be as bad as imagined.
Han Chengforted himself like this in his heart.
"Shaman, I''ll go out and take a look..."
"Yes, go and take a look..."
Amidst the flickering firelight and the chilling atmosphere, Shang, Third Senior Brother, and others spoke up.
Everyone in the tribe highly valued the increasing number of deer herds, and their absence stirred everyone''s hearts.
"We can''t go..." Before Han Cheng could answer, Eldest Senior Brother was the first to express his opinion.
His reason was that the night was too dangerous, and safety came first.
"Divine Child..." Everyone turned their gaze to Han Cheng, waiting for him to decide.
Han Cheng fell silent for a moment.
To go out or not to go out was indeed a dilemma.
"Woo, woo, woo..."
"Yo, yo, yo..."
He didn''t hesitate for long. Before he could decide, familiar calls came from the darkness outside the walls.
There were dogs and deer.
The oppressive atmosphere was suddenly shattered, and everyone felt relieved.
As the gate opened, the first to arrive was Fu Jiang, the fellow who spent all day with the deer herd, followed by five little Fu Jiangs. They bounded around Han Cheng, wagging their tails enthusiastically.
Seeing them jumping around lively, it was clear that nothing serious had happened.
While Fu Jiang and his gang circled Han Cheng, the Deer Lord also entered.
It rubbed its big face against Han Cheng''s body, then silently walked towards the deer pen, followed by a group of swaggering little brothers.
After confirming that all the deer had returned, the gate was shut from the inside.
Han Cheng and the others went to the deer pen, lit a fire, and counted the number of deer to see if they had any injuries.
As the fire flickered and Han Cheng spoke, several deer inside the pen seemed uneasy and retreated to the corners.
Han Cheng furrowed his brows slightly. It seemed the deer had indeed suffered some attack; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been so panicked in the presence of familiar people like themselves.
"One, two, three..." Han Cheng calmly began counting the deer.
"Forty-six?" Han Cheng eximed in surprise.
"Divine Child, are some missing?" someone nearby asked urgently.
Han Cheng shook his head, not speaking. ording to this result, not only were there no missing deer in his tribe but there were more.
Thinking like this, Han Cheng inwardly criticized his arithmetic skills, which seemed to worsen. He couldn''t even count properly anymore.
Counting all the big and small deer, including Fu Jiang and the three sheep mingling with the deer herd, there should be forty-one. So where did the forty-sixe from?
Still forty-six?
Han Cheng widened his eyes.
What was going on? How did so many more deer suddenly appear?
"Shaman, there are forty-six deer."
Even after counting four times and still getting forty-six, Han Cheng, who was somewhat incredulous, called Shi Tou, the best at arithmetic in the tribe, to count.
The result was still forty-six!
What on earth was going on?
Not only was Han Cheng puzzled, but also the other tribe members who knew the reason.
Considering today''s situation, many of them had mentally prepared for a reduction in the deer herd.
But now the result was that not only were there no fewer deer, but there were also five more!
This result was truly unbelievable.
Could it be that five deers gave birth today?
So not only did the deer herd returnte, but there were also five more deer?
As Han Cheng thought like this, his gaze wandered among the deer herd, but he didn''t see any fawns that looked like they were just born today.
Was it them?
Han Cheng''s gaze fell on several deer that seemed somewhat out of ce and less calm than the others.
Counting them, there were exactly five.
"Did you lure them here?"
Surprised and delighted, Han Cheng approached the deer lord resting on the ground, turned its head, and asked.
In response to Han Cheng''s question, the deer lord only snorted arrogantly.
"Hahaha..."
Han Cheng couldn''t help but burst intoughter.
Just like humans, social animals also had the habit of sticking together.
In his future life, Han Cheng remembered when another flock enticed away several pigeons he raised. But he never expected the Deer Lord to lure five adult deer back here.
"What a skill!"
After confirming that all five deer were female, Han Cheng patted the stag''s head and praised it with a thumbs up.
Chapter 375: No Food? We will Eat You
Chapter 375: No Food? We will Eat You
The incident of the Deer Lord luring back five adult does quickly spread throughout the Sparrow Tribe.
People came to see the five deer, who appeared shy and uneasy.
The atmosphere changed from worry and anxiety at dusk to excitement and joy.
Even if they didn''t eat meat, five deer could still be useful for plowing fields.
People cheered for the Deer Lord''s skill.
Having experienced grand events, the Deer Lord remained calm andposed in the face of the ttery from many bipeds, calmly ruminating to itself...
That night, Han Cheng issued an order.
Starting the next day, the deer herd would no longer be released to roam freely but kept inside the deer pen and fed.
The weather was getting colder, and the first snowfall could happen anytime soon. Also, it was time for feeding. Moreover, the outdoors at this time was rtively dangerouspared to before, and it was too risky for the deer herd to roam freely.Secondly, the five deer lured by the Deer Lord hadn''t fully integrated into the deer herd yet. If they were let out again at this time, they might regret their impulsive decision and leave the herd to go elsewhere.
Once inside the Sparrow Tribe''s deer pen, they belonged to the Sparrow Tribe. Han Cheng couldn''t give them a chance to reconsider.
By spending the winter in the deer pen, eating and sleeping together with the Deer Lord and the others, with saltwater and baby greens to eat, these five deer would be firmly anchored in their newfound home after spring arrived.
Han Cheng didn''t know that his decision caused great trouble to a tribe he had never met.
Fu Jiang, along with the five Xiao Fus and the Deer Lord, the rogue deer who liked to butt them with its antlers, had tormented Cao Geng and his men. They were injured all over their bodies. Despite their anger, they were determined to kill the damn Deer Lord and devour it piece by piece.
They will knock off those hated antlers and sharpen them into sharp tools to open up the bellies of those stupid wolves.
Despite feeling awkward walking, they, along with other tribe members, roamed this area all day and gradually expanded their search range. However, despite days passing, they had not seen any trace of those damned deer.
It was as if their appearance was meant to leave them covered in injuries.
Cao Geng and his men were unwilling to give up. This search and waiting continued until the first snow fell.
With heavy snowfall, it meant that the outside world waspletely unsuitable for human activity.
Even though they were resentful, Cao Geng and his men had to reluctantly retreat in such weather, returning to the caves to endure this unbearable winter and giving up on killing deer for revenge and meat.
Misfortune neveres singly.
This ssic saying, summarized byter generations, was quickly understood by the Cao Geng and his men.
The food they collected and stored decreased because of their confrontation with the deer during this period.
Although they weren''t idle while searching and waiting for the deer, the food they obtained was never as much as when they were focused solely on searching.
An old man in the tribe who often sprinkled some ashes on their heads when they went out noticed this change and warned the tribe about it.
But Cao Geng and his men were blinded by their humiliation at the hands of the Deer Lord and were eager to kill the damn deer.
The others were also excited by the description of the number of deer the Cao Geng gave.
Working together, taking down a few wolves that didn''t eat deer wasn''t a problem. Killing those wolves and some deer for food to survive the winter wasn''t a problem either.
The meat was much tastier than the other icy fruits and hard-to-swallow grass seeds. Who wouldn''t want to eat it?
So, after hearing the Tribe''s chief warning, they reassured him instead of taking it seriously, promising they would catch enough deer before the heavy snowfall. They vowed to give the old man the best deer liver to eat, ensuring that the tribe''s winter would be better than ever.
However, the deer never appeared again.
As the weather grew colder and the snowfall seemed imminent, the old man spoke up again, urging everyone to stop their actions. He suggested using thisst opportunity to gather more seeds, dried fruits, and other provisions.
Yet, her proposal was rejected once again.
By this point, Cao Geng and his men were starting to panic a bit. They rejected the old man because even if they stopped searching for deer and focused on collecting and storing food like before, food would still be scarce this winter.
Compared to that, continuing to search for the deer herd seemed more profitable.
As long as they found that herd, their tribe''s predicament would instantly resolve!
Life is essentially a gamble. Some people gamble with confidence, while others rely entirely on luck.
Some win, while others lose.
Cao Geng and his men undoubtedly lost this time.
In previous winters, the tribe would only implement food rationing after heavy snow had fallen for a long time. However, this year was different. As soon as the heavy snow fell, food rationing began.
Hunger spread throughout the tribe, affecting every person''s heart.
Hunger made people irrational. Starving people would do anything.
The once rtively united tribe had now be divided.
Cao Geng and the four others became targets of the tribe''s me and attacks.
Peopleined, saying that they wouldn''t be suffering like this if it weren''t for them. Why was this winter so miserable?
After enduring suchints for some time, the sentiment turned into a proposal: if the stored food ran out and the winter hadn''t passed, they would eat Cao Geng and his men.
After all, they were the ones who had caused the tribe''s current situation...
The weather cleared, and the pale sun scattered its bleak light over the snowyndscape, casting a cold and oppressive atmosphere like an icy cave.
But no matter what, there were no dark clouds in the sky. The sun hung above, giving some psychologicalfort regardless of the temperature.
Underneath an oak tree, several people wrapped in fur coats struggled to push aside the thickyer of snow on the ground with wooden sticks.
Then, they carefully examined the exposed ground, hoping to find one or two overlooked acorns.
These people were Cao Geng and his men, the ones nned by the tribe to be killed and eaten after the food ran out.
To avoid being eaten, they would search for food in the thick snow as long as the heavy snow stopped and the weather cleared.
Just as they joyfully picked up a snow-covered acorn and ced it in Cao Geng¡¯s fur-wrapped bundle, they heard theirpanion''s shout.
Chapter 376: Cao Geng was discovered by Flying Snakes Tribe
Chapter 376: Cao Geng was discovered by Flying Snakes Tribe
Cao Geng lifted his face, chapped by the cold wind, and wiped away the frozen snot with hands that looked equally worse for wear. He followed the sound and saw apanion excitedly pointing at a tall pine tree.
Cao Geng and the other two quickly ran over, and about two meters high on the pine tree, they found a fist-sized hole.
Seeing this hole, Cao Geng also grinned, happy for hispanion''s stroke of luck.
They first found a not-toorge stone nearby and leveraged it from the ground with a stick. After preparing another stone on another rock, the person who first discovered the tree hole took it. He climbed up with Cao Geng and the other two pushing him up the tree.
The cold and hunger had made their bodies stiff and weak. Otherwise, they could have climbed up the tree alone without assistance.
The person climbed up the tree, stood on a horizontal branch with both feet and held the slightly prepared stone in one hand. He continuously chopped and smashed at the hole in the pine tree.
After erging the hole, he switched the stone to the hand wrapped around the tree trunk and reached in with a smile to retrieve something.
Amidst the squeaks of some animals, he pulled his arm out of the tree hole, holding five or six sizable chestnuts.
With a smile and a hint of pride, he shouted down to Cao Geng and the others wrapped in animal skins, then threw the chestnuts down.Then he continued to reach into the tree hole.
No one paid attention to the protests of the two squirrels, who ran out and jumped on the branches, squeaking loudly. If possible, Cao Geng and the others even wanted to catch these two squirrels and bring them back.
The tree hole was full of stored goods, including chestnuts, pine nuts, and acorns, all hopping about.
They filled nearly half of the animal skin bundle.
The person in the tree continued to smash at the tree hole with the stone for a while. After confirming that it couldn''t be erged further, he reluctantly gave up on the remaining food in the tree hole and climbed down.
With Cao Geng and the other two carrying their sticks and bountiful harvest, they headed back towards the cave.
The two squirrels stood on the branches, cursing the four arrogant thieves who swaggered away after their loot. After a while, they reluctantly stopped and climbed down the trunk to inspect their devastated home.
Before they could reach the cave entrance, the two squirrels stopped, hesitated momentarily, then immediately turned around and hopped back toward the top of the pine tree.
Standing on the high branches, they watched in horror as more terrifying thieves appeared under the tree.
The three leaders of the Flying Snakes tribe stood under the pine tree, looking at the newly broken squirrel hole and the two squirrels, who were out in the cold instead of sleeping in their tree hole in the middle of winter. They then nced at the footprints left behind and the distant figures, their faces breaking into smiles.
After waiting a while, they called over two people and instructed them to follow the footprints ahead.
The leader left marks here that their people could understand, waited a little longer, and began heading in the initially nned direction.
This newly discovered tribe is quite lucky. This year, the Flying Snakes tribe is notcking in food; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been let off so easily.
However, this doesn''t mean their luck will always hold. The Flying Snakes tribe usually discovers other tribes and then attacks when food bes scarce.
So far, there have been few failures. The worst was when they attacked a very peculiar tribe during a snowstorm a few days ago...
The three leaders of the Flying Snakes tribe are calcting like this. They are carrying woven grass baskets and traversing the snow with some difficulty.
In their baskets, aside from fruits and pieces of meat for food, there''s only a kind of green, slightly ckened grass.
ncing at the grass in the basket, the three leaders of the Flying Snakes tribe can''t help feeling a bit frustrated.
If it weren''t for this grass, they could stay in a warm cave, roasting meat by the fire. Why lead people on such a long journey through this icy wilderness?
This grass is what the increasingly gluttonous little monster loves to eat.
That little monster, covered in fur with a horn on its head, has grownrge and loves to follow behind the shaman.
It''s strange. The shaman, who isn''t very interested in primitive women, is fond of this frightening little monster.
So, when the weather gets colder, and snow is about to fall, they leave the tribe and head to a previously conquered tribe''s location to harvest this grass.
It''s better to kill for meat, and its fur is warm when worn.
Of course, this is just a thought in his mind. In their tribe, few dare to question the shaman''s decisions or disobey hismands.
"£¤!"
After walking for a while like this, the three leaders of the Flying Snakes tribe take out something wrapped inyers of animal hide from a smaller grass basket hanging from their waist.
They unwrap theyers of hide, revealing something resembling a skull.
Inside the skull are some white solids, resembling frozen human brains.
The three leaders of the Flying Snakes tribe use their fingers to scoop out some of the white solids and apply them to the hands of the people who have stopped following theirmands.
These people of the Flying Snakes tribe cherish the white solids on their hands and evenly spread them on their faces and exposed skin.
After scooping out more, the three leaders of the Flying Snakes tribe wrap the skull carefully and ce it back in the grass basket around their waist.
These things are the Flying Snakes tribe''s most significant reliance for venturing out in the depths of winter.
With these, they won''t fear the cold north wind. Even if their bodies freeze, their hands and faces won''t crack open.
The shaman gave them this. Only the shaman knew how to obtain such precious things in the entire tribe.
Chapter 377: Flying Snake Tribe and Shaman’s Secret
Chapter 377: Flying Snake Tribe and Shaman¡¯s Secret
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
In the Green Sparrow tribe, also covered by heavy snow, Han Cheng washed his hands with warm water, scrubbed them twice with wood ash, and then washed them again with clean water. Only then did that ufortable, greasy feeling disappear.
He shouldn''t have foolishly tried to use the refined animal fat oil as a frostbite-preventing hand cream.
Although the fat oil''s effect on frostbite prevention was indeed good, the greasy feeling when applied to the hands was enough to drive people crazy.
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe, who still used finely spun hemp thread for spinning tops, frequently washed pots and dishes, and performed other chores in the winter, didn''t think so.
At first, they were puzzled and felt sorry when the Divine Child instructed them to use the delicious fat oil to moisturize their hands and faces. After experiencing the benefits of this substance firsthand, these people repeatedly expressed their gratitude for the good things.
As for that sticky, greasy feeling, it was nothing to them.
Meanwhile, their great Divine Child was agonizing over making a snow cream that could protect exposed skin from the cold without causing the frustrating stickiness of fat oil.
After seeing this scene, Han Cheng chuckled and sniffed. These guys weren''t picky eaters; they didn''t care about such things.Maybe adding petals or other things to the fat could make a difference.
If not, he could try using milk.
Beforeing here, he had seen a rather dark film about a corruptpany that had established a secret base underground, where they imprisoned many women obtained through various illegal means.
These imprisoned women served two purposes: they were milked like cows in this ce, and after artificial insemination, they gave birth to babies.
Male babies were discarded, while female babies were raised to continue producing milk.
The milk produced wasn''t for drinking; it was used to produce various high-end cosmetics.
Naturally, justice triumphed over evil in the end.
Although the practices depicted were extremely dark, they pointed Han Cheng to another path that was worth trying.
Of course, he wouldn''t use humans but deer instead.
While Han Cheng was tinkering with these ideas, in the distance, simr events were unfolding in the Flying Snakes tribe.
The people of the Flying Snakes tribe, who lived in arge cave, were all outside the cave.
bs of stone blocked the cave entrance. They wrapped themselves in animal hides and stood in the snow pit, asionally stomping their feet to generate heat for their bodies.
No oneined about being driven out of the cave and freezing outside during the harsh winter, not even the great chief of the Flying Snakes tribe.
Because their tribe''s most mysterious and respected shaman was praying to the sky god in the cave, asking for that precious thing to protect their hands and faces from the cold wind in such cold weather.
During this process, apart from the shaman, no one else was allowed to be in the cave, and no one was allowed to disturb until the shaman spoke.
Otherwise, the sky god would fail to give them that precious thing and bring down punishment...
Inside the cavern, which seemed spacious and dim, there was a smell of roasted meat.
A pile of mes kept flickering, dispersing the darkness around them.
Above the mes, there was a rtively thin stone b.
The b was tilted to one side, with chunks of fatty meat ced on it.
The fire had heated the stone b, and the chunks of meat sizzled as they cooked.
Bright white fat was forced out by the high temperature, forming a shiny white line along the inclined stone b, dripping into the skull ced below as a container.
There were as many as twenty of these skulls.
The shaman of the Flying Snakes tribe held a wooden stick, asionally flipping the sizzling meat, sometimes picking up a piece and eating it directly after a while.
This was the secret passed down from mouth to mouth among their tribe.
Usually, the specific method was told to the sessor only when the previous shaman was about to pass away.
All the previous shamans maintained the highest status in the tribe by relying on this core method and some other experiences.
Watching as thest skull was also filled with fat, the shaman of the Flying Snakes tribe stopped his actions and stopped frying the fat with the meat.
He didn''t leave the charred meat behind; to preserve this secret, he followed the previous shaman''s example and threw these precious meats into the fire to burn.
While burning, he carefully carried the skulls containing fat away from the fire, cing them in a spot far from the fire to cool them down faster.
Then, he struggled to remove the stone b from above,ying it t next to the fire, sprinkling some wood ash on it, making it look like any other day.
The tribe''s people would never know that this stone, which was alwaysid t next to the fire, familiar to everyone but always ignored, had such a significant purpose.
Afterpleting these tasks, the shaman of the Flying Snakes tribe, feeling tired from the exertion and his advancing age,y down here and fell asleep.
Outside the cave, the people waiting there with a strange sense of reverence naturally had no idea what was happening inside.
They didn''t know how they would feel when they discovered the terrifying yet desirable scene ofmunicating with the sky god as they imagined it.
Finally waking up from his dream, the shaman of the Flying Snakes tribe used a stick to poke at the dying fire. When he found that all the meat ced inside had been burned away, he nodded in satisfaction.
He added some firewood inside and ignited it again. Then, he ced the solidified fat one by one in front of the totem wall, carefully inspecting them for any ws. After confirming that there were none, he knelt and raised his voice, saying, "$%^$!".
The people of the Flying Snakes tribe, who had been waiting in the cave for a long time, finally heard this long-awaited message. Led by the chieftain, they pushed open the stone b, sealing the cave, and entered.
A foul smell filled their nostrils, but the people of the Flying Snakes tribe were unfazed.
Because they knew that this was the smell produced by the sky god after consuming the meat they had offered.
Seeing the skulls, which were initially empty but were now filled with that precious substance, the Flying Snakes tribe respectfully bowed to the totem wall depicting winding snakes and the shaman kneeling in front of it, his back to them, looking very tired. They deeply paid their respects...
Chapter 378: Burning Charcoal for heat, and eliminate the whole tribe
Chapter 378: Burning Charcoal for heat, and eliminate the whole tribe
The things happening in the Flying Snakes Tribe, Han Cheng is entirely unaware of. If he knew, he would be dumbfounded and would surely give a thumbs-up to the shaman of the Flying Snakes Tribe.
"Awesome!"
It''s truly unique!
Compared to the shaman of the Flying Snakes Tribe, he, the first and second shaman of the Green Sparrow Tribe, is far inferior. To think that just some animal fat he despised could cause such a stir, produce such effects, how could one not admire it to the fullest?
Han Cheng no longer has time to consider whether deer milk or animal fat is better for making snowke ointment.
At this moment, he is shivering under a thick animal hide nket.
He isn''t sick; what caused this result is that he took a bath just a while ago.
But if this trend continues, with more baths, he might catch a cold soon.
No way!The bathhouse must be built!
This is Han Cheng''s furious roar, holding onto his two eggs that have vanished without a trace due to the cold.
Inter years, a hot bath is the mostfortable thing during winter. After bathing, the whole body is warm, and it''s beyond enjoyable.
But now? Even though it''s hot water, one doesn''t want to take another after one bath!
Even he, who loves bathing, feels this way, let alone the others in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Bathing, something that should have been extremely enjoyable and rxing, has be like this, which is not what Han Cheng wants to see.
The bathhouse should have been built long ago, but it was dyed fromst winter until this winter for various reasons.
Han Cheng doesn''t want to dy it any longer.
So, after staying in bed for a while to recover, Han Cheng immediately gathers the shaman, the eldest senior brother, the second senior brother, Shang, the third senior brother, and others to discuss building a dedicated bathhouse.
It has been long since the Divine Child called everyone together so seriously. In the past, every such meeting led to significant events for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
So, this time, everyone came prepared to listen to the Divine Child''s farsightedness.
The warlike Shang and third senior brother even brought their iron spears, bows, and arrows and ced them outside the door.
What?
The elderly but extremely stable shaman widened his eyes, showing an expression of disbelief.
It''s not just him; the other few who understood the Divine Child''s meaning reacted simrly, not much better than the shaman.
To start construction in the dead of winter, to build a bathhouse?
They all know the Divine Child loves cleanliness, but can''t it be this terrifying?
After a round of ring at each other, the shaman spoke. He felt that it wasn''t necessary to go to such trouble if it was to avoid the cold during baths. It would be simpler to build a separate room.
After this, he proposed his solution: seal all the doors and windows of the room, fill it with arge tub of hot water, and jump in and bathe.
If it''s still too cold, light a pile of firewood inside the room to raise the temperature.
If the great Divine Child finds lighting a fire too smoky, you can use charcoal that doesn''t produce smoke...
The shaman spoke calmly about his solution, watching as the Divine Child''s mouth widened and his eyes bulged, feeling quite pleased with himself.
The Divine Child, unable to solve the problem, was solved by himself in just a few words. How could he not feel proud?
Seeing the Divine Child''s appearance, it''s clear that he''s stunned by his superb insights.
He should be incredulous, feeling embarrassed about something that troubled him endlessly, and yet it was solved so easily by himself, right?
After hearing the shaman''s words, the elder senior brother and others nodded continuously, indicating their agreement with the shaman''s proposal.
Even the second senior brother and Shang gave a thumbs-up to the shaman, expressing their praise for his wisdom.
"Hoo~!"
Watching the smug shaman waiting for his praise, Han Cheng finally let out a sigh of relief to calm hisplex emotions.
Han Cheng would have doubted their intentions if he weren''t sure that the shaman and the others were genuinely advising him.
OMG!
Sealing the room and lighting a fire inside, and if that doesn''t work, lighting charcoal, is this for bathing or wishing oneself dead faster?
Han Cheng''s face twitched uncontrobly.
"Shut up!"
Finally, Han Cheng, whose body was trembling, spoke up.
"No one can use this method!"
He calmed down for a moment before shouting, his voice unusually severe.
Burning charcoal for warmth inside a sealed room could wipe out the whole tribe!
The shaman and the others looked at the angry Han Cheng, all dumbfounded.
Isn''t this a perfect solution? Why is the Divine Child getting angry? And why does he look so angry?
"This will kill people!"
Han Cheng exined the serious consequences of such actions to them.
People will die?
That serious?
No way!
They''ve dealt with fire a lot; they use it for cooking every day.
Before the shaman arrived, a fire burned in the cave all year round. Now, fire beds burn in the rooms for warmth, and nothing dangerous has happened. So why would using fire for warmth while bathing lead to death?
Not to mention the elder senior brother and the second senior brother, even the shaman himself is filled with confusion.
They don''t understand how such a seemingly ordinary thing could be associated with death.
Seeing their expressions, Han Cheng knew they didn''t believe him. This matter had to be exined clearly; otherwise, it would be regrettable after the tragedy.
People die not at the hands of enemies or prey but because of ordinary charcoal; no matter how you look at it, it''s a loss.
Once again, the Green Sparrow Tribe has be very active in winter. People who understand the cause and effect can''t help but exchange nces.
They all have great faith in the Divine Child, but this time, it''s not like other times; it''s about fire, something they''re all very familiar with.
They deal with it every day, and everyone lives fine. They haven''t seen anyone die from it. So why would the Divine Child say people would die?
Seeing the crowd''s expressions, Han Cheng could understand what they were thinking. He secretly felt fortunate that he had discovered this matter in advance. If it had been discoveredter, some people might have tried to do it the way the shaman suggested.
Han Cheng stopped exining the situation to the shaman and the others. It would have been better for them to experience the danger of such behavior firsthand rather than exin it.
Han Cheng entered the room, carefully inspected it, saw that the windows werepletely sealed without any gaps, left the chickens and rabbits with tied legs, and then brought in the prepared charcoal brazier.
Chapter 379: Burning Charcoal for heat and eliminate the whole tribe 2
Chapter 379: Burning Charcoal for heat and eliminate the whole tribe 2
Afterpleting these tasks in front of everyone''s eyes, Han Cheng stepped out from inside and closed the door, using hides to seal up the gaps in the door.
The doors of the Green Sparrow Tribe are woven from tree branches, and when the weather gets cold, they are covered with animal skins to prevent the wind from seeping through.
Aftering out, Han Cheng did nothing but bring out a y cup, pour himself a cup of hot tea, and warm his hands while drinking.
Unlike the whispering and spection of others, Han Cheng showed no reaction to what happened inside the room.
As long as the door remained closed for a sufficient amount of time, the two chickens and rabbits inside, used as guinea pigs, would have no oue other than death.
After drinking four cups of hot tea in a row, feeling hot all over with a slight sweat on his forehead, Han Cheng handed the empty cup to Bai Xue, standing beside him. Then, under the gaze of the tribe, he opened the tightly closed door.
As the door opened, several pieces of hide stuffed in the door gap fell to the ground, apanied by a pungent smell of charcoal.
Through the open door, one could see that the charcoal ced in the basin not far from the door hadpletely extinguished.
The two chickens and rabbits with tied legsy motionless on the ground, unlike before, when they asionally bounced around.Seeing this scene from afar, everyone felt amazed.
Some who didn''t see clearly or couldn''t believe it were ready to enter the room to examine it carefully, but Han Cheng stopped them.
After removing the hides from the windows and ventting for a while, Han Cheng allowed people to enter.
The two chickens and rabbits were already dead, but surprisingly, there were no wounds on their bodies!
They didn''t die of illness either. These two animals selected by the Divine Child were lively and healthy before being put into the room. They couldn''t fall ill and die so quickly.
"Divine Child... this..."
Holding the chickens and rabbits that everyone had passed around, the shaman appeared somewhat puzzled, more so, filled with doubt as he asked Han Cheng.
The others also widened their eyes, looking somewhat frightened and uneasy at their Divine Child.
Especially those who often cooked and dealt with fire. Seeing the two chickens and rabbits lying silently, their faces turned pale, and their bodies trembled slightly.
Some had already wanted to go back and extinguish the firewood under the fire bed in the room. From now on, they would never burn firewood under the bed again.
Compared to their lives, enduring a bit of cold was nothing.
The revtion was a bit too intense, almost overkill.
Watching everyone''s reactions, Han Cheng sniffed and thought so.
But it''s good to make everyone deeply aware of the danger of fire and not to take it lightly.
He cleared his throat and began to think about how to exin the reasons in a way that primitive people could understand.
As the sky dimmed, the silver moon cast its brilliance, shining on the white snow, making the night exceptionally bright.
It was already a moment ofplete silence. In the past, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe would have entered their dreams by now. However, tonight, people were climbing up from their fire beds asionally, checking if any gaps were left in the front window.
Although the Divine Child had clearly stated that fire is safe as long as there was a certain amount of space left for venttion, many people still couldn''t sleep soundly.
Worried that they would never wake up again if they fell asleep like those two chickens and rabbits.
After this situationsted for a while without any terrifying incidents, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe finally began to rx slowly.
However, nobody dared to be careless about fire anymore. Even if the weather was cold, they would leave gaps in the doors and windows.
Through the impressive experiment that left a deep impression on them, they realized that it wasn''t just raging fires that could be fatal; even seemingly gentle mes could be just as deadly...
The experiment was very sessful. After witnessing the tremendous power of charcoal in a sealed room, nobody dared to mention bathing methods that could be life-threatening again.
The shaman also felt lingering fear. He wouldn''t have dared think about the consequences without the Divine Child¡¯s shrewdness and broad knowledge.
As a result, people who experienced the terrifying nature of mes became more vignt and expressed their agreement with the shaman''s proposal to build a dedicated bathing ce.
After selecting the bathhouse''s location and clearing away the umted snow, the ground underneath had frozen a bit due to the cold winter.
However, this did not pose a problem for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, as they had experience building things in the winter.
Piles of fires were lit on the prepared foundations, which were then softened, and people dug with stone picks and bone shovels.
Although it was more troublesome than other seasons, the progress was not too slow.
Moreover, because they had a method of applying animal fat to their hands and faces, they would not suffer from frostbite while working in such weather.
After the foundation was dug, it was filled with stones.
It was at this time that they encountered a problem.
A problem that made everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe feel troubled.
And that problem was stones.
Of course, not the extraction of stones.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were already proficient in quarrying stones, not to the point of perfection, but not novices either.
What troubled them was the transportation of the stones.
This issue only arose when they began transporting stones from the quarry to the tribe after excavating the foundation.
Although the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had transported stones to the tribe before, this was the first time they had done so in winter.
Although it only snowed once, the snow didn''t melt much afterward. Walking through such umted snow without carrying anything was difficult, let alone carrying heavy stones.
After trying to transport the stones for a morning, the ambitious project of building the bathhouse temporarily stalled.
Transporting stones this way was tooplicated, and the progress was too slow.
"Divine Child, let''s shovel the snow first, then transport..." Shang suggested, rubbing his hands together.
Shoveling away the umted snow on the road before transporting it would be a good solution. However, after thinking about it, Han Cheng still disagreed.
This bathhouse project was different from building houses in the past. In the past, only the foundation and the first meter above it used stones, and the rest was made of soil.
But a bathhouse couldn''t be built like that. It would frequently encounter water, and its lifespan would be greatly reduced if built with soil.
So, Han Cheng''s idea was to build the entire bathhouse with stones and seal the gaps with grass and wood ash.
This way, they would need more stones.
Chapter 380: Deer pulling a plow
Chapter 380: Deer pulling a plow
Shang suggested clearing the umted snow was a good idea, but transporting the stones remained exceedingly tricky.
Too many hands were needed to transport the stones.
At the current rate, it would be almost Chinese New Year by the time the bathhouse was finished.
Seeing the Divine Child''s rejection of the proposal, Shang and others were at a loss. Clearing the snow and then transporting the stones was the best solution they could think of.
What else could they do if such a solution wasn''t epted?
They couldn''t just let the stones grow legs and walk from the quarry to their tribe, could they?
However, they were surprised that the Divine Child provided a unique solution.
The focus of this solution was on the deer in the tribe.
The thick snow should not be the main reason for transportation obstacles.It didn''t make sense for that old man in red with a white beard to use deer to pull a sled back and forth, delivering gifts, yet their tribe couldn''t use deer to pull a plow to transport stones.
The shaman in the tribe arrived. The Eldest Senior Brother, the sessful slimming Second Senior Brother, the tribe''s chief carpenter, Lame... came. The rooms were packed full of people, and many more were outside, craning their necks to look in.
This was the result of news spreading in the tribe about the Divine Child preparing to create something unimaginable: something that could glide on the snow transport many stones effortlessly, and, after its creation, everyone would be able to use it.
Following the Divine Child to see something extraordinary had be a trend among the tribe''s people.
Looking at the severe expression mixed with excitement on Lame¡¯s face as he held an axe, it was clear that he had spread this news.
The Divine Child shook his head with a faint smile of helplessness. This guy was getting more and more cocky.
After waiting for a while, the Divine Child noticed too many people in the room, and the already not-sorge space was now upied, making it difficult to carry out the plow-making work.
So he spoke up, asking everyone to leave the room and make space for Lame to make the plow. As for the plow''s appearance, they would all see itter, and not only that, but they could also use it.
After the Divine Child spoke, everyone obediently left the room except for the shaman and a few others. However, they didn''t go far; instead, they stayed outside the room, peeking in.
Seeing this scene, the Divine Child shook his head with a smile of helplessness. Standing outside in such cold weather, these guys would freeze themselves if they stayed there too long. What if they caught a cold?
To prevent the curious people in the tribe from catching a cold, Han Cheng walked out of the room and asked them to go to the quarry to prepare the stones...
How could they stand outside without doing any work in such freezing weather?
Another reason was that once the plow was made, the speed of transporting the stones would increase significantly.
If they didn''t take advantage of the opportunity now while the plow hadn''t been made yet to quarry some more stones and stockpile them, it was likely that the stones they''d already quarried wouldn''t be enough in no time.
This kind of plow wasn''t particrlyplex in construction. Except for theck of wheels underneath and instead having two long, curved strips of smooth wood at each end, it was quite simr to the carts Han Cheng had encountered many times.
By this time, the usefulness of iron tools became increasingly apparent.
Without axes, chisels, saws, and nes, it would be difficult to forge a plow that didn''t require low technical demands using the original tools.
However, the plow of the Green Sparrow tribe was much simpler than the ordinary plow seen inter generations. The two main, wide wooden pieces at the bottom were not reduced in number, but all other unnecessary parts were removed.
One reason was the limited technological expertise, as the first carpenter, Limp, was making such a tool for the first time. Another reason was that Han Cheng wanted to construct the plow earlier to transport stones andplete the bathhouse as soon as possible.
So, the requirements were lowered, resulting in a much simpler and rougher plow.
The main structure of the plow consisted of two extended frames used as "wheels," with wooden ts about 20 centimeters wide and 4 centimeters thick, spaced out like adder in between.
The joints were neatly made with iron chisels. After the wooden ts passed through the joints on the frame, the protruding parts were drilled with a hand drill to make a small hole. The small hole was tightly wedged with a wooden peg with a diameter of about half a centimeter, ensuring that as long as the wooden pegs remained intact, the plow wouldn''t fall apart.
This was the main structure of the plow manufactured by the Green Sparrow tribe.
In addition, 30-centimeter wooden rails were installed on both sides of the wooden frame.
This kind of railing-like structure prevented items mounted on the plow from falling to the left or right.
When people rode the plow, they could also sit on these wooden rails, which were morefortable.
In simple terms, the Green Sparrow tribe''s plow was made by thickening and widening the woodendder, raising both ends slightly and adding wooden railings to the sides.
Usually, ayer of wooden boards would beid on top of the plow, simr to the boardsid on old-fashioned beds.
With thisyer of wooden boards, items on the plow wouldn''t fall off, and when encountering deep snow, the snow wouldn''t be able to flip onto the plow.
However, the Green Sparrow tribe''s plow had no wooden boards.
Previously, to save iron materials, the iron saws were made somewhat short. While they were suitable for sawing rtively thin wood, it wasn''t easy to saw wood into boards.
Han Cheng skipped this step to save time and put the plow into use as soon as possible.
The 2.2-meter-long and 1.2-meter-wide plow was lifted vertically out of the room and ced on the umted snow in the courtyard that hadn''t been shoveled away.
The somewhat heavy plow pressed down a lot of snow in an instant.
Lame bent down and dragged one end of the plow with his hand, trying to move forward. It could be pulled, but it wasn''t as easy as the leader had said.
Lame scratched his head, worried he hadn''t made the plow properly.
If an empty plow was this difficult to pull, it would be even harder with heavy stones ced on it.
The adult deer in the tribe were much stronger than humans, but not to an unreasonable extent.
Pulling a plow in the snow and then pulling heavy stones...
Thinking about such a scene, Lame couldn''t help but imitate the leader, sniffing.
Before the experiment, Lame was confident in what the leader said about the plow. But now, after the experiment, he felt insecure...
Chapter 381: Fill another two baskets
Chapter 381: Fill another two baskets
"Divine... Divine Child, can you make some changes to the sled again?"
After hesitating momentarily, Lame looked at the old stag, Han Cheng had brought out of the deer pen and walked to the sled excitedly.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but pause at Lame''s words. What did Lame mean? How could he redo something that had just been built and hadn''t been used yet?
"This... this isn''t very easy to use."
Lame pointed to the deep tracks left on the snow-covered ground, his expression pained as if he were about to cry.
It wasn''t because his ''reputation'' was being damaged that he felt upset, but because he felt he hadn''t been able to properly fulfill the tasks the Divine Child assigned.
Because of him, even before the sled had appeared, it was already well-known throughout the tribe. Many people were looking forward to it. Now that the sled had finallye out, it was like this...
After understanding Lame''s meaning, Han Cheng smiled and patted him on the shoulder, reassuring him not to worry. Whether it was good or not, he would harness the old stag and run it a few times before making a judgment.
Han Cheng was very confident in the sled. At his request, the two wooden logs used as ''wheels'' were made wide and smooth. If even this kind of thing couldn''t walk on the snow-covered ground, then what could?As for the problem Lame mentioned, Han Cheng didn''t consider it a big deal.
After all, the snow hadn''t been trampled on yet and was still very soft. That''s why the sled sank so deep and seemed rtivelyborious.
This problem was easily solved. Topact the snow, just pull the sled back and forth a few more times.
Compacted snow was no different from ice; it was slippery to walk on, and with the sled deliberately polished to be smooth, it wouldn''t require much effort to pull it.
With Lame''s still somewhat worried gaze, Han Cheng reluctantly harnessed the old stag and pulled the empty sled out of the tribe.
Like pushing a cart with wheels, pulling the sled was initially moreborious, but once it started, due to inertia, it became much easier.
Stepping on the snow, leading the old stag, Han Cheng made his way to the stone quarry. The freshly made sled glided over the thick snow, leaving behind two smooth marks.
Bai Xue and some young members of the Sparrow Tribe followed behind the sled, stepping on the two marks, chattering andughing, as cheerful as a group of sparrows finding food in winter.
Lame, limping along, also followed behind. Unlike the cheerful children, he looked at the sled sliding in the snow with some concern. Pulling the sled was still somewhat difficult for the old stagpared to running freely.
The old stag was the strongest among the deer herd. If ordinary deer reced it, wouldn''t it be even more difficult?
A fire was constantly burning at the stone quarry, and arge pile of stones that had been mined over the past few days had already umted nearby.
The bathhouse''s foundation had been dug, and there wasn''t much else to do. Most of the people hade here to help with the stone mining. Moreover, everyone worked diligently since the Divine Child said the sled could transport stones quickly.
At this moment, everyone at the stone quarry stood up, looking at the Divine Child leading the old stag from afar with expressions of anticipation.
Cheng, a young member who had rushed over, told them the Divine Child and Lame had finished making the sled.
Is... is this the sled?
As they looked at this modifieddder-like contraption, the members of the Sparrow Tribe waiting at the stone quarry widened their eyes in astonishment.
Han Cheng sniffed, turned the old stag''s head, and then instructed someone to start loading stones onto the contraption.
"Alright."
Shang ced a broken piece of stone on the contraption, preparing to add another, but Han Cheng''s voice interrupted.
This... this is it?
Just one stone loaded, is that it?
Ordinary people can carry two loads with a shoulder pole, can''t they?
This is the sled that took days to make?
This is the method the Divine Child said would transport stones much faster than carrying them by hand.
Watching the Divine Child pulling the old stag with the contraption loaded with just one stone, heading back to the tribe, the people waiting at the stone quarry were quiet, looking at each other in disbelief, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
The efficiency of this contraption in transporting stones was too shocking!
Lame, who remained at the stone quarry, squatted on the ground, drawing circles in the snow with a stick, ignoring theplex gazes of the others directed at him.
Han Cheng didn''t exin anything in response to the reactions of the others. Instead, he led the old stag back to the tribe, threw the stone from the contraption aside, and then set off again towards the stone quarry, leading the old stag.
After beingpacted twice on the way back and forth, the snow on the path had be much denser, making it easier to pull the empty contraption with the old stag. It was effortless to walk along the path.
"Load two more baskets of stones."
Han Cheng chuckled because Shang hadn''t moved after loading just one stone.
Last time, he had them load only one basket of stones; now, he asked for three at once. Could the old stag handle it?
Shang voiced his doubts, and the others also expressed some concern.
"Just load them, it''s fine."
So, two more heavy baskets of stones were ced on the contraption.
"Hah!"
Han Cheng shouted, and the old stag, obeying themand, started moving forward with its long legs. Initially, it was a bit strenuous, but afterward, it didn''t seem heavy.
With two more baskets of stones added, there was hardly any difference from when they had loaded just one basket!
Lame lifted his head and stopped drawing circles, and the people at the stone quarry, watching the old stag pulling the contraption back to the tribe, also had a change in expression.
"Load two more baskets of stones."
On the third trip, Han Cheng, leading the old stag, instructed Shang and the others.
After thestpaction, the snow on the path had be denser and smoother, making it even easier to pull.
"Divine Child, this..."
Shang and a few others hesitated, worried that loading so many stones would be too much for the old stag. One basket was already seventy to eighty pounds, and five were too heavy.
"Just load them, it''s fine."
Despite the somewhat worried expressions of the others, Han Cheng led the old stag on its way again. Surprisingly, the old stag didn''t seem much different from when it had pulled just one basket.
Lame dropped the stick in his hand and stood up from the snow, and the others also became somewhat quiet.
"Load two more baskets of stones."
On the fourth trip, Han Cheng casually repeated the same instruction he had given twice before.
Shang and the others didn''t say anything this time, looking somewhat dull as they loaded two more baskets onto the contraption.
"Hah!"
The old stag moved its legs forward, initially finding it a bit strenuous, but it didn''t feel heavy anymore.
As they watched the sled gradually move away, the people left at the stone quarry widened their eyes in amazement. Lame suddenly limped back to the tribe, ready to make a few more sleds!
Chapter 382: The newly built bathhouse
Chapter 382: The newly built bathhouse
The appearance of the sled no longer made transporting stones a constraint for building bathhouses, and after this problem was solved, the construction of the bathhouse progressed rapidly.
A balding shaman squatted in the carpentry room specifically for theme, earnestly watching as theme constructed the third sled. Then, using a thin and sharp stone knife, they meticulously depicted the sled''s appearance on the ceramic te, trying to neatly outline the sled''s appearance and detailing the manufacturing process in Chinese characters below.
The shaman highly valued the sled, a tool capable of transporting many things simultaneously. For this reason, he recorded the details himself without involving Shi Tou.
Shang, who was loading stones onto the sled, no longer held the same disdain as before. The sled, which refreshed his worldview, made him contemte many things.
If they had had this deer-drawn sled back then, the enemy who raided their tribe wouldn''t have been able to retreat so easily, and they might have been pursued by him.
The tribe''s children also followed the sled, abandoning their favorite activities, such as building snowmen and having snowball fights.
How could those activitiespare to the joy of sitting on an empty sled, being pulled by deer to the stone quarry?
Several conditions are necessary to make the bathhouse warm: good sealing, a rtively small interior space, hot water, and, most importantly, the use of a fire duct.
This so-called fire duct is simr in principle to the heated beds in the tribe''s rooms, but the construction location is different.The fire beds in the rooms are built high,rge, and spacious, whereas the fire ducts in the bathhouse are not.
They are built in rtively high ces, only thirty centimeters wide, and covered with stone bs. Cement made of grass and wood ash acts as a binder, effectively preventing water from entering the fire duct.
When bathing, firewood is burned in the fire duct outside the bathhouse entrance. After a while, the inside of the bathhouse besfortably warm.
The bathhouse is for the entire tribe''s use, not Han Cheng''s exclusive use. Therefore, it is rtivelyrge, upying an area simr to four rooms.
The bathhouse is roughly divided into three parts: 2rge rooms and a small room.
The small part is only half the size of a room, and the tworge parts divide the remaining three and a half rooms equally.
Han Cheng nned the half-room part for his use, while the tworge parts were shared baths for the Green Sparrow tribe.
Because the bathhouse is rtivelyrge, it is impossible to heat it from one ce. Therefore, when nning, Han Cheng designed five fire pits¡ª one for his room and two for each public bath to solve the heating problem.
After two heavy snowfalls, the bathhouse, which the Green Sparrow tribe began building this winter, has beenpleted.
This is the advantage of having many people. If it were the poption from when Han Cheng first arrived, even with deer and sleds, it would have been impossible toplete the construction quickly.
The entire bathhouse is built of stacked stones with a roof made of tiles.
There is no need to worry about the cement not drying in cold weather because Han Cheng had people light fires inside during construction.
Looking at the bathhouse, which took nearly a month toplete, Han Cheng rubbed his hands together.
He immediately ordered arge-scale heated water today, and the tribe''s people will bathe in the newly built bathhouse.
Everyone has worked hard for so long, and it''s time to enjoy a little.
The five fire pits were burning vigorously, and the orange mes mixed with smoke ran forward along the fire duct for a long distance. Eventually, only smoke drifted toward the sky, which was covered with ayer of leaden clouds.
The raised fire duct emitted heat, indirectly warming this enclosed space.
"Puff, puff..."
The heavy leather curtain at the entrance of the bathhouse fell, blocking the cold air outside.
Han Cheng, eager to enter the single room with Bai Xue, quickly took off his clothes and stuffed them into a stonepartment against the wall.
He then put on wooden and leather sandals and approached therge tub filled with steaming hot water on one side of the room.
He reached out and tested the hot water on his body.
Feeling the warm water against his somewhat cold body, Han Cheng shivered with pleasure.
Turning to see Bai Xue also undressed, he covered thepartment where clothes were ced with a piece of animal hide. He then led the little girl, wearing sandals, to therge tub filled with hot water.
Bai Xue had been living in the Green Sparrow tribe for almost a year now and had already developed the habit of bathing, especially under the influence of Han Cheng, who loved cleanliness.
At this moment, seeing therge tub emitting steam, Bai Xue couldn''t resist the temptation to get in, but Han Cheng quickly pulled her back.
Today, he instructed them to heat the water very hot, so if Bai Xue entered like this, she would be scalded.
Han Cheng pulled her aside, picked up the pottery bowl in therge tub, and sshed water on themselves.
Then they shivered together.
After a while, they began tentatively entering the tub.
"Phew!"
Han Cheng leaned against the tub wall and let out afortable sigh.
Because he and Bai Xue entered, the water level rose, reaching just their necks. The warm water enveloping their entire bodies was extremelyfortable.
For Han Cheng, just this alone made building the bathhouse worthwhile.
As the wet and slippery Bai Xue, like a little mermaid, submerged into the water, her arms wrapped around Han Cheng''s legs to prevent herself from floating up, Han Cheng closed his eyes even morefortably.
After spending some time soaking in the tub and feeling all his bones rx, Han Cheng, half embracing Bai Xue, led her out of the tub and to the area near the door.
This ce was only separated by a wall from the fire pit outside, and it was the hottest part of the entire fire duct. A small space of less than two square meters was built with thick stones.
Han Cheng brought a bowl of hot water and Bai Xue into this space and poured half onto a spot on the fire duct made of thicker stone bs. With a hiss,rge amounts of steam with very high temperatures immediately rose.
After pouring down another half bowl of water, the entire space was filled with white water vapor, and the temperature quickly rose, creating a fairnd-like atmosphere.
Bai Xue had never experienced anything like this before. She held onto Han Cheng''s arm tightly, and her embrace slightly deformed her small chest muscles.
Han Cheng lowered the hooked leather curtain, and the narrow space immediately became dark.
Chapter 383: Sauna and the Damaged Canned Food
Chapter 383: Sauna and the Damaged Canned Food
Experiencing the same kind of heat in winter as in summer seemed unimaginable to the people of the Green Sparrow tribe before the ''sauna room'' was invented.
Now that they had truly experienced this temperature, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe were amazed.
The heavy leather curtain, which seemed even heavier due to dampness, was lifted, and Han Cheng and Bai Xue emerged inside.
Although they hadn''t done anything, both of them were sweating profusely.
The two returned to the tub, picked up a somewhat translucent substance, and applied it to each other''s bodies before helping each other wash.
Bai Xue''s favorite part was applying the semi-transparent substance, which Han Cheng called soap, and then rubbing it back and forth on the increasingly glossy skin.
Especially when transparent bubbles were produced, Bai Xue wouldugh with joy.
Han Cheng felt quite helpless about the origin of the soap.
Previously, he found pure fat oil too greasy to use as snow cream for the hands and face, so he wanted to add something to it to change it. After adding ash and stirring with a wooden stick, he unintentionally created soap, which he had been eager to obtain but didn''t know how to make.This was truly a case of serendipity.
This experience reminded Han Cheng of an anecdote he had read about a schr in ancient times.
He couldn''t remember the specifics, as it had been a long time, but he remembered that the person had a stubborn temperament.
He liked drinking and also liked brewing his alcohol, but every time he tried, the wine failed, tasting more like vinegar. If it were an ordinary person, they would have given up long ago after repeated failures, but he was different. Despite knowing the dangers, he persisted and was determined to make the wine.
The wine didn''t turn out in the end, but vinegar became famous far and wide...
This experience was simr to Han Cheng''s unintentional soap creation while trying to produce useful snow cream.
After washing their bodies and hair with soap, the water in the tub had be murky.
Han Cheng unplugged the plug at the bottom of the tub, drained the water, plugged it again, and used two jars of clean hot water nearby to rinse their bodies and hair. After drying themselves off, they put on their clothes and walked out of the bathhouse, feeling warm andfortable.
Bai Xue''s little face was flushed with heat, like a big red apple, which tempted Han Cheng to take a bite.
Without towels or a hairdryer, it was not easy to dry their long hair, especially with the cold weather outside, which would freeze it in no time.
Han Cheng grabbed Bai Xue''s stiffened hair and rubbed it with his hands, and ice chips fell off.
When the weather warmed up, it was time to cut off this long hair!
Han Cheng, tired of his long hair, thought so.
He had kept his hair long before because there were no suitable tools, and using fire to burn off the hair was too cruel, so Han Cheng kept it. Now that there was an iron knife, dealing with the hair was no problem.
When the time came, all the men''s hair would be cut short with a knife, and the boys'' hair would be cut off and tied into a ponytail.
This would make working or doing other things more convenient for them.
It was a pity no one was collecting hair braids at this time, which made Han Cheng regretful. Otherwise, the hair cut off by the people of the Green Sparrow tribe could be sold for a good price.
As far as the eye could see, the tribe was filled with people with disheveled hair and flushed faces. Everyone was very satisfied with this novel way of bathing, especially the sauna room, which could emitrge amounts of white vapor.
After the bathing, everyone felt warm,zy, and veryfortable, something they couldn''t experience before.
The children were most interested in soap that could produce bubbles, and they yed with it joyfully.
After the bath, all the heaviness on their bodies washed away, and the people who experienced the bath''s effects personally gave the Divine Child''s efforts in building the bathhouse a double thumbs-up.
Time flew by quickly. It was fine when you didn''t look back, but when you did, you''d be surprised to find that a whole year had passed already.
While adults felt time passing quickly, children felt it dragged on endlessly, feeling that the days were exceptionally long.
Amid the thunderous drumbeats, the footsteps of the New Year had quietly arrived.
While the children joyfully ran around, the adults in the tribe prepared various New Year''s ingredients and items to drive away the Year Beast.
The couplets that had hung at every door for a year were taken down and reced with new ones with more exquisite craftsmanship.
The New Year atmosphere became even more intense with these newly hung couplets as a backdrop.
New Year''s Eve was a good day, with the sun hanging in the sky. Although it was still chilly around, people''s moods improved.
Amidst the steaming heat, various delicious foods were served.
Bai Xue, experiencing all this for the first time, and the people from the Bone tribe who had just joined this year looked at the overwhelming array of food, their eyes widening in astonishment, and they felt dizzy.
They thought the food they had eaten before was unimaginable, but who could have expected such a delicious and sumptuous meal now?
After everything was set up and ready to eat, someone suddenly remembered the canned goods the Divine Child had prepared in autumn.
Since they had been sealed until now, they had never been eaten.
Thinking of the sweet and sour taste, everyone couldn''t help but salivate.
The New Year''s Eve dinner, only once a year, naturally brought out all the delicious dishes.
After Han Cheng nodded with a smile, someone immediately rushed over and brought back jars of canned goods sealed with mud.
They couldn''t wait to open the mud seals, remove the leaves covering the openings, and pour them into bowls.
As the highest-ranking member of the tribe, Han Cheng was naturally the first to have canned goods poured for him.
The somewhat murky liquid flowed out from the mouth of the jar and into the bowl. Instead of the remembered sweet and sour taste, there was a smell that wasn''t very pleasant.
Han Cheng frowned imperceptibly. His first thought was, damn it, it''s spoiled. We got this for the New Year''s Eve dinner.
Canned goods definitely wouldn''t look like this. They should be the same as they were before.
Many people had already noticed something unusual, and their expressions were unnatural.
Han Cheng lifted the bowl in front of him and gently sniffed it. The smell wasn''t good. He cautiously took a sip, and the taste was even worse¡ªsour and astringent.
Just as he was about to spit out the fruit canned goods that had spoiled for some reason, Han Cheng''s eyes suddenly lit up.
Because amidst the unpleasant sourness, he sensed a familiar and nostalgic taste.
Chapter 384: New Year’s Eve Alcohol
Chapter 384: New Year¡¯s Eve Alcohol
"Divine Child... this..."
As more and more people tasted the canned goods and experienced this taste, Han Cheng, who had taken a sip of the canned soup and closed his eyes without speaking, finally spoke.
After receiving them, the children who were eager to taste the delicious canned goods took a sip of the soup, and their faces immediately twisted in disgust, sticking out their tongues.
How did the canned foods, which were supposed to be deliciously sweet and sour, turn into this taste?
Are they spoiled, or does storing them for a long time change their taste like this?
But isn''t the difference in taste too big from before?
Because of the appearance of these canned goods, which were very different from what was expected, the joyful atmosphere of the New Year''s Eve dinner was slightly subdued.
Han Cheng swallowed the sour liquid in his mouth, feeling a warm flow from his throat to his stomach.
He took another small sip, then carefully tasted it in his mouth, feeling the familiar taste amidst the sourness.Perhaps the method in his memory went wrong. This batch of canned fruits could be said to be aplete failure. As expected, they should all be spoiled.
However, they didn''t spoilpletely. While the canned foods were inedible, something else equally delightful appeared.
Wine!
This was something Han Cheng had never anticipated.
Tasting the wine in his mouth, amidst his emotion, he recalled the story of the ancient poet who failed to brew wine but ended up with good vinegar. He couldn''t help but shake his head and smile.
He had previously made fun of others, but now he received hiseuppance. The canned fruit he brewed turned into this murky, sour wine.
But he wasn''t as angry as that poet. The appearance of the sour wine made him just as happy. He was even happier than he would have been with the expected canned goods.
After all, sweet and sour canned fruits were his childhood favorite. Now that he had grown up,pared to canned goods, wine was more appealing.
Moreover, the wine appeared just in time for the New Year''s Eve dinner. Drinking a little wine at such a time always felt like something was missing.
Now, they just needed a te of dumplings.
From poverty to now, so many things have been brought out. Was a te of dumplings still far away?
Another thing was, now that wine had appeared, was vinegar far behind?
Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty, these five vors would gradually be collected together. When it was time to cook, there would be more choices.
After all, "brew wine in a jar, good vinegar in another," right?
He vaguely remembered that yeast and other useful things for fermentation were found in ces like the wine jar used for brewing. When it was time to make dough, they could knead it on the edge of the jar and leave the old dough repeatedly. After a long time, extremely potent yeast would emerge.
Thinking of the steaming, soft, fragrant, and slightly malty white steamed buns, Han Cheng couldn''t help but drool.
As a genuine northerner, steamed buns, the staple food he had eaten since childhood, were always an unavoidable obstacle.
He didn''t know if he would be lucky enough to find wheat...
Han Cheng shook his head slightly and smiled bitterly. Who would have thought he would be so obsessed with steamed buns, which he ate daily?
The shaman also picked up a bowl and tasted the canned goods that had been sealed for many days. The taste wasn''t very good, andpared to when it was freshly made, it was simply night and day.
Based on his many years of experience and the words spoken by the Divine Child when he made the canned goods, he knew that the canned fruits were ruined.
As someone in the tribe who has experienced many years and inherited the knowledge of the past shamans, influenced by the Divine Child, Han Cheng pays more attention to matters of human feelings and face-saving than others. For example, during the Green Sparrow''s New Year''s Eve dinner, he attached great importance to the order of serving.
To avoid embarrassing the Divine Child, he did not ask questions like others but took a big gulp of the not-so-good-tasting canned soup, feeling a warmth in his throat that he had never experienced before. Then, he prepared to praise the deliciousness of this canned soup.
At this moment, Han Cheng, who had been holding a bowl with closed eyes and had not spoken, opened his eyes, put down the bowl, stood up, and smiled at the people looking at him. He said, "The canned fruits have failed!"
After hearing this news, the people felt both expected and disappointed. After all, they cherished the sweet and sour taste.
Especially for those underage, the disappointment on their faces was hard to conceal.
Han Cheng observed the people''s reactions without beating around the bush. After a slight pause, he continued, "However, it has created another good thing, which is wine!"
Wine?
Upon hearing this, everyone looks at their bowls'' somewhat murky canned soup.
If something that tasted good was called a good thing by the usually discerning Divine Child, then the taste shouldn''t be too bad and must be good.
Han Cheng had someone bring over several jars of "canned goods" and, after opening the mud seals, everyone poured some.
Adults received a bowl, children received half a bowl, and the younger ones received only a shallow bowl.
Then, holding their wine bowls, he stood up, gesturing for others to do the same. Han Cheng said, "Happy New Year! May our Green Sparrow tribe thrive! Cheers!"
After saying this, he clinked his wine bowl with those of the shaman and the eldest senior brother standing on either side of him, then raised his wine bowl to the people sitting in circles around them, toasted from afar, and drank it in one gulp.
The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother, who had never experienced such a thing before, were momentarily stunned. Following Han Cheng''s lead, they clumsily echoed, "Happy New Year! May our Green Sparrow tribe thrive! Cheers!"
Then, recalling Han Cheng''s actions just now, they awkwardly clinked their bowls with those around them and then, looking somewhat unfamiliar, raised their bowls to the others and began to drink.
The adults could handle the taste, but the children, whose taste buds were more sensitive, found it ufortable.
"So sour..."
After taking a sip, Bai Xue stuck out her tongue and said with a bitter face.
Han Chengughed and rubbed her braids. Then, he poured the remaining half of the wine in her bowl into his own and drank it all in one go.
"Let''s eat!"
After drinking the wine, Han Cheng announced the news that everyone had been waiting for, and numerous chopsticks stretched out at once. In the joyful atmosphere, the New Year''s Eve dinner of the Green Sparrow tribe for the fourth year began.
During the meal, Han Cheng asionally had someone pour wine for those who wanted to drink.
After drinking a bowl of wine, some of the adult members of the Green Sparrow tribe found that the not-so-good-tasting wine had a unique taste that was hard to describe.
Most of those who felt this way were adult males.
So, they didn''t drink much of the well-boiled meat soup anymore. Instead, like the Divine Child, they asionally drank some of the wine they had tasted for the first time.
Chapter 385: Brick House
Chapter 385: Brick House
Night fell, and the fire rose, separated by tall walls, presenting a scene of celebration and prosperity that many surrounding tribes envied.
"Bang!"
Sections of bamboo, lit ame, burst into mes, causing the trapped air inside the bamboo nodes to expand rapidly. The softening bamboo skin couldn''t withstand the pressure from the expanding air, eventually bursting with a sound matching that of a drum.
Dark red sparks rose from the mes, shimmering like countless fireflies.
The joyous people formed circles, singing and dancing around the fire. Theirughter and cheers echoed in the night, along with the sound of firecrackers and the resounding beat of drums spreading outward from the tribe.
Eldest Senior Brother, slightly tipsy, held a drumstick, smiling as he struck the drum.
With flushed faces, they watched everything before them. With a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum, the shaman vigorously pounded his gong. They aimed to frighten away the evil beast, the Year Beast, so how could they let it disturb this enchanting scene?
This year, they nned to build another brick-and-tile house like before!
They also wanted to make things like stone rollers and stone mills.If they could find metal ore, it would be great to achieve something with it and make progress.
There were also wheat seeds and seasonings like ginger, garlic, and peppercorn...
On the first day of the fifth year of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng, with slightly reddened eyes from keeping watch, sat on the heated bed, counting on his fingers.
The brick and tile house wasn¡¯t for his residence but as a school. The importance of knowledge was clearer to Han Cheng, who came from ater era than to anyone in this era.
The development might not be apparent in the short term, but after a long period, the tremendous potential contained within would be realized.
Education, culture, construction, and the inheritance of knowledge and history were crucial for a tribe to develop sustainably.
This was why the nation where Han Cheng lived could survive from ancient primitive times through millennia of wind and rain, bing stronger. The fundamental reason for its vitality, which amazed the world,y in its ability to withstand crises.
In its development, it encountered crises and faced powerful neighboring nations. Those once powerful kingdoms like the Xiongnu and the Khitan had long ceased their inheritance.
However, the nation that Han Cheng was proud of had weathered storms and has continued until now.
Because at every critical juncture, countless benevolent individuals emerged, rallying with the spirit of "Even if there are a thousand hardships ahead, I will go on." They saved the crumbling structure...
This important power is demonstrated by education and cultural inheritance, called national cohesion.
Han Cheng lived in the Green Sparrow Tribe, which gradually developed and grew under his leadership and the joint efforts of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Through their own efforts, he and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe gradually transformed it into its current state. He was unwilling to let its inheritance be severed in future development.
Even though it might change its name in the long-term development ahead, it would be best not to break the inheritance.
Developing productivity and increasing the cohesion of the Green Sparrow Tribe were important purposes for Han Cheng in establishing an educational institution.
To highlight the importance of education, he decided to construct arge brick-and-tile building as a school.
In addition, efforts would be made to record the history of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
It had only been five years since his arrival at Green Sparrow Tribe, and there were too many firsthand witnesses to the changes that had urred since then. Now was the best time to record history and obtain urate information.
Remembering history was an important support for a nation to go further into the future.
This task would be entrusted to Shi Tou, the next shaman, who Han Cheng had already led him into the field of astronomy.
Of course, the school in the Green Sparrow Tribe would not only teach philosophical matters but also survival and daily life, as the tribe had not yet reached a level where they had specialized schrs.
When the time came, he would also serve as the school''s principal,bining cultural and martial aspects, which was not bad.
Being the principal was a very necessary task, and those who understood a bit about the Republic era would recognize the importance of the role......
As the head of the Green Sparrow Tribe, he had to consider many things that others in the tribe had never experienced.
He would not choose to take the well-proven path and instead would explore the winding paths. Han Cheng would not do that.
These matters would be discussed with the shaman and others, thoroughly confirmed, and then implemented step by step after the arrival of spring.
With the sounds of New Year''s blessings, the first day of the fifth year of Sparrow quietly passed.
On the morning of the second day, Han Cheng convened some elders and technical backbone members of the Sparrow Tribe, including the shaman, the eldest senior brother, the second senior brother, Shang, the third senior brother, Hei Wa, Shi Tou, etc. He exined to them so they could understand the details about building the school and other matters as much as possible.
There was no objection from the crowd.
Over the years, they had always followed the guidance of the Divine Child, following in his footsteps, and the Green Sparrow Tribe had undergone unprecedented changes at a visible speed.
All these things were like what they had said, showing the correctness of following the Divine Child.
Although many did not understand what the Divine Child said this time, the final result was clear. Following the Divine Child''s instructions, their tribe would be more prosperous and powerful.
Hei Wa immediately promised to burn enough tiles. Shi Tou also promised to diligently record the Sparrow Tribe''s past events afterpleting the basic work, such as the calendar.
Climate changes, like the passage of time, left no trace, yet it could be perceived.
Unknowingly, the ice and snow had begun to melt, revealing the green grass. The frozen river surface turned into clear water, and the fish, which had been trapped all winter, joyfully leaped out of the water.
The trees nted along the riverbank and around the tribe began to sprout new buds.
Some peach and apricot trees nted the previous year already had flower buds, and some impatient ones had already bloomed, emitting a faint fragrance...
Chapter 386: Ruthless
Chapter 386: Ruthless
Under the eaves, several ck spirits from the south chirped and chattered, discussing among themselves the ce to build their new homes.
Some wanted to use bows and arrows to teach these birds, who dared to upy a ce under their tribe''s eaves, a lesson about the non-negotiable nature of the Green Sparrow Tribe, but Han Cheng stopped them.
The swallow wearing a flower-patterned coat is a beneficial insect and is best not harmed.
Moreover, ording to legend, swallows are auspicious birds. Nesting under the eaves of a house indicates that the household will have good luck.
Otherwise, why would there be the saying, "In front of the hall of the old Wang family, swallows fly into ordinary people''s homes"?
The top-ranking aristocratic family has declined, losing its luck, and this auspicious bird that loves its old nest has also abandoned it...
Of course, this is just for show and shouldn''t be taken too seriously.
Han Cheng not only didn''t let anyone harm these ck swallows, but after discovering that the swallows had started to mud under the eaves to build their nests, he nted two tall poles nearby, with ropes tied between them.
The tired swallows stood on the line, preening their feathers, appearing like musical notes leaping on staff against the warm sky.Looking up at them, Han Cheng felt a familiar taste.
Standing beside her, Bai Xue also looked up with her little face. She didn''t understand why Divine Child was so fascinated...
"Bang, bang, bang..."
"Whoosh..."
One after another, continuous sounds echoed in the long-standing orchard of the Green Sparrow Tribe, shaking the ground covered with fallen petals.
In the worried eyes of Shaman and others, many branches of these fruit trees were cut off, some of which were thicker than bowl mouths.
Over the years, the fruit yield of this naturally formed orchard has been gradually decreasing.
Fortunately, they no longer rely on these fruits to get through the winter. Otherwise, Shaman and the Eldest senior brother would not be troubled by this matter.
In a chance mention, the Divine Child learned about this and said he could make the fruit trees bear more fruit again.
It wasn''t yet time to nt millet, and the rapeseed was beginning to sprout, with only a few yellow flowers showing, not yet in full bloom. Therefore, the Green Sparrow Tribe was rtively idle.
With a mood of curiosity following the Divine Child, many people came to this orchard with their tools, wanting to see how the Divine Child would perform miraculous techniques to make these fruit trees bear more fruit.
As a result, the method they received was simple and brutal to the extent that even primitive people couldn''t stand it.
Just one word - chop!
After arriving here, the great Divine Child, faced with these fruit trees in full bloom or budding, showed no mercy. He directly employed the brutal method of cutting off some branches of these fruit trees, drawing lines on some branches with a sharp stone, and instructing people to cut off these branches along the lines he drew or saw them off.
The method was extremely cruel. After his intervention, some fruit trees directly reduced their size by two-thirds!
Looking at the fallen petals all over the ground and the many broken branches, Shaman and Eldest Senior brother couldn''t help but tremble in their hearts.
Is this the method used to increase the yield of fruit trees?
With so many branches cut off, where will the increase in yielde from?
Not only will it not increase, but the most likely oue will be that it will decrease.
Just looking at the confident Divine Child, who kept drawing lines on the fruit trees with a stone in his hand, they couldn''t help but whisper in their hearts.
Besides identally turning into alcohol instead of making preserves, the Divine Child hasn''t made any mistakes in other matters.
With such a precedent, they didn''t rush to speak out but waited to see the results.
Of course, another important reason is that the tribe doesn''t rely on this orchard for survival.
In such circumstances, the Divine Child can do as he pleases with this orchard.
Han Cheng stood here for a while, sizing up this sturdy peach tree covered with a lot of peach gum and decisively marked several branches.
With the trees so old, if you don''t take drastic measures to clean and prune some branches, how could they bear many fruits?
The nutrients absorbed from the roots were insufficient to transport to the branches.
Pruning this orchard is not a sudden whim of Han Cheng.
In the past, as other foods became more abundant, the proportion of fruit in the Green Sparrow Tribe''s foodposition did indeed decrease, and it decreased significantly.
However, with the unexpected fruit wine and vinegar, the surplus fruit has found a new use.
On New Year''s Eve, many people in the Green Sparrow Tribe felt the wonderful sensation of being slightly drunk from the wine they started drinking. Therefore, they are very enthusiastic about making wine.
Millet is still too precious for the Green Sparrow Tribe to use for brewing wine.
So, the final idea falls on these fruits.
Moreover, Han Cheng also ns to continue researching and preserving fruits that require a lot of fruit.
He doesn''t know if he''ll end up like that guy who has never been good at making preserves but keeps making tastier and tastier wine.
Han Cheng thought helplessly.
With so much demand, pruning fruit trees to increase yield bes necessary.
In this matter, Han Cheng involved Bugs Bunny, whom he taught how to cultivate crops the most.
After drying in the sun for a while, the cut fruit tree branches are brought back and burned as firewood.
They haven''t encountered any ducks yet. If they had, the taste of grilling with fruit tree branches would be very different.
While Han Cheng and the others were dealing with the orchard, grassroots, in a good mood, stretched out their arms and embraced the warm spring breeze.
After a difficult winter, Cao Geng has lost a lot of weight and the whole person looks a bit out of shape as if a gust of wind could blow him away.
But he is still very happy because his tribe hasn''t eaten him; he is still alive.
Not only was he alive, the other three people who had experienced the same fate as him were still alive.
This is due, on the one hand, to their hard work in finding various foods to alleviate hunger outside, and, on the other hand, to the tribe that brought them the good news.
If it weren''t for the arrival of the people from that somewhat dark tribe at thest moment, who gave them the precious things called pottery pots, which could be used to cook soup into hot water, they would still be struggling to avoid being eaten.
It''s just that they can exchange these with some useless fur, Cao Geng, and the others are naturally willing.
Chapter 387: The Joyous Gathering and the Salt Initiative About to Start
Chapter 387: The Joyous Gathering and the Salt Initiative About to Start
Several dark, round y pots have now be the most precious possessions in their tribe, and everyone regards them with reverence.
These pots can make food more durable and help survive the harsh cold of winter.
Feeling ted, the Cao Geng tribe imagines the preciousness of these items and the tribe that seems to havee specifically to rescue them, and their mood bes even more joyful.
But a shadow falls over their joy when they think about the wolves and deer that have made them what they are.
"These guys, they better not show up this year!"
Rooting around thend that deer and wolves once injured, Cao Geng fiercely contemtes.
While Cao Geng and a few others express gratitude to the dark tribe, they also grit their teeth, awaiting the reappearance of the deer and wolves. They do not know that the tribe that brought them salvation during crucial times is now heading towards the Green Sparrow tribe with furs exchanged from their tribe and others.
They don''t know how they''d feel knowing that the very deer they are nning against, which belongs to a tribe so powerful and prosperous that it brought them salvation, is considered untouchable.
Regardless of how Cao Geng feels, the mood of the Donkey tribe leader and its people is very good.They carryrge quantities of fur in the mildly warm spring breeze.
These furs were exchanged for minimal pottery and salt, but the Green Sparrow tribe could also exchange them for more pottery and some food.
The Donkey tribe people treat these furs exceptionally preciously because they can make their lives better.
The leader of the Donkey tribe and its people bear many red marks and scars on their faces and hands, left by the ice and snow of the approaching end of winter.
But the people of the Donkey tribe don''t mind too much; sometimes, they even take pride in these scars and marks because they represent their harvest.
When deeply immersed in something, they often produce something more aplished.
For example, the Donkey tribe leader, who focuses entirely on this primitive trade, is now setting out with his people. They have faced many hardships this time during the journey, but the harvest is still very satisfying.
Today, the Donkey tribe leader, along with his tribe, is headed not only to continue trading furs for pottery with the Green Sparrow tribe but also to attend the joyous gathering.
ording to tradition, this year''s gathering was supposed to be held at the Bone tribe, but since the Bone tribe no longer exists and most of its people have joined the Green Sparrow tribe, after discussions among several tribes, this year''s gathering will still take ce at the Green Sparrow tribe.
In this regard, the leader of the Donkey tribe had no objections. After all, the Green Sparrow tribe has now be the most powerful and wealthy tribe among several tribes, so it''s only natural for them to host the gathering.
Moreover, if the Green Sparrow tribe holds the gathering, they can also enjoy free food for a few days...
The leader of the Sheep tribe also set out with his people, carrying some furs to exchange for more exquisite pottery.
The leader of the Green tribe, as carefree as ever, was more than willing to join the gathering at the Green Sparrow tribe.
A free meal, what could be more beautiful?
And that big-bottomed spouse of the tribe leader... hehehe...
While the other two tribes had just set out, the leader of the Green tribe, who had already covered more than half of the journey, was rubbing his hands andughing.
His mood became even more pleasant as heughed and nced at the two spouses who had apanied him.
Because after thest gathering, each of these spouses gave birth to a boy for him.
The two boys are now able to run on the ground, healthy and strong, and seem unlikely to die prematurely.
In a few more years, their tribe will gain two strong adult males again.
So, this time, he decided to exchange words with the leader of that tribe during the gathering.
Who knows, maybe by this year, his two spouses will give birth to two more healthy babies...
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe have already prepared for the uing gathering.
ording to Han Cheng''s idea, this gathering shouldn''t be held again this time.
Firstly, as someone from a future era, he still isn''t quite ustomed to this.
Secondly, now that the Green Sparrow tribe haspletely absorbed the Bone tribe and has three women who originally belonged to the Flying Snake tribe, it doesn''t matter much whom they choose as partners.
However, the shaman is not very willing; he fears this might cause the tribe to suffer.
After thinking about it, Han Cheng didn''t insist further. After all, changing customs takes time, and he happened to have something to announce while the people of the other three tribes were gathered.
That thing is the Salt n, which has been going on for a long time.
Now that the Green Sparrow tribe haspletely absorbed the Bone tribe, internal stability has been achieved, andrgend areas have been cultivated. Soon, they will nt millet on arge scale, and there will be plenty of food to harvest in the autumn.
Now, it''s time to start showing their strength again and gradually absorb the surrounding tribes into their embrace.
After all, as more things appear, the division ofbor within the Green Sparrow tribe is bing more detailed, and the need for people is also increasing.
Nowadays, the manpower is a bit tight.
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe unanimously agree to stop providing salt for free to the surrounding tribes.
For the people of the Green Sparrow tribe, who have be ustomed to exchanging their pottery for other things, it''s ufortable to give away the salt they''ve worked so hard to produce to other tribes for nothing.
Especially the dark Donkey tribe, which has been taking more and more salt from the tribe over the past year, almost more than their tribe uses.
Chapter 388: Salt is no longer free
Chapter 388: Salt is no longer free
The leader of the Green Tribe is always so proactive. After arriving at the Green Sparrow Tribe, he first looked at therge pot already set up outside the gate, which had been cleared out for the execution of the leader of the Bone Tribe. Then he greeted the Eldest Senior Brother, who came out to meet them with a handshake.
Primitive people are straightforward. Even though Han Cheng had seen it many times before, seeing it again now still made him somewhat emotional.
After the two tribes met, there wasn''t much small talk. They immediately got to the point.
As usual, the Eldest Senior Brother was the first to choose. As expected, he once again chose the two spouses by the side of the leader of the Green Tribe. The leader of the Green Tribe also chose the big-bottomed spouse of the Eldest Senior Brother.
The two of them smiled knowingly and, with tacit understanding, brought their chosen partners to the tform used to execute the leader of the Bone-Cutting Tribe...
Han Cheng, who was watching on the sidelines, was dumbfounded. Couldn''t they be a bit less aggressive? Couldn''t they be a bit more low-key?
After watching for a while, seeing Bai Xue standing beside him and watching the battlefield with relish, Han Cheng quickly pulled his little wife and retreated into the courtyard.
They should not corrupt Little wife. Han Cheng couldn''t imitate the bold style of the Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
"You mustn''t learn from them. That''s not good behavior."Inside the room, Han Cheng earnestly educated his little wife on the ideological subject.
"What about their leader..."
Bai Xue blinked innocently.
"That''s for procreation..."
Han Cheng sniffed.
"But Brother Cheng still peeks..."
Han Cheng "..."
After a fierce battle, where they were fighting to the death just a while ago, both sides were gathering around arge pot to eat. The men werezy, while the women were spirited.
In such battles, the rtively weaker female primitive people always easily defeated the male primitive people.
Only tired deer exist, not brokennd.
No one knows who came up with this saying, which gradually spread in the Green Sparrow Tribe and gained the approval of most male primitive people.
For some reason, the leader of the Green Tribe always felt that the food made by the Green Sparrow Tribe was tastier than that of their tribe. After eating three big bowls in a row, he forced himself to eat a little more, feelingpletely satisfied.
That night, the people of the Green Tribe rested outside the walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Although the people of the Green Tribe were somewhat dissatisfied with this, they didn''tin too much. After all, if their tribe hosted a celebration, they wouldn''t let other tribes enter their caves to rest either.
The next day, the Sheep Tribe and Donkey Tribe arrived one after the other, and the hides they brought astonished the leader of the Green Tribe.
Where did these two tribes get so many hides? How did they be so strong now?
After a brief shock, the leader of the Green Tribe became proud again because he remembered the wild grass seeds around his tribe.
The people of the Sheep Tribe, who arrived first, were shocked to see the Donkey Tribe, who brought even more hides than they did.
After one or two years of exchange, there shouldn''t be many hides left among these tribes. So howe the people of the Donkey Tribe could still produce so many hides?
Could they, like their own tribe, have a lot of game passing nearby in the fall?
But it wasn''t quite right. The hides brought by their tribe were mostly sheepskins, while the Donkey Tribe brought a variety of hides.
In addition to grazing animals, there were also many hides of meat-eating animals.
Little did the Sheep Tribe know that while they were surprised by the hides brought by the Donkey Tribe, the Donkey Tribe was equally surprised by the prosperity of the Sheep Tribe.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe thought that the people of the Sheep Tribe, like them, had begun trading with other tribes using pottery and other items.
Therefore, the people from the Donkey Tribe gazed somewhat unfriendly at the people of the Sheep Tribe.
Travelingpanions are enemies. The leader of the Donkey Tribe didn''t know this saying, but out of instinct, he still emitted some hostility.
The people of the Sheep Tribe sensed this and reciprocated the unfriendliness towards the Donkey Tribe.
So, in the ensuing celebration, the ever-opportunistic leader of the Green Tribe was delighted.
Because after the Sheep Tribe and the Donkey Tribe stopped dealing with each other, in the ensuing celebration, they didn''t choose many people from each other''s tribe. Instead, most of their partners were from therger Green Sparrow Tribe and Green Tribe.
This meant that the likelihood of pregnancy among the female primitive people of the tribes would increase, and the tribes'' poption would grow. How could he not be happy about this?
The initially happy leader of the Green Tribe soon became unhappy. After the celebration ended, he requested to take back some more salt from the wealthy Green Sparrow Tribe, but their leader didn''tply. Instead, he shook his head, indicating they needed something in exchange.
He wasn''t the only one who was unhappy; the leaders of the Sheep Tribe and the Donkey Tribe, who were also treated this way, felt simrly displeased after understanding what was happening.
After enjoying free salt for so long, these guys hade to take it for granted,pletely forgetting the gratitude they had felt when they first learned that the Green Sparrow Tribe would provide salt for free.
After waiting for a while, seeing that the Eldest Senior Brother had already sung his ckface song almost to the end, Han Cheng shook his sleeves, cleared his throat, and made a shiny appearance to y his red face.
The three tribal leaders who were surrounding the Eldest Senior Brother and criticizing him stopped as soon as they saw Han Cheng as if they had seen a savior and quickly stepped forward to greet him.
Then, they began to speak to Han Cheng with some excitement.
In their impression, the leader of this tribe was a stingy person, while the tribe''s Divine Child was very generous and straightforward. They believed that by telling him about this matter, they could get a good resolution.
Chapter 389: Superb Acting
Chapter 389: Superb Acting
This Divine Child, whom they considered to be extremely generous, indeed did not disappoint them.
After they expressed their dissatisfaction and requests in a flurry of chatter, the Divine Child, who had been smiling, put away his smile and started questioning the stingy tribe leader.
Full of hope, they overlooked that the Divine Child understood their grievances this time without needing a trantor.
Han Cheng asked with a somewhat serious expression, while the eldest senior brother respectfully answered, no longer disying the arrogance he had when facing the three tribe leaders alone earlier.
Seeing this change, the leaders of the Goat, Green, and Donkey tribes felt secretly pleased.
"Now, let''s see how arrogant you can be in front of us. You''ve met your match, haven''t you?"
The shaman, who had rehearsed many times with Han Cheng and the eldest senior brother in the room, watched their performance and then looked at the reactions of the three tribe leaders. He lowered his head, his wrinkled face twitching slightly.
He could barely contain hisughter.
After this act, Han Cheng turned around to face the three excited tribe leaders. He shook his head apologetically and with a heavy heart.The tribe leaders, hoping for good news, felt their hearts sink.
"Why?" they asked urgently, wanting to know what was happening.
"...It''s not that we don''t want to provide it for free, but obtaining salt has be increasingly difficult for us..." Han Cheng said sincerely, with a touch of regret, while the eldest senior brother acted as the trantor, striving to urately convey Han Cheng''s meaning.
As the three tribe leaders gradually understood the situation, their initial dissatisfaction and anger turned into resignation and difort.
They looked at Han Cheng, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Han Cheng sighed deeply, then pped his hands. Three people, who had been prepared earlier, came out from the tribe, each holding a small jar of salt, which they ced on the ground.
Han Cheng ced the three jars of salt in front of the three tribe leaders and said in a somewhat pained and helpless tone, "This is thest bit of salt our tribe can provide for free."
"Divine Child, don''t give it to them..." Following the previous rehearsal, the eldest senior brother reluctantly bent down to grab the three jars of salt, holding onto them tightly and anxiously saying to Han Cheng.
"Give it to them! They are our neighbors!" The Divine Child, who always had a smiling face in the eyes of the three tribe leaders, was now angry. Not only did his voice rise threefold, but his tone also became harsh, and he red at them.
Although the three tribe leaders could not understand their conversation, they realized that the generous Divine Child and the stingy tribe leader were in conflict over whether to give them salt.
It seemed that the tribe faced difficulties obtaining salt, as they had said. Otherwise, the generous Divine Child and the wealthy tribe leader would not be at odds over these few salt jars.
Under Han Cheng''s persistent re, the eldest senior brother finally couldn''t resist the Divine Child''s ''pressure'' and reluctantly, full of'' reluctance, '' gave the three jars of salt back to the three tribe leaders.
Then, in a less than friendly manner, he tranted Han Cheng''s words to the three tribe leaders, telling them that this was thest bit of salt they could provide for free.
The three tribe leaders were deeply moved by Han Cheng''s deliberately created atmosphere and by the benevolent actions of this tribe''s Divine Child.
"Is there no way to obtain salt besides trading goods for it?"
Although they were touched, they didn''t hesitate to secure benefits for their own tribes.
Hearing the Green Tribe leader''s question tranted by the eldest senior brother, Han Cheng''s face twitched slightly. He thought to himself that the Green Tribe leader was opportunistic. Even in such a well-crafted scenario that moved him, he still asked such a question.
"Besides trading, the only other way is to join our tribe. If you join us, you be part of our family and can have salt for free."
After all the buildup, Han Cheng finally revealed his hidden agenda.
The eldest senior brother conveyed Han Cheng''s message to the three tribe leaders. Their expressions turnedplicated.
As Han Cheng expected, none of them agreed to this.
However, some ordinary people from the three tribes who understood the situation showed signs of longing after hearing this. This resulted from Han Cheng subtly showcasing the enticing aspects of the Green Sparrow Tribe over a long period.
After the festival ended, the leaders of the Green, Donkey, and Goat tribes left the Green Sparrow Tribe with their people. Compared to previous asions, they seemed rather subdued this time.
From now on, they wouldn''t be able to get salt for free, which was certainly not good news for them. Thest free jar of salt wouldn''tst them long.
Therefore, the Donkey and Goat tribes used the furs they had brought, initially meant to trade for pottery, to exchange for more salt. The Donkey Tribe acquired the most, as they needed it for their consumption and trading with other tribes. Salt, which could make food incredibly tasty, was just as popr as pottery in trade with other tribes.
Han Cheng set a high price for salt, much higher than that for pottery. Although the three tribe leaders found it hard to ept, they understood, given the value of salt.
Seeing the now empty and somewhat messy area outside the tribe, the shaman and the eldest senior brother, who were both aware of and had participated in the salt n, felt quite disheartened. They had provided so much salt to the other tribes for free, hoping to reel them in eventually, but none of the three tribes showed any willingness to join the Green Sparrow Tribe. This was a big letdown for the two, who had been excited and hopeful about this n for a long time.
Han Cheng, on the other hand, was not as disappointed. He had anticipated that the three tribes would not agree immediately. Having spent considerable time here, he understood the dynamics between the various primitive tribes. It was unrealistic to expect a tribe leader to lead their tribe to join another tribe unless faced with a true crisis.
Chapter 390: A Troublesome Dog
Chapter 390: A Troublesome Dog
"Won''t give up until reaching the Yellow River"¡ªthis mindset ismon among many people.
Understanding this, Han Cheng was not particrly affected when the shaman and eldest senior brother felt disheartened over theck of immediate sess.
"Don''t worry, they still have salt to eat. When they run out of salt..."
Han Cheng exined to the shaman and eldest senior brother.
Since they weren''t nning to use force, they would have to endure the wait, however arduous it might be.
They had done everything they could, and now it was up to time. When the time came, they would decide on the next step based on the situation.
After listening to Han Cheng, the shaman and eldest senior brother felt much better.
The grass became greener following a light spring rain, and the flowers bloomed more vibrantly.
The Green Sparrow Tribe began the long-awaited project of nting millet.A stone recording the Green Sparrow Tribe''s ''history'' was used to inscribe the character "Grain Rain" in the grid for the previous day.
The name was chosen because, after this rain, the Divine Child instructed them to start nting millet.
"Yoo yoo..."
Deer Lord, pulling a plow, cried out unwillingly on the lush and vibrant ins.
In such a bright and sunny moment, the best thing to do would be to lead hisrge herd to enjoy the fresh greenery while indulging in activities that make a deer''s heart joyful.
But now, Deer Lord was harnessed to the plow, working.
Not just him. About half of the adult deer in the herd were pulling various equipment across the ins.
The other half would be harnessed when they got tired and took over the work.
Humans could do as they pleased, but the deer had no freedom.
Having witnessed the recent joyous festival, Old Deer cried even more mournfully.
Was there any worse way to treat deer?
Fu Jiang and his several silly children no longer followed the deer herd as they did in the wild.
They scattered across the fields, asionally running around yfully.
However, no one dared to approach the brilliantly blooming rapeseed fields anymore, a lesson learned after Han Cheng repeatedly kicked Little Fu¡¯s pollen-covered bottom.
The millet seeds, carefully stored by the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, were sown into the furrows. It wouldn''t take long before they sprouted.
The Green Sparrow Tribe''srge-scalend clearing and field preparation had been highly effective. In addition to the few dozen acres of rapeseed, they had about 680 acres.
This result exceeded Han Cheng''s expectations.
Of these 680 acres, 80 acres would be left aside.
Some of these 80 acres would be used to grow wild hemp, while the rest would lie fallow.
It wasn''t that Han Cheng didn''t want to nt more, but they ran out of seeds.
For several hundred acres, the amount of seeds needed was substantial.
The millet harvestedst year was primarily kept for seeds rather than food, yet it was still insufficient.
In the tribe, Bai Xue was squatting and carefully watching the silkworm eggs in the warm sunlight, eagerly waiting for them to hatch. She had already prepared fresh mulberry leaves for them.
It proved that wolves and huskies were always a handful, whether in ancient times orter generations.
"Woo woo woo~"
"Woof woof woof~"
Apanied by heart-wrenching wails that echoed across the in, Little Fu, who had left in a huff after receiving a few kicks from Han Cheng, emerged from the distance. It seemed like something was chasing him, and he was desperately running while crying pitifully. asionally, he would even roll on the ground.
Hearing themotion, Fu Jiang and the other four pups scattered across the in started barking and ran towards Little Fu. The deer stopped their actions, perked up their ears, and watched. Some people grabbed hoes and mattocks and rushed over, while Han Cheng, surrounded by a few people, headed in that direction.
Third Senior Brother, who never parted with his bow, had already nocked an arrow. It was a feathered arrow with an iron tip, and he scanned the surroundings with a vignt expression, ready to shoot at any sign of danger.
"Woof woof woof..."
When Little Fu finally reached them, feeling safer now, he stopped running and copsed on the ground, crying out and rolling in pain. Fu Jiang and the other pups arrived and anxiously jumped around him.
Han Cheng and the others approached and carefully examined Little Fu during his rolling fits. They didn''t see any snakes or apparent wounds, but Little Fu''s agony was absolute. He was restless, whining, and continually thrashing about.
Han Cheng instructed everyone to step back to avoid being hurt by the frenzied Little Fu. After a while, Little Fu finally stopped whining but appeared significantly swollen. His face was so puffy that his eyes were reduced to slits, giving him aical yet pitiful look. Standing there, he was almost twice the size of Fu Jiang, exuding a strange sense of humor.
Despite knowing it wasn''t appropriate tough, Han Cheng couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight of the swollen and distorted Little Fu. He then began cautiously examining him. From his current state, it seemed likely that Little Fu had been bitten by some venomous creature, possibly a snake or insect.
Han Cheng hoped it wasn''t something too venomous, as he had no effective remedies for such unknown poisons. After confirming there were norge predators, Han Cheng sent the others back to continue plowing and sowing, keeping only a few less busy individuals, including the shaman, by his side.
The chubby Little Fu looked uneasy, but after Han Cheng reassured him for a while, he allowed him to examine him. Han Cheng carefully parted the fur on Little Fu''s head and frowned.
There was a ck and purple spot resembling a bite mark from some creature. Han Cheng continued to carefully inspect Little Fu, who sat there obediently, looking as if he were a child bullied outside.
"Hiss!"
Han Cheng couldn''t help but gasp. There were nine such spots on Little Fu''s head alone! What had he gotten into? Han Cheng noticed something sticky around Little Fu''s mouth. What was that?
While holding Little Fu''s chin to check, Han Cheng pondered and brought his hand to his eyes to see more clearly. Before he could get a good look, the swollen-faced Little Fu surprisingly opened his mouth, licked Han Cheng''s hand with his clumsy tongue, and then tried to clean his chin.
Chapter 391: The loveable and scary bees
Chapter 391: The loveable and scary bees
Han Cheng looked suspiciously at his hand, then at Little Fu, who was straining to lick his chin with his tongue. After waiting a moment, he reached out and touched the area Little Fu couldn''t reach.
It was still sticky.
Han Cheng avoided Little Fu''s tongue and brought his fingers, now covered in a clear liquid, to his nose. A sweet scent wafted into his nostrils.
Han Cheng''s eyes lit up.
Honey?!
With excitement, he sniffed his fingers again and confirmed it: the familiar, sweet smell of honey.
Haha¡
Han Chengughed out loud, realizing the truth. No wonder Little Fu was in such a miserable state. He got into this mess because he had been stealing honey!
Without the thick skin of a bear, he''d end up like this, trying to do what bears love to do.As Han Cheng thought about it, he couldn''t help butugh again. With their tough skin, even bears sometimes suffer from the stings of venomous bees while trying to eat honey. asionally, they even die from particrly venomous stings.
But looking at Little Fu now, already stabilizing, it seemed unlikely he would pay for his gluttony with his life. However, the suffering was unavoidable, and the swelling would take a few days to subside.
For a foodie, eating is undeniably a top priority. Little Fu''s behavior perfectly illustrated the dedication of a true gourmand. Despite being stung to the point of swelling, he still longed for the honey on Han Cheng''s hand, gazing at him with his swollen, barely visible eyes and wagging his tail incessantly.
Seeing this, Han Cheng couldn''t help butugh. He squatted down and extended his hand, and immediately, Little Fu licked the honey off. Watching him struggle to lick his chin but failing, Han Cheng found a stick, tapped it on the ground to shake off the dirt, and scraped Little Fu''s chin. Little Fu promptly started licking the stick.
He licked while wagging his tail with great effort, looking quite content.
Watching Little Fu''sical antics, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile broadly.
The shaman and a few others nearby, who had been worried, looked at each other in bewilderment. The Divine Child was suddenly rxed and smiling. Wasn''t Little Fu in a dire situation? Shouldn''t he be trying to find a solution?
Among them, the shaman was the quickest to catch on. After a moment of confusion, he understood.
"Divine Child, is Little Fu okay?"
Han Cheng scraped off thest bit of honey from Little Fu''s chin and, seeing him happily licking the stick, smiled at the shaman and said, "He''s fine."
"And that is?"
The shaman pointed to the stick Little Fu was licking.
"This is honey."
"Honey?"
The shaman repeated Han Cheng''s words, not quite understanding this "honey".
"It''s something very sweet and tastes very good," Han Cheng exined, swallowing his saliva.
Understanding that honey was very sweet and tasty, the shaman and the others nearby couldn''t help but swallow their saliva.
True foodies!
Han Cheng couldn''t help butugh.
"Come on, stop eating. Take us to find the honey," Han Cheng said to the chubby Little Fu.
Han Cheng then led Fu Jiang and a few others in the direction from which Little Fu had emerged.
After learning what Han Cheng intended to do, the shaman called over a few more people, armed with weapons, to apany them.
Although Han Cheng said there was no need for this, insisting that the bees weren''t that dangerous, the shaman was still uneasy.
Little Fu had been stung into such a miserable state, so how could they not be dangerous?
Being cautious is never a mistake, and since the shaman insisted, Han Cheng didn''t argue further.
The saying "a dog relies on its master''s strength" proved quite true. Not long ago, Little Fu had fled in a panic from the stings, but now, with his mother, siblings, and so many people around, his courage surged. He became lively again, strutting ahead, sniffing at the grass, and leading Han Cheng and the others to where he''d gotten into trouble.
They crossed the field, entered the forest, and after winding through the woods for a while, the once-proud Little Fu wilted.
He paced around the spot, unwilling to go any further.
Not far from him stood arge, dead tree that one person couldn''t wrap their arms around. Due to its age, a crack had split open in the trunk, and many winged bees were buzzing in and out.
These bees were slightlyrger and darker in colorpared to the honeybeesmonly seen inter times.
Below the crack in the trunk, there was arger gap with some broken tree pieces scattered around, looking like something had wed it open.
Little Fu must have been trying to get in there with his mouth.
From here, they could see some honebs, albeit damaged ones.
Watching these busy bees diligently collecting pollen and making honey, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile broadly.
This was truly a treasure!
He immediately decided to get a closer look.
But after taking just a few steps, his arm was suddenly grabbed.
"Divine Child, don''t!"
It was the shaman who grabbed him, his voice filled with worry and fear.
His old, tree-root-like hand held tightly onto Han Cheng''s arm, preventing him from going any further.
At the same time, he turned and shouted to the others from the tribe, "Fall back! Don''t get any closer!"
Han Cheng didn''t understand why the shaman was reacting so strongly.
These bees might sting, but they weren''t that terrifying, right?
Or had the shaman noticed something dangerous?
Without pushing further, Han Cheng retreated with the shaman and the others.
It wasn''t until they were forty or fifty meters away from the tree that the shaman released Han Cheng''s arm and exhaled a long breath, looking back at the now inconspicuous dead tree with lingering fear.
"Shaman, what''s wrong?"
Han Cheng nced at the tree and then at the shaman, asking aloud.
The other members of the Green Sparrow tribe, who had maintained a high level of vignce due to the shaman''s words, also looked at him as if they hadn''t detected any wild animals nearby.
The shaman took several deep breaths, pointing toward the dead tree, and said with an exceptionally serious tone, "Don''t go there. It''s dangerous!"
Understanding the reason behind the shaman''s sudden strong reaction, Han Cheng scratched his head, puzzled.
Just a moment ago, when talking about the deliciousness of honey, hadn''t the shaman been drooling with desire?
Now that they were here, why did he suddenly act so repelled?
Chapter 392: Stung to death?
Chapter 392: Stung to death?
Under Han Cheng''s persistent questioning, the shaman exined the reason.
A long time ago, two members of the Green Sparrow tribe were gathering food and identally disturbed the flying insects that Han Cheng referred to as bees. Both of them died as a result, and their deaths were particrly tragic.
Primitive people''s knowledge was often hard-earned, with many lessons learned at the cost of lives. After those two deaths, the tribe''s shaman recorded that these flying insects'' gatherings were deadly and passed this knowledge to the next shaman.
Due to the different names used in the shaman''s tradition and Han Cheng''s terminology, the shaman didn''t realize that the bees and honey Han Cheng mentioned were the same insects that had caused deaths long ago. It wasn''t until they followed Little Fu to the bees'' nest that he understood.
Upon this realization, the shaman shared this old memory with the group, causing those eager for honey to feel a deep sense of caution.
Seeing Little Fu''s pitiable state and recalling the shaman''s words, everyone''s appetite for honey diminished significantly.
"Stung to death?" Han Cheng understood. No wonder the shaman reacted so strongly; the tribe had a grim history with these insects.
However, Han Cheng thought it unreasonable to avoid bees entirely due to past incidents. Not all bees were highly venomous; some, like those producing honey, posed less danger.
The bees they had found primarily produced honey and weren''t particrly venomous. Little Fu''s survival despite multiple stings was proof.Han Cheng shared his thoughts with the shaman and the others, but he shook his head resolutely, refusing to let Han Cheng take the risk. No matter how delicious honey was, it wasn''t worth endangering Han Cheng.
Realizing that he''d end up like Little Fu without proper preparation, Han Cheng didn''t insist and retreated from the forest with the shaman and the others. However, he memorized the location of the hive.
Springtime, with flowers in full bloom, meant the bees had plenty of pollen, and there would be abundant honey in the hive. Han Cheng couldn''t let such a bounty go to waste.
Back in the fields, he saw that everyone had mastered plowing and sowing, so he handed over the reins and hurried back to the settlement.
He went to his house, where he used a stone pen on a y tablet to sketch out the basic design of a beehive. Then he brought the tablet to Lame, who was doing carpentry in the yard. Han Cheng put down the tablet and asked Lame to temporarily stop his current work and start making the beehive, exining its structure.
Han Cheng had some knowledge of beehives from his childhood experiences with beekeepers.
Han Cheng''s recollection of a beehive was roughly a wooden box about half a meter wide and less than a meter in height and length. From the top of the beehive, you could pull out pre-made ts like drawers, each covered with honebs. With one slice of a bamboo knife, thick, golden honey would slowly flow out, falling into the prepared container below...
After focusing on weaving and carpentry for so long, Lame''s skills were quite impressive. He was also used to deciphering Han Cheng''s less-than-perfect drawings.
After Han Cheng''s exnation, Lame confidently assured him that he could build the box. He then began cutting the wood and making the basic wooden boards.
Han Cheng stayed for a while, and seeing that Lame was working diligently and effectively, he left feeling reassured.
Next, he went into the house and pulled out arge roll of linen. Totaling over sixty meters, this linen resulted from the Green Sparrow tribe women''sbor from the previous winter to this spring. About a quarter of it was produced by Bai Xue, a little child bride who enjoyed raising silkworms and weaving. Although all the linen was mixed, Han Cheng could easily identify Bai Xue''s work. Her linen was neat with few loose threads and very dense, far surpassing the others, which had many small square holes.
Bai Xue''s finely woven linen was ideal for making clothes, and Han Cheng was reluctant to use it carelessly. However, the less refined cloth also had its uses in specific circumstances.
Han Cheng selected the coarsest cloth for a veil and went outside to find Bai Xue, who intently watched silkworms eat mulberry leaves. When Bai Xue noticed someone approaching and saw it was Brother Cheng, she immediately smiled, showing her white teeth. Her front teeth had already been reced, and the big tooth on the bottom left had just fallen out a few days ago. Only those familiar with her would notice that this didn''t affect her speech or smile.
Han Cheng patted the now slightly taller Bai Xue on the head and smiled, "Go get the needle, thread, and iron knife. I need you to make something for me."
Bai Xue happily agreed and quickly ran into the house, returning shortly with a small pottery basin containing needles and thread.
"Brother Cheng, what are we making?" Bai Xue asked as she began measuring the cloth against Han Cheng.
Putting on the straw hat he had brought, Han Cheng pointed at it and said, "Sew a circle of cloth around this hat, down to my waist."
Bai Xue, her hands deftly working with the cloth, asked, "What is Brother Cheng making this for?"
"Do you like the canned fruit we made?" Han Cheng asked with a smile.
Bai Xue nodded vigorously, recalling the sweet and tangy canned fruit she still fondly remembered, feeling it was even better than wine or vinegar.
"With this, in a few days, I''ll bring back something even better than those canned fruits," Han Cheng exined.
Hearing this, Bai Xue''s curiosity and excitement grew, and she focused even more on the task at hand.
Chapter 393: The Neglected Lame
Chapter 393: The Neglected Lame
Better than just cooked canned food?
The young wife''s eyes narrowed, and she unconsciously started to salivate. Her hands moved faster. After measuring, she folded along the marks drawn with charcoal and then cut with an iron knife. Once cut, she took the hat off Han Cheng''s head, ced it on herp, and started threading the needle, sewing meticulously.
A man focused on his work and a woman are most appealing. Watching Lamei Xue concentrate on sewing, Han Cheng smiled faintly, feeling peaceful inside. He silently praised himself for his cleverness. Where would he find such a talented young wife without his slow cultivation?
"Here, use your hands to drill a few holes."
Han Cheng pointed to the already-formed beehive and instructed Lame.
"These holes must be left; otherwise, the bees won''t be able toe and go."
"Lame, are you interested in doing something earth-shattering with me?"
Looking at the fullypleted beehive, Han Cheng asked Lame with a mesmerizing tone, having dropped his axe.
Something earth-shattering? Lame''s eyes lit up with excitement, reminiscent of when he followed the Divine Child out of the cave in the dead of winter and broke through the ice, saving the tribe from crisis and drastically changing his pitiful status.The Divine Child hadn''t disyed such an imposing presence in a long time, so Lame readily agreed without hesitation.
Then, when many people were resting at lunchtime, he carried a wooden box with him, sneakily following the rather suspicious-looking Divine Child towards the tribe''s gate.
"Divine Child, why are we doing this?"
Lame lowered his voice, expressing his confusion.
Han Cheng smiled bitterly. Wasn''t this necessary? If the unusually concerned Shaman knew about this, getting him to agree to take the bee colony would take a lot of convincing. So, after much thought, Han Cheng decided to act sneakily first. Once he had collected the bees, Gu wouldn''t have much to say in the face of facts.
" Divine Child..."
"Hush!"
Seeing Han Cheng and Lame behaving suspiciously, Tie Tou, guarding the wall, scratched his head and asked.
But Han Cheng stopped him before the word "Divine Child" coulde out.
Having spent much time with the Divine Child, Tie Tou understood the meaning behind this action and quicklyplied.
By this time, Han Cheng had quietly opened the gate and stepped outside the tribe.
"Shaman, where are you going?"
Tie Tou asked in a hushed voice.
"Don''t ask too much. I''ll bring you some delicious foodter!"
Han Cheng replied simrly hushedly, holding a container and some other items in his hands.
Hearing the promise of delicious food, Tie Tou immediately stopped asking and nodded vigorously.
Han Cheng, with Lame in tow, swiftly headed towards the location of the beehive.
"Divine Child, what are we doing?"
Watching as the tribe grew farther away, Lame, feeling somewhat worried, finally remembered to ask this crucial question.
"Collecting honeybees, collecting honey."
Han Cheng showed a mouthful of white teeth, smiling at Lame.
"Ah."
Lame responded, then continued to ponder the rather convoluted statement made by Han Cheng in his mind.
Seeing Lame''s reaction, Han Cheng couldn''t help but nod. Lame was indeed someone worthy of the Divine Child''s attention. If others knew the purpose of this trip, they would surely advise him against it.
To achieve the same calmness as Lame was impossible.
Han Cheng thought this to himself as he walked for a while and looked back to see Lamegging behind, wearing a troubled expression like he was constipated.
Of course, Lame''s expression wouldn''t be too pleasant because after pondering for a while, he finally figured out what the Divine Child wanted to do with him and why the Divine Child''s behavior today was so strange!
Bees!
Bees that had once stung people to death!
Because a swarm of bees suddenly appeared around the tribe, and Xiao Fu was stung by bees, losing all resemnce to a dog, the tribe''s shaman, upon returning to the tribe, began to spread the word about the dangers of bees.
To prove the correctness of his words, he even deliberately dug out a stone tablet from a pile of old bs, pointing to the inscriptions that only he and Hei Wa, two people in the whole tribe, could recognize and announce to everyone.
How could Lame not know about such things?
No wonder the Divine Child didn''t say what the wooden box was for when Lame asked.
"Di...Divine Child, let''s... let''s go back..."
After understanding what the Divine Child would do, which was to perform something that would astonish the heavens and move ghosts, Lame almost burst into tears.
Han Cheng sniffed. I praised you so much in my heart just now.
"Do you trust me?"
There was no choice; Han Cheng had to rely on his umted prestige over a long period.
"I do."
Without any hesitation, Lame blurted out.
"Since you want to believe, thene with me. I have a way to keep the bees from harming me."
Han Cheng struck while the iron was hot.
And so, the two-man bee-collecting team continued on their way.
Lame, carrying the wooden box, looked like he was about to cry. He trusted the Divine Child, but collecting bees was still too dangerous.
Thus, the two arrived in front of the dead tree. Han Cheng didn''t rush forward but first checked the surroundings to ensure no danger. Then, he began to unpack his belongings.
He first put on leather gloves and tied them tightly with ropes to ensure there were no gaps between them and his sleeves, thereby preventing skin exposure.
He then tied the leather pants tightly with ropes, connecting them to his socks and tucking them into his shoes.
Just as he finished this, preparing to put on a cloth hat with holes sewn in, Lame brought the beehive over.
"Divine Child, let me go."
Lame said, looking at the dead tree buzzing with bees. Although he looked frightened, his determination to rece Han Cheng never wavered.
Han Cheng put on the hat, the cloth hanging down his waist like a curtain. He reached out to tie the rope at his chest through the small holes and smiled at Lame, "You hide in the distance. You don''t understand bees. Let me handle it. With these precautions, they can''t harm me."
Lame still hesitated until Han Cheng adopted the Divine Child''s posture. Then, he had to follow Han Cheng''s instructions and walk away, looking worried as he watched Han Cheng, carrying the beehive, approach the dead tree.
Han Cheng wasn''t worried at all. He was already armed like this; if these bees still managed to breach his defenses, they would truly be extraordinary.
He put down the beehive and began to chop at the dead tree, preparing to erge it and find the queen bee.
As long as he found this guy, everything would be solved.
"Bang!"
"Bzzz~!"
Chapter 394: Collected a Bee Swam
Chapter 394: Collected a Bee Swam
With one axe blow, a piece of somewhat rotten wood fell to the ground, widening the gap considerably.
The bees, quietly building their nests and making honey, suddenly became agitated by this attack and swarmed towards the audacious intruder who dared to destroy their home, buzzing loudly as theyunched a rapid attack.
This method was always effective. Not long ago, they defeated and drove away a fierce wild beast using this method.
However, today, they were destined to be disappointed because, faced with their dense attacks, the big monster still attacked their nest rhythmically and without hurry.
Looking through the cloth in front of him at the swarm of bees buzzing and dancing chaotically, Han Cheng couldn''t help but marvel silently.
Luckily, the tribe had already produced cloth. Otherwise, collecting this swarm of bees so peacefully would have been quite difficult.
"Divine Child!"
Lame, hiding in the distance, saw the chaotic scene of the insects with wings swarming around the Shaman and hastily grabbed a branch from the nearby tree. He shouted and was about to rush over to Han Cheng.
Ready to fight these insects and save the Divine Child from danger."Go back!"
Han Cheng turned his head and saw Lameing this way. He couldn''t help but be anxious and shouted.
Is heing to fight the insects now? If he had known, he wouldn''t have brought Lame along.
The insects had turned Xiao Fu into that state. It could be imagined that these bees were more venomous than those inter generations.
"I''m fine! They can''t sting me!"
Seeing Han Cheng full of confidence and those terrifying little insects being blocked outside, Lame, with lingering fear in his heart, returned to his hiding ce and secretly worried about the Divine Child.
Here, Han Cheng continued to wield the axe, constantly erging the gap in the tree.
After the gap in the tree had reached a certain size, he stopped and began to search for the queen bee''s figure amidst the disturbance caused by the buzzing bees.
Sure enough, those who could aplish great things always had an extraordinary demeanor andposure, undisturbed even when Mount Tai copsed. It wasn''t just humans; bees were the same.
In the situation where the nest had been chopped into this state by Han Cheng and many bees had gone out to confront the enemy, the queen bee, muchrger than ordinary bees, stilly quietly in the nest. The more indifferent it was, the more indifferent it appeared.
Having found the target, Han Cheng grinned and put down the iron axe, recing it with a bamboo knife. He made a few cuts near the queen bee, and a trace of golden honey overflowed. With a spin of the bamboo knife, a piece of honeb and the queen bee fell into Han Cheng''s waiting hand.
Han Cheng opened the bee box, set it aside, put the honeb and queen bee inside, picked up the bee box, and walked away.
As a result, Lame, who had been hiding on the side, mouth gaping wide, saw those violent bees following the Divine Child.
After the Divine Child left, they quickly flew into the bee box one by one, obediently as if they had been raised.
The bees that had just been violent and terrifying quickly disappeared, with most of them entering the bee box.
Han Cheng looked at therge group of disappeared bees and covered the top of the bee box. From now on, if the bees wanted to enter or leave, they could only do so through the holes left earlier.
With most of the bees left away, only the honeb that Han Cheng had longed for remained in the dead tree!
He took the bamboo knife and began to cut it down piece by piece, the rich scent of honey drilling into his nose.
Unable to resist, he opened his mouth wide, letting the honey dripping from the bamboo knife fall into his mouth.
After a few drops of honey entered his mouth, that unique sweetness filled his oral cavity.
Han Cheng wondered if it was because he hadn''t eaten particrly sweet food for a long time. Still, he felt that this honey was exceptionally pure and far better than the packaged honey eaten inter generations.
After cutting down pieces of honeb, Han Cheng squeezed out the honey inside, leaving the rest on the animal skin wrap.
He couldn''t bear to throw this stuff away. When it was time for tea or sweet soup, he would throw a piece in, and it would immediately sweeten up.
Moreover, honey is important in preventing wound inmmation.
At this time, Lame also emerged from his hiding ce, looking awed at the bee box. He walked over to Han Cheng and stretched his head to look at the jar of translucent honey inside.
"Taste it."
Han Cheng took a small piece of broken honeb and handed it to Ba, indicating that he should taste it.
Ba tentatively put the honeb into his mouth. At first, he was cautious, afraid that the honeb would bite like those bees, but as soon as he tasted it, he couldn''t help himself. He kept swallowing saliva. If Han Cheng hadn''t reminded him, Lame would have chewed up the honebpletely.
"Divine Child, this..."
Lame''s eyes sparkled, and it looked like he had been injected with chicken blood. He looked at the jar of honey and then at the honeb in the wrap, not knowing what to say to express his feelings for a while.
The thing called honeb by the Shaman, the deliciousness of itpletely exceeded his imagination.
If the honeb was this delicious, he couldn''t imagine what the honey the Shaman solemnly put in the jar would taste like!
Lame looked at the nearly full jar of honey, unable to help but fantasize.
At this moment, he had long forgotten about fear.
In the gap of the big tree, all the honebs werepletely harvested by Han Cheng.
At this time, most of the bees had entered the bee box.
Han Cheng put another piece of un-squeezed honeb inside, covered the lid, and then let Ba carry the honeb and the jar of honey in front while he carried the bee box behind.
Now, perhaps feeling the breath of spring, Han Cheng''s body grew rapidly after spring began. He had at least grown three centimeters taller than before the new year, and his strength had also increased significantly. Now, although carrying the bee box containing a swarm of bees was a bit strenuous, he could still persist.
"Hehe..."
"Hehehe..."
On the way, the two guysughed like fools, not saying a word, asionally chuckling.
Little did they know the people in the tribe were about to go crazy.
Shaman felt somewhat uneasy after waking up from their nap and not seeing Han Cheng''s figure after searching around. After hurriedly inquiring with Tie Tou, guarding the front wall, and learning that the Shaman had gone out with Lame to where they found the beehive and mentioning that they were bringing back something delicious, Shaman immediately became anxious!
He hastily gathered the Eldest Senior Brother and others, and then left the tribe, hurrying to the ce where the beehive was located...
Chapter 395: Tribe filled with sweetness
Chapter 395: Tribe filled with sweetness
"Don''t let anything happen, please, don''t let anything happen..."
As he hurriedly rushed over, Shaman kept muttering to himself.
If something happened to the Divine Child, he couldn''t imagine what the tribe would be like after such an event.
Describing it as "the sky falling" wouldn''t be an exaggeration.
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. From the gatekeeper, Tie Tou, he learned that the Divine Child had set off with Lame a long time ago.
It had been such a long time, and they still hadn''t returned. This...
Thinking back to the two tribesmen who had died not far from the beehive, Shaman''s heart became even more restless. He felt as if his heart was being squeezed together...
He was panting heavily, but he didn''t feel tired. He kept walking forward, his feet moving without stopping, unlike the speed one would expect from someone his age.
"I''ll go check first!"Feeling increasingly uneasy, the Eldest Senior Brother said this to Shaman after walking for a while, then led arge group of people toward the direction of the beehive at the speed of hunting prey.
"Divine Child?!"
After running and entering the woods, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others saw Lame walking ahead, carrying a jar and a package.
Their gaze briefly paused on Lame before skipping over to a strange-looking person walking about ten meters behind him.
Although this person was carrying a wooden box and wearing a peculiar hat that covered his face with cloth, they immediately recognized him as the Divine Child, whom they had been worried about endlessly.
After the initial surprise and shouts of joy, the relieved crowd hastened their steps again and rushed towards Han.
Han Cheng was taken aback, then sighed with a bitter smile. How could he still be discovered?
Realizing he was holding a beehive, he quickly shouted, "Don''te too close to me. I have bees in my hands..."
Lame also reacted and hurriedly added, "Divine Child, there are bees in his hands, don''t go near."
Bees?
How could the Divine Child still have bees in his hands?
Thinking this, they noticed that winged insects flew into the wooden box the Divine Child was carrying from time to time.
The Eldest Senior Brother was startled and anxiously eximed, "Divine Child! Quickly get rid of it!"
Saying this, he was about to run towards Han to rescue their esteemed Divine Child from the clutches of those vicious insects.
Throw it away?
Why would he throw away the bees he had worked so hard to get?
Seeing the crowd rushing towards him again, Han couldn''t help but feel touched and bitter.
After another round of exnations, these people finally stopped in doubt, keeping a certain distance from Han, looking at him with a hint of worry and awe.
They worried that the bees would harm the Divine Child but admired him for his courage. The Divine Child actively provoked the bees and put them into the box himself, carrying them by hand.
"Where''s Shaman?"
Han asked.
Knowing Shaman''s character, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others wouldn''t have mobilized so many people like this. The one who always cared for the elderly in the tribe couldn''t possibly remain indifferent.
"He''s behind us!"
Reminded by Han, the people who hade remembered this. The Eldest Senior Brother quickly sent the fastest runner back to tell Shaman that the Divine Child was safe and not to worry ore this way.
At Han Cheng''s signal, Lame put down the honey jar, opened the package, and set down the beehive. He used a bamboo knife to cut off some honeb and distributed it to the approaching crowd.
The crowd looked at the somewhat yellowed, hole-riddled substance, unsure what to make of it.
But Lame was an old hand at this. He picked up a small piece of the honeb allocated to him and swallowed a mouthful of saliva before putting it in his mouth. Then, as a demonstration to the others, he eagerly tasted the honeb, squinting his eyes in delight.
Seeing his reaction, the others hesitated but ultimately followed suit, putting the seemingly inconspicuous and somewhat strange honeb into their mouths.
"Hmm?!"
The Eldest Senior Brother''s eyes widened instantly.
Even the Second Senior Brother, who loved to eat the most, hesitated momentarily before his mouth moved quickly. He ate while eyeing the remainingrge pieces of honeb in the package, his eyes shining brightly...
No wonder the Divine Child was eager to get these bees. This stuff was incredibly delicious!
They had thought that the fruit juice they had drunk before was sweet and tasty enough, butpared to this honeb, it was far inferior!
Even the smaller-faced Little Fu came over. As the first discoverer of the honeb and the first to try it, Han Cheng also gave him some honeb. Little Fu, like the others, didn''t hesitate to indulge.
After this round of operations, Han Cheng also rested, picked up the beehive, and continued to the tribe.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others followed, but unlike their anxious rush before, on the way back, they all calmed down and were filled with joy. Some were even secretly licking their fingers.
This young Divine Child, who had not yet fully grown up, had already be their backbone...
"Phew~!"
Shaman, who had received the report, let out a long sigh,pletely rxed. Those who had just hurried along now felt tired and found a slightly elevated spot to sit, panting heavily.
As he breathed heavily, he asked about the situation over there.
"They collected all the bees?!"
Shaman''s eyes widened.
"Shaman, try this."
Inside the tribe, Han Cheng, who knew he had acted improperly, held out a bowl of freshly brewed honey water to Shaman, behaving somewhat obsequiously.
Looking at Han Cheng''s appearance, Shaman couldn''t help but feel amused and moved.
He pretended to be still angry, took the honey water, and brought it to his lips. The cloudy old eyes immediately lit up.
With his mouth wide open, he looked at Han Cheng and then at the honey water in the bowl, his face filled with astonishment. The anger he had just forced himself to show disappeared in an instant.
"Divine... Divine Child, this..."
Seeing Shaman''s reaction, Han Cheng smiled subtly...
In the room, Han Cheng lifted a piece of honeb with chopsticks, drawing out a bright line of viscous honey.
The chopsticks, coated in honey, entered the mouth of his young bride.
Bai Xue¡¯s big eyes involuntarily squinted, resembling two adorable crescent moons.
Big Brother Han brought back something delicious...
The beehive was ced on a mud wall over a meter high and two to three meters long, specially built in the courtyard.
It had to be ced so high because these little fellows, like Little Fu, always wanted toe and bother the beehive, acting on the principle of "remember the meal, forget the beating."
Wherever the queen bee was, that was home, and these bees had already adapted to their new home, continuously flying in and out of the holes in the beehive, diligently collecting pollen and making honey.
Outside the walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe, therge expanse of flourishing rapeseed flowers had be their best gathering ce for nectar...
Chapter 396: Brick kiln put on the agenda
Chapter 396: Brick kiln put on the agenda
In the beginning, the people in the tribe were very worried about keeping such arge group of bees inside the tribe''s walls, afraid that these bees would sting people. But if they were left outside, they were afraid that something else would take the delicious honey away. So, in a dilemma, they epted the idea of ??bees living in the tribe.
After a few days of contact, it was discovered that these bees were busy collecting pollen daily, flying around. As long as they didn''t attack the beehive like Xiao Fu did initially, these bees wouldn''t actively attack people. After that, the people in the tribepletely let go of their worries.
Many children would stand near the beehives when they had nothing to do, watching the beesing in and out of the hives. Some would even involuntarily put their fingers into their mouths to suck on them.
Sweet honey was attractive enough for children who liked sweets. As long as they did their work well, they could drink a bowl of honey water. These kids worked harder than anyone else.
After the waves caused by the bees gradually subsided, the spring nting in the Green Sparrow Tribe waspleted. The earliest nted millet had already sprouted from the ground, showing tender shoots and receiving the caress of the spring breeze.
Smoke was rising from outside the Green Sparrow Tribe, near the river. People who had freed up their hands from spring nting had begun to make bricks and prepare for the blue brick and big tile houses mentioned by the Divine Child.
Now, Hei Wa was no longer involved in the tile-making work, leaving it to the two people who often helped him. Making tiles was rtively easier than making pottery, which had higher requirements.
However, he was not idle either. At this time, he had more important things to do.
Compared to making tiles, making bricks was much more difficult. The kiln used for firing tiles was not suitable for firing bricks. It''s not that it couldn''t be done, but it was just tooborious.They tried firing once before. The fire burned continuously for three full days before finally baking the bricks. It took so much time and materials, yet only produced about a hundred bricks in one firing, and half of them were damaged as soon as they came out of the kiln, rendering them unusable.
At this rate, it would take forever for Han Cheng''s desired brick and tile houses to appear.
As it turned out, the kiln for firing tiles was unsuitable for firing bricks. The solution, of course, was to build a new kiln suitable for firing bricks.
The first requirement for the new kiln was that it had to berge enough to amodate arge number of brick nks at once, at least more than a thousand.
Secondly, it had to be sturdy.
Because of the living conditionster in life, Han Cheng saw brick kilns for firing bricks. In those years, brick kilns were not umon.
Of course, most of the ones he had seen were already abandoned brick kilns.
In his memory, the kilns used to fire bricks were roughly cylindrical, about four or five meters high, with a diameter of over fifteen meters, narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, simr to a huge mound.
Inside such arge mound was a domed space built with bricks, with an arched passage for transporting bricks and people in and out.
Inside, the space was rtivelyrge, where the manufactured and dried brick nks were ced...
Building such a kiln was also a major project. Even though Han Cheng intended to halve its size, it was undoubtedly a huge challenge for him and the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who only knew the general structure but had never tried their hand at it.
The arched roof, especially, requires very high technical skills.
But there wasn''t much else to do, so they could only learn as they went along, fighting and learning simultaneously.
Many things are like this. You''ll never know if you can seed if you don''t try.
Just like the charcoal burning and iron smelting before, Han Cheng had never thought of these things. But life had pushed them to this point, so what else could they do? They could only grit their teeth and do it.
Without trying, you''ll never know how talented you are!
After motivating himself with such thoughts, Han Cheng began to arrange manpower.
Firstly, he had some people continue making brick nks, which was necessary.
At the same time, he let two people continue firing bricks in the small earth kiln that wasn''t suitable for brick firing.
There was no other way. The interior of the brick kiln to be builtter would need to be lined with bricks, so they had to start by firing some as backups.
However, the bricks fired this way were not blue but red with a yellowish tint.
To fire bricks, another procedure that the small earth kiln used for firing tiles couldn''t carry out was needed.
After several days, under Han Cheng''s guidance, some people from the Green Sparrow Tribe began to select a site near the original small earth kiln and started digging.
They dug out a circr pit with a diameter of about eight meters and a depth of about one meter twenty.
Afterpleting these tasks and realizing they still didn''t have enough bricks, Han Cheng momentarily instructed people to cut more tree branches and bring them over, preparing to build a thatched shed near the earth kiln.
Of course, this shed wasn''t for people to live in but for the brick nks.
Like pottery y molds, brick nks couldn''t withstand strong sunlight, especially in the summer and rain.
So Han Cheng took advantage of this opportunity to have people build a thatched shed to shelter the brick nks. This way, even if it rained in the future, they wouldn''t have to worry.
Building sheds like this was a piece of cake for the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe. After Han Cheng marked out the area for building the shed, he didn''t have to worry about the rest. The people in the tribe could take care of the rest themselves.
The people of the original Bone Tribe once again marveled at the capabilities of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
How could they have so many things?
After this sigh of emotion, they began to invest themselves in variousbor tasks, contributing to the tribe while also quickly learning these new skills.
While the tribe''s members were busy with these tasks, Han Cheng, the foreman, didn''t idle either. He continuously arranged the bricks that had already been fired, somewhat like ying with building blocks.
First, he arranged two walls no more than thirty centimeters high and no more than one meter long. The distance between these two walls was one meter.
Then, using brick by brick, he extended the arch between the two "walls" bit by bit.
The arch was an unavoidable obstacle in building the brick kiln, as it was the best choice regarding load-bearing and heat resistance.
This wasn''t a big deal for people used to masonry work, but for Han Cheng, who was a novice, it was much more difficult.
"tter..."
The arches extending from both walls hadn''t even smoothly connected before they copsed...
Chapter 397: Sturdy without using Cement
Chapter 397: Sturdy without using Cement
Han Cheng looked at the copsed pile of bricks, sniffed, then moved the bricks aside and continued this seemingly never-ending task.
His craftsmanship had few shortcuts; it could only be improved through continuous trial and practice.
He was just an ordinary person from the future with no superpowers, so he had to try repeatedly, learn from his experiences, and then continue trying.
"tter..."
Just as Han Cheng was about to rejoice at the finally connected arch, the bricks pieced together copsed once again.
"Brother Cheng, just use some mud to stick them together, and they won''t copse..."
After watching for a while, Bai Xue stood by the side and couldn''t help but speak up.
She didn''t understand why Brother Cheng only used bricks instead of using well-mixed mud as adhesive or stronger cement to build.
How could it be possible to build without using mud? How could it not be possible?People like Bai Xue, who had never been exposed to such things, didn''t understand its reasoning. He had seen skilled craftsmen build an arch piece by piece with bricks before, without any adhesive, and it was solid.
It seemed to involve some force, which, as a humanities student, he didn''t quite understand, but he also understood that this principle was simr to that of an eggshell.
An eggshell is thin and fragile, but most people can''t crush it with their hands.
The arch that Han Cheng wanted to make was simr to this.
There''s no room forziness; a forcibly constructed arch using straw ash cement or mud wouldn''t achieve a perfect state structurally, and such an arch wouldn''t bear weight.
Han Cheng was preparing to make a brick kiln, the kind that required people to enter, ce brick nks, and remove bricks.
How could he not take this seriously?
Otherwise, if people were working in the kiln and the kiln copsed...
Han Cheng wiped the sweat from his forehead, straightened up to rest momentarily, and smiled at Bai Xue, "We can''t use mud for now. I''ll finish building them first, then use mud... Didn''t I already build it for a while just now..."
Bai Xue blinked her eyes. It copsed right after she let go, and that was considered built?
But she didn''t say anything more. Since Brother Cheng said so, there must be a reason for it, and he could build them without using mud.
After standing here for a while and watching, she left and went to pick up mulberry leaves with several other people from the tribe.
The silkworms had already started molting; after molting, they would eat a lot of mulberry leaves.
Han Cheng continued with his continuous building and copsing.
During this period, there was more than one asion when people came over, like Bai Xue, suggesting solutions to him, but he smiled and refused.
If the Zhaozhou Bridge, with its long span, could be sessfully built and stand for thousands of years without copsing, there was no reason he couldn''t build an arch with a span of only one meter...
Was an arch built without mud sturdier than one built with it?
The people of the Green Sparrow tribe, upon learning what the shaman wanted to do, were puzzled and eager to see what the shaman''s words would bring to them, opening their eyes.
The leader of the donkey tribe, addicted to trade, came with the goods traded by the tribe. Regarding the appearance of these things outside the Green Sparrow tribe, he expressed his iprehension.
These people in the tribe don''t seem to hunt; they scratch around in the dirt all day, not doing any real work... The key is that despite this, the tribe is getting better and better, which is frustrating.
Especially that Divine Child, constantly stacking neat stones and constantly copsing. When he saw it, it had copsed four times already.
Is this the Divine Child revered like a god by this powerful tribe?
The leader of the donkey tribe left,ining all the way.
Hisints weren''t without reason. Originally, it was enough to exchange fur for pottery, but now salt wasn''t free anymore, and the same amount of fur would get much less in exchange.
Should he start trading with other tribes again? Should he ask for more things in exchange for salt?
The leader of the donkey tribe pondered...
Not long after the leader of the donkey tribe left, Han Cheng finally managed to build the arch properly.
The arch, built entirely of dry bricks, didn''t copse this time like before. Instead, it stood there quietly, with curvature, as if glued together with cement.
Seeing this scene, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe were very surprised at thispletely illogical thing.
What surprised them even more was what happened next. After waiting for a while, the Divine Child put one foot on it.
This made everyone very worried. It was already very difficult for this thing, which seemed unable to bear any weight and could copse at any time, to support itself. Why step on it with a foot?
However, the expected copse did not ur. After the Divine Child put his foot on it, the thing, which seemed unable to support any weight and could copse at any time, was surprisingly stable.
"Brother Cheng!"
After realizing Han Cheng''s intention to go up to the top of the arch, Bai Xue worriedly called out.
Although the arch was not high and falling from it wouldn''t cause injury, it was built with bricks, and it was very likely that the copsed arch would trap his foot.
Han Cheng smiled at her and then climbed up.
To everyone''s surprise, the seemingly weak, dry brick arch with an empty middle withstood the Divine Child''s weight and showed no signs of copse.
Seeing this miraculous scene, everyone couldn''t help but marvel.
After standing on it for a while and testing it, Han Cheng began to jump lightly on it, gradually increasing the force until he jumped down with all his strength. There was no sign of copse, and Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
With perseverance, he finally built this thing!
Everyone wondered how this seemingly weak arch could withstand so much force. After consulting Han Cheng''s opinion, they also began to climb up one by one.
After experiencing the strength of this arch firsthand, everyone was even more surprised. Even after sessfully slimming down, the second elder brother, still the heaviest in the tribe, went up and down several times. After experiencing the strength of this arch, everyone had a whole new understanding.
In everyone''s regretful expressions, Han Cheng personally dismantled the arch that had been so painstakingly built.
Then, after moving one of the walls, which was only 30 centimeters high, back half a meter, he continued to build the arch with bricks.
However, the arch''s span reached one and a half meters this time.
"tter..."
As expected by Han Cheng, the first attempt failed again.
However, with the experience of building the smaller arch, therger span arch didn''t fail too often. By the second day, he had it set up properly.
Chapter 398: Cold bucket of water
Chapter 398: Cold bucket of water
At the smoky riverside of the Green Sparrow Tribe, arge grass shed was erected. Underneath the shed were five sets of bricks, arranged alternately in rows and columns, forming walls one meter wide, one and a half meters high, and over ten meters long.
The brick walls were oriented east to west, with gaps of over half a meter between each wall. This arrangement was made because east winds often blow after winter. Thisyout allows for good venttion and better preservation of the bricks.
These numerous bricks were the result of the hard work and mood of the Green Sparrow Tribe people during this period.
After finishing excavating the circr foundation, Han Cheng ced the final brick. The arch, spanning two meters, was alsopleted.
He then called the Second Eldest Brother over and had him jump fiercely on top to test the strength of the brick arch.
After some jumping, the brick arch remained as strong as ever, and Han Cheng smiled.
Then, he spent another two days with Hei Wa, building the internal structure of the kiln elsewhere using bricks and some brick nks, considering things like airflow and smoke exhaust.
After waiting a few days, they began piling soil continuously around the kiln once it was sturdy enough, slowly covering up what had been built before.
The soil waspacted using the tools previously used to tamp the walls.The thickyer of soil covering the outside of the kiln served a purpose, primarily instion.
This was a considerable amount of work and took half a month toplete.
By this time, the rapeseed seeds had also matured.
Han Cheng instructed most people to harvest the rapeseed seeds while he and Hei Wa wandered around the kiln with shovels, doing some repairs.
Practice makes perfect. This phrase was reflected vividly in Hei Wa. He was passionate not only about making pottery but also about various types of kilns.
Now faced with this kiln, which felt spacious even when a person entered it, his anticipation was stronger than that of Han Cheng, the advocate himself.
A kiln this big was something he had never dared to think about, yet here it was, right in front of him!
If this kiln worked well and was used to fire pottery, how much pottery could be fired in one kiln?
Looking at the bricks emitting smoke from the top as they were ignited from the inside for drying, Hei Wa was full of longing thoughts...
After harvesting all the rapeseed from several hectares, the newly built brick kiln waspletely dry. Under Han Cheng''smand, 500 bricks made for a long time were sent into the kiln.
Then, the firing began.
The kiln''s capacity, which had been painstakingly built, was naturally not just this much. However, this was the first time a brick kiln was used in a true sense to fire bricks. People, including Han Cheng, were unfamiliar with the firing process, so they needed to explore and experiment.
Firing such a kiln required far more wood than other small kilns. Bundles of wood were directly added to the fire mouth.
The mes roared beneath the kiln, and smoke billowed upward.
Therge firested two days and nights before no more wood was added.
The fire mouth was sealed shut, and the people, prepared ording to Han Cheng''s previous instructions, began to carry water in pottery jars from the nearby stream. They poured the water, jar by jar, down from the top of the kiln along the designated opening.
The thickyer of soil outside the brick kiln insted the heat, so even though the temperature inside the kiln was terrifyingly high, the people climbing up and down with water around the kiln only felt the soil slightly warm.
The cool river water poured into the kiln from above, mingling with the hot air and other elements inside, generating arge amount of even hotter gas, which permeated the soil kiln...
After pouring a jar of water, Hei Wa was still slightly stunned. He couldn''t understand why they suddenly had to pour water into the kiln during a proper firing.
Wouldn''t this cause all the bricks inside the kiln to be damaged?
Apart from this oue, he couldn''t think of any other result as someone who dealt with pottery all year round.
The Divine Child should be clearer about such matters than he was, yet he still let it happen...
This was precisely what puzzled Hei Wa even more.
Could there be other changes he was unaware of by doing this?
Squatting there, he epted the water handed to him by others, silently pondering this seemingly illogical and confusing matter.
Of course, there would be other changes. For example, bricks could not be fired without the step of pouring water.
Han Cheng insisted on firing green bricks not because the Green Sparrow Tribe''s color was also green and he wanted these green bricks to match the tribe but because, under these conditions, green bricks were stronger than red bricks.
Themon red bricks inter generations were all mechanically pressed, resulting in a much higher density of brick nks. However, the brick nks of the Green Sparrow Tribe were made entirely by hand.
Even if great force was applied during the brick-making process, the density of the resulting brick nks was far lower than that ofter generations.
Bricks made in this way were prone to fragility, but under the same conditions, green bricks were more durable than red bricks.
Red bricks gradually reced green bricks inter generations and were almost on the verge of extinction, unrted to the difficulty of firing them.
With various machines inter generations and changes in kiln-firing technology, it only took three to four hours to fire a kiln of red bricks.
It was impossible for green bricks, which required watering and a sealed kiln, to achieve this speed.
Moreover, due to the movement of machines, the red bricks fired were no worse than green bricks and were even more durable, so recing green bricks became inevitable.
However, under the current conditions, green bricks were still the preferred choice for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
"Bricks made this way will be stronger and more practical."
Han Cheng touched the bricks mixed with sand and gravel and told Hei Wa, who had sealed the kiln.
Stronger?
Are you sure they won''t fall apart?
Hei Wa was puzzled but didn''t ask any further because he knew that the Shaman''s words were generally not wrong.
But what was the reason behind this?
Hei Wa scratched his head, looking somewhat distressed.
After firing the kiln for two days, on the third day, after watering and sealing the kiln, in the eager anticipation of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, the kiln was finally opened!
Seeing the hot air from the kiln mouth, Han Cheng also felt nervous and clenched his fists.
Although he knew what the final product fired from the kiln would look like, he still wasn''t sure if the kiln he had built could produce qualified products. After all, this was the first kiln.
Han Cheng stopped Hei Wa, who was eager to know the results and wanted to enter the kiln. After waiting for a while here and ensuring venttion, he put on a mask made of severalyers of linen and went into the brick kiln.
Hei Wa and the others were also dressed simrly.
Chapter 399: Cart
Chapter 399: Cart
After much effort, the rtively small quantity of high-quality linen, which had been manufactured with considerable effort, was transformed into what appeared to be of little use: items referred to as masks by the Divine Child, which made many people in the tribe feel very ufortable.
It wasn''t just Bai Xue, the fabric enthusiast, who felt ufortable; even those wearing masks felt the same.
Because these things covered their mouths and noses, it was ufortable to breathe.
However, when they descended into the kiln, the Divine Child insisted they must wear them, and nobody was allowed to ck off.
He said that if they didn''t do this, they would easily contract a very ufortable illness.
It wasn''t until they realized the seriousness of the situation and the possibility of illness that the people who descended into the kiln began to take it seriously and dared not disregard wearing the extremely ufortable masks.
Although Han Cheng felt a bit sorry for using linen originally intended for clothing to make masks, he did not skimp or hesitate in the slightest.
This was something that had to be done; otherwise, if several people in the tribe ended up with tuberculosis, it would be unbearable.
That was a disease that could reduce a strong man to the brink of death!The temperature inside the brick kiln was much higher than outside, and Han Cheng was sweating profusely soon after entering.
However, he didn''t pay much attention to this; instead, he focused intently on the bricks inside the kiln.
Compared to before, these brick nks had changed significantly.
Each was dark green, and they made a crisp sound when two were struck together.
Han Cheng held a green brick in his hand, a smile on his face. His luck and skill were not wrong; these bricks from the first kiln were sessful!
He had the bricks transported outside; out of the five hundred bricks, forty-three had cracked, which was still within an eptable range.
The middle part of these cracked bricks was ck, indicating they had not been fully fired.
It seemed that the kiln had been extinguished too early this time; next time, they would need to fire it for a more extended period.
He didn''t discard these broken bricks but had them all transported back to the tribe. They could still be used when it was time to build houses; after all, "better a wall with cracks than no wall at all."
"Ding, ding, ding..."
Beside him, Hei Wa, holding a green brick in one hand and the red bricks left over from building the kiln in the other, collided them together. After doing this for a while, he had to admit that bricks fired this way were more durable than the previous red bricks.
"Divine Child, when firing pottery, can we also pour water inside?"
After confirming that pouring water could make the bricks more solid, Hei Wa immediately thought of applying it to pottery firing.
Pour water while firing pottery.
That would almost certainly not work.
Although both pottery and bricks were made from y, there were still many differences between them.
However, Han Cheng did not directly state what he knew. Instead, he looked at Hei Wa, eagerly anticipating his response, and said, "I''m not sure. If you want to know the result, try it yourself."
Han Cheng gradually cultivated the ability of people in the tribe to think actively and discover problems.
He had already figured out that while there were many things he could indeed lead the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe to shortcut if they wanted to continue developing further down this path, the tribe''s people would need to work hard and discover things for themselves.
After all, he, the pseudo-shaman, was not almighty, and he only had partial knowledge of many things.
"Yeah, I''ll give it a try!"
With a gleam in his eye, Hei Wa nodded vigorously before turning and running towards the ce where he usually fired pottery...
The bricks used for the experiment in the first kiln were all transported to the interior of the tribe. After cleaning up the brick kiln, the bricks for the second kiln were also loaded. This time, there were a lot more¡ªtwo thousand in total.
It turned out that carrying bricks was not an easy task, even if they were just brick nks.
This was the most direct feeling Han Cheng got after helping the tribe members load the bricks for the second kiln into the kiln.
The other people in the tribe were okay. After all, they had more muscr bodies than Han Cheng, and secondly, they had been living a life worse than the current one since they were born.
To Han Cheng, shoulder-carrying and lifting these extremelyborious methods were already rare in their eyes!
"A gentleman says: ''Learning should never cease. Bluees from indigo but is bluer than indigo; icees from water but is colder than water. A straight piece of wood bes a wheel, and the square is rounded in the middle. Even if it is rough and uneven, the wheel makes it so...'' Therefore, without umting small steps, one cannot travel a thousand miles..."
Watching the brick kiln emitting blue smoke and the tribe members sweating profusely as they carried bricks back and forth, Han Cheng recited an excerpt from Xunzi''s famous work "Encouraging Learning."
He wasn''t trying to motivate himself or encourage the tribe members to persevere and adhere to their efforts. Continuing in this way, the light would belong to them, and therge brick houses would appear.
After all, even the stone in the tribe, who was the best at learning Chinese, was equally bewildered when hearing the words uttered by the Divine Child.
If they couldn''t understand, it naturally wouldn''t serve the purpose of awakening and educating the people.
The reason why he suddenly recited this famous excerpt was because he wanted to make a cart!
Master Xun had already given the most critical method for making wheels in "Encouraging Learning."
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had also used simr methods to make wooden forks and handles with an overall curvature exceeding 270 degrees.
With the existence of iron tools at this time, it shouldn''t be too much of a problem to spend a little more effort making wheels.
After solving the key technical problem of the wheels, the rest would be figured out.
Han Cheng could not make four-wheeled cars or three-wheeled motorcycles with buckets. However, making a single-wheeled cart like the red-faced Guan Gong selling dates should not have been a problem.
Han Cheng clenched his fist, full of fighting spirit, and then couldn''t help but smile. Selling dates for the red-faced Guan Gong and Old Luo was indeed narrow-minded.
Han Cheng didn''t need to personally handle the kiln''s firing. He instructed the fire, which was about to develop upational diseases from frequent firing, and then returned to the tribe.
As an idle person, there was nothing major to manufacture, so he started making the windows for therge brick house that had not yet been built.
"Lame, take a break first. Let me tell you something more interesting."
Han Cheng nced at the busy beesing and going, approached Lame, and spoke up.
"Something interesting?"
Lame perked up.
When people achieve a sense of aplishment in a particr field, they will be more immersed in it and want to do more challenging things.
Woodworking was also an activity that could intoxicate people, such as Emperor Chongzhen''s brother, who was obsessed with woodworking and now Lame.
Chapter 400: Motivating with Food
Chapter 400: Motivating with Food
Han Cheng exined and gestured, sometimes even drawing a few lines on the ground with a stick to help Lame understand what a wheelbarrow was.
Learning that a wheelbarrow could transport many things at once, simr to the unusable plow after the snow melted, Lame immediately became excited.
The memory of using the plow still left a deep impression on him, and he felt regretful when it couldn''t be used after the snow melted. He had always wondered how to create something simr to a plow but usable throughout the year, especially for tasks like transporting harvested crops or spreading manure in the fields, which currently left the tribe members exhausted.
Limited by his knowledge, Lame had never devised such a solution. When he suddenly heard Han Cheng mention the wheelbarrow today, he felt like a door that had been blocked for a long time was suddenly opened, and everything became clear.
This was exactly what he had always wanted to create!
"Divine Child!"
Lame stood up abruptly from the ground, looking at Han Cheng. His excitement overflowing, he was at a loss for words to express his feelings.
Han Cheng was also taken aback by Lame''s overly strong reaction but smiled knowingly.
No madness, no magic, no survival."Bang, bang, bang..."
With something new and challenging to do, Lame was as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood.
He eagerly wielded his axe and saw and cut wood, burning and bending it into circles to make wooden wheels. He was thoroughly enjoying himself.
Influenced by Han Cheng, Lame''s first step in making the handcart was also the wooden wheels, as this was the most critical point.
When Lame got into his work mode, he was somewhat frightened. With an axe in hand, his face and hands covered in ck ash, and his head sprinkled with bits of grass and bark, he sometimes furrowed his brow in a worried expression and other times burst intoughter, muttering to himself before swinging the axe at the tree trunks.
His strokes varied from light to heavy.
When they were heavy, wood chips flew everywhere; when they were light, it was as gentle as a lover''s caress...
As Lame discarded more and more scrap wood, the circles he produced became rounder, and the quality of the wooden wheels improved.
"Hehehe..."
Five or six dayster, Lame stood before Han Cheng with a wooden wheel in his hand, not saying a word, justughing gleefully.
At this point, Lame looked much thinner, with hollow eye sockets and bloodshot eyes, radiating fatigue from deep within his bones.
Han Cheng solemnly took the wooden wheel from Lame''s hand, carefully examined it, and gave Lame a thumbs-up.
Patting him on the shoulder, Han Cheng praised, "Well done! You''ve solved this difficult problem. Now go eat some food, bathe, and sleep well!"
Watching Lame happily turn around and leave with the heavy wooden wheel, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniffle. This guy was reckless!
Today, Lame was undoubtedly the most eye-catching person in the entire tribe because today, the Divine Child cooked a meal for him.
There were delicious stir-fried meat and vegetables, steamed, tender meat covered in honey, fried eggs sprinkled with green onions, and arge te of golden brown pancakes.
In addition, there was a small bowl of thick, honey-infused deer milk and arge bowl of sour but refreshing fermented grain juice...
Lame grabbed a piece of meat and threw it into his mouth, chewing loudly.
Before he could even finish chewing, he grabbed another big, chubby piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth.
There was no need to chew with his teeth; all he had to do was press it with his tongue, and it melted away.
Then he lowered his head to sip the rich and sweet deer milk. It was heavenly!
"Gudong! Gudong!"
Watching Lame devouring the meat and deer milk with oil dripping from his mouth, the other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, holding their bowls, couldn''t help but swallow their saliva.
Second Senior Brother''s mouth even watered, a thin thread of saliva hanging from the corner of his mouth.
However, envy was just envy because the Divine Child had only prepared such a delicious meal for Lame, and no one else.
Even the Shaman, the Witch, and the Eldest Senior Brother, the leader, were treated the same way.
As the Divine Child put it, this was the treatment that those who made great contributions to the tribe should receive.
After being stimted by this, the members of the Green Sparrow Tribe were extremely enthusiastic in their work and other activities for quite some time, as if they were injected with chicken blood.
Lame raised his te high. After thest drop of juice fell into his mouth, he put down the empty te, belched contentedly, took a hot bath, andy on the heated bed, immediately falling asleep with loud snores.
Han Cheng observed everyone''s reactions and couldn''t help but smile at himself. This was precisely the effect he wanted.
With Lame as a vivid example, the other members of the tribe would undoubtedly wholeheartedly devote themselves to the tribe.
After taking a short nap with Bai Xue, Han Cheng left the room and went to the millet field with the people carrying hoes.
The Green Sparrow Tribe''s poption had increased significantlypared to before, and it was now capable of performing several tasks simultaneously.
The millet grew well, reaching about twenty centimeters deep, almost up to Han Cheng''s calves.
Rows of millet stood there, a pleasing sight to behold.
When the wind blew, the green seedlings danced with the breeze, resembling green waves running towards the distant edge of the forest.
If it weren''t for the fact that this was food, Han Cheng would have been tempted to roll around on it.
Such a scene was truly delightful.
The bone hoes, sharpened by the earth, danced lightly in the rows of millet, cutting through the somewhat hard soil, removing the weedspeting for nutrients with the seedlings.
Loosening the soil and weeding for these enchanting seedlings.
Under the warm sun, the air was filled with the fresh scent of millet and wild grass.
These carefully tended millet seedlings were thriving, with lush green leaves and some areas even turning slightly ck, indicating the fertility of the soil.
However, amidst this picturesque field, some patches of different colors also existed.
About a dozen scattered yellow patches broke the harmony of the lush green field.
These yellowing millet seedlings were the ten acres that hadn''t been fertilized or sprinkled with wood ash forparison.
Not only were these seedlings turning yellow, but they were also thinner and shorter than the fertilized ones.
Even before the autumn harvest, the difference between fertilized and unfertilized was already evident.
Chapter 401: Two smiling Shamans
Chapter 401: Two smiling Shamans
"Divine Child, let''s fertilize these fields..."
The Shaman had been observing the fields for a long time and now approached Han Cheng with a suggestion.
Han Cheng was somewhat surprised. Wasn''t it too early to see the results before the autumn harvest? It was just the beginning of summer.
"We can already see the difference now. Not waiting until the autumn harvest would result in a significant decrease in the millet yield..." The Shaman shook his head.
Before, there was noparison, so it wasn''t apparent whether fertilizing had any effect. But now, with thisparison, the difference was immediately evident.
Han Cheng thought about it and realized the Shaman was right. Waiting until autumn to measure the difference in fertilization was unnecessary. After all, the loss would be for their tribe alone.
He immediately arranged for people to carry manure and spread it in these fields.
Just like the Shaman, most members of the tribe now clearly understood the importance of fertilization, so they naturally followed the Divine Child''s instructions.
At this stage, when the millet hadn''t grown too tall yet, spreading manure might sometimes hit the seedlings, but it wouldn''t have much of an impact.The effect of topdressing at this time naturally wouldn''t be as good as when the fertilizer was applied at the beginning. After all, the organic fertilizer used by the Green Sparrow Tribe needed some time to dissolve and be absorbed by the crops. In this respect, it couldn''t bepared to modern chemical fertilizers.
The manure was spread into the ground, and the Shaman''s face showed a smile...
As the Shaman of the Green Sparrow Tribe watched the green carpet-like millet spread around the tribe with a smile, the Shaman of the distant Flying Snake Tribe also stood in the wilderness, smiling.
The same smile, but with different joys. While the Shaman of the Green Sparrow Tribe was happy for a good harvest in the autumn, the joy of the Shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe came from a strange creature with a single horn growing nearby.
This creature, covered in fur with a single horn on its head, looked silly as it grazed, showing a greedy look.
The little creature''s size had grown rapidly, and after surviving the difficult winter with food shortages, it had now be plump and well-fed.
It was almost half the size of the two big creatures their tribe had eaten.
By the time autumn came, it would be even bigger.
"Eat more, grow faster," thought the Shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe as he reached out, plucked a handful of grass that the little creature liked to eat, and offered it to the creature. The creature, as before, stuck out its rough tongue, quickly rolled up the grass, and gobbled it down in a few bites.
The Shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe squatted down and patted the creature''s head as it continued to eat grass, his face full of smiles...
While others smiled, the leader of the Green Tribe wore a worried expression. Even though today''s harvest was good, he didn''t show much happiness.
Not only he but most people in the tribe also seemed somewhat gloomy,cking the joy they used to feel when returning from a harvest.
When the group returned to the tribe, the leader of the Green Tribe took out some of the prey caught today and had someone handle it. This would be their food for tonight.
As some people handled the meat, others skillfully set up y pots and filled them with water, preparing to cook.
A unique aroma filled the air as the water boiled and the meat and wild vegetables simmered.
The leader of the Green Tribe stood up, looking somewhat dazed, and lifted the pot lid to serve himself a bowl first. After he had served himself, the other members of the Green Tribe who had bowls also came forward to serve themselves.
Squatting down, the leader of the Green Tribe used a method he had learned from that tribe to pick up a piece of meat from his bowl and chew it, trying to demonstrate the food''s deliciousness. However, this effort didn''tst long. He swallowed the meat in his mouth and took a small sip of soup, and although he had always enjoyed the meat soup before, today, he didn''t have much of an appetite. After one sip, he didn''t want to take another.
Raising his head and looking around, the leader of the Green Tribe noticed that the other members of the tribe who were eating were also disinterested, eating absentmindedly.
After a while of low-spirited eating, the leader of the Green Tribe couldn''t take it anymore. He said something and then got up to go to the salt jar. He lifted it and found that only a thinyer of salt was left inside. He scooped some salt into his bowl using a wide, hard leaf stored inside the jar and added some to therge pot of meat soup.
Then he said something to the people eagerly watching the pot, and they immediately became ecstatic. They rushed to the pot and poured their food into it. After a quick stir, they continued eating.
This time, their state was obviously different, and everyone ate eagerly.
The leader of the Green Tribe watched the people in the tribe with annoyance. He felt quite angry about their behavior but ate at the same speed as everyone else.
After a hearty meal, the leader of the Green Tribe put down his bowl and let out a satisfied sigh. But this satisfaction didn''tst long. When he looked at the salt jar and saw that there was even less salt left inside, his previous satisfaction disappeared.
How could they not control themselves again?
The leader of the Green Tribe pped his thigh in frustration...
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe did not share the leader''s troubles. Now, they were enveloped in astonishment and jubtion.
The strange-looking object in Lame''s hands was the source of all this excitement.
This object was about eighty centimeters tall, with a circle at the bottom, two handles like cart shafts at the back, and a shallow, oblongrge basket woven from thick vines tied on top.
At this moment, this basket was neatly filled with one hundred and twenty bricks!
Although the bricks made by the Green Sparrow Tribe were rtively light and not as heavy as modern bricks, weighing about three catties each, they still added up to three hundred and sixty catties.
Most people in the Green Sparrow Tribe couldn''t calcte suchrge weights involving multiplication, but they could still get an intuitive sense from the number of bricks.
Even the strongest Second Senior Brother could only carry fifty bricks at a time, and even if he could carry more, he wouldn''t be able to make more than two trips.
Most people only carried about thirty bricks.
And now, this thing called a wheelbarrow by the Divine Child actually carried one hundred and twenty bricks at once!
Chapter 402: The completed wheelbarrow
Chapter 402: Thepleted wheelbarrow
The most important thing, however, was not the appearance of the wheelbarrow loaded with so many bricks; Lame, who was not known for his strength, was pushing it!
If this had happened with the Second Senior Brother, known for his strength, people would have been surprised, but not to the extent they are now. But seeing Lame, with his limp, pushing the cart alone with such a heavy load, everyone involuntarily widened their eyes and opened their mouths in sheer astonishment.
Tools capable of transporting a lot at once were not unheard of to them. For example, when building bathhouses in winter, the Divine Child and Lame made a deer-drawn plow. However, that plow differed from this wheelbarrow because a deer pulled it, while now, only a person was pushing it. This was a testament to their ingenuity and resourcefulness.
Watching Lame, his face beaming with pride, push the cart back and forth, Han couldn''t help but smile.
The first hand-pushed cart in the Green Sparrow Tribe was still rtively primitivepared to the cart Han remembered from his memory. It was even inferior to the two-wheeled cartsmonly used on construction sites inter years. But it was still a cart.
In a broader sense, the wheelbarrow marked the beginning of vehicle manufacturing. Before its appearance, it might have taken a long time and a lot of trial and error to create a more efficient cart than carrying things by hand. But with the wheelbarrow in ce, the appearance of other wheeled vehicles became a natural progression.
Transporting one hundred and twenty bricks at once was too much for the wheelbarrow. After all, the road from the brick kiln to the Green Sparrow Tribe was challenging, and the wheels were still made of wood.
Carrying so much at once was to test the wheelbarrow''s load-bearing capacity. Another reason was that Han, especially Lame, wanted to elicit admiration from the tribe.
Could Lame, who had finally managed to produce the wheelbarrow, resist showing it off?But after waiting for the road to be smoothed out a bit, carrying seventy or eighty bricks at a time wouldn''t be too difficult. It would be much easier than using a shoulder pole.
"I''ll give it a try!"
After watching for a while, the Second Senior Brother couldn''t help himself. He stepped forward and said.
By now, Lame had received enough admiring looks from everyone, and the effort of pushing the cart had made his forehead slightly sweaty.
Although pushing the cart was lighter and more essible than carrying a pole, carrying a heavier load would still make him tired, so he let go.
After Lame let go, the wheelbarrow didn''t lose its bnce and tip over. Instead, it stood steadily there because two wooden supports acted as legs at the back of the wheelbarrow.
"Let''s load some more bricks on top..."
Taking over from Lame, the Second Senior Brother, under Lame''s guidance, quickly became familiar with the wheelbarrow and proudly eximed.
Han quickly intervened to stop him.
After all, the wheelbarrow''s bearings were made of hardwood, not steel, and the wheels were also made of wood. If more weight were added, this handcrafted wheelbarrow would likely be scrapped before it could be put into actual use...
The novelty of the hand-pushed cart immediately caught the people''s attention of the Green Sparrow Tribe. Not only adults but also curious and active children were running around the wheelbarrow, waiting for the adults to have some free time so they could y with the cart.
The wheelbarrow''s appearance significantly reduced the workers'' burden of carrying y bricks and finished bricks. Originally, five people were needed for this task, but now only two are required.
Although the number of workers suddenly decreased by more than half, the work speed had not slowed; in fact, it had even increased. And the two workers didn''t feel as tired as before.
The great sess of the first hand-pushed cart significantly boosted the morale of the first carpenter, Lame. With the experience of the first sessful attempt, he quickly began working with two assistants, and half a monthter, he produced two more carts.
Some of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were currently wielding tools forpacting earth, taking advantage of the ground not yetpletely dry after a rain. They were not building earth walls orpacting the ground inside newly built houses but working on the road outside the Green Sparrow Tribe''s perimeter wall that led to the brick kiln.
The road they werepacting was not just a dirt path; it was covered with ayer of fine stones transported from the quarry. Over time, many small broken stones had umted at the quarry and were useless until now.
With these fine stones, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe violentlypacted the earth, ensuring that the ground wouldn''t turn into mud after rain, providing added security when it was time to harvest and transport crops.
This road was divided into three sections: one leading to the brick kiln and the other two leading to the fields on either side of the tribe. These three roads converged fifty meters outside the main gate of the tribe and then led into the tribe together.
No wonder they said that you must first build roads to be rich. While this road might not make the Green Sparrow Tribe wealthy, at the very least, it would make traveling much morefortable.
Walking on this newly repaired section of the primitive "vige road," Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel emotional. However, when he looked at the two roads leading to the fields, which were still in the nning stage and hadn''t started construction yet, Han couldn''t help but sniff.
After all, the tribe''s manpower was limited, and there were many things to do. It wasn''t possible to devote all manpower to road construction.
So far, only one section of the "vige road" leading from the tribe to the brick kiln had beenpleted, and the standards weren''t exceptionally high.
Currently, more than 11,000 y bricks have been fired and stacked in the tribe, forming arge pile. Many roof tiles have also been made, mainly for the construction of the school''s brick and tile building, which was about to begin. As a result, the workers who had beenpacting the road will be diverted to the construction of the buildings, and the construction of the two roads leading to the fields will be postponed.
Infrastructure development was indeed not easy. Han Cheng shook his head in contemtion.
Poption, always insufficient, he sighed once again.
Let''s wait a little longer. If my salt n, which I''ve been working on for so long, doesn''t have the desired effect by this winter, then I''ll have to take some other measures!
Chapter 403: Pulling up the seedlings to help them grow (1)
Chapter 403: Pulling up the seedlings to help them grow (1)
"Bang, bang..."
In the faint morning mist that hadn''tpletely dissipated, a few bursts of sound came from within the Green Sparrow Tribe.
These were the reluctant groans the dried bamboo burning in the mes emitted.
"Let''s get to work!"
Holding a shovel bone, Han Cheng shouted to the crowd after digging out the first piece of earth.
His voice seemed somewhat mysterious or solemn despite the asional crackling of firecrackers.
With hismand, the prepared crowd immediately started working on the quiet earth.
Stone hoes and shovel bones danced, and the ground pre-nned with ropes soon changed beyond recognition.
After digging the first shovel bone, Han Cheng, having worked for a while, withdrew from thebor queue with his shovel bone, transitioning from a worker to an observer.Compared to when Han Cheng first arrived here, the Green Sparrow Tribe now had many more rules.
Most of these were initiated by him without being too deliberate, and everything seemed to fall into ce naturally.
In this gradual progression, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe didn''t feel anything amiss; instead, they felt it was only natural.
This is simr to the recent ritual of breaking ground for building houses, led by Han Cheng as the shaman, which was an extension of his authority.
Things like this often seemedmonce, but their effects were enormous over the long term.
Simply put, this was a way for him to strengthen and maintain his position.
As Shaman wandered around with the rabbit, he was mostly cheerful as long as Han Cheng and the Eldest Senior Brother were around.
Smiling makes one look younger. Although this saying wasn''t particrly urate, Shaman did seem younger than before, with a much better spirit overall.
Of course, he was happy because since the Divine Child arrived, everything in the tribe had been changing for the better at a pace he had never dared imagine, progressing toward prosperity.
Faced with the increasingly prosperous tribe, his mood naturally improved.
As Shaman, with a smile on his face, watched the foundation beingid and the green brick walls being erected, the chief of the Green Tribe wore a worried expression.
He squatted on a stone, looking at the empty salt jar, appearing utterly powerless.
The salt jar was cleaner than his face.
This was obvious; it had already been rinsed three times with water. It would be strange if it weren''t clean.
Yet even so, after a while, the chief of the Green Tribe poured some water into it again, giving it a fourth rinse.
He held the salt jar earnestly, shaking it carefully. After a long while, he painstakingly poured a bit of water into a bowl, stirred it, and then eagerly took a sip.
However, the soup tasted no different from before, devoid of saltiness.
With a sigh of disappointment, the chief of the Green Tribe reluctantly finished his food.
Looking around at the other tribe members, they all seemed simrly unenthusiastic,cking much appetite.
After over two years of indulging in salt without restraint, returning to days without salt was truly tormenting for them.
Suffering wasn''t just limited to their stomachs; it also affected their bodies. Many people felt they had lost strength and vitalitypared to before.
They weren''t fools. Connecting the dots between the previous period of eating salt and their current state, they naturally understood that theck of salt was the cause.
Just as Han Cheng had anticipated, those who had be vigorous after getting used to eating salt found it unbearable to return to their previous weakened state.
Finally, someone in the tribe couldn''t bear it anymore and started speaking up, suggesting that their chief should go to the prosperous tribe to exchange for some salt.
"^$%^!!"
Someone echoed in agreement.
Although the others didn''t speak, they looked at the chief expectantly.
The chief of the Green Tribe also wanted to make the exchange. However, he hesitated because the tribe had a rtively small number of animal skins and some other food items.
"^^&%%3..."
He swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva and tried to cate the crowd...
Leaving the cave, the chief of the Green Tribe walked slowly around the tribe, his gaze searching the grass,nding on a type of wild grass that could produce many spikes.
This wasn''t the first time he had seen this wild grass. After learning that it could be exchanged for things in that other tribe, he began to value these inconspicuous wild grasses.
Especially after the wealthy tribe announced that salt would no longer be provided for free, his visits to these wild grasses became more frequent.
There used to be many of these wild grasses around the tribe. But two years ago, their numbers began to decline.
By this year, the decline was even more severe, with barely any left, not even half of the previous year''s amount.
Seeing this dwindling number and the wild grasses'' failure to produce spikes, the chief of the Green Sparrow Tribe felt very distressed.
Their tribe had been without salt for several days, so why weren''t these wild grasses producing spikes yet?
Not only did they fail to produce spikes, but they also didn''t grow; they looked the same today as they did yesterday.
This was truly frustrating.
Thinking like this, the chief of the Green Sparrow Tribe involuntarily grabbed a clump of wild grass.
Why weren''t they growing taller?
Feeling anxious, he unconsciously pulled on the wild grass.
Some rain had fallen these past few days, moistening the soil. His pull loosened the wild grass with little effort.
Feeling the sensation in his hand, the chief looked down and suddenly discovered, to his surprise, that the wild grass, which hadn''t grown tall no matter what, had suddenly shot up significantly after his tug.
Trapped by theck of salt and eager to exchange for salt with wild grass spikes, the chief of the Green Sparrow Tribe stared at the visibly taller wild grass spikes, his eyes suddenly brightening as he couldn''t help but burst intoughter.
He moved to another clump of wild grass, bent down, and, using the same method, tugged it. This clump of grass also immediately shot up significantly.
As the sun gradually set, the chief of the Green Sparrow Tribe, feeling a bit sore from fatigue, looked at the noticeably taller wild grass swaying in the evening breeze. He couldn''t help but smile, his face full of joy at his cleverness.
Such a good idea had urred to him; he was indeed very clever!
"£¤32!"
Returning to the cave, he pounded his chest to announce to every one that soon they would be able to exchange wild grass spikes for salt...
Chapter 404: Pulling up the seedlings to help them grow (2)
Chapter 404: Pulling up the seedlings to help them grow (2)
"£¤4!"
As dusk gradually descended inside the cave of the Green Tribe after the leader told the people they were about to have salt to eat. The tribe members couldn''t help but let out a surprised cheer.
They were excited and even admired the intelligence of their tribe leader.
Seeing the people''s reactions and calmly epting the praise and admiring looks, the leader of the Green Tribe became proud.
He was also pleased with his clever actions.
It was rare and admirable that he could alwayse up with such good solutions to problems!
That night, after the leader assured them that they would soon have salt, most of the people of the Green Tribe slept peacefully.
Some couldn''t sleep, like the leader of the Green Tribe.
Not because he was worried but because he was excited about the salt they were about to obtain.As soon as the sun rose the next day, the leader of the Green Tribe and the rest of the tribe, who were also early risers, left the cave and headed towards the ce near the tribe where wild grass was growing.
"4£¤!"
It was easy to have a bit of mist on a summer morning.
This thin mist gathered into tiny dewdrops on the nts'' leaves, then along the nting grass des, collected at the junction of the leaves and stems, overflowed, flowed down the stem, and moistened a small patch of soil, wetting the already broken roots.
It was still far from the time when the sun woulde out andbined with the fact that the sun wasn''t very strong when the leader of the Green Tribe acted yesterday, the sun wasn''t very strong now either, so these "pulling up seedlings to help them grow" crops, which had been ravaged, were still very strong, showing no signs of weakness.
During this period, it wasn''t just the leader of the Green Tribe who often came to see the wild grass. Now, when everyone came to see it, they found that, indeed, as the leader said, these wild grasses had grown so much taller all of a sudden.
The people couldn''t help but cheer, once again casting respectful nces at the leader.
The leader of the Green Tribe naturally epted these and stayed here for a while before leading the people back to the cave. After eating, he took the strong ones who often hunted out of the cave to hunt.
As usual, the rest of the people dug for wild vegetables around the tribe or collected wild fruits to fill their stomachs.
The sun rose from behind the mountain and soon showed its power. The air, which had seemed cool, became hot in no time.
A somewhat thin and weak primitive woman returned from outside carrying some freshly dug,monly eaten wild vegetables wrapped in animal skins. She didn''t walk with the same vigor as before, and through the mouths of the smarter people in the tribe, she understood that it was because she hadn''t eaten salt.
The matter of exchanging wild grass for salt touched the hearts of every member of the Green Tribe, and this primitive woman was no exception.
She didn''t need to pass through the area where the wild grass was growing to return to the cave, but she still went around.
Even though she knew that even with the magical touch of the leader''s hands, these wild grasses couldn''t grow shoots so quickly, she still couldn''t help but want to take a look.
"$%$^?"
Arriving here in a good mood, the primitive woman''s gaze froze as soon as she saw it.
The wild grass, which had looked very spirited when she came to see it with the leader in the morning, now looked listless and wilted, as if half-dead.
The primitive woman looked at the bright sun in the sky and then at the other grass around the wild grass, which looked lively. Standing here, she stood still for a while, unable to help but shout, her voice tinged with panic...
As the setting sun cast its rays amidst the somewhat hot summer air, the leader of the Green Tribe returned with the hunting party. Their harvest was not great, just enough for one day''s meal.
However, the people did not feel discouraged because they knew they would soon be able to exchange wild grass for salt.
Not having to spend any extra food made them all feel relieved.
"$%#%#?"
Walking at the forefront, the leader of the Green Tribe, seeing whaty ahead, couldn''t help but feel stunned and alert.
There was still a certain distance from the tribe''s cave, and in the past, the people who stayed in the tribe wouldn''te here to greet them, but today they did.
Seeing the anxious people running towards them, he had a foreboding feeling.
Could it be that wild beasts attacked the tribe? Or people from another tribe?
As he thought this, he tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand, and the others, who sensed something was wrong and grasped their weapons, hastened their steps to meet the neers.
"%$%$&$!"
At a certain distance, he asked what had happened.
But the anxious people didn''t answer. They just kept running toward them, which made the leader of the Green Tribe even more uncertain.
$%$&;¡?"
Learning about the situation from the neers, the leader of the Green Tribe was stunned for a moment and incredulously asked.
After staying there for a moment, he pushed aside the people before him and ran towards the growing wild grass.
Some of the Green Tribe people who had understood what was happening had already followed the leader''s footsteps and ran away, while others stayed behind in confusion.
What nonsense were the people left behind saying? The wild grass was still fine when they saw it this morning...
"£¤¡"
The leader of the Green Tribe said something meaningless weakly.
Looking at the almost withered wild grass, which was extremely important to their tribe, his eyes were somewhat distracted, and he felt dizzy.
Why did these wild grasses wither when they were fine just now?
After muttering for a while, he finally sat on the ground.
The people around him, as well as the other members of the Green Tribe, also seemed particrly uneasy and helpless.
Tonight, the cave where the Green Tribe lived seemed unusually quiet, with an indescribable oppressive atmosphere pervading the cave. Compared tost night''s rxed and happy atmosphere, it was almost suffocating.
From hope to shattered hope, it had only been one day.
Once again, the leader of the Green Tribe couldn''t sleep, but the mood between the two sleepless nights was miles apart...
"$%$&¡"
The Green Tribe leader squatted weakly on the ground, holding his head and looking extremely ufortable.
After squatting like this for a while, he finally stood up and ordered the people of the tribe to prepare food and animal skins to be sent to the wealthy tribe in exchange for salt.
Because most of the previous transactions had wild grass backing them up, many skins remained in their tribe.
However, since salt was more precious than pottery, the salt they obtained from this trip with animal skins would notst long.
Chapter 405: Hunting
Chapter 405: Hunting
In the early morning, sunlight streamed down, quickly evaporating the dew, and the air became hot.
"Yo yo..."
The proud old deer led an increasinglyrge herd out of the deer pen, heading towards the vast world outside...
Under the scorching sun, the constant chirping of cicadas annoyed people.
Sitting under a tree wearing a randomly woven grass ring, Cao Geng looked up at the seemingly empty trees, gritting his teeth in annoyance.
At this moment, he regretted not having wings. Otherwise, he would have flown up to the trees to catch all these annoying creatures and roasted them over a fire before devouring them.
After looking around for a while, he turned his gaze back to the area in front of him, which, due to the arrival of summer, appeared less spacious with various trees and branches.
It was still quiet there, with asional birdsnding in the grass to search for insects before flying away again.
There was no cool ce in the summer, even in the shade of trees. Cao Geng was sweating despite having only a few leaves on his body.Most of it was due to the extremely hot weather, but there was also some due to impatience.
That incident caused him trouble, and the deer has disappeared since then.
He would have doubted if it was just an illusion if it weren''t for some visible scars.
Because of this incident, Cao Geng and several others had been mocked by the people in the tribe. Many said they had deliberately lied to gain attention from the tribe. Otherwise, why did the deer disappear after that one time?
Most primitive people had not learned to be ''diplomatic.'' This blunt ridicule and suspicion made eptance even more difficult.
So, these deer became an obsession in Cao Geng''s heart.
He wanted to prove to the people in the tribe with his actions that he had not lied.
At first, three other people joined him in this endeavor.
However, those three people stoppeding after searching and waiting with no sign of the deer.
Some even started mocking Cao Geng for persisting in his belief.
Of course, for survival reasons, he still had to go hunting with the tribe members every day. It was impossible to stay near this sad ce every day.
Only on hot days like today, or when other tribes were not hunting much, would hee here.
"$%%#$..."
After waiting a while, feeling that the weather was not as hot, Cao Geng muttered to himself, sighed, and prepared to leave and return to the tribe.
When he left, the tribe leader had already made it clear that they would need to go out hunting when the weather was cooler and people were stronger.
"Whoosh..."
Under the slight movement of the grass leaves, Cao Geng, who had just stood up, immediately squatted down again, staring straight ahead at the not-so-open area, showing strong disbelief and surprise.
Following his gaze, one could see a deer that appearedrger than the others, stepping through the not-too-tall grass and asionally lowering its head to graze.
Behind it were more deer of various sizes, following it leisurely, grazing on grass as they walked, like a group of elves or like a beautiful dream appearing unexpectedly before him.
Cao Geng quickly confirmed that this was not a dream because he spotted the wolf that had left a deep impression on him among the suddenly appearing herd of deer.
This calmed his feverish mind, and he abandoned the idea of rushing out alone to hunt down the deer.
Not to mention the deer''s strong running ability, he alone might not even be able to catch the smallest deer, let alone the six wolves that didn''t prey on deer but mingled with them all day, which he couldn''t handle.
He paused here for a moment, then quietly got up and decided to go back to the tribe to report the news and thene back with the tribe to hunt down the deer.
This way, the tribe could get sufficient food and prove to the people that he hadn''t lied, redeeming his image in the tribe and gaining recognition.
With these thoughts in mind, Cao Geng quietly stood up and...
"$%$&!"
Under the sunlight, a group of primitive people, armed with weapons and bare-chested, walked from afar.
Except for the roughly wrapped animal skins or leaves around their waists, they had nothing else on them.
They held crude weapons made ofmon materials such as stones, bones, and wood in their hands.
These weapons were not as tough as the sharp fangs and ws of ferocious beasts, but they made them one of the hunters, not superior in any aspect.
With these weapons, they could fight against those ferocious beasts.
As they walked forward, the leader-like figure cursed Cao Geng for being idle.
They said they would go hunting when it got cooler, but he still didn''t return. Instead, he was obsessed with those deer that no one had seen except for him and three others!
Because of these deer, their tribe almost didn''t survive thest winter, and now, he was still obsessed with those deer that had disappeared!
This annoyed the leader and the other members of the tribe, including the three who had once shared hardships with Cao Geng.
They came today to teach Cao Geng a lesson, telling him not to be idle like this. If he persisted like this, they wouldn''t mind eating him when winter came again.
In such emotions, they continued to approach thend that had brought misfortune to their tribe, thend they were not very willing toe to.
"$%$&!"
When Cao Geng got up and prepared to quietly go back to the tribe to inform the others, the people who came to teach Cao Geng a lesson and then go hunting elsewhere stopped in their tracks, staring in disbelief at the open space.
Deer!
So many deer!
What Cao Geng said was true! There was such arge herd of deer!
After a brief moment of astonishment, a strong sense of joypletely enveloped the people in the tribe!
"a$%$&!"
Someone eximed excitedly, gripping their weapon tightly, ready to rush towards the herd of deer, but the leader-like figure stopped them.
He had hunted deer before and knew these guys could run quickly.
At this distance, if they rushed over rashly, they would be discovered by the deer in advance, and then the deer would escape. They might not even catch a single deer!
The leader thought for a moment and made arrangements based on years of hunting experience.
He let about seventeen or eighteen people around him slowly spread out, using the grass and trees for cover, approaching the unsuspecting deer...
Chapter 406: The Revengeful Dog
Chapter 406: The Revengeful Dog
Regarding the approaching danger, the Deer Lord remained oblivious, still leisurely grazing on the grass.
Xiao Fu was never a docile dog. When it asionally sparred with the deer in the herd, it left the group alone and wandered around in the surrounding bushes and trees.
Due to some small animals being disturbed by the deer herd and the wolves mixed among them, there were usually some onlookers on the outskirts.
Every time Xiao Fu followed the deer herd, it never returned empty-handed, and this time was no exception.
Hearing the movement nearby, Xiao Fu lowered its body, ws scraping the ground, preparing to pounce and catch its prey.
In this silent wait, two legs with thicker fur than the rest suddenly appeared in front of it.
The person holding a stone-tipped spear stared intently at the unsuspecting deer herd, cautiously moving his steps.
All his attention was focused on the distant herd of deer, without noticing what was under his feet.
Seeing these two legs, Xiao Fu rxed its vignce. Instead of immediately pouncing and biting, it waited. It had seen simr legs before.However, its rxationsted only a moment because a familiar scent came from the person!
Xiao Fu had a good memory in some respects, and relying on this scent, it even recognized that this was the two-legged beast that had tried to stab them with a spear before, only to be bullied by them!
When enemies met, their eyes turned red. Encountering a grudge-holding dog, this unsuspecting guy could only consider himself unlucky.
Amidst the rustling of the trees and the chaotic noise of the branches, a fully grown dog suddenly leaped up, emitting a fierce growl from its throat, and directly pounced on the two furry legs.
It bit down fiercely!
A cry of pain rang out from the primitive man, who was taken aback by the sudden events.
In his agony, he instinctively thrust the spear he held tightly towards the dog that had bitten him, aiming to strike it.
However, he missed.
The dog that had just bitten him unexpectedly let go and turned around to run at an extremely swift speed.
As it ran, it continued to emit warning-like cries, sounding as if it had been greatly wronged.
To achieve such a swift strike and flee thousands of miles away without any dy was thanks to the previous encounter with the swarm.
Since mouthing off at the beehive and not running away in time, almost unrecognizable due to the swelling, Xiao Fu naturally mastered this skill and became exceptionally adept at it.
The sudden cry of pain and the sound of Xiao Fu running and barking instantly disturbed the tranquility of the area.
The deer, who were grazing leisurely, suddenly became alert, raising their heads and turning their ears to look around. The dogs under Fu Jiang''smand also entered a state of alertness.
There were also two heading towards Xiao Fu.
"$%$&!"
After hearing the painful cry of the tribe member and seeing the reaction of the deer herd, the chief of the tribe couldn''t help but curse angrily.
Then, without concealing his figure, he appeared from his hiding ce, holding his weapon, and chased after the herd of deer, which had already turned and started running towards the distance.
The rest of the people also appeared one after another, shouting and yelling as they sprinted.
"$%$&!"
Just as he got up and hadn''t moved far from the tree bark, seeing this scene made him curse angrily.
Were these guys in the tribe intentionally causing trouble? Couldn''t they wait a bit closer before shouting? Beforeunching the attack?
After a moment of daze, Cao Geng picked up his weapon and sprinted towards the deer herd, billowing up a dust cloud.
Although he knew it was impossible to catch up now.
As he ran, he shouted some words in his mouth.
Amid his run, Xiao Fu would sometimes turn and bark loudly.
The general idea was - are you the foolish dog, or am I? Do you want to get beaten by not running now?
All right, I admit it. This part was a random trantion by the author. Although he was proficient in various tribalnguages, he was aplete novice in thenguage of dogs.
There was a cacophony of human shouts, deer cries, and dog barks for a while.
After realizing that many people were rushing out, Fu Jiang, who originally intended to charge forward to meet the enemy, was like the Deer Lord. He whimpered and turned around, scampering away without any hesitation.
After prolonged contact with humans, these guys tended to be more cunning.
A chase was initiated here, a pursuit not umon in this era. What was unexpected, however, was that the two species, which were supposed to be natural enemies, actually fled together in a cloud of dust...
"Hoo... Hoo..."
Cao Geng pressed his hands on his knees, panting heavily, feeling like his heart was about to jump out of his chest.
"Phew..."
After panting for a while, he spat out some mouthfuls of dirt, looking frustrated and resentful.
Having finally seen this herd of deer, he ended up with a mouthful of dirt!
"Thud!"
The chief, who had regained some strength, fiercely kicked the leg of the man who had been bitten by Xiao Fu and was screaming in pain.
If it weren''t for this guy, why would they have ended up with nothing?
Understanding the reason for the failure, Cao Geng also clenched his fists with hatred. It was those damn wolves again!
Although they didn''t get anything this time, Cao Geng''s statuspared to before had changed somewhat. Seeing such arge herd of deer with their eyes, theypletely believed Cao Geng''s words.
Not only that, but most of them also harbored the same thoughts as Cao Geng - to kill these wolves and deer and then skin and eat them!
About three days after such events, learning from two consecutive failures and the shameless behavior of these deer and wolves, Cao Geng devised a n.
The n was that the next time they encountered these guys, a small group of people would approach first to attract their attention, and then the rest would move out. They would then kill these bullies who had caused him so much trouble.
Talent is indeed forced out, and when dogs are anxious, they jump walls; when rabbits are anxious, they bite people. Cao Geng, who wasn''t strong in intelligence, was also forced by the shameless behavior of the deer and wolves to start thinking strategically.
As soon as he proposed this n, it quickly gained everyone''s approval. They were all sharpening their knives for those deer and wolves...
Chapter 407: The tribal craze of the bikini.
Chapter 407: The tribal craze of the ''bikini.''
The deer and Fu Jiang¡¯s encounter in the wilderness did not attract any attention from the crowd.
In the Green Sparrow tribe, everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.
Therge brick houses with blue tiles were already leveled, and now it was time to build the side walls and wooden beams.
It''s not that Han Cheng and the others didn''t care about the deer and Fu Jiang. They didn''t know about it.
After all, although the deer and Fu Jiang had mouths, they couldn''t speak humannguage. Hindered by thenguagemunication barrier, they couldn''t convey what they encountered in the wilderness to the two-legged creatures protecting them...
Han Cheng sat at the doorstep, holding a tea bowl, feeling the cool breeze blowing in small gusts, and asionally bringing the bowl to his lips to drink the cool water.
The water was light green, no longer just in cold water.
Of course, it wasn''t because of any additives. The Green Sparrow tribe hadn''t found any green beans that matched the turtle''s gaze. This light green water was brewed from fresh bamboo leaves.
The bamboo Han Cheng was transnted from the forest where the untouchable national treasure existedst year, and it survived.Not only did the first transntation survive, but the one in autumn also, and now many bamboo shoots have emerged.
The bamboo leaf water cooled off. In the absence of green bean soup, in the morning, some fresh bamboo leaves were picked, cleaned, thrown into arge tub to boil, ced in the shade to cool, covered with a lid, and some clean bowls were ced on clean stones nearby. This kind of water had be a rare cooling tool for the people of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Moreover, fresh bamboo leaves had a unique fragrancepared to dried bamboo leaves.
Han Cheng felt veryfortable now, not only because he still had a long way to go before reaching the wireless air conditioner but also because of the people in the tribe.
The people in the tribe were all familiar faces, naturally not very pleasant to look at, but if there were some other changes, it would be different.
The changes among the people of the Green Sparrow tribe were reflected not on their faces but on their bodies.
Not far from Han Cheng, twins Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, wearing super-short shorts that barely covered their buttocks, were sitting in the shade picking vegetables.
Their upper bodies were bare, and only at specific points did they have two separate mshell-like garments to cover themselves.
Butpared to their surging weapons, this garment seemed too thin.
A regr straight body couldn''t cover itpletely, let alone when the two bent over to pick vegetables.
How could his mood not be pleasant with such a beautiful sight ahead?
Looking around, it wasn''t just Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, but also the other female primitive people in the tribe who were dressed simrly.
As for the male primitive people of the tribe, they were bare-chested, wearing muchrger hemp pants than the female primitive people.
Some of the more leisurely ones even wore a pair of flip-flops made of wooden boards and leather straps...
Unfortunately, there were no sunsses or beach chairs around the tribe, nor were there anyrge beaches. Otherwise, with a bit of maniption from Han Cheng, this ce would almost be a beach of the future...
The people in the tribe dressed like this not because Han Cheng was too narrow-minded and insisted on experiencing the atmosphere of the future but because they had no choice.
Thisck of choice referred to hemp.
Last year, although the tribe harvested several rafts of wild hemp from the oil hemp field, the amount of hemp thread obtained was not much after fermentation.
The raw hemp thread was not abundant, so the resulting fabric was also not plentiful.
Moreover, during the previous mask production, there was another round of consumption, resulting in even less fabric in the tribe.
All these reasonsbined have led to the prevailing trend of coolness in the Green Sparrow tribe today.
After all, clothes made this way were the most fabric-saving and matched the style of primitive people who preferred to go shirtless in summer.
Of course, specific thoughts hidden behind these grand principles could also be achieved incidentally.
Since that''s the case, why not?
Of course, Xiao Tong''s wife, Bai Xue, was not included in this category.
She wore more clothes than anyone else in the tribe.
In addition to the two-piece outfit essential for female primitive people in the tribe, she also wore an extra short-sleeved top that covered all her flesh and shorts longer than those worn by the average female primitive person.
The people in the tribe didn''t mind this at all. After all, besides Bai Xue''s special rtionship with the Divine Child, she had woven the most fabric among them.
In the eyes of the tribe, there was nothing inappropriate about Bai Xue wearing more fabric.
"Brother Cheng..."
A pair of feet-wearing flip-flops appeared before him, followed by shorts and short sleeves.
As Han Cheng''s gaze towards the beautiful mountain peak was interrupted, the somewhat aggrieved voice of Xiao Tong''s wife sounded.
Han Cheng sniffled. A righteous man finds joy in the mountains, and a wise man finds joy in the waters. As a person of great righteousness and integrity, he tried to appreciate the scenery like those wise ancients, yet the child bride still hadints...
He raised his head and looked at his child bride, who had grown quite a bit and looked somewhat pitiful. He couldn''t help but smile.
This little girl, what''s the big deal at her age to be so aggrieved?
Of course, as for her grievances, Bai Xue pouted.
She wore nothing in the room, and Brother Cheng hardly paid attention to her. Now, he was secretly looking at Xiao Mei and Xiao Li, who were dressed...
After Han Cheng kindly advised her and promised to look at her like that in the evening, Bai Xue, who had been aggrieved, finally turned her sorrow into joy and happily ran away.
Han Cheng shook his head helplessly and smiled bitterly. Men...
While Han Cheng was pretending to be mncholy and sighing, a troubled person approached the Green Sparrow tribe.
"£¤£¤!"
When they were still some distance from the Green Sparrow tribe, the leader of the Green tribe instructed his people to hide their fur in the grass and cover them with some grass.
After doing these things under the puzzled gaze of the tribe members and resting for a while, the leader of the Green tribe, armed with defensive weapons and apanied by the bewildered tribe members, headed towards the wealthy tribe.
Wasn''t the leader supposed to exchange the fur for salt? Why did he hide the fur now?
Faced with the tribe members'' questions, the leader of the Green tribe, who had been mncholic for a long time, finally smiled.
The people in the tribe still weren''t smart enough!
He mused like this.
Of course, there was a reason for doing this. He wanted to see if he could, as usual, obtain free salt from this tribe.
If not, he would return with the fur.
The leader of the Green tribe, who liked to take advantage of others, always had a talent for such things.
After exining this to the tribe members, they again admired the leader''s wisdom...
Chapter 408: The first big fish that bite the bait
Chapter 408: The first big fish that bite the bait
Just as the leader of the Green tribe had shown a proud expression a moment ago, his smile disappeared even before he reached the Green Sparrow tribe.
He and the others who wereughing just now became silent at this moment.
In their silence, all of them appeared with stunned expressions that could be described as jaw-dropping.
Of course, it wasn''t because they saw the Green Sparrow tribe''s very fashionable and avant-garde clothing, but because they saw the wild grass that extended like a continuous green carpet on both sides of the tribe, reaching far away!
Their tribe could exchange these for pottery, salt, and other things. A few days ago, the wild grass made everyone sad because it was pulling up the seedlings to help them grow. How could there be so much of it growing around this tribe?
This... how is this possible!
They clearly remembered that thest time they attended the Joyful Gathering, this ce was still barren, without even a single tree. Why are so many wild grasses growing now?
Amidst their shock, the leader of the Green tribe remembered the scene he had seen when thest batch of wild grasses matured, the sight of arge number of mature wild grass seeds!
Last year, the area nted with millet by the Green Sparrow tribe was not asrge as it is now, so the leader of the Green tribe and his people did not notice.Now, seeing the scene in front of them and recalling the scene fromst year, the leader of the Green tribe suddenly understood what was going on.
But one thing still puzzled him deeply.
Why was there less and less of this kind of wild grass around their tribe, while the tribe that initially had no wild grass seeds now had an astonishing amount of this wild grass?
Before he joined the Green Sparrow tribe, Han Cheng would certainly not tell him that this was the inherent skill of the Chinese nation at work...
On the wall, there was a warning sound from the people. Han Cheng looked at the Green tribe peopleing from a distance and looked quite embarrassed, with a happy smile.
The several years he spentying the groundwork were not in vain after all. If handled properly, the Green tribe would be the first big fish he caught.
He drank the remaining bamboo leaf water heartily, then got up to exin matters to his eldest senior brother.
The Green tribe people came empty-handed from afar and received excellent hospitality. Leaving aside other matters, just the cool bamboo leaf water was enough to save lives.
Despite being surprised by the strange clothes of the Green Sparrow tribe, after seeing how they treated them, the leader of the Green tribe felt much more at ease.
He thought it might be possible to get the other party to give them some salt for free again.
However, the facts that followed shattered his sense of luck.
Everything else was negotiable, but when it came to salt, the tribe leader, who was familiar with him, suddenly became stingy.
No matter what he said, whether he was exchanging fur or food for salt or joining the tribe, nothing changed.
When it came to the critical moment of closing the deal, the eloquence of the leader of the Green tribe was in vain. Even when he pushed out his two spouses, it was useless.
After a while of wrangling, the leader of the Green tribe had no choice but to lead his people back.
"Divine Child, they''re going back like this..."
The shaman and the eldest senior brother looked somewhat unwilling as they watched the Green tribe people disappear.
In their view, the salt n finally showed some progress. However, the people from the Green Tribe only made a round trip to their tribe and then left again. After leaving, it was uncertain whether they woulde back...
"Don''t worry, they will return soon," Han Cheng said calmly.
" Divine Child, truly miraculous! They came back!" eximed the senior disciple with admiration.
As Han Cheng''s words faded, he turned around and saw the Green Tribe, which had disappeared not long ago, reappearing on the other side of the river.
Seeing the shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother''s admiration, Han Cheng felt a bit awkward.
When he said they would return soon, he meant the Green Tribe, which had already run out of salt, would return sooner orter to exchange goods for salt.
When they had exchanged all their remaining goods for salt and had nothing left, it would be time for them to consider joining their tribe.
It wasn''t as if the Green Tribe would return in a moment.
Who could have imagined that things would be so coincidental? Just as he had finished speaking, the people from the Green Tribe did indeed return.
Indeed, there are no coincidences in life!
Thinking like this, Han Cheng didn''t exin further. Instead, he shamelessly epted the admiration of the tribe without exnation...
Primitive people are simple?
Looking at the carefree Green Tribe leader, who seemed unaffected after putting down the fur, Han Cheng felt that this phrase didn''t apply to him.
This guy is actually ying such petty tricks.
Naturally, those who y petty tricks will be punished, especially after being discovered by others.
The Green Tribe leader was the best witness to this.
The Eldest Senior Brother, who discovered the Green Tribe leader''s petty tricks, was furious, and the consequences were naturally severe.
In the subsequent transactions, the Eldest Senior Brother, citing various reasons such as the small size of the pelts brought by the Green Tribe leader and the severe shedding, forcibly reduced the amount of salt intended for the Green Tribe by as much as thirty percent.
The Green Tribe leader was unaware of this, as he didn''t engage in many transactions with the Green Sparrow Tribe and thought everything was standard procedure.
If he knew the truth, I wonder if he would still be proud of his momentary cleverness...
The people of the Green Tribe left with less than a jar of salt. This salt couldn''t sustain them for long, even if their consumption was very frugal.
As the summer heat dissipated, Han Cheng climbed up the wall along the woodendder, looking in the direction where the people of the Green Tribe were leaving, smiling like a fox that had stolen a chicken.
"Brother Cheng, look..."
In the evening room, themp was lit with fat oil and thin hemp thread.
Unlike before, hemp thread was undoubtedly more suitable for makingmp wicks. The light it emitted was much brighter than before, dispelling the darkness and filling the room.
Under the orange light, anticipating the young bride, Han Cheng began to fulfill his promise to continue "The Benevolent Enjoying the Mountain."
Looking at the beauty under themp, even with some ws, they would be obscured by the dim light.
It was somewhat simr to the effect of looking into a dim bronze mirror. Perhaps that was where Zou Ji got the courage to say, "Who among us is more beautiful than Lord Xu of the North City?"
Under the orange light, with the reflection of the personal items carefully crafted by Han Cheng, the sight of the young bride lifting her clothes made Han Cheng''s heart flutter...
Chapter 409: My tummy hurts, Brother Cheng (1)
Chapter 409: My tummy hurts, Brother Cheng (1)
The chirping of birds shattered the morning tranquility. In the unique tranquility of dawn, the Green Sparrow Tribe, who had slept through the night, rubbed their sleepy eyes and began their day.
With a serene and energetic demeanor, Han Cheng opened the door and stretchedzily.
After washing up, he headed towards the chicken coop.
Near the chicken coop, next to the expanded rabbit enclosure, Shaman, who had already risen earlier than him,y lying there.
Seeing him approach, Shaman just smiled and nodded in greeting without saying much.
Han Cheng, also not in the mood for conversation, smiled back and picked up some dew-covered grass, making his way to the chicken coop.
A few early risers had just cut the grass from the tribe.
Instead of tossing the grass directly into the coop, Han Cheng ced it not far away. He picked up a handful of grass with his left hand and ced it on a wooden board, while with his right hand, he picked up a ckened stone knife soaked in grass juice and started chopping.
After a while, he moved aside a movable wooden fence on the coop and took out an empty pottery basin from inside.Over time, the chickens in the coop had grown ustomed to humans and, upon seeing Han Cheng open the fence, gathered around eagerly, anticipating their meal.
Some roosters evenzily sang tunes, seemingly content.
The chopped grass was ced into the pottery basin. Han Cheng then retrieved two handfuls of slightly inferior rapeseeds from a nearby pottery jar and added them to the basin along with the chopped grass, stirring them with a stick.
This was the breakfast for the chickens.
After finishing these tasks, the courtyard of the Green Sparrow Tribe gradually became lively. People began to wake up one by one, wash up, and then do their usual activities.
After watching the chickens eat, Han Cheng moved aside and removed another fence.
In the vacant space were three chicken nests made of broken pottery filled with dried grass.
Some eggs were in the golden grass nests, not entirely white.
There were seven of them!
Han Cheng''s face lit up with joy. It seemed like these guys hadid plenty of eggs yesterday!
He bent down, collected the eggs from the nest, and ced them in a pottery bowl for storing them.
The chickens in the coop didn''t react much to this egg thief-like behavior. Over time, they had be ustomed to it. Many had seen this since birth, so there was naturally no resistance.
Carrying the bowl of eggs, Han Cheng made his way back to the cave. Fire Two, industrious as always, had just boiled arge pot of hot water.
Han Cheng cracked a fresh egg into a bowl, beat it with chopsticks, and thendled it in some boiling water from another bowl, creating a bowl of egg drop soup.
The yellow egg flower floated in the center of the water, looking quite appealing, albeitcking a bit of seasoning.
Nowadays, Han Cheng considers it indispensable to have a bowl of egg drop soup or deer milk in the morning.
He didn''t particrly enjoy these things, but rather, he had no choice.
Sincest autumn, when he went downstream to harvest hemp, and Bai Xue unlocked new skills in the Fire Tribe, he had often felt that his nutrition wascking...
The remaining six eggs in the bowl were not eaten but ced in a pottery jar. The jar was filled with nearly half a jar of eggs, totaling around forty to fifty eggs umted during this period.
Once he gathered enough, he prepared some grass ash sprinkled with salt, mixed it with water, wrapped it around the eggs, and pickled a batch of salted eggs.
The salted eggs with golden yolks oozing oil were his favorite, especially when eaten with steamed buns. Just the thought made one''s mouth water...
By the time breakfast was ready, the early risers had already taken advantage of the coolness and aplished quite a bit.
Bai Xue''s appetite wasn''t exceptionally high during breakfast. Han Cheng, preupied with thoughts of salted eggs and inspecting the stone roller that had finally been chiseled ording to his instructions, didn''t notice these details.
After the meal and a brief rest to recharge, the energized individuals busied themselves again, attending to their respective tasks.
Even Bai Xue Mei, whose enthusiasm wasn''t exceptionally high, came to the silkworm-raising area to feed the silkworms with mulberry leaves that seemed to have grownrger.
As she fed them, her other hand unconsciously rested on her abdomen.
During the molting and spinning stages, the silkworms always had a good appetite. They nibbled incessantly on the tender mulberry leaves, emitting a series of fine chewing sounds.
After watching for a while, Bai Xue Mei''s mood improved considerably, but suddenly, her expression changed, and she pressed her hand more forcefully on her abdomen.
After a moment, with furrowed brows and a pained expression, she hurriedly ran to the toilet...
Outside the tribe''s main gate, on the vacantnd opened upst year for public execution viewing, there were now some rtively idle people.
These rtively idle individuals included Han Cheng, a shaman, and the next-in-line shaman, Shi Tou, who was diligently making his way toward bing a shaman.
At the edge of the vacantnd, a stone pir about thirty-five centimeters in diameter and approximately eighty centimeters longy quietly there.
The surface of the stone pir was not very smooth, appearing somewhat pitted and uneven.
Compared to the polished stone rollers that Han Cheng had encountered inter years, which had undergone who knows how many years of weathering, the newly born stone roller of the Green Sparrow Tribe was much rougher.
However, it was indeed a stone roller.
Limping over with a rectangr wooden frame made of sturdy wood, Lame lowered the wooden frame from his shoulder and ced it on the t stone roller.
The two holes left on the wooden frame lined up perfectly with the holes chiseled at the center of each end of the stone roller, each about five centimeters deep.
Of course, this was the result of manual support. As soon as one let go, the roller frame, muchrger than the stone roller, would immediately fall off.
Lame removed the axe inserted at his waist and two wooden pegs that roughly corresponded to the holes in the wooden frame.
With a few clean and sharp strokes, the wooden pegs were firmly embedded in the wooden frame.
The thinner and rounder ends of the wooden pegs were then inserted into the inner side of the wooden frame, entering the stone pit at the top of the stone roller.
After repeating the same operation on the other end, the roller frame was firmly fitted onto the stone roller.
The deer, which had not been released yet and was still being prepared for feeding, had a simple "deer harness" made of rope ced on its body. The other end was hooked onto the roller frame with a wooden hook.
Han Cheng led the deer forward, and the heavy stone roller began to roll along with it.
Chapter 410: My tummy hurts, Brother Cheng (2)
Chapter 410: My tummy hurts, Brother Cheng (2)
The heavy stone roller pressed down on the ground, leaving a shallow mark on the slightly damp soil.
The small stones on the ground were all crushed into the soil.
This way, they won''t be mixed in with the grain when it''s time to thresh.
The others didn''t react much to this, but a few of the regrs who often participated in threshing looked at the marks with expressions of pleasant surprise.
The Divine Child''s words were not wrong; this stone roller was handy. Not to mention anything else, just the current ground-rolling operation alone justified the considerable effort put into making it.
This rolling stone had a better effect than the tamping tools they had used before.
More importantly, the ground was rtively t, making it difficult for grains like millet and rapeseed to hide within.
Now that the results were so noticeable, wouldn''t it be even more helpful when using it for threshing?
Watching the stone roller squeak and tter along with the movement of the deer, Han Cheng and the others began to look forward to autumn arriving sooner.After a round of experimentation, the effectiveness of the stone roller was as good as expected. Han Cheng smiled and gave Mu Tou a thumbs up, saying he would treat him to a delicious meal tonight.
Excited, Mu Tou immediately got to work, enthusiastically continuing to use the hammer and chisel to work on the new stone roller.
After all, the area nted with grains in the Green Sparrow Tribe wasrge enough, but with only one stone roller, time was insufficient.
This was also why Han Cheng nned to move the threshing ground outside the tribe this year.
Although the courtyard of the Green Sparrow Tribe was spacious, bringing in so much grain at once would still make it feel crowded...
After finishing the experiments, Han Cheng led the deer back into the courtyard and locked it in the deer pen.
It was gettingte today, so he didn''t let them go out to forage.
Afterpleting these tasks, he habitually nced toward the silkworm-raising area but did not see Bai Xue''s figure.
Where did this little girl who took care of the silkworms go?
Under normal circumstances, she wouldn''t stray too far from the silkworms.
Thinking like this, he didn''t pay too much attention. After all, in this courtyard, she couldn''t have gone far.
Thinking about the meal he nned to have with Mu Tou tonight, Han Cheng got up and went to the cave.
Some ingredients needed to be prepared in advance.
After preparing the ingredients, Han Cheng nced at the silkworm-raising area again but still didn''t see Bai Xue''s figure. Han Cheng felt a bit puzzled.
Where did this girl go?
With doubts, he began to search the courtyard deliberately, but after ap, he didn''t see her.
Han Cheng became somewhat anxious. Thinking that he hadn''t checked inside the house yet, he hurriedly went to the front, opened the door, and hurriedly went in.
Upon entering the room, he saw Bai Xue, whom he hadn''t seen for a long time, and Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
Soon, he became worried again because Bai Xue''s condition was not right.
At this moment, she was sitting on a wooden stool ced by the heated bed, huddled up, with tears on her face, looking particrly weak and helpless.
What happened? The usually cheerful Bai Xue, how did she be like this?
"What''s wrong?"
Han Cheng walked over, squatted down, touched her braided hair, and asked with concern.
Han Cheng didn''t ask at first, but now that he did, Bai Xue Mei pursed her lips, and tears streamed down her face.
"What''s wrong?"
Han Cheng asked with increasing anxiety.
However, Bai Xue refused to speak, just holding onto Han Cheng''s arm and crying intermittently.
What on earth happened? How could someone who was perfectly fine suddenly cry so heartbreakingly?
Han Cheng was full of confusion and worry.
After a while like this, Bai Xue Mei, with red-rimmed eyes from crying, choked out intermittently, "Brother Cheng... I... I''m going to die..."
Han Cheng was anxious and startled to hear these words from Bai Xue''s mouth. How could she be dying when she was perfectly fine?!
"What exactly happened? Where are you feeling ufortable?"
Han Cheng asked anxiously.
"I... I''m bleeding, bleeding... a lot, I... I can''t... can''t stop it..."
After Bai Xue said this intermittently, she hugged Han Cheng''s arm even tighter and cried even more sadly.
Bleeding? And a lot?!
Han Cheng was surprised and hurriedly examined Bai Xue up and down, but he found no wounds.
"Where are you bleeding from?"
Han Cheng asked somewhat strangely.
As soon as the words came out, he realized something, and his eyes widened as he looked at Bai Xue. Upon closer inspection, he did indeed notice some clues.
This...
Han couldn''t help butugh out loud at the false rm.
Bai Xue felt even more wronged when she saw Han Chengughing. She was bleeding so much and was about to die, yet Brother Cheng was stillughing...
It took Han Cheng a while to stopughing. He earnestlyforted her, "Don''t worry, you''re not dying. You''re just growing up..."
With each exnation from Brother Cheng, who hadpletely transformed into a caring friend of women, Bai Xue gradually stopped crying, and her fear gradually dissipated.
"Really?"
After a while, Bai Xue looked at Han Cheng skeptically.
Han Cheng nodded. "Really!"
After understanding that she wasn''t going to die, that it was just a symbol of growing up, Bai Xue suddenly became happy.
She was happy, but Han Cheng became mncholy.
He realized he had nothing to entertain the rtives who visited Bai Xue for the first time.
Where were the holographic disys, the moon goddesses, and all those things that were ubiquitous in the future? None of them were in sight at this time.
It was like the paper he sorely missed, which was also a headache.
Could he just let Bai Xue and the female primitive people of the tribe find some hay and leaves, tie them with animal skins, and call it a day?
That would be too rough.
Feeling a headacheing on, Han Cheng sat there with a bitter smile. Others might have grand adventures when they time-traveled, but all he got was dealing with trivial matters all day long...
The key was that he always got stuck with these things.
And now he was trending further towards bing a "friend of women."... This was embarrassing for the time-travelermunity.
Should he use linen?
This... would be too extravagant, wouldn''t it?
Once this method was poprized, just this item would consume a lot of linen yearly.
If it worked well, it would be fine, but the linen wasn''t exceptionally soft, and its absorbency wasn''t good...
This was indeed a headache.
"Get some needles and thread!"
After agonizing over it for a long time, Han, the great shaman, raised his drooping head and shouted boldly.
Chapter 411: Han Cheng, Friend of Women
Chapter 411: Han Cheng, Friend of Women
"He is capable in the hall, and adept in the kitchen." This phrase used to describe Han Cheng is simply underwhelming.
He can handle these tasks and even dabble in the needlework typically associated with women.
Yet, the most important thing is not his skills but what he produces now.
He sewed a bag 4 cm wide and 15 cm long using threeyers of finely woven hemp cloth.
Both ends of the bag are tied with straps to secure around the waist.
Perhaps because women have a natural talent in this area, Han Cheng didn''t need to exin much to Bai Xue, whom he had caught up to after hastily cramming some basic physiological knowledge. She knew how to use it.
When she reached out to take this odd-looking thing from Han Cheng, he didn''t give it to her.
He told the bare-bottomed Bai Xue to wait for him in the house for a while, then took the newly sealed item and left.
Hemp cloth isn''t very absorbent, even with severalyers.So, what he held wasn''t a finished product.
He walked to the usual cooking ce, found a stiff leaf, scooped some wood ash into the hemp bag, securely tied the bag''s mouth, and pped it back and forth a few times in his hand. Seeing that not much ash was escaping, Han Cheng smiled as he walked back.
Pure hemp cloth isn''t very absorbent, so adding some highly absorbent wood ash inside is enough.
After using it, pour out the wood ash, wash it well, and it can be reused.
At this moment, Han Cheng couldn''t help but praise himself for his cleverness.
This thing looks a bit crude, butpared to the dry grass and leavesmonly used by women of this era, it''s undoubtedly a step up.
It seems that the cultivation of hemp and the weaving of hemp cloth cannot stop.
What they currently have is far from enough.
There isn''t much hemp cloth left in the Green Sparrow Tribe. To promote this necessary but somewhat unattractive item in the tribe will take quite some time.
At least until early winter this year, when mature hemp can be harvested and processed into new fabric, it can be widely used.
For now, only Bai Xue can enjoy such special treatment...
In the evening, as agreed, Han Cheng cooked a delicious and sumptuous meal, which stimted the others again. Each one was motivated and eager to attain such an honorable and practical reward.
Sometimes, appropriate distinctions not only do not hinder productivity but also promote its development...
Days passed by quickly. When the new Blue Tile and Brick House, built by the Green Sparrow Tribe this year, was finally nearingpletion, signs of summer wanting to pass were already apparent.
The Blue Tile and Brick Houseprised seven rooms, eachrger in length, width, and height than the previously built houses. It stood in the courtyard with a sense of grandeur.
Han Cheng deliberately created this to emphasize the importance of learning and education.
Five of these rooms did not have a dividing wall in the middle like before, which used to support the roof beams.
These five rooms were interconnected entirely in the middle, allowing them to amodate many people simultaneously.
When the foundation was dug initially, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, who were already familiar with building houses, noticed no nned foundations for the five rooms without a central dividing wall in the middle that the Divine Child intended to build anew.
They thought the Divine Child had forgotten, so they came explicitly to inquire and remind him to reinforce the foundation of the dividing walls for these few rooms.
However, the reply they received was unexpected: it wasn''t forgotten; the Divine Child intentionally left these.
Such a response left the tribe''s members, who were already familiar with house construction, deeply puzzled.
Without these dividing walls, how would they ce the roof beams when the time came?
Was the Divine Child nning to use tall trees as beams to span across five rooms at once?
But wouldn''t that be exceedingly difficult?
Moreover, such a long span wouldn''t be structurally sound, and the roof built on it would copse easily...
These concerns were voiced to the Divine Child, but he just smiled and said he had a solution.
This response stumped people who thought they were pretty familiar with building houses and unable toe up with a good solution.
It wasn''t until the Divine Child used three thick wooden poles to construct a sizeable triangr frame that they suddenly realized.
The method Han Cheng employed, which seemed quite ordinary to future generations, involved cing a thick crossbeam where the dividing wall was needed. This beam reced the lower lintel that was level with the house.
Two thick wooden poles were nted and joined together to form a triangr frame on top of the beam.
Vertical wooden beams were ced on top of the wooden frame, recing the dividing wall with wooden supports.
Without nails, it didn''t matter; with tools like iron axes, they could create gaps in these beams and wedge them tightly together...
The other two rooms were separate. One was used to store the precious pottery tablets Shaman and Shi Tou recorded.
The other room was an office for Han Cheng, Shaman, and Shi Tou.
In the future, if small meetings need to be held, this ce could also serve as a meeting hall. Forrge ceremonies, the five interconnected rooms next door could give a formal feel.
On top of the Blue Tile and Brick House, Han Cheng had people specifically build a ridge.
They each ced a roughly made bird crafted from pottery at the raised ends of the roof ridge.
These two birds were designed in a flying posture, resembling Green Sparrows or not. In the eyes of the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, these were two Green Sparrows!
Seeing the newly constructed Blue Tile and Brick House, each tribe member felt deeply moved.
Alongside this awe, a sense of pride surged within them. This magnificent, grand house was constructed bit by bit by their hands!
It came from their Green Sparrow Tribe!
Han Cheng did not disappoint the people. On the night the Blue Tile and Brick House was announced to bepleted, he prepared a sumptuous dinner to entertain everyone in the tribe.
Even the wine brewed this year from newly ripened fruits was brought out in ten barrels at once. Apart from those on duty, everyone else could freely drink.
As the night grewte, the bustling sounds gradually diminished and disappeared entirely with the final extinguishing of the bonfire.
In the courtyard of the Green Sparrow Tribe, many peopley sprawled in various positions, snoring loudly.
This summer, Han Cheng didn''t disturb their sweet dreams but instead had people drape a thin animal hide over them.
How could one not drink to one''s heart''s content on days like this?
Looking at the people sleeping on the ground and the houses standing silently under the night sky, Han Cheng picked up a half-empty jar of wine and finished it in one go.
Then, he wrapped himself in a piece of animal hide andy down quietly on the ground, gazing at the starry sky.
Finally, amidst the twinkling stars, he fell asleep...
When everyone woke up the next day, they looked at each other and burst intoughter, recalling the experiences of the previous night and feeling incredibly content.
As time passed, the grains also ripened, but before the grains matured, there was still one thing that needed to be done...
Chapter 412: I also have an... ID
Chapter 412: I also have an... ID
The sunlight filtered through the grass shed, reducing its scorching intensity.
The breeze blowing along the river made this ce significantly cooler than elsewhere.
Under the grass shed, Heiwa, the first pottery maker of the Green Sparrow tribe, held a small jar in one hand and a brush made of animal fur, tree gum, and wood in the other. He gently brushed wood ash onto a small y block about four centimeters long and two centimeters wide with more focus and care than he had shown when brushing other pottery pieces.
This rectangr y block, less than a centimeter thick, wasn''t perfectly smooth; its surface bore traces of carvings.
The piece Heiwa was working on had four characters engraved on its front face: the top two were "Green Sparrow," and the bottom two were "Heiwa."
There were many such small y tablets, more than a hundred in total, matching the tribe''s poption of people aged three and above.
After brushing the front face of all the y tablets, the ones at the front had already dried.
Heiwa came over with a thin bone shard and carefully flipped the y tablet over.
The back of the tablet depicted a soaring Green Sparrow bird with outstretched wings.The portrayal of this Green Sparrow bird was remarkably vivid.
Heiwa flipped through five y tablets in session, each with a soaring Green Sparrow bird engraved on its back.
As Heiwa''s gaze swept over these Green Sparrow birds, his eyes revealed unmistakable affection and respect.
Not only were these Green Sparrow birds depicted vividly, but more importantly, each one was identical!
When the Divine Child made this request, even the best artisans in the tribe hesitated to agree. Drawing a Green Sparrow bird wasn''t difficult, but making every single one identical was the challenge!
Handling one or two would have been manageable, but the Divine Child requested more than a hundred.
Anyone with a basic understanding of the matter knew how difficult this was. Some even believed it was impossible.
Not only did Heiwa believe this, but even the tribe''s shaman and those most skilled with characters, like Shi Tou, also believed it was impossible.
However, this belief didn''tst long. Three days after the Divine Child returned to the house with a piece of wood and sniffed, their inherent understanding was shattered.
They believed that the impossible task had been solved in a way that wasn''t too difficult.
The solution was the small piece of wood held by the Divine Child.
With just a little force, pressing that piece of wood onto the newly shaped, not yet dry y tablet immediately revealed a Green Sparrow bird.
Seeing the solution, Heiwa felt suddenly enlightened and began to p his head continuously.
Why hadn''t he thought of such a method?
When making pottery, he sometimes used fish bones or wooden sticks to press marks onto them, a method not much different from this.
How couldn''t he have considered imprinting a Green Sparrow bird on them?
After staring at the unique Green Sparrow bird on the back of the y tablet for a while, Heiwa still felt somewhat regretful and couldn''t help but pat his head twice more before continuing to brush the wood ash water onto it.
He did this work meticulously because the Divine Child had previously emphasized that after these y tablets were fired, they would be the tribe''s...?
Identity cards?
Scratching his head, Heiwa felt somewhat uncertain.
Hmm, it seems that''s how it''s called.
ording to the Divine Child, this is called an identity card, and it corresponds to each of them, one per person, to prove they are members of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Facing the Divine Child''s actions and exnations, Heiwa found it somewhat difficult to understand.
Aren''t they, and everyone else in the tribe, already part of the tribe?
Why would they need such a pottery piece to prove it?
After brushing all the y tablets again, Heiwa looked at them, pondering the Divine Child''s intentions in doing these things, and felt puzzled again.
After a while, he could only attribute it to his lower level of understanding, unable to grasp the Divine Child¡¯s superior thoughts.
Two dayster, these meticulously fired "identity cards" were fresh out of the kiln.
Han Cheng picked up "one" identity card and carefully examined it for a while, nodding slightly in satisfaction.
Although these identity cards were somewhat crude, they had all the necessary elements to serve as the tribe''s generational identity cards without any issues.
When time and technology allow, they can be updated and reced.
Issuing identity cards to the people in the tribe seemed somewhat like a joke now.
After all, with the current poption of the Green Sparrow tribe, everyone knew each other very well, living together, eating together, and working together in the same courtyard.
As the people of the tribe thought, confirming someone as a member of their tribe didn''t require such a seemingly unnecessary thing as an identity card.
Han Cheng naturally understood this. However, an identity card wasn''t just for proving identity. If other things were added to it, its significance would change.
In addition to this batch of meticulously crafted pottery identity cards, Han Cheng nned to produce another batch of small wooden ques.
This second batch of identity cards wouldn''t be for the Green Sparrow tribe members who already had pottery identity cards; they would be for neers joining the Green Sparrow tribe.
Those with pottery identity cards would be considered first-ss citizens of the Green Sparrow tribe, while those with wooden identity cards would be second-ss citizens.
First-ss citizens could enjoy many privileges like the Green Sparrow tribe currently lived.
Second-ss citizens would have some restrictions on their rights, such as their daily food intake and living quarters, which would differ from those of the elderly in the Green Sparrow tribe.
This differential treatment wasn''t unfair.
Treating everyone equally would be the greatest injustice.
After all, how much effort had the elders of the Green Sparrow tribe put into achieving the current state of carefree living?
Regarding these neers, the Green Sparrow tribe wasn''t numerous in the past and was still weak. Therefore, Han Cheng didn''t adopt such measures towards the Pig and Bone tribes.
Now that the Green Sparrow tribe was no longer considered weak in this ce, it was time to proceed with this matter.
Of course, those with second-ss status didn''t always remain second-ss. After living in the Green Sparrow tribe for a certain period, their identity cards were reced by wooden ques rather than pottery.
If someone showed outstanding performance or contributed significantly to the tribe, this transition period could be considerably shortened.
Han Cheng hadn''t set specific standards for this yet. When neers join the Green Sparrow tribe, they make decisions based on the situation.
Doing so would not only effectively capture the hearts of the tribe''s elders, preventing them from feeling resentful due to perceived unfairness, but it would also provide a clear path for neers to progress quickly into the Green Sparrow tribe, encouraging them to contribute more to their tribe.
With these additional elements, what seemed to be a useless identity card now became of significant importance.
Chapter 413: Man dies for wealth, bird dies for food
Chapter 413: Man dies for wealth, bird dies for food
Han Cheng held his identity card in his hand and began to pick up the remaining ones, loudly reciting and distributing them to the crowd.
Even the children had them, but they were all over three years old.
Children under three did not have identity cards because their wear and tear rate was rtively high.
The recipients of the pottery identity cards held them in their hands, carefully and curiously examining them. Sometimes, several people would gather together topare and discuss them.
They admired the unexpectedly exquisite craftsmanship of the identity cards.
It''s unknown who took the lead, but on the exquisite pottery identities, someone carefully drilled a small hole and threaded a fine leather cord through it, wearing it around their neck.
In less than two days, except for Han Cheng, everyone in the Green Sparrow Tribe who had an identity card was doing the same.
What was once an identity card has be a piece of jewelry.
Watching the tribe members with their identity cards hanging from their necks, Han Cheng couldn''t help but sniff.Fortunately, it''s not the future now; otherwise, drilling a hole in the identity card would be troublesome.
But that''s also good. Now that it''s hanging around their necks, they can recognize each other instantly.
And it''s not easy to lose.
To a certain extent, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s identity cardbines the functions of household registration and identity cards from the future.
As time passed, after the sunset, the temperature was no longer as hot as before.
On such days, hundreds of acres of millet around the Green Sparrow Tribe also became fuller daily.
Sometimes, a gust of wind would send the fragrance of ripening millet enveloping the entire tribe.
This fragrance made every person in the Green Sparrow Tribe look radiant.
As the sky brightened, with the squeaky sound of the wooden door, the Shaman, who seemed to be not too sleepy, walked out of the room, and as usual, after washing up, he fed the rabbits with grass.
After picking up the rabbit and petting it, the Shaman, apanied by the Third Senior Brother and another person, walked out of the tribe''s gate and headed towards the slightly yellowed millet field to the east.
Turning around therge expanse of millet fields belonging to the tribe has be another primary hobby of the Shaman.
Looking at the well-growing millet, sometimes he would bend over to pull some grass from the ground, something he could never get enough of.
In the beginning, Han Cheng was still worried about his safety and feared he would get tired. However, after some time passed and the Shaman''s spirits improved, he no longer said anything.
However, when the Shaman went out, at least two people would apany him with weapons.
After all, it''s the primitive era now, not the future, where all wild beasts can barely survive under deliberate human protection.
"Bang!"
Third Senior Brother, walking with the Shaman on the edge of the millet field, suddenly stopped, drew his bow, and an arrow had already shot out like a meteor at the sound of the bowstring.
"Boom!"
Where the arrownded, a flock of densely packed birds suddenly rose from the millet field like a ck cloud.
Chirping and chirping, theynded on the nearby trees, waiting for these hateful bipeds to leave so they could return to eat this rare and delicious feast.
"Shoot!"
"Shoot them dead!"
While cursing these hairless monkeys who wouldn''t let them eat properly while perched in the trees, they were also cursing back at them.
After discovering that the grain painstakingly nted by their tribe had been stolen, the elder Shaman showed no signs of aging. He pointed at the birds that had gued the crops and cursed them with more vigor than when he danced in religious fervor.
"Twang!"
Third Senior Brother swiftly followed suit, drawing his bow again. An arrow flew out, and a bird perched on a tree let out a miserable cry. The feathered arrow carried it forward before plunging into the ground.
The flock of birds, intimidated by the formidable hairless monkeys, pped their wings in panic and fled.
The elder Shaman, still full of rage, continued to curse loudly in the direction the birds flew. His emotions were so heightened that even the tribal dialect slipped from his lips.
"Man dies for wealth. Birds perish for food." This saying couldn''t be more urate.
The vast, nearly ripe millet fields surrounding the Green Sparrow Tribe were an irresistible temptation for these birds.
Before the Shaman''s curses had faded, the birds circled in the sky andnded again about a mile away from him, chattering and calling their friends to feast.
asionally, a few scattered birds would p their wings and join the feast.
"Shoot! Shoot them dead!"
The elder''s eyes reddened as he spoke to Third Senior Brother, bending over to grab a clod of earth and hurl it with all his might at the damned birds.
Of course, he couldn''t throw it that far.
Third Senior Brother also annoyed, approached from behind and drew his bow again...
"Shoot..."
The elder''s angry howls echoed continuously in the early morning field, much louder than when he worshipped the gods.
"Why isn''t the Shaman back yet?"
Han Cheng muttered. In the past, even when he went for a walk, it shouldn''t have taken this long for him to return...
Watching the Shaman, panting, feathers on his head, carrying a string of dead birds, and asionally cursing, Han Cheng couldn''t help butugh.
Old child, old child, sometimes when people get old, they indeed be a bit childish in some behaviors.
To pacify the Shaman, Han Cheng deliberately added an extra meal for the tribe and roasted all those birds for them to eat.
"Divine Child, about these birds..."
As the Shaman gnawed fiercely on the bird meat, he looked worried.
The morning''smotion had left him feeling almost helpless against these annoying flies of birds.
Han Cheng nodded after hearing the elder talk about driving away these birds. What the elder said was indeed very necessary.
The ecology here was excellent, and with various bird species abundant around the Green Sparrow Tribe, news of arge area of delicious food had spread among them, attracting many annoying feathered creatures.
If left uncontrolled, allowing them to continue like this until the millet was fully ripe and ready for harvest would likely reduce the yield by at least ten percent or more.
"It''s alright, I have a way."
Han Cheng confidently reassured the Shaman.
Upon hearing this, the Shaman immediately felt relieved, quickly finishing his meal and pulling Han Cheng along to implement their n to curb those troublesome birds.
He had indeed reached the end of his patience with them.
Chapter 414: The Great War to protect the grains
Chapter 414: The Great War to protect the grains
"This... is the method the Divine Child came up with?"
Looking at those straw men made of hay and sticks, earnestly wrapped in animal skins outside, and then looking at the Divine Child''s confident expression, Shaman was at a loss for words to express his feelings.
With living people around, those damn birds aren''t afraid, and now you''ve made some fake people to go over there...
Shaman''s reaction was clear to Han Cheng, and he could roughly understand what he was thinking.
Various animals are quite bold in this era, unlike inter generations when they fear humans. Humans have not yet risen to the point where all animals must look at humans'' faces to survive.
You can see this from Shaman''s frustrated reactions to those arrogant birds.
Simply making these straw men won''t naturally intimidate these birds. Some audacious ones might even stand on top of the straw men and show off.
Birds aren''t afraid of people because humans haven''t left a deep enough impression on them. If the impression left is deep enough, even scarecrows would scare them!
Seeing Shaman''s skeptical look, Han Cheng directly announced that everyone else should drop what they were doing except for the most necessary tasks, pick up their bows and arrows, and begin the great war to defend the food supply.With these words spoken, everyone in the tribe was united in solidarity, responding enthusiastically to the Divine Child''s call.
These birds were now taking advantage of the crops they painstakingly nted, naturally leaving them feeling indignant.
Apart from this reason, another was that these birds tasted quite good...
So, the people who set aside their work picked up their bows, prepared their arrows, and scattered across the vast wilderness.
In the ensuing hours, the sound of bowstrings continuously echoed. Now and then, flocks of birds would be startled from the ground, and asionally, a bird would lose its life due to greed.
Shaman also joined in, closely following Third Senior Brother, because, within the entire tribe, Third Senior Brother''s archery skills were the best, with almost every arrow hitting its mark.
Each time an arrow was shot, a bird would be hit. Once, incredibly, one arrow pierced through two birds!
At moments like these, the Shaman disyed a speed not typical for someone his age, eagerly running over to retrieve the feathered arrows and count the birds that had already died.
Seeing this childish behavior, the Third Senior Brother wanted tough but didn''t dare.
After a while, Shaman looked at the increasing number of dead birds around him and suddenly became puzzled.
The method the Divine Child was currently employing didn''t seem to have anything to do with the scarecrows he had previously set up, right?
But Shaman quickly stopped wondering, as not far away, Third Senior Brother''s bowstring twanged again, and another bird fell.
Filled with the joy of picking up the shot-down birds, Shaman''s mind was too upied to dwell on the Divine Child''s seemingly disjointed actions and words.
People in this era always valued food. Even though their tribe''s totem was the green finch, birds ruining their crops were just as merciless.
This chaotic rain of arrows was certainly adequate. At first, these birds contended with these featherless monkeys in the grain fields. As more and more of their kind fell victim to these brutal monkeys due to their greed, they finally dared not be so bold anymore.
The pursuit and shooting continued until noon.
After experiencing the bloody lesson, those birds, looking at the hairless monkeys in the millet field, finally dared not risk their lives anymore.
Seeing that it was almost done, Han Cheng had the previously prepared scarecrows brought out from the tribe and scattered them in the millet fields.
Han Cheng brought some rtively soft tree sticks to make them more realistic. He tied them with ropes, bent them at both ends and tied them to the scarecrows'' arms to make it look like they were drawing bows and shooting arrows.
After all, those bent bows and arrows left the moststing impression on these birds.
Looking at the sun now directly to the south, Han Cheng wiped the sweat from his forehead. The morning''s work had been quite hot.
Seeing that everything was set up, Han Cheng called everyone back.
"Divine Child, are we just going back like this... those birds..."
The shaman held a bunch of shot-down birds, looked at some birds still lingering on the surrounding branches and bushes, unwilling to leave, and then looked at the scarecrows in the fields, appearing somewhat worried.
As soon as they leave, those birds wille back.
"It''s okay."
Han Cheng looked at the nearly hundred scarecrows in the millet field and spoke up.
Shaman walked back skeptically, constantly ncing back at the millet field. Indeed, the birds did not misbehave.
After lunch, Shaman, who usually took a nap, did not sleep this time and came out.
Uponing out, he went to the millet field. Apart from a few startled birds flying out of the ground, no other birds were around.
The morning scene of flocks and flocks did not appear.
Looking at the scarecrows in the field, Shaman couldn''t help but admire them secretly.
In the afternoon, about halfway through, Han Cheng sent half the people to sweep through the millet fields and its surroundings again with bows and arrows.
These birds were quite clever. They slowly became bolder after the initial shock and realized these terrifying hairless monkeys (scarecrows) were less aggressive.
If not taken seriously, they would return to their previous behavior in a few days.
So, having peoplee over from time to time to deepen these birds'' memory, making them remember that the things here cannot be eaten and these scarecrows standing in the field are not to be trifled with, was vital.
After doing this several times, seeing the scarecrows in the field, they dared note down anymore...
"This! This..."
The next morning, Shaman repeated what he had done before.
Getting up early, washing up, and feeding the rabbits, apanied by Third Senior Brother, walking along the edge of the millet field outside the tribe.
Looking at the scarecrows in the field and under the protection of the scarecrows, they were no longer harassed by birds, growing peacefully, and the millet was getting heavier. His smile couldn''t be suppressed.
Until now, seeing the situation here.
Shaman was angry, and the Third Senior Brother beside him was indignant.
Following their gaze, they saw arge area of millet that had grown well, now all lying on the ground, trampled and looking terrible as if someone had rolled around here.
"Tie Tou!"
Shaman, finally calming his anger, blew his beard and stared angrily.
Chapter 415: Beat them up!
Chapter 415: Beat them up!
Following beside him, Third Senior Brother was equally angry, watching angrily as he walked towards the tribe, asionally muttering a few words about Tie Tou in his mouth. His mind couldn''t quite grasp what was going on for a while.
"Why does it matter to Tie Tou that this grain field was trampled?"
Indeed, it did matter to Tie Tou!
After this confusion persisted for a while, Third Senior Brother also caught on.
He immediately bes furious and heads towards the tribe to confront Tie Tou with Shaman.
"You''ve done a fine job!"
Inside the tribe, Tie Tou was clearing the deer pen with several others, something they did every morning.
The dung they cleaned out made excellent fertilizer and provided a suitable living environment for the deer.
Seeing Shamane in from outside, the few men cleaning the pen greeted him warmly, but Shaman, who usually smiled, had a different expression today.Ignoring their greetings, he came in and addressed Tie Tou with an unfriendly tone.
Tie Tou and the others couldn''t help but be stunned, not understanding what Shaman was talking about or what had gotten into him that day.
Tie Tou was especially bewildered, unsure what he had done wrong to make Shaman so angry.
"Shaman, I..."
Tie Tou asked nervously, unable to remain calm in Shaman''s anger.
"In the grain field..."
Third Senior Brother, who hade back with Shaman, stared wide-eyed and added, exining the reason.
After understanding what Shaman and Third Senior Brother were discussing, Tie Tou scratched his head in confusion.
But Shaman was convinced...
The argument in the deer pen quickly attracted the attention of the tribe. By the time Han Cheng received the news and arrived, quite a few people had gathered around the pen, most of them pointing fingers at Tie Tou and Ruohua with anger in their eyes.
"We didn''t..."
Tie Tou and Ruohua were anxiously trying to exin.
"Divine Child, they..."
" Divine Child, we didn''t..."
Seeing Han Cheng arrive, everyone saluted and pointed toward Tie Tou, who was surrounded.
As Han Cheng frowned, wondering what was happening, he didn''t speak immediately. Instead, he nced around at everyone, who fell silent under his gaze. What had just been chaotic quickly calmed down.
"What''s going on? Speak one at a time."
Seeing the situation settle, Han Cheng finally spoke up.
Shaman stepped forward, visibly angry, and pointed at Tie Tou. "They..."
"Is this true?"
Han Cheng looked at Tie Tou and Ruohua, questioning them.
Both shook their heads desperately, tears nearly streaming down their faces.
Han Cheng had already pieced together the general idea of what had happened.
It seemed that arge portion of the tribe''s grain field had been trampled down. Coincidentally, Tie Tou and Ruohua had been cutting grass there just yesterday and spending quite a while there.
There didn''t seem to be a direct connection between the two events. The reaction wouldn''t have been the same if someone else had been cutting grass there.
But because Tie Tou and Ruohua were known for their spontaneous actions within the tribe, the trampled grain field incident was now being squarely med on them.
Han Cheng felt things weren''t that simple. After all, everyone in the tribe understood the importance of the grain fields, and Tie Tou and Ruohua were no exception in caring for them.
Even if emotions got the best of them momentarily and things spiraled out of control, it still wouldn''t exin how much grain was trampled in the field.
"Let''s go! Let''s see that trampled grain field."
Han Cheng didn''t jump to conclusions immediately. Instead, he urged everyone to inspect the scene of the incident together.
Leading the way were Shaman and Third Senior Brother, who had first discovered the trampled grain field. They marched ahead angrily, asionally ncing back with disdain at Tie Tou and Ruohua.
"Damn it!"
"Let''s punish them!"
A swath of nearly mature grainy ttened on the ground, covering almost twenty square meters!
Upon seeing this scene, the already angry crowd grew even more incensed. Many shouted angrily, demanding punishment for Tie Tou and Ruohua.
Han Cheng, however, widened his eyes. As he watched Tie Tou and Ruohua anxiously defending themselves with a mix of admiration and concern, he marveled at their fighting prowess. How strong must they be physically and mentally to handle an area thisrge?
"Look around here and check if any traces are left..."
Han Cheng didn''t punish Tie Tou and Ruohua as the others demanded. From the beginning, he didn''t believe they were capable of such thoughtless actions. After seeing the scene, his doubts only grew stronger.
This didn''t look like something humans would cause.
"Divine Child, there are hoof prints here..."
" Divine Child, some grain ears here have been half-eaten..."
Following the instructions, everyone carefully inspected the ground. Soon, reports of discoveries confirmed Han Cheng''s suspicions.
Seeing these findings, the crowd''s initial anger began to dissipate. Many now looked at Tie Tou and Ruohua with eyes that were more hesitant than usatory.
Especially those who had demanded punishment for them couldn''t bring themselves to meet their gaze.
Shaman squatted down, observing the newly stamped hoof prints on the ground, his expression grim.
His concern for the grain and his hasty judgment clouded his usual wisdom, leading him to lose hisposure and rush to me Tie Tou and Ruohua without proper investigation.
Third Senior Brother remained rtively silent. He had been swept along by Shaman''s momentum, not bothering to investigate and simply following Shaman back, thus unfairly using Tie Tou and Ruohua.
Standing up, Shaman approached Tie Tou and Ruohua with a remorseful look. "It''s my fault. I''ve wrongly used both of you..."
"I''m also at fault. I should have rified the situation..."
Third Senior Brother also came forward, solemnly apologizing to Tie Tou and Ruohua.
"I was wrong..."
"I used you wrongly..."
With Shaman taking the lead, others in the area began apologizing to Tie Tou and Ruohua.
Tie Tou and Ruohua, who hadn''t shed a tear throughout their wrongful usation, suddenly felt their noses tingle, tears streaming down their faces in an outburst of pent-up grievances.
Even these significant, tough individuals couldn''t hold back their tears, feeling overwhelmed.
Even some women among the primitive people couldn''t help but shed tears. After a while, Tie Tou finally regained hisposure, shaking hands with Han Cheng and others in an emotional disy.
Within the tribe, many felt guilty watching this scene unfold.
Many silently reflected that in the future, they shouldn''t rush to judgment without understanding the reasons.
Imagine if this had happened to oneself, being unfairly used like this would be incredibly painful.
After this incident and the subsequent resolution of the misunderstanding, many in the tribe felt a more profound sense of unity.
"Do you recognize what kind of animal this might be?"
Observing everything, Han Cheng nodded silently. Then, he changed the subject and asked the Senior Brother standing nearby.
Chapter 416: A Big Hole
Chapter 416: A Big Hole
"It look like wild boars."
As the leader of the Green Sparrow Tribe, the Eldest Senior Brother often led the tribe members on hunting trips in the past. After Han Cheng came over these years, their outings decreased, but those profoundly ingrained instincts remained.
Upon hearing Han Cheng''s inquiry, he voiced his assessment.
Han Cheng turned his gaze towards Shang, who agreed with the Eldest Senior Brother''s judgment.
Han Cheng snorted. These days, it wasn''t easy to peacefully grow some crops!
All sorts of characters wereing out to enjoy the autumn breeze and pluck peaches.
They had just restrained those greedy birds, and now wild boars had arrived.
Was it easy for their tribe to toil and sow crops?
It''s survival of the fittest; those who want to survive well must face manypetitions!"These wild boars must die!"
"Kill them and eat their meat!"
Primitive people were much more fierce, each clenching fists and weapons, angrily shouting here.
On the one hand, it was because the wild boars had ravaged their crops; on the other, it was because they had caused misunderstandings in their tribe, unfairly using their people, so now they transferred all their anger onto the wild boars.
"Take your bows, arrows, spears, and vine shields, and find them..."
The people in the tribe mored passionately, ready to confront the wild boars.
Compared to the excited crowd in the tribe, Han Cheng''s reaction was much more indifferent. After calming down from his initial anger, he evenughed a bit.
He had his thoughts about wild boars.
Inter generations, pork ounted for many regrly consumed meats.
Correspondingly, there were various kinds and numerous ways to enjoy its taste.
Sweet and sour ribs, braised pork, braised pork elbows, braised pig trotters, hot and sour sausage soup¡ªjust thinking about these made Han Cheng salivate.
However, because the tribe''s people were always busy with various matters, and the rabbit traps were present, there weren''t many asions when the tribe specifically set out for hunting.
So, encounters with wild boars were also rare. So far, this animal that held an important ce among livestock had not appeared in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Now, they hade knocking on their door!
It seemed that not only birds perished for food, but pigs were the same.
Thinking about the uing pig farming n and the various delicious pork dishes that could be made, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile.
The people waiting for his decision, including Eldest Senior Brother, couldn''t help but stare nkly. With so much of their grain destroyed by wild boars, how could the Divine Child be smiling?
Han Cheng pulled his thoughts away from the memories of those delicious dishes and then shook his head, vetoing the Eldest Senior Brother''s proposal.
Wild boars were highly mobile. While the area near the Green Sparrow Tribe had been developed into farnd, further out was dense with various trees and vegetation. Under such conditions, finding these wild boars that had ravaged their grain wasn''t easy.
Strengthening patrols around the grain fields wasn''t entirely impossible, but it would be troublesome. Through conversations with Tie Tou and Ru Hua, he knew everything had been fine until yesterday evening.
In other words, these wild boars were active at night.
At this time, it was challenging to obtain lighting tools, and the tribe''s grain fields were vast. Night patrols weren''t convenient, and the night was long; they wouldn''t know when the boars mighte.
You can steal for a thousand days, but who can guard against thieves for a thousand days?
Of course, the most important thing was the night patrol. After hearing about it, these wild boars might not dare toe, so Han Cheng''s pig farming n must be postponed.
They immediately became somewhat excited after exining his considerations about the wild boars to everyone. It was evident that they were very enthusiastic about raising pigs.
After all, with deer and rabbits around, everyone understood the benefits of raising animals.
Moreover, unlike deer, which were mainly used for work in the tribe and consumed sparingly, deer gave birth too slowly. Wild boars, on the other hand, werepletely different. These creatures were muchrger than rabbits and prolific breeders, with nearly two litters a year.
If the tribe could raise more of them, everyone''s food supply would be much richer.
After Han Cheng proposed this idea, he immediately received everyone''s support.
Some people even brightened up at the thought and then regretted not thinking of it themselves.
After Han Cheng shared his thoughts, the Eldest Senior Brother and others immediately expressed their willingness to wait near the grain fields with weapons until the wild boars arrived, then capture and bring them back to the tribe for domestication.
Han Cheng shook his head again.
He didn''t doubt Eldest Senior Brother and their hunting skills, but wild boars were not easy prey, especially thoserge enough to stand up to a saber-toothed tiger.
Judging from the hoofprints left in the grain fields, the wild boars that came here for a feast were not small in size.
Dealing with such wild boars wouldn''t be easy; at worst, it could lead to injuries, especially since Han Cheng preferred to capture them alive, significantly increasing the difficulty.
Seeing Han Cheng shake his head again, the crowd couldn''t help but feel puzzled. One after another, their thoughts were rejected. What was the leader thinking? Was there another good way?
Indeed, Han Cheng did have a good n.
He first sent everyone back to have breakfast. After breakfast, he instructed some people in the tribe who often did weaving and simr tasks to use straw ropes to weave wides, simr to those on the first-generation fish traps.
Then, he had Eldest Senior Brother and the others go out with stone javelins, bone shovels, and other tools, returning to the area where the wild boars had ravaged the grain.
He marked out several areas there and instructed everyone to start digging holes.
The people understood that the Divine Child''s actions aimed to capture wild boars, adding to their confusion.
Shouldn''t hunting involve chasing after prey with weapons? Why were they digging holes in the ground now?
Would wild boars jump into the holes by themselves? Were they supposed to wait for the boars to fall in?
Amid the people''s confusion, onerge and five smaller holes had already been dug.
Therge holes were over 1.5 meters deep, while the smaller ones were around 1.2 meters deep.
All these holes were dug straight down without any slope.
Once the holes were dug, a man previously instructed by Han Cheng arrived. He carried an axe at his waist and held many wooden stakes, each about 30 centimeters long and sharpened at both ends.
ording to Han Cheng''s instructions, all these stakes were hammered into the freshly dug soil pits.
Standing by the edge of the pit and looking at the sharp wooden stakes inside, imagining something falling into the pit, Shang couldn''t help but shiver.
The Divine Child''s move seemed quite cunning!
Chapter 417: Old sow dug up the sweet potato pit
Chapter 417: Old sow dug up the sweet potato pit
More sinister things were yet toe.
After the thorns wereid down, Han Cheng brought some not-too-thick wooden sticks to prop up at the mouth of the pit. Over them, he covered with leaves and other items, thenyered a woven by tribe members that was significantlyrger than the pit opening.
The was bound with ropes and securely tied to tree stumps nailed near the trap. The ropes were left long to ensure that if a wild boar fell in, it would reach the bottom of the pit.
This extrayer of was added because some wild animals were extremely fierce, especially in life-threatening situations, and could often unleash tremendous strength. Han Cheng added anotheryer as a restraint to prevent wild boars from escaping again after falling into the trap.
In this way, it would be much safer.
After setting up the, he sprinkled ayer of fine soil over it, and on top of the fresh soil, he covered it with some of the grains previously harvested for digging the pit.
After carefully handling the surroundings, it looked almost the same as before.
Standing on the side, the eldest brother looked at this piece ofnd that seemed unremarkable, sucking on his teeth, and Han Cheng''s trickery was too much?
However, thinking of the scene of so many wild boars that had been maimed before falling in, he couldn''t helpughing.Hurt is hurt, but not enough to suit his taste.
Shaman also came over to remind people not toe here, especially the children in the tribe, not toe here.
If one of our people fell into it identally, it would be heartbreaking.
After setting up these traps, Han Cheng, along with the eldest brother, Shang, and a few other skilled hunters, carefully surveyed the terrain along the slope of the mountain, searching for traces.
In several ces where wild boars were likely to pass, they divided into groups and set up traps as before.
However, the scale was not asrge as the previous trap area.
Byte afternoon, when the sun was nting westward, all these traps were set up, and the tribe''s people carefully departed from the trap sites.
Near these traps, they left markings they could understand to prevent anyone from identally stumbling into them and getting hurt.
The golden sunlight nted down, the wind blew, and the golden grains collided, making a rustling sound, then like golden waves embracing each other as they headed towards the distance.
Many people were watching this scene on the tribe''s walls, and their inner joy and satisfaction couldn''t be expressed in words.
Many people also gazed at the far edges of the grain fields, where they had set up traps to protect the grains.
Previously, they had been worried that the wild boars woulde again and ruin their hard work, but now they were concerned that these creatures might note.
Compared to the worries of others in the tribe, Han Cheng appeared much more indifferent, not because he had any supernatural ability to predict the arrival of wild boars, but because he recalled a saying from his hometown inter generations: "When the old sow digs up the sweet potatoes."
Typically, this phrase is often used to describe greedy children.
When the family buys delicious snacks, the children eat them non-stop, and this saying will be brought down on their heads.
This phrase means that once a pig digs up sweet potatoes and tastes the sweetness, it will return every few days until all the sweet potatoes are eaten or someone discovers and stops it.
These wild boars have found such a good ce; they probably won''t juste once and never return.
After all, they were livelyst night, with no one disturbing them.
This was why Han Cheng spent a lot of effort setting traps where they had wreaked havocst night, while the traps set elsewhere weren''t as meticulously ced.
After dinner, as twilight fell, people from the tribe sat in groups of two or three in the courtyard, enjoying thefort and coolness of the night after a satisfying meal.
If there were more flickering red sparks in the night, it would be even more enticing...
There are few mosquitoes here because, at the front and back of the houses, Han Cheng had people transnt many nts like cmus and mint, which are effective at repelling insects, along the riverbanks and ditches. By now, they had spread out.
Some people looked up at the bright and mysterious starry sky, while others climbed the walls to look towards the edges of the grain fields where the traps were set.
However, constrained by darkness, their vision couldn''t see too far, and they didn''t know if any expected gains would be hidden in the darkness near the grain fields.
"Divine Child..."
Finally, someone couldn''t resist and spoke up, wanting to light a torch made from pine resin and some scraps of hemp cloth to check for any catches in the traps.
Han Cheng smiled and refused.
The most important thing about checking traps was to remain patient. At this moment, going to look could easily startle the snakes and undo all their previous efforts.
The group sat here for a while longer, but no unusual sounds came from the night, and one by one, they returned to their rooms to sleep.
Some couldn''t sleep and continued standing on the walls, peering into the unseen distance...
The dim yellow lights flickered inside the rooms and then went out. Han Cheng hugged the soft, plush White Snow Maiden and entered the realm of dreams.
As the night grew thicker...
"Bang! Bang! Bang..."
"Divine Child! Divine Child..."
A series of urgent knocks and shouts broke the night''s silence, suddenly sounding outside the door.
Startled, Han Cheng woke up from his dream. He was a bit groggy initially, but his mind quickly cleared.
"What''s the matter?"
"Divine Child! Wild boars are screaming from the west. They must have fallen into the traps. Let''s go check..."
The voices of the eldest senior brother and Shang rang out, filled with uncontroble excitement.
"Phew~"
Han Cheng sighed in relief. So, it was all about this.
"No one is allowed to go. Go back and sleep!"
Disturbed from his peaceful dream, Han Cheng, a bit grouchy, issued a sternmand, theny back down to sleep with White Snow Maiden, who had also woken up in surprise.
These guys are all leaders. How could theyck patience like this? Going out in the middle of the night with no n is reckless.
The two outside the door received a cold shoulder. After standing there for a while, they turned and left, continuing to climb the wall to listen to themotion from that direction, filled with excitement and itching curiosity.
Knowing there might be a catch but being unable to see it was ufortable, like having a furry tail constantly tickling your mind.
Looking back at the house where Divine Child lived, still immersed in darkness, the two smiled wryly at each other. While marveling at how Divine Child could sleep so calmly, they could only endure this seemingly endless night, waiting for dawn to arrive...
Chapter 418: Big Catch
Chapter 418: Big Catch
The eastern sky rose with the morning star, signaling that the long night was finally ending.
Seeing the eastern horizon gradually lightening, the dozen or so people who had stayed up all night standing on the wall sighed in relief.
Looking at the still-closed door of Divine Child''s residence, they couldn''t help but smile bitterly again. Divine Child really could sleep through anything.
After waiting a while, when Shaman opened the door and came out, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others couldn''t resist. They came over to persuade Shaman to wake Divine Child and see the catch together.
Shaman thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement...
After getting up, Han Cheng looked at the group of people with red eyes staring at him outside the door, unable to help but be stunned. These guys hadn''t slept all night?
"Early to bed and rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Isn''t staying up all night even worse?
Thinking this, but without dy, after a simple wash-up, he joined the eager crowd who were already prepared and couldn''t wait any longer, leaving the tribe towards the direction where the wild boars had screamedst night.
After walking for a while, Han Cheng remembered something and stopped.The people behind, rushing forward anxiously, almost couldn''t stop their steps.
Just as everyone was feeling surprised, Han Cheng''s voice rang out.
"Form up, move quietly, watch your steps, and beware of those wild boars that haven''t fallen into traps."
He issued such an order because he suddenly remembered the incident three years ago when the Green Sparrow tribe was searching for Fu Jiang. They encountered a fight between a saber-toothed tiger and wild boars in the forest.
Although wild boars might look clumsy, they were fierce and tended to stick together, not quickly abandoning injuredpanions.
From the scale of the trampled grain yesterday and the various sizes of footprints left behind, coupled with what the Eldest Senior Brother and the others heardst night, it was clear that there wasn''t just one wild boar.
Even though they had dug many traps in that area, it wasn''t possible to trap all the wild boars.
It was necessary to make these arrangements now to prevent them from escaping and to secure more meat that was practically within their grasp.
After so much training, many tribe members had almost developed a conditioned reflex for specificmands.
After Han Cheng shouted these words, those who had seemed confused just now quickly reacted. The Vine Shield Team led, followed by the Long Spear Team, with the Bow and Sling Team on the left and right sides.
The momentum was different from before, instantly bing more coordinated.
"You guys go from here, and you guys go from there, block their retreat first..."
Han Cheng directed the division of forces.
With this arrangement, everyone''s internal rm bells rang, no longer simply thinking about rushing over to collect wild boars as before.
The Eldest Senior Brother led a few people to move out first, followed by Shang and the Second Senior Brother.
The three of them led their groups to approach from three directions. From a distance, after confirming that they were all in position, Han Cheng and Shaman, along with Third Senior Brother and others, headed towards the edge of the traps.
The people from the three directions also moved forward together.
Fuj Jang and the five Little Fus also followed closely beside Han Cheng, walking in that direction together.
The encirclement grew smaller, the wild boars'' squeals gradually became clearer, and the scene near the traps also came into view.
Four or five piglets, weighing about ten kilograms each, were anxiously circling there, grunting.
Upon noticing that people were gradually closing in, they became alert, standing there and looking around, ready to run at any moment.
"Divine Child, let me shoot it with an arrow..."
Third Senior Brother spoke up, seeing that they were within effective range of the bow and arrow. If they moved forward again, these wild boars might bolt.
Han Cheng nodded. The people on his side stopped their steps, and Third Senior Brother took a step forward, took out a feathered arrow with an iron arrowhead, ced it on the bow, aimed at a piglet close to him, rxed his hand, and let the arrow fly.
The piglet let out a wail as it copsed to the ground, then quickly scrambled up and fled wildly, stumbling aimlessly.
The other four, seeing this, wasted no time and also bolted, fleeing for their lives.
Surrounding people who were prepared also sprang into action, intercepting them.
"Go!"
Han Cheng pointed in the direction where the piglet was escaping. The six trained dogs also shot like arrows released from a bow, joining the pursuit.
For a moment, the air filled with people''s shouts, pigs'' squeals, and dog barks.
"Puff!"
In its mad rush to escape, one piglet ran for a while before suddenly realizing there were still people ahead. It quickly turned aside in a panic, but it was toote. The Eldest Senior Brother, quick-eyed and quick-handed, skewered it in the belly with a stone spear...
"Zing!"
The bowstring twanged. Amidst the chase, Third Senior Brother once again drew his bow. The piglet, already hit in one leg by him, now had another arrow in its other leg. It copsed to the ground, and it was already toote when it tried to get up again...
"Woo woo..."
Fu Jiang and the Five Little Fu Jiangs galloped, and one panicked squealing piglet was tackled to the ground...
Over where the Second Senior Brother was, there was also sess. Thest piglet ran a few circles but eventually realized it couldn''t escape.
The people closing in forced it into a trap.
Everyone watched as three piglets, now roughly bound and struggling on the ground, and one deceased, plus another piglet temporarily out of sight in a trap, filled them with satisfaction and appreciation for Divine Child''s arrangements.
These five piglets wouldn''t have been caught so cleanly if they had proceeded as usual.
These piglets were just appetizers. The potential haul could only be greater with six traps set and five sprung!
"Hiss!"
Even though they knew the haul wouldn''t be small, everyone involuntarily gasped when they saw the scene in thergest trap.
Inside, there was a massive wild boar covered in hard mud armor!
This beast weighed at least four hundred kilograms!
However, it was already dead, its belly pierced by five wooden spikes over twenty centimeters long, its white tusks stained with blood.
Its four hooves were entangled in a, now wholly shapeless.
It was clear that this beast had struggled violently and furiously after falling into the trap.
Watching this enormous wild boar, the tribe members, including the martially inclined Shang, couldn''t help but feel lingering fear and relief.
Thankfully, Divine Child had set up these traps; otherwise, even if they had discovered such a giant wild boar, they wouldn''t dare provoke it easily.
Once it went berserk, encountering it would mean death or injury!
In addition to this giant wild boar in the trap, a piglet had fallen lucky into a gap between the wooden spikes and had not been harmed.
After extracting the wild boar from this trap, the piglets from the remaining traps were also gradually removed.
They had captured twelve wild boars, including the four previously caught (excluding the one that fell into the trap)!
Among them were one super-sized wild boar and another smaller adult wild boar weighing over a hundred kilograms!
It could be said that the harvest was quite fruitful!
Chapter 419: Longing for the Green Tribe - Repairing the Pig Pen
Chapter 419: Longing for the Green Tribe - Repairing the Pig Pen
The Green Sparrow Tribe is immersed in the joy of harvest.
Near the rabbit hutches, at the farthest corner of the courtyard from the residential area, Eldest Senior Brother and others followed Han Cheng''s n and dug foundations there.
Shang led a group to transport stones from the quarry.
They were building a pig pen.
Compared to deer and rabbits, constructing a pig pen required more care, primarily to ensure it was sturdy enough to withstand the pigs'' rooting. After all, the pigs the Green Sparrow Tribe was now going to raise had never been domesticated before, vastly different from the tame domestic pigs ofter eras that only cared about eating and growing fat.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Han Cheng decided to have the foundation dug and lined with stones. It was feared that if built with rammed earth walls, it wouldn''tst long against these ferocious creatures.
Another consideration was the cleanliness of the pig pen. When pigs came to mind, the first impressions were generally fat andzy, followed by dirtiness. This impression wasn''t entirely wrong; these creatures were indeed quite dirty.
Inter times, in viges with numerous pig-feeding households, the smell was somewhat tolerable on ordinary days. However, once summer arrived, the stench could be pretty pungent.
Because of such experiences, Han Cheng chose to locate the pig pen farthest from the Green Sparrow Tribe''s residential area.Fortunately, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s courtyard was spacious enough that this distance would hardly affect the living area. This was one solution. Another was regr cleaning and scrubbing of the pig pen, flushing away all the filth to minimize the odor.
This was the fundamental solution. However, if they were to clean the pig pen daily, merely using stone for construction wouldn''t suffice, and the floor of the pig pen couldn''t be ignored either.
Han Cheng nned to use stones and cement to pave the entire pig pen, making cleaning easier.
Upon hearing this news, Eldest Senior Brother and others who received Han Cheng''s message couldn''t help but marvel silently.
How grand would this need to be? How extensive would the project be?
After all, the houses they lived in still had earthen floors without bricks or stones. Yet now, these wild pigs causing havoc in their tribe were to enjoy such high treatment...
Of course, it was necessary.
Han Cheng looked at the seven wild piglets confined in the makeshift stone enclosure, thinking this to himself.
They were only starting to raise them now, and the number of wild pigs wasn''t significant. But as time passed and their numbers grew, Eldest Senior Brother and the others woulde to understand the power of these creatures.
Their attack through scent was no less formidable than their tusks!
This was why he urged the tribe''s people to quickly establish the foundation of the pig pen two days before the corn was ripe.
As for constructing the pig pen with stones, which Eldest Senior Brother and others found to be quite grand, Han Cheng wasn''t too worried.
For one thing, if everything went as expected, by the Lunar New Year this year, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s poption would significantly increase. The source of this growth would be the Green Tribe, which was already gradually being ensnared.
The Green Tribe''s poption wasn''t toorge, but it wasn''t small either. With their inclusion, thebor force of the Green Sparrow Tribe would significantly increase.
By then, the two roads leading to the fields, which had not yet been constructed, would alsomence. There would be hands avable toy the pig pen as well.
Another thing was that some time ago, about a mile from the quarry, they found a type of stone that Shang and his team ssified as unusable. These stones were like stacked leaves, peeling off one by one, but they were unsuitable for building walls or houses due to their insufficient thickness.
Han Cheng had gone to see it himself. There wasn''t much shale on the ground, but after digging around with shovels, they found quite a few buried under the soil.
Theserge bs of shale gave him the confidence to pave the pig pen.
Of course, they could also pave the roads in due course.
Also, when the time came, they could dig arge pool near the pig pen or elsewhere, cover it with a lid, store the waste from washing it, and then use it to fertilize the fields...
There were all kinds of things that needed many hands to do, and fortunately, they had the Green Tribe.
"Achoo!"
In an unseen ce, with leaves around his waist, the leader of the Green Tribe sat there and looked at the empty salt jar again, continuing to worry. Suddenly, he sneezed loudly, blowing bubbles of mucus out.
He skillfully wiped it away with the back of his hand, then continued to worry about the empty salt jar.
He continuously wondered how he could get more salt to eat; there wasn''t much skin in the tribe.
At the same time as he was worrying, some things he had never thought of before quietly emerged in his mind.
He was lost in thought for a while, then suddenly reacted, his body trembling violently, and shaking his head like a rattle drum...
By the simple, temporary construction of the pigsty, Han Cheng did not know about this scene happening in the distance, nor did he know that the Green Tribe''s leader''s concerns had caused him to blow bubbles of mucus.
At this moment, he was still lying next to the pigsty, looking at the seven wild piglets huddled together in fear, indulging in reverie.
Twelve wild boars, ten small and tworge, with thergest already dead in the trap. The other adult was in good spirits and not seriously injured, so it could be kept alive.
But in the end, it was not alive. Under Han Cheng''smand, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe stabbed it to death in the trap before dragging it out.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had no psychological pressure to kill the wild boar that fell into the trap, even though its cries were particrly miserable before it died.
Instead, many people looked at the blood on the muddy ground and felt sorry for it.
After solidifying, this blood was put in a basin and sprinkled with salt, which made it extremely delicious.
Adult wild boars are not ideal for domestication as piglets have not grown up.
With it around, the seven piglets will be even harder to tame, which is why they died.
Han Cheng watched for a while, then threw a lot of green grass into the makeshift pigsty and turned away.
He would do itter and use the wild boar he had hunted today to make a sumptuous meal for the tribe''s people.
Just before the sickle was opened, it was a reward for the tribe''s people.
After all, there are hundreds of acres of corn this year. Once the harvest begins, there will be a long time when they can''t rx. It is necessary to have a good meal before the sickle is opened.
Trantor¡¯s notes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shale
Chapter 420: Going to lose their balls
Chapter 420: Going to lose their balls
"Crackle~"
After thoroughly rinsing the square pieces of meat in water, there was enough to fill arge basin, and Han Cheng dumped about half of it in one go.
After a brief wait, he poured half a cup of wine in half, covered it with a lid, and started simmering.
Once these were done, he simrly handled another open-mouthed earthenware jar, or one could call it a y pot.
Drinking a can of the intense wine that made people dizzy this way, the second senior brother who saw this was distraught.
But then he immediately looked forward to the food simmering inside the pot.
After using a whole barrel of good wine, the resulting dish was sure to be exceptionally delicious!
As he smelled the gradually wafting aroma uncontrobly, a stream of clear drool flowed from his mouth.
Realizing this, he quickly sucked it up, licked his lips, and turned to continue digging foundations."Lower the fire a bit."
Han Cheng lifted the lid, stirred it a bit, checked that the water was boiling, and instructed the fire to be reduced.
Then he ced several cleaned and cooked pork intestines into two otherrge pots regrly used for soups, added water, and began simmering.
When it was almost ready, he added salt, chopped green onions, and cleaned wild vegetables. Then, he added tworge spoonfuls of fruit vinegar, stirred it, and served it in arge bowl.
A tangy aroma filled the air, making people''s appetites soar at the smell.
After preparing this tangy intestine soup, the meat stew was also tender by now.
Han Cheng added some salt, stirred it, and then a spoonful of thick honey.
The thick honey gradually turned slightly red when it met the hot meat chunks, making the meat shiny and looking extremely appetizing.
A fragrant and not greasy sweet aroma wafted over.
Everyone helping here couldn''t help but look at therge pot of freshly cooked meat, slowing their movements.
A can of wine, two spoonfuls of honey so sweet that one could almost swallow their tongue for such good things to make these two pots of food?
Heavens, how delicious this pot of meat must be!
"They couldn''t imagine it.
The dish Han Cheng made was the original version of braised pork.
Because itcked brown sugar and soy sauce and was cooked in a y pot, this braised pork looked much inferior toter versions, which was somewhat regrettable.
But after seeing everyone''s reactions around him, Han Cheng no longer felt regret.
"Don''t just stare. Everyone will get their share. Quickly finish up the rest so we can eat sooner," he said with augh.
With these words, everyone hastened their pace.
At the mouth of the cave, more and more people came here to drink tea, one after another, non-stop.
Even if they weren''t thirsty, they pretended to be very thirsty,ing over two times,
Not for drinking iced tea but to smell the enticing aroma up close, stretching their heads to see the delicious food inside the cave.
Then they happily ran away, digging foundations on one side and boasting about how delicious the food made by the tribe''s shaman was.
Hearing this, everyone''s hearts itched, hoping for dinner to start soon.
"Don''t drink too much, or you won''t have room for foodter," Han Cheng said with a smile, watching Tie Toue over for the fourth time to drink water.
Upon hearing Han Cheng''s words, Tie Tou suddenly realized this, and his face immediately turned bitter...
"This... this..."
Having savored a mouthful of braised pork for a while before finally swallowing it down, Wu looked at the remainingrge chunk of meat and didn''t know what to say for a moment.
How could it be so delicious?
The rest of the people also had their expressions change.
After taking a bite, some couldn''t stop eating, like Wu, who stood there in a daze, savoring it, reluctant to put it down.
Bai Xue''s mouth was moving quickly, clean and empty. Her eyes narrowed in admiration as she looked at Big Brother Cheng, her face full of worship.
Han Cheng saw everyone''s reactions and felt very pleased. For someone who cooked, nothing was more satisfying than receiving unanimous praise for a carefully prepared dish.
He picked up a piece of braised pork made from pork belly, brought it to his mouth, and took a bite ¡ª fatty and tender, easy to chew, sweet and not greasy, it was eptable.
However,pared to the braised pork eaten inter generations, it stillcked vor.
Moreover, upon careful tasting, one could detect a slightly unpleasant taste in the meat, which even the addition of wine, honey, and green onions couldn''tpletely mask.
Han Cheng knew the source of this taste, which was inherent in wild boar meat.
Continuous domestication was needed to make wild boar meat delicious and eliminate this taste, along with a necessary step ¡ª castrating the boar.
Of course, excluding the breeding pigs.
After Han Cheng left with those who followed him, the young wild boars, who tried to leave but couldn''t find their way out, had grown considerably bolder. They began eating the green grass Han Cheng had thrown in.
As they ate the grass, they had no idea that in the future, some of them would lose their "eggs" and be like little eunuchs...
It turns out primitive humans could eat a lot of food.
This time, Han Cheng deliberately made nearly fifty percent more food than the previous average amount!
However, all this extra food was nowhere to be seen now, having gone into the bellies of the tribal people.
Watching everyone holding their bellies and humming, still looking unsatisfied, Han Cheng, sniffing, could only repeatedly think "food bin" in his mind...
The pigsty where the foundations hadn''t been dug stopped.
Outside the tribe, therge millet fields nted at the beginning were now mature, and it was time to harvest.
Every avable hand in the Green Sparrow Tribe was harvesting millet, including Han Cheng himself, the Divine Child.
All the less critical tasks had stopped; at this moment, everything had to make way for the autumn harvest.
After all, these golden grains, irrigated with their sweat, would be essential food in the days ahead.
"Chileng~ Chileng~"
The sickle in Tietou''s hand danced happily; every time this sound rang out, a row of millet stalks fell, entering his left hand.
At these moments, Tietou was happiest because the skill he had honed from cutting grass could finally be openly disyed in front of others.
Compared to the chaotic grass, the millet was easy to cut for Tietou.
While others could cut two swathes (six rows) in one trip, he could easily manage three swathes! And he was faster than anyone else.
Often, by the time others reached the end and started wiping sweat to rest, Tietou had already sat on the edge of the field, resting.
When others finally reached the end and began to rest, he, already refreshed, would get up and start cutting back. Moreover, the areas he had harvested were spotless, with almost no grains left behind.
Tietou was always a man whom others could not look up to when it came to harvesting crops.
Of course, he always showed off his speed, ignoring others. When it was almost time to finish, instead of starting a new row after finishing one, he turned around and took responsibility for several rows left behind by others at the edge of the harvest, "bumping heads" with them...
Chapter 421: Three Tribes
Chapter 421: Three Tribes
The autumn heatwave unabashedly disyed its might, under a sky zing like fire, igniting a fervor akin to mes among the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Glistening sweat washed down, breaking through the grain rust clinging to everyone''s bodies, dripping onto the harvested fields, soaking thisnd of abundance.
Golden grains fell in swathes, carrying the joy of harvest.
"Let''s go!"
Second Senior Brother shouted, his voice carrying as he exerted force. With a creak of wooden wheels, the single-wheeled carts loaded with bulging grains began rolling towards the threshing ground in front of the tribe.
Behind Second Senior Brother, a four- or five-year-old child squatted asionally, picking up fallen ears of grain from the ground; she already had over a dozen in her hands.
There were five hand carts, each followed by a child like her.
Other children who weren''t assigned this task continued tirelessly searching the harvested fields, picking up scattered ears of grain and cing them on grain piles.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe spared no effort in their respect for food.Next to the threshing ground, arge pile of harvested grains had already umted.
The first batch of grains to be harvested was spread out on the ground.
With a wooden fork in hand, Qi Qiu woulde over every so often to turn them over and ensure they dried evenly.
"Alright, let''s begin!"
Seeing the sun already nting westwards, Han Cheng grabbed a few ears of grain, rubbed them in his hands, and when they were about right, he brought over the stag, which had just had a good meal, and fitted it with the harness. Then, leading it with a stone roller, he headed for the well-dried field.
The other three also each led a deer with a stone roller to start threshing.
The heavy stone rollers pressed into the soft grains, sinking in halfway; deep tracks were left behind after rolling over them.
Some grains were dislodged from the ears during the process.
Han Cheng led the stag in circles around the field, not randomly but to ensure each subsequent circle pressed down the previous one, progressing and moving in circles.
This method ensured that all grains spread on the ground were evenly pressed.
Several first-timers using deer to pull stone rollers to thresh were excited, recalling the tips Han Cheng had told them earlier and watching his demonstration. It didn''t take long for them to grasp it.
Qi Qiu was particrly excited because after one pass with the stone roller, the effect was better than his previous method of hitting with a wooden fork, and the speed was also breakneck.
Initially, seeing such arge area spread out at once, he was worried that they wouldn''t finish today. After witnessing firsthand how quickly the deer could pull the stone roller on the threshing ground, all his previous worries vanished.
Not only that, he felt that they had spread out too little...
After rolling for a while, Han Cheng led the stags aside to remove their harnesses and let them rest in the shade.
Meanwhile, Qi Qiu and the others used wooden forks to turn over thepacted grains and continued to dry them. After a while, they would start the second pass, then the third.
Immersed in the joy of harvest, the Green Sparrow Tribe put their total effort into harvesting grain. Meanwhile, the Green Tribe leader and their people collected scattered wild grasses growing sparsely around their tribe.
Seeing that they only had a small bundle of grass with seeds, the leader of the Green Tribe felt like crying without tears.
If only he hadn''t been so impulsive, their tribe wouldn''t have had so few wild grasses to collect.
In this state of mind, he ced a piece of hide that hadn''t thoroughly dried onto the pile of hides in front of him.
This particr piece of undried hide had been obtained not long ago.
"!"
The leader of the Green Tribe looked somewhat reluctant as he nced at the ground, then forcefully hoisted the wild grass onto his shoulders.
The others carried pelts, fruits, and other items on their shoulders, following the leader as they departed.
Compared to previous trips to exchange goods, the mood among the tribe members was subdued.
Because this was thest they could offer, after trading for salt to eat, they didn''t know what they would do next.
"... Joining that tribe would provide free salt to eat, which seems like a good solution, and that tribe is so wealthy..."
Such thoughts asionally shed through some people''s minds...
Far from the Green Sparrow Tribe, along the banks of arge river, people from the Fire Tribe gathered.
A dugout canoe, gifted to themst year by the Green Sparrow Tribe, and several wood rafts moored on the shore.
Compared to the bamboo rafts made by the Green Sparrow Tribe, these wooden rafts were much more straightforward and rougher.
However, it couldn''t be denied that they could navigate on the water and were adequate substitutes for bamboo rafts.
"a£¤a£¤!"
In the instructions shouted by the leader of the Fire Tribe standing on the bank, the people on the dugout canoe and rafts pounded their chests with their hands, indicating to the leader not to worry too much.
Among those showing a more carefree attitude were the four Fire Tribe members who had gone to the Green Sparrow Tribest year with Han Cheng and returned on their boats.
The other four riding such watercraft for the first time appeared much more restrained than them.
One reason was that they had never ridden such crafts before, and the other was that they had never been away from the tribe for a long time.
"¡¡£¤!"
Regardless of reluctance or anxiety, the dugout canoe and rafts carried them upstream, gradually moving further away.
The Fire Tribe people standing on the shore shouted, blessing them in their way.
Only after they could no longer see those people did the leader of the Fire Tribe turn around and lead his people away to go hunting and gather fruits.
They needed to make good use of their time; suddenly losing eight adults like this would mean much less food gathered during this time.
Fortunately, since they had eaten the things brought back from that water tribe, the people in the tribe had be much stronger, which more or less offset the food shortage caused by these few people leaving...
Several dayster, the Fire Tribe''s "fleet" stopped at a rattan field. These people, armed with sickles made from the two stone sickles presented by the Green Sparrow Tribe, stepped onto the rattan field, ready to harvest the mature wild rattan.
A dozen dayster, the rafts returned downstream fully loaded, greeted by cheers.
Subsequently, bundles of wild ramie were thrown into a small river and underwent retting.
Many tributaries were close to the main river, and ording to the ounts of those who had been to the Green Sparrow Tribe, finding suitable ces for retting rattan was quite easy.
Over a monthter, the retted wild rattan was pulled out of the water.
Ten dayster, these people set off again, still using small boats and rafts.
Three rafts were ced on the bank of the rattan field, with only one dugout canoe paddling upstream and a raft loaded with many rattan skins.
Chapter 422: Kind and sincere divine child
Chapter 422: Kind and sincere divine child
The leader of the Green Tribe was once again dumbfounded, standing there in awe at the grand scene before him, a sight he had never imagined. In the distant fields, many people bent over, their arms moving tirelessly as wild grass heads fell to the ground in swathes, astonishing in their speed.
Several strong men were pushing something strange,den with harvested wild grass heads, towards the tribe. They pushed so much at once, far more than three people could carry.
In front of the walled-off tribe, a clearingy where the harvested wild grass heads were piled up like small mountains. Even so, people continued transporting more wild grass here from the surrounding area, where many had yet to be harvested.
A group of people, identifiable by their characteristic green grass head markings, stood there in disbelief, watching everything unfold. They were deeply moved and stunned by the massive collective farming effort that the Green Sparrow Tribe had suddenly undertaken.
The leader of the Green Tribe nced at the numerous wild grass heads and then at the small bundle he carried on his shoulder. Despite his inclination to take advantage of situations, he couldn''t help feeling ashamed by the contrast in contributions between their tribes. Due to a recent salt shortage in their tribe and the scarcity of remaining resources, he and his tribe had scoured the nearby scattered wild grass heads, resulting in uneven quality and many immature heads.
Comparing the situation with the Green Sparrow Tribe, the leader couldn''t resist the urge to discard his burden. However, he refrained from doing so because they needed these items to trade for more salt to sustain their tribe.
Feeling somewhat shaky, he stood there for a while before reluctantly leading his tribe closer to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng and the others noticed the people from the Green Tribe but didn''t show much rm. Since bing a trading hub for nearby tribes, the Green Sparrow Tribe had grown ustomed to such scenes.
However, as a precaution, some of the stronger individuals from the Green Sparrow Tribe approached with wielding farming tools, which could also serve as defensive weapons if necessary.Han Cheng saw the smiling leader of the Green Tribe approaching from afar. With his Eldest Senior Brother apanying him, Han Cheng warmly shook hands with the leader of the Green Tribe.
Their handshake was indeed sincere. After all, the two newly cleared paths to the millet fields and the pig pen foundations just dug were waiting for them to assist in construction!
The warm reception from the esteemed Divine Child to the unsuspecting leader of the Green Tribe moved thetter nearly to tears. After all, in their tribe''s current impoverished state, such a high-ranking figure''s gracious and friendly demeanor towards him was incredibly heartwarming.
As the Green Sparrow Tribe continued to grow and thrive, the leader of the Green Tribe increasingly felt the insignificance of his tribe and looked up to the Green Sparrow Tribe with tremendous admiration.
After a brief conversation, Han Cheng, who had long known the purpose of the Green Tribe''s visit, inquired through his Eldest Senior Brother about the intentions of the Green Tribe leader.
Upon seeing the friendly demeanor of this esteemed Divine Child, the leader of the Green Tribe once again harbored thoughts of obtaining salt for free. He first exined to this tall and still very friendly Divine Child the hardships their tribe faced.
Thepassionate Divine Child expressed deep sympathy upon hearing about their tribe''s plight, which moved the Green Tribe leader even more. Thinking that this might work out, he began to state his request after venting his grievances.
However, despite the leader''s hopeful anticipation, thepassionate Divine Child''s face showed no signs of diminishing pity, but he shook his head firmly.
Then, with a sigh, he recounted the difficulties the Green Sparrow Tribe faced in obtaining salt.
Initially feeling somewhat ufortable with the rejection, the Green Tribe leader eventually empathized with the Green Sparrow Tribe''s struggles upon hearing more. He began to understand their actions...
Han Cheng pulled out the bundle of uneven-quality millet hidden behind the Green Tribe leader. When the Green Tribe leader and his people hesitantly lowered their heads, he patted the bundle with his hands and righteously exined to his Eldest Senior Brother that this bundle of millet must be used to exchange for salt.
Although the Eldest Senior Brother was ''reluctant'' under the Divine Child''s authority, he nodded.
He immediately brought over a salt jar and scooped three spoonfuls of salt into the empty salt jar brought by the Green Tribe.
Then, appearing somewhat ''disdainful,'' he brought the bundle of millet brought by the Green Tribe over and ced it next to the millet pile.
Compared with the carefully cultivated millet of the Green Sparrow Tribe, the millet brought by the Green Tribe looked even more unsightly.
The Green Tribe leader knew that receiving three spoonfuls of salt at once was already quite generous.
However, thepassionate Divine Child snatched the spoon from the Green Tribe leader''s hand, scooped a whole spoonful of salt, and put it into their jar before finally withdrawing his hand.
This scene deeply touched both the Green Tribe leader and the others present, causing some emotionally expressive female indigenous people to cry on the spot...
The people of the Green Tribe departed, filled with deep emotions and half a jar of salt. As they left, many of them looked back several times.
Not only because they received excellent hospitality in this tribe and enjoyed a meal seasoned with salt for free, but more importantly, they felt the kindness and sincerity of this tribe...
"Divine Child, how long will it take for them to join our tribe?"
"Soon, their tribe no longer has much left to exchange for salt... If things go quickly, we won''t have to wait until the first snowfall, at the slowest, probably not until the new year..."
"Hehehe..."
Amid his deeply moved reflection, the Green Tribe leader stood on the wall, waving farewell to the two leaders of the Green Sparrow Tribe, but the conversation in his mouth was like this.
Hearing Han Cheng''s reply, the Eldest Senior Brother couldn''t help butugh.
Listening to the somewhat lewdughter of the Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng raised an eyebrow and suddenly felt exasperated.
He scrutinized the Eldest Senior Brother up and down.
Could this guy be nning something mischievous regarding the two spouses of the Green Tribe leader? Why was heughing so lewdly...
Chapter 423: Strive to create a good life
Chapter 423: Strive to create a good life
The arrival of the Green Tribe was just a minor episode amid the bustling and tense autumn harvest of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After the people of the Green Tribe departed, the busy autumn harvest continued.
People worked diligently and nervously, and although tired, their smiles never diminished.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh..."
With vigorous shaking, the man with the balloon in hand carefully sifted through a handful of grains, letting them rain down on his bare feet, tickling them pleasantly.
After shaking for a while, he scraped away the remaining chaff and some stalks from inside the bamboo sieve, then stopped.
He walked to the edge of the threshing ground, dumped out the contents, and then refilled the sieve with half a basket of freshly harvested, unprocessed grains, continuing to shake back and forth.
He cherished the tool in his hand, a bamboo sieve, especially in windless conditions paired with a winnowing basket. It processed freshly harvested grains with incredible speed.
This tool had been crafted at the direction of the Divine Child.Turning his head to look at the Divine Child, who was barefoot and drying grains in the field, a deep admiration rose from the man''s heart.
The Divine Child always created handy tools from ordinary materials, making tasks simpler, more efficient, and lessborious.
Without these tools created under the Divine Child''s guidance, even if they were willing to exert themselves, it would be impossible to nt and harvest such arge quantity of grain at once!
"Whoosh, whoosh..."
With one ear missing and now much taller, Cheng held a trapezoidal wooden box in his hand, used for scooping up and gathering dried grains into piles.
This odd-looking wooden box, called a "yungzi," was specifically designed for cleaning and collecting grains, almost equivalent to the efficiency of five or six times that of a bone rake.
Cheng grasped the handle of the "yungzi" in his hand, scooped up a mound of grains, and swiftly withdrew it. The box already held more than ten kilograms of grains.
Then, turning around, he skillfully emptied the contents into a sizeable bark-wrapped basket. In just a few motions, the basket was filled.
Second Senior Brother, waiting nearby, hoisted the burden onto his shoulders and headed towards the house.
Round bundles had already been tied in one corner of the house, each filled with thoroughly dried newly harvested grains.
Second Senior Brother set down his burden, lifted a basket, exerted a little force, and swung it onto his shoulder. With a tilt of his hand, the grains inside made a pleasant sound as they slid into the tied bundles.
Shaman wasn''t idling, either. He was always cheerful, helping here or there all day long without stopping.
Han Cheng had advised him more than once to rest more and not tire himself out, to which Shaman always smiled and agreed, but soon after sitting down for a while, he would get up and start working again.
Han Cheng understood the Shaman''s joy in his heart. Seeing him like this, he could only shake his head helplessly, smile, and remind others not to let Wu do too heavy work.
Such tensebor continued for twenty days before gradually nearing its end.
Throughout this long period, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were on edge, not daring to ck off in the slightest.
With most of the grains safely harvested and stored in the house, they could finally rx and no longer be in such a hurry.
The strenuousbor was not in vain for the Green Sparrow Tribe. Initially, five houses reserved for storing grain were now packed full.
Even so, plenty of grain was left without a ce to store.
With great enthusiasm, some members of the Green Sparrow Tribe immediately offered to store the excess grain in their own houses, even suggesting they could pile it on their sleeping tforms without minding.
Han Cheng considered this but ultimately refused, concerned about what these stored grains might smell like after some time.
The final decision was to vacate one residential house to store the surplus grain. The Green Sparrow Tribe had only harvested the grain stalks once; while the second and third harvests yielded slightly less than the first, the quantity was still substantial, given the hundreds of acres of grain stalks.
Looking at the several houses filled with grains, everyone in the tribe showed genuine smiles. A sense of security and satisfaction spread among them, and they were assured of food in hand.
After such prolonged and continuous hard work, the tribe''s people became much tanner and thinner, yet their spirits remained high.
Seeing the one house left with only a grain, Eldest Senior Brother and others felt uneasy, thinking it should also be filled like the other five houses. They immediately rallied some people to prepare for the second harvest.
These folks were truly dedicated.
Han Cheng couldn''t help but reflect on this with admiration, understanding their sentiments well.
Initially, these people had lived day by day, unsure of their next meal.
Now, with the opportunity for better days ahead, they naturally grasped it tightly.
While the Green Sparrow Tribe had seen significant growth in recent years, guided actively by Han Cheng, without Eldest Senior Brother''s and others'' dedication and hard work, developing to their current extent would have been impossible.
Han Cheng smiled and halted them, dering a half-day rest today and preparing delicious food to celebrate. The rest of the tasks could wait until tomorrow.
As the Divine Child, his words were naturally followed.
Before long, people in the tribe began preparing for the evening feast, chatting andughing in therge courtyard.
As dusk fell and the sun set, the western horizon was adorned with magnificent fiery clouds.
The aroma of wine and meat spread through the Green Sparrow Tribe''s courtyard, intoxicating the senses.
The shaman had too much to drink tonight, bing more talkative and joyful. Eventually, he staggered to the grain storage house, clutching the doorframe and sobbing loudly.
Despite his stature, he cried like a newborn.
After eating their fill not long ago, many people soon nodded off to sleep.
Partly due to the alcohol, partly due to exhaustion...
Inside the room, Han Chengy quietly on the bed with Bai Xue, feeling a gentle joy in his heart and a profound inner contentment.
He made each day better through his efforts, ensuring those around him lived better lives. In a way, this was the meaning and value of life.
Achievements gained through hard work brought genuine joy and peace of mind.
Chapter 424: Cao Geng met the Flying Snake Tribe
Chapter 424: Cao Geng met the Flying Snake Tribe
The work on the farm was never-ending. After finishing the second round of harvesting grain, the fields where hemp had been nted were fully mature; the hemp leaves had nearly all fallen off.
Recognizing this, Han Cheng divided the people. Some continued to harvest the third round of grain, while others began to gather the hemp.
Simultaneously, they started cleaning outst year''s hemp-soaking pits. After draining the water inside, they expanded them because the hemp nted by the Green Sparrow Tribe this year yielded more than what had been harvested in the oil hemp fieldsst year.
These soaking pits were connected to a small river. During heavy summer rains, the pits would fill up with water from the river, which would then recede once the water level dropped.
So, after draining all the water from the pits, a surprise emerged: ck-backed fish were floundering about in the shallow mud, caught in quantities of two cartloads.
With the wild hemp harvested and submerged in water, the third round of grain was also sessfully harvested.
It was necessary to thresh the grain stalks multiple times. Not only did they yield over four hundred pounds of grain this time, but after three sessive thrashings, the grain stalks had be soft enough to feed the deer just right.
With these abundant grain stalks, Tie Tou and the others didn''t need to prepare too much-dried grass for the winter; the deer would have enough to eat.
"Yo-yo!"In the already autumnal wilderness, the deer stretched their necks and called out freely, filled with joy.
From the start of the grain harvest, they and their herd had never left the tribe, pulling a stone roller in the yard.
Now that the third round of grain was harvested, they could finally stroll in the wilderness.
Of course, this kind of joy wouldn''tst too long because, not long afterward, the Green Sparrow Tribe would start nting rapeseed. With Han Cheng around, they still couldn''t escape their fate.
Fortunately, the Green Sparrow Tribe hadn''t yet brought out the plow. Otherwise, these deer would have faced an even more tragic fate.
"Ho-ho, ho-ho!"
At a certain distance from the Green Sparrow Tribe, the Flying Snake Tribe, the shaman was imitating the sound of something in his mouth.
The giant solitary monster with its horn had grown quite a bit, following alongside him as he walked forward.
Its four hooves moved like a small mountain shifting forward.
Some of the thinner trees were directly bent and broken by it.
The people of the Flying Snake Tribe watched this giant creature, born and raised in their tribe, with a mixture of fear and reverence.
They gathered around, showing a mixture of awe and fanaticism.
The three leaders of the Flying Snake Tribe led the way with some people in front, while the shaman led the horned monster, following closely behind.
This group consisted of more than fifty adults, plus the horned monster, who gradually left the tribe and disappeared from view.
The chief of the Flying Snake Tribe, looking at the departed shaman and the others, made some sounds and began to arrange things.
Not long after, the people of the Flying Snake Tribe began to gather food.
Today, as the chief of the Flying Snake Tribe hunted, he found himself constantly looking in the direction where the shaman had left.
Hopefully, the shaman''s words were true. If they were, their tribe''s strength would grow stronger in the future.
......
"Smack!"
A ripe fruit fell from the branch and dropped into the grass.
Cao Geng picked it up, wiped it casually with his dark hand, and put it into his mouth.
As he ate the fruit, his gaze kept drifting towards the area where the stupid wolves and the damned deer had been encountered twice.
Not far from him was a pine tree with a significantlyrge hole in it, big enough for a person to stick their hand inside.
Tworge-tailed squirrels sized up the detestable hairless monkey while carefully and swiftly transporting pine cones into the hole, fearing the hairless monkey might discover their tracks and returnter to plunder.
Spitting out the fruit core, Cao Geng nced back at the sneaky squirrels, revealing yellowed teeth as he chuckled.
If necessary, these two squirrels'' hoard would still be plundered this winter.
Two others from his tribe were also in this area, picking edible food while keeping an eye on an empty space.
It wasn''t yet time forrge-scale food harvesting and storage, so they were able to move around here, waiting for the damn deer to return.
Cao Geng swore that this time, when reencountering those damn deer and wolves, he wouldn''t let them leave in peace.
As he thought this, he suddenly heard some movement from behind, and the noise was not slight.
After a brief daze, Cao Geng immediately tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand, bent down a bit, turned, and looked toward the source of the noise.
After a nce, Cao Geng was astonished.
What surprised him wasn''t some fierce wild animal appearing there but arge group of people wielding weapons and wearing animal skins.
These were unfamiliar faces to him.
The next moment, something even more unbelievable happened: behind this group of people appeared a giant monster with a long horn and long fur.
The monster was massive, making the people beside it look extremely small.
This sudden turn of events left Cao Geng petrified with fear.
He pressed his body even lower, peering stealthily through the gaps in the grass and bushes, afraid of being discovered by the numerous and formidable-looking people, especially that awe-inspiring monster.
However, before long, something even more frightening happened.
Instead of going elsewhere, these suddenly appearing people headed straight towards his location.
After waiting for a while and seeing the group approaching closer and closer, Cao Geng realized he couldn''t hide. Without further hesitation, he emerged and sprinted away in one direction.
"^#$%$#$^"
As he ran, he shouted to alert the two other tribal members nearby.
Moreover, the direction he ran wasn''t towards where the tribe was located; he didn''t want to lead this numerous and strange-looking group of people to their tribe.
"#%#$^"
The sudden leap and departure of Cao Geng from the bushes startled a group of people from the Flying Snake tribe.
After hesitating, the shaman leading the giant horned monster at the rear issued amand.
Immediately, seven or eight armed individuals swiftly chased after the terrified fleeing Cao Geng.
Themotion here rmed two other Cao Geng¡¯srades nearby, prompting the Flying Snake tribe to send out over ten people to chase after the other two.
Chapter 425: Don’t drink blood? I will kill you!
Chapter 425: Don¡¯t drink blood? I will kill you!
"Ah!"
Gasping for breath, Cao Geng was surrounded by seven or eight armed members of the Flying Snake tribe.
Terrified, he shouted, trying tomunicate with these unwee guests, pleading for them to let him go.
Instead, what met him was a heavy club swinging down from behind.
The club struck hard, causing Cao Geng to cry out in pain and copse to the ground.
Before he could get up, the others had already swarmed over him, pinning him down.
They twisted him around roughly, bound him with ropes, and dragged him towards the shaman and three leaders of the Flying Snake tribe standing under the pine tree.
Cao Geng struggled to escape, but all he received in return was a merciless beating.
After several such episodes, with his nose bleeding profusely, he dared not struggle vigorously anymore.Cao Geng, in a state of utter terror, was brought under the pine tree. He stole nces into the distance, hoping his two fellow tribesmen could escape from these malevolent people.
However, his hope was dashed once again.
Before long, the other two tribesmen who had fled in different directions were also brought back, one of them severely injured on the thigh, crying out in agony as blood flowed profusely...
"£¤!"
The shaman of the Flying Snake tribe nced at the person with the severe leg injury, whose face had turned pale due to pain and blood loss, and uttered words that Cao Geng couldn''t understand.
Then, a man who looked exceptionally strong, perhaps a leader, approached and drew a bone knife from his waist. He forcefully stabbed the terrified and trembling injured person.
A wail of agony filled the air. The pain and fear made the person struggle fiercely, but several others held him down firmly, rendering him unable to move.
"Poof!"
As the bone knife was pulled out, dark red blood spurted out. The three leaders of the Flying Snake tribe leaned over, kneeling by the wound, and greedily drank from it.
Cao Geng witnessed this scene, trembling all over like chaff.
What terrified him even more happened next.
After drinking a few mouthfuls of blood, the three leaders of the Flying Snake tribe stood up. Then, they threw the bone knife at another member of Cao Geng''s tribe, who waspletely petrified.
Pointing at the person who was already cowering on the ground, they then pointed at their own mouths, gesturing for him to repeat the action.
Cao Geng''s tribesman was also afraid, but some sense of reason remained.
He stood there, trembling, without moving for quite some time.
"£¤£¤!"
The three leaders of the Flying Snake tribe angrily said something, then struck the paralyzed person''s leg heavily with a club. The person cried out in pain and fell to the ground.
But then, he managed to get up again.
"£¤!"
With blood smeared on his mouth and body, the three leaders of the Flying Snake tribe continued to threaten, pointing the bone knife at Cao Geng''spanion and then at another injured person.
Seeing that the person still didn''t move, one of those holding a stone spear or bone spear on the side took over a stone spear, pointed it at the chest of Cao Geng''spanion, nodded, and then continued to speak angrily.
Cao Geng didn''t understand the words, but he understood the meaning.
If hispanion didn''t obey the instructions of these extremely malevolent people, they would use the stone spear to kill him directly!
Clearly, Cao Geng''spanion also understood this threat. His body trembled violently, but his feet began to move slowly.
After a while, another cry of agony rang out.
Watching his fellow tribesman lying on the ground, sucking blood like a wild beast, Cao Geng''s fear reached its peak.
He wanted to run and scream, but he couldn''t do anything...
When the bone knife was thrown at his feet, Cao Geng was stunned.
He wanted to stand still, but his body involuntarily bent down and picked up the bone knife.
Then, step by step, he walked towards hispanion.
Seeing his weakpanion''s eyes filled with pleading and fear, he wanted to throw away the bone knife or turn around and kill these people. However, in the end, the bone knife mercilessly stabbed into hispanion''s thigh...
Cao Geng stood dazedly here, blood on his mouth and hands.
This blood was salty, somewhat like the water called ''salt'' that was brought by those ck people from the tribe.
Hispanion died, and there was no more blood flowing from him when he died.
Those widened eyes made Cao Geng feel very frightened.
But he soon stopped being afraid because hispanion was separated by these evil people with stone knives and bone knives, and fire ignited here...
Unconsciously, Cao Geng''s mouth moved, chewing on a piece of meat.
It was somewhat salty, like the meat sprinkled with salt he ate in the tribe.
Looking at the white bones on the ground, Cao Geng felt like he was dreaming.
He vaguely remembered thatst year, when the weather was cold, and there was not much food in the tribe, hispanion once said that he would kill and eat him as food.
Who could have thought that now, he had eaten him...
Feeling dizzy all over, Cao Geng felt nothing left to make him afraid. However, he became afraid again after walking forward with this group of people.
Because he suddenly realized that all their directions were leading toward his tribe!
His otherpanion was not leading the way ahead, so why did these people head straight towards his tribe?
"......Ah!"
He shouted, wanting to make these people stop, but besides receiving two beatings, he gained nothing.
These people continued to walk steadily towards their tribe.
Cao Geng was shocked and angry, but there was nothing he could do...
Tworge-tailed squirrels, their eyes streaming with tears from the smoke, crawled out of the tree hole, embraced each other, and squatted on the pine tree branch, rejoicing at the departure of these terrifying bald monkeys...
The sun was setting slightly to the west. Step by step, Cao Geng approached the tribe. In the past, he would have been happy to return to the tribe, especially when he had hunted enough prey.
However, this time, he had no reason to return to the tribe. If possible, he would like to run away from it.
The gentle sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees and fell on a not-so-conspicuous cave entrance.
Several naked young primitives were ying here.
A bit further away, some not very strong-bodied people were digging wild vegetables and picking fruits.
"...£¤!"
A taller young primitive saw a group of peopleing from afar and couldn''t help but cheer. He thought it was the people from the hunting tribe returning...
Chapter 426: Rampaging unicorn
Chapter 426: Rampaging unicorn
A child''s cheer sparked more cheers from others as they ran towards the group of people appearing in their view, just as they would greet returning hunters in the past.
Since they were far away, they couldn''t see the faces of the people who hade into view. However, their disheveled hair and the animal skins draped around them were no different from those in their tribe. Moreover, apart from these people from the ck tribe, who came with valuable things, hardly any outsiders came to their tribe.
So they didn''t overthink about it.
The children''s joyful rush attracted the attention of some nearby adults who were not very strong, and smiles also appeared on their faces.
Turning to look in the direction where the children were running, two of them couldn''t help but follow the youngsters there.
The hunters'' return from the Flying Snake tribe was their happiest moment.
The Shaman of the Flying Snake tribe looked at this scene with a smile. Most of them, not only him but also the three leaders of the Flying Snake tribe and others, had smiles.
Such smiles fell into Cao Geng''s eyes, but they made him shudder, his whole body like falling into an ice hole!
These evil people can do anything!"£¤!"
Seeing the approaching youth of the tribe, Cao Geng finally shouted, warning them to hurry back to the cave and not toe out.
With one shout, he was greeted with a fierce whipping, his nose crooked to one side, sticky blood flowing from his nostrils like a winding little snake, dripping to the ground.
The warning of Cao Geng''s voice worked, and those who had run halfway stopped their steps, some with doubts and suspicions, looking at the uninvited guests surrounding the tribe.
Some heard Cao Geng''s voice and searched among the crowd, eventually finding Cao Geng being detained.
Compared to the hesitation of the young people, the response of these subsequent adults was much faster.
They vaguely sensed something was wrong in the direction of their running to meet them. At this moment, they heard Cao Geng''s warning and suddenly panicked.
"a!"
Those who were not strong shouted in panic, asking the youngsters to return quickly and run to the cave.
These people hold tools made of wild vegetables, or simply the weeds grabbed from the ground in an emergency, are nervous and stubborn.
When these young people ran past them, they cautiously looked back while quickly moving towards the cave, afraid that these unexpected guests would attack them.
However, the people of the Flying Snake tribe did not chase after them; they stood quietly here, watching these people retreat to the cave in panic and hurriedly block it with stones.
Many people watched this, still smiling. Compared to Cao Geng''s feeling, it was like when they surrounded an injuredmb during the hunt.
These people standing here motionless are not ignoring their tribe, but they do not regard their tribe as being in their eyes.
As long as they want, ording to the current situation of their tribe, there is simply no resistance, just as easy as when they killed that injuredmb.
Cao Geng gained a little more confidence in thinking like this in his heart.
Because their tribe''s cave only had one entrance, and now that entrance was blocked, guarded from the inside, it wouldn''t be easy for anyone to rush into the cave...
This was his deepest hope.
The Flying Snake tribe¡¯s Shaman began to act calmly, leading arge, furry unicorn-like creature towards the cave entrance.
The rest of the people followed his pace, not hurriedly, resembling a cat toying with a mouse.
Contrary to Cao Geng''s expectations, the Flying Snake tribe did notunch a direct attack on their tribe''s cave entrance.
Upon arriving at the cave entrance, the people of the Flying Snake tribe spread out, surrounding the cave entrance and leaving a clear space in the middle.
Just as Cao Geng was wondering what they were up to, the Shaman of the Flying Snake tribe acted. He opened the basket on his back and took out a strange-looking green grass bound with a vine into a small bundle.
Seeing this bundle of grass, the giant furry creature standing beside him immediately became restless, turning around as if to devour it.
But the Shaman handed it to a swift runner standing nearby.
This man was the fastest runner in the Flying Snake tribe.
He took the grass from the Shaman''s hand and immediately dashed towards the stone cave.
The restless unicorn creature spread its hooves and galloped after him, like a small mountain moving, causing the ground to tremble with each stride.
The bundle of green grass was stuffed into the gap at the cave mouth, which the stones had notpletely sealed, and the man quickly ran aside.
Before the people hiding inside the cave could figure out what was happening, the massive creature, with its hooves spread wide, had already charged forward!
It paid no heed to whether it was facing rocks, lowering its head and ramming into them with its horn.
The people inside the cave were utterly stunned by this never-before-seen monster, standing dumbstruck on the spot.
Without any hesitation, the unicorn creature continued to exert force, and under its powerful impact, the stones blocking the cave entrance began to tilt. Then, with a rumbling sound, they copsed into a heap amidst flying dust...
Watching the cave open wide, the people rushing frantically deeper into the cave, and the unicorn creature calmly chewing something not far from the cave entrance, the Shaman of the Flying Snake tribe smiled broadly.
"Ah!"
The people of the Flying Snake tribe erupted into a chaotic yet loud cheer, looking at the Shaman and the unicorn creature with reverence.
"£¤£¤!"
The Shaman of the Flying Snake tribe epted thepliments of the crowd with calmness, then pointed his hand towards the now-open cave entrance. The fervent people of the Flying Snake tribe rushed inside with loud cries...
"...?"
In the cave stained with some blood, the Shaman of the Flying Snake tribe looked at several things before him, his eyes showing a curious and delighted expression.
He hadn''t expected that this seemingly small and not very wealthy tribe would possess such exquisite and precious items!
Two pottery jars and several pottery bowls were ced before him.
One pottery bowl had been shattered in the recent chaos, causing the Shaman of the Flying Snake tribe much distress.
Chapter 427: The Shaman Who Ate Delicious Food Until He Transformed
Chapter 427: The Shaman Who Ate Delicious Food Until He Transformed
The shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe held a bowl in his hands, examining it closely and looking utterly delighted. The bowl and the y pot had captivated him for a long time, and the more he looked at them, the more amazed and incredulous he became.
His tribe was already formidablepared to the surrounding tribes. They had conquered many tribes and seized numerous items. However, nothing they had acquired couldpare to these few pieces of pottery.
Even his two prized stone basins, which held the most water in his tribe, were outssed by this seemingly smaller yet far more practical y pot. Unlike the lightweight and delicate pottery, the stone basins were cumbersome and difficult to move. In terms of appearance, the stone basins could not even begin topare.
The shaman had never dared to dream of such finely crafted items. How had they managed to carve the stone into such perfect shapes?
As he emerged from his astonishment and delight at the pottery, the shaman began to ponder its origin with growing suspicion. To him, such items should not even exist.
¡°£¤?¡±
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he approached Cao Geng, who was tied up, had his nose battered to one side, and asked a question. Though he wished to remain silent, Cao Geng found himself terrified in the presence of this seemingly frail man¡ªmore so than when facing the robust leader.
¡°*%&$¡¡±
Driven by fear, Cao Geng began to exin. However, thenguage barrier made it impossible for the shaman to understand him. Simple gestures could convey basic concepts, but the story behind the pottery wasplex. Cao Geng¡¯s fear only made his exnation more chaotic.¡°¡¡±
Even the intelligent shaman could not decipher Cao Geng¡¯s babbling. Growing irritated, he waved his hand to silence Cao Geng and returned to studying the fascinating ''stone'' containers.
¡°£¿¡±
Upon opening one of the smaller pots, the shaman found a pleasant surprise: it contained white, grainy substances. His initial thought was snow, but he quickly dismissed this, knowing it wasn¡¯t the season for snow.
He cautiously touched the white granules inside, confirming they were not snow. The exquisite pottery seemed to hold something just as extraordinary. Curious, he approached Cao Geng again, holding a pinch of the white substance between his fingers and gesturing for Cao Geng to taste it.
Cao Geng understood the shaman¡¯s intent and eagerly consumed the salt. This precious white substance was precious, and their tribe had paid dearly to acquire it.
Even the tribe leaders weren''t keen on eating much salt on ordinary days. His status within the tribe wasn''t particrly high, so opportunities to taste salt were naturally rare.
At this moment, he had no reason to refuse. Despite the overwhelming saltiness, he couldn''t bear to spit it out. After holding it in his mouth for a while, he swallowed it all, licking his lips in lingering satisfaction, looking like he wanted more.
Seeing Cao Geng''s response, the shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe smiled, partly because of his cleverness and partly because, besides acquiring these exquisite foods for his tribe, they had also obtained something new and seemingly extraordinary.
Taking the not-sorge pot with him, the shaman left Cao Geng and eagerly picked up more of the white, finely ground sandy substance and put it into his mouth.
He took more than what he had given Cao Geng earlier to assert his status. Most of the people from the Flying Snake Tribe watched his actions, some even feeling the urge to salivate after witnessing Cao Geng''s greedy eating.
Even without a sharednguage, they all understood this rare, unfamiliar substance was delicious.
The next moment, the shaman''s eyes widened suddenly, confirming their suspicions. Indeed, this white substance was delicious. Otherwise, a shaman who had tasted many delicious foods and was well-traveled would not be exaggerating like this.
Thinking this way, some people couldn''t help but salivate, eager to taste what had amazed the shaman so much.
However, their thoughts were interrupted when the shaman''s face suddenly contorted unexpectedly after his initial surprise. His face twitched involuntarily.
"Is it so delicious that it''s transformative?"
The Flying Snake people were astonished. What kind of substance was this?
Spit... spit... spit...
Unable to bear it any longer, the shaman spat it out, repeatedly spitting out saliva and rinsing his mouth with water from another y pot to rid himself of that dreadful feeling.
"£¤!"
The third leader of the Flying Snake Tribe appeared indignant, rushing over to punch and kick Cao Geng, whose nose was still crooked.
"¡Öap;¡¡!"
After spitting out the water from his mouth, the shaman spoke up to stop him...
The sun was setting aggressively in the west, about to descend behind the mountains. The orange-red light casts a radiant glow over everything, creating a spectacr sight.
In the golden sunlight-drenched forest, a group of people was moving. They carried weapons in their hands, and the spoils of their hunt or the fruits they had gathered were on their shoulders or in their hands.
Leading them was the chief of Cao Geng''s tribe. At this moment, he was carrying a sizable prey on his shoulder, the tribe''s biggest catch of the day. Tonight, even the weakest among them would get a share of meat.
Thinking of this and seeing the joyful expressions of those who had received the news, he couldn''t help but feel happy.
With these thoughts, his mind drifted involuntarily to therge herd of deer. If they could capture that herd of deer...
His face lit up with longing.
Cao Geng and a few others were stationed there, watching closely, hoping to catch sight of the deer tracks...
"£¤!"
Suddenly, a cry from behind interrupted his pleasant daydream.
Chapter 428: Team Wipe
Chapter 428: Team Wipe
The sudden exmation behind him startled him awake. When he looked up, he saw many people standing on the open ground not far from the cave!
And those from his tribe, who would usually cheer and run over the moment they returned, were nowhere to be seen this time...
A bad thought suddenly shed through his mind, making his heart skip a beat.
"%^$^$&...!?"
He shouted, warning the people behind him to be alert. Then he slowed his pace, holding his weapon, and cautiously approached the group of people, who were much more numerous than them.
He ced the food he was carrying on his shoulders and in his hands on the ground.
The shaman of the Flying Snake tribe was not at all flustered as he watched the people gradually approaching. This was not only because there were many strong individuals in the Flying Snake tribe but also because...
He looked at the people who were now quite close and were asking him questions in an iprehensiblenguage. He smiled, opened the lidded basket he carried on his back, and took out a bundle of tied grass.
He walked over to the dull, motionless, one-horned beast lying on the ground nearby and waved the grass before it.The beast immediately became active.
It stretched its head and opened its mouth to eat, but the Flying Snake shaman dodged it.
Seeing the delicious food escape again, the beast suddenly stood up.
The Flying Snake shaman quickly handed the grass to the swift runner.
The leader of the Cao Geng¡¯s tribe, angrily and fearfully questioning the uninvited guests, gasped at the sight of the suddenly rising giant creature.
He hadn''t noticed the beast lying motionless on the ground earlier and had thought it was just a big rock.
What kind of monster was this?!
Why was that person running towards them so quickly? Did he want to fight?
He tightened his grip on the stone spear as he thought this, preparing to teach the person who dared to charge at them a good lesson.
This thought was immediately reced by overwhelming fear because following that person was the terrifying giant beast!
The man and the beast charged straight at them with a thunderous momentum.
As they approached, the runner hurled a bundle of something into the air, whichnded behind the Cao Geng tribe members.
At the same time, the runner swiftly turned and ran to the side.
Like a small mountain, the giant beast charged forward with astonishing momentum.
Many were fearful, and those who wanted to run found their legs unresponsive.
"%$^%...!"
The leader of the Cao Geng tribe finally reacted, shouting for his people to run. However, it was toote; the giant beast had already crashed into them...
The leader of Cao Geng¡¯s tribe couldn''t help but wail, partly because the beast crushed his calf and partly because none of his people managed to escape; they were all captured.
In the process, five people died.
Four of them were trampled to death by the beast''s hooves!
The other was stabbed in the stomach with a stone spear while trying to escape...
And this evil tribe didn''t lose a single person!
This was all due to that terrifying beast. Some of their people could have escaped without it, even if they couldn''t win the fight. Even if they couldn''t escape, they could have at least killed or injured some members of the opposing tribe.
However...
What kind of terrifying tribe is this?
They have such a terrifying monster!
God knows how they managed to make such a monstrous creature obedient!
The wailing of Cao Geng¡¯s tribe leader did notst long because he soon died.
When he died, all the blood in his body had drained, and his body had many additional wounds.
The shaman of the Flying Snake tribe collected his blood from the pottery of the Cao Geng tribe, dividing half of it for the surviving members of the Cao Geng tribe to drink.
At first, some people were unwilling, but after one of the unwilling ones was killed by the third leader of the Flying Snake tribe with a stone spear, and another exquisite container was brought to collect blood, the rest became obedient...
Everyone, including the Flying Snake tribe members, drank the blood of these two people. The Flying Snake tribe members drank more than the Cao Geng tribe members.
This was because the Flying Snake tribe shaman discovered that after drinking the blood and eating the meat of these defeated and killed people, they would be more spirited in the following days.
Therefore, even though the original members of the Flying Snake tribe didn''t need to drink the blood of theirrades to signify breaking away from their original tribe like the Cao Geng tribe members, they didn''t miss this opportunity either.
The Flying Snake tribe members licked their lips greedily, like a group of bloodthirsty beasts, unsatisfied...
As night fell, the cave that initially belonged to the Cao Geng tribe flickered with firelight. Compared to usual, the firelight inside the cave was brighter and the atmosphere more lively, but everything had already changed.
The aroma of roasted meat wafted out of the cave, spreading in the night.
Inside the cave, illuminated by firelight, the Flying Snake tribe shaman leisurely ate the delicious food served in a bowl decorated with several small tadpoles.
He initially didn''t know how to use the bowl like this. After a difficult exchange with the crooked-nosed Cao Geng, he understood the purpose of this small item.
Today, the Flying Snake tribe shaman ate a lot. He didn''t stop until he had eaten two dripping roasted breasts.
It was not only because he hadn''t eaten such food in a long time but also because a fineyer of white crushed stones, which twisted his face in disgust, was sprinkled on top...
He took thest bite of food, licked the oil from the corners of his mouth, and put down the pottery bowl in his hand.
He looked at the crooked nose squatting not far away, who smiled at him with fear and ttery when he noticed the shaman''s gaze.
Then he looked at the others huddled together, not daring to escape or move. The shaman of the Flying Snake tribe smiled.
He was skilled at making a tribe obedient and gradually integrating them into their tribe.
Some of these methods were his inventions, but most were passed down from the previous shaman...
As the long night passed and the morning sun shone its light, a group of people wrapped in animal skins and carrying weapons emerged from the cave and stepped away.
It was just like going out hunting as usual.
The difference this time was that there were no minors or other old and weak people to see them off...
Chapter 429: Xiao Fu leaves, and Divine Child rears pigs
Chapter 429: Xiao Fu leaves, and Divine Child rears pigs
The wind blew, lifting a few yellow leaves into the quiet cave, spinning as they flew in.
Inside the cave, it was empty and deathly silent. There were bloodstains on the ground, ring white bones, and the ashes of burned remnants.
This tribe, whose presence here hadsted for an unknown length, had vanished in a single day.
This ce may be taken over by wild beasts as a shelter in the future.
Maybe a migrating tribe wille, light a bonfire, and continue living here.
Or perhaps no one will discover this ce again, and the wind-blown dust will gradually cover it. Many yearster, a group of people with equipment mighte here, peel back theyers of sediment, carefully clean the area, and excitedly shout over the skull of the Cao Geng tribe leader...
Not far away, a pair of squirrels burying acorns for the winter stood up, theirrge tails touching the ground as they cautiously looked around with their forepaws slightly drooped.
Momentster, the pair scurried up a tree, hiding in a hollow, with only one head poking out to observe cautiously.
Before long, the hairless monkeys that scared them appeared.They passed under the tree without pausing, with one even kicking a bone to the side...
"Yo-yo~!"
On the clear, breezy, autumn-tinged ins, Deer Lord walked gracefully with his long legs.
Behind him, his group followed, eating grass as they walked and looking leisurely in the autumn sunlight.
Xiao Fu continued to roam the outskirts of the deer herd, sometimes pouncing suddenly on an unlucky creature that couldn''t escape in time, giving it a wolf''s kiss.
After wandering for a while, Xiao Fu suddenly stopped, stood upright, and stretched his neck, sniffing the air asionally.
After a while, he started moving in a particr direction.
He walked for a bit, sniffed again, and continued this way, stopping, starting, circling, without knowing how far he had gone. Eventually, Xiao Fu stopped once more.
A small wolf pack was not far ahead, consisting of only eleven or twelve wolves.
The wolves had noticed the lone, uninvited guest, Xiao Fu. The previously yful wolf pack became alert immediately.
They stared at Xiao Fu, and Xiao Fu stared back at them. The two sides stood quietly, watching each other.
Perhaps sensing that Xiao Fu had no hostile intentions or deeming the fully-grown Xiao Fu too formidable, the pack, led by a one-eyed alpha wolf, slowly walked away.
Xiao Fu hesitated for a moment before following the wolf pack...
The sun moved westward, its warm rays nting through the forest.
"Yo-yo~!"
Deer Lord, always punctual, raised his head and called out, then turned and headed back toward the tribe.
The deer herd followed, and the few infiltrators returned to the tribe with the herd.
No one noticed Xiao Fu''s absence because they were used to his solitary adventures...
The foundation of the pigsty was entirelypleted in the Green Sparrow tribe, though only a small seven¡ªor eight-square-meter space was built up.
The seven slightly grown wild piglets had already been moved from the makeshift pen to this new area.
Han Cheng devised a makeshift solution by temporarily setting aside the construction of the original pigsty and creating a small one in the southeast corner.
The primary reason was to reassign the people, who initially meant to build the pigsty so that they could continue constructing houses.
The current housing in the Green Sparrow tribe is sufficient for its inhabitants. However, with the gradual integration of Green Tribe, space has be tighter.
After all, just this year¡¯s harvested grain upies six houses.
As for the blue-brick houses, Han Cheng does not n to let anyone live in them.
The newly built houses have the exact specifications, with twelve rooms in a row. However, unlike before, not every room has a partition wall to support the beams. Instead, a wall was built in every three rooms.
The rest of the supportes from triangr wooden beams, simr to those used in the blue-brick houses.
The walls resemble before, with stone at the bottom and rammed earth above, without using bricks.
Firstly, brick-making is too cumbersome, time-consuming, andbor-intensive. Secondly, these residential houses have not yet reached the level of being built with blue bricks.
After all, Han Cheng consciously wants to highlight the superiority of blue brick buildings, so he won''t allow blue bricks to be used for residential houses now.
Tietou and a few regr grass cutters are harvesting thatch on the mountain behind.
After drying, this harvested thatch and previously umted ones will be used to roam the newly constructed houses.
Using thatch instead of tiles for these new houses was a deliberate instruction from Han Cheng to match the two types of identification cards he nned to implement.
These newly built thatch houses are prepared for neers to the tribe.
Secondary citizens with wooden identification cards can only live in these thatch houses, while primary citizens live in tiled houses.
This distinction differentiates the two groups.
Han Cheng watched the busy workers for a while and then looked down at the seven wild piglets in the pigsty.
The wounds on the wild piglets mainly had healed. After this period of captivity, they had be less wild and no longer attempted to escape from their tiny enclosure.
Even with Han Cheng nearby, they acted as if he wasn''t there.
Two piglets were eating from the trough, while four othersy against the stone wall of the pigsty, basking in the autumn sun.
One piglet was staring hesitantly at the sky.
The trough did not contain only grass but a mixture of chaff, chopped grass, and water used for washing pots and dishes.
The water had some grease and a bit of saltiness, which suited the wild pigs'' taste.
These animals, after all, are omnivorous. Besides grass, they also enjoy meat.
Of course, the Green Sparrow tribe''s chances of eating meat would be rare.
The scale of wild pig farming in the Green Sparrow tribe is notrge, so the small pigsty doesn''t feel crowded.
When the wild pigs grow, and the herd expands, the pigsty can be erged.
As for feeding the wild pigs, there is no need to worry.
The number of wild pigs is small, so they can manage with what they have.
For a long time toe, the diet of these wild pigs will mainly consist of chaff, grass, or hay.
Some rapeseed, millet, or spoiled fruits will asionally be mixed in.
As for the concern that such a nd diet might stunt their growth or fattening, there is no need to worry too much.
Han Cheng once read a news story about someone who frequently fed pigs with spoiled fruits, resulting in fat, healthy pigs...
In his memory, farmers fed pigs with steamed sweet potatoes mashed and mixed with bran to make them grow faster and have more meat for the new year.
However, such treatment is out of the question for the tribe''s wild pigs. So far, millet is the only grain avable in the tribe.
Feeding the pigs this way won''t make them as fat as modern pigs, but the farming enterprise can continue.
Sweet potatoes were introduced to China in the mid tote Ming Dynasty. Before that, China had thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years of pig farming history.
Chapter 430: The First Goodbye
Chapter 430: The First Goodbye
Han Cheng shifted his gaze from the pig trough to the solitary piglet lying on its side, gazing wistfully at the sky.
This piglet was understandably mncholic. Just ten days ago, these merciless hairless monkeys had dragged it out of the pen, tied it to a wooden post with its limbs spread out, and a man with an iron knife came over to feel around between its hind legs. Just when it thought it could endure it, something even more horrifying happened. After excruciating pain, it became a castrated, iplete pig. The hairless monkey had cruelly cut open its skin and removed its testicles.
Since it was the first time the handler had done such a thing, the technique was far from perfect, resulting in even more significant harm to the piglet. But the most dreadful part cameter when it started to heal. It realized that the other pigs looked at it differently. It was ostracized in the pen; neither the five sows nor the lone boar wanted to y with it.
Han Cheng watched the gloomy piglet for a while, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He had eaten its testicles after they were cooked, but that wasn''t why he was smiling at the piglet now. His mind hadn''t be that twisted. He smiled because he remembered what happened that night after eating the cooked testicles.
The effect of those things was surprisingly potent, far beyond Han Cheng''s expectations. That night, in a moment of heat, he couldn''t control himself and finally lost his virginity, surrendering itpletely to Bai Xue.
The details of the process were unnecessary to recount. Han Cheng''s smile while looking at the now-castrated piglet said it all¡ªit had been an unforgettable experience.
"Brother Cheng¡" Bai Xue''s voice broke into Han Cheng''s reverie.
"Look!" Han Cheng''s body still faced the pig pen''s outer wall, but he twisted his neck around awkwardly.
Full of excitement and pride, Bai Xue held up a basket made from tree branches, presenting it to Han Cheng as if seeking his approval. The basket was full of silkworm cocoons, the year''sst batch. Even if the silkworms could still hatchter, there wouldn''t be enough mulberry leaves to feed them.Han Cheng thought the cocoons looked bigger than the initial ones, but his attention quickly shifted to Bai Xue, and he entered what he called his "lover''s gaze" mode.
Perhaps due to Han Cheng''s attention, Bai Xue''s figure had developed significantly recently.
Holding up the basket, Bai Xue soon felt Han Cheng''s unusual gaze. Her face, already flushed from excitement, turned even redder. She lowered her head slightly, avoiding Han Cheng''s bright eyes.
Thanks to Han Cheng''s persistent guidance, Bai Xue had be more reserved in this aspectpared to the wildness of other primitive women.
Han Cheng, already stirred by his earlier recollections, felt a wave of emotion when he saw Bai Xue''s bashfulness.
Han Cheng discreetly adjusted himself to avoid any conspicuous signs of excitement. He then turned utterly, walked over to Bai Xue, and patted her gently, praising her earnestly, "My little wife is so capable!"
He took the basket from Bai Xue and pretended to examine it closely. "Hmm? Why do some of these cocoons look different?"
"Which ones?" Bai Xue perked up at Han Cheng''s mention of the cocoons.
Han Cheng tossed the cocoons back into the basket and looked around. "It''s not convenient to check them out here. Let''s go inside, and I''ll show you."
"Okay." Bai Xue nodded thoughtfully, following Han Cheng inside while peering into the basket, trying to identify the unique cocoons.
Seeing Bai Xue''s innocence, Han Cheng felt even more tempted.
"Clunk..." The wooden door closed.
"Brother Cheng, why close the door? We won''t be able to see properly..."
"We can see just fine, trust me."
...
"Ahh..." Han Chengy on the heated bed, breathing heavily with satisfaction.
He truly believed in the saying, "The benevolent enjoy the mountains, the wise enjoy the water." As a person of great benevolence and wisdom, he deeply appreciated the joy of both mountain and water.
"Brother Cheng, we need to look at the cocoons now..." Bai Xue, her cheeks flushed,y beside Han Cheng like a kitten, quietly speaking after a while.
Han Cheng stroked her hair. This silly girl...
Han Cheng''s blissful moodsted until evening when someone noticed Xiao Fu was missing, gradually dampening his spirits.
After checking the deer herd and the other wolves and ensuring no one was injured or missing except Xiao Fu, Han Cheng felt somewhat relieved. He ordered the search to stop after they had scoured the area around the settlement without finding Xiao Fu.
With previous experiences of Fu Jiang suddenly disappearing and Deer Lord returningte, Han Cheng was moreposed this time. He spected that Xiao Fu, like Fu Jiang, might have been lured away by a mate.
There was no need to worry excessively. What happens before lust is like magic. What happens after enlightenment? After a few days, Xiao Fu''s impulsiveness would subside, and he would return...
In a ce unknown, light rain drizzled from the sky. Xiao Fu stood under a tree, quietly watching a nearby wolf pack. This had been Xiao Fu''s mode of interaction with the pack over the past few days.
They did not drive him away harshly, but they also did not fully ept him. The main reason was that Xiao Fu was a male wolf.
Not far from the wolf pack, the one-eyed alpha wolf sat quietly on the ground, asionally ncing toward Xiao Fu. It was old; in its younger days, it would have attacked and driven away the young male wolf without hesitation. Now, however, it no longer had the strength.
It could only watch vigntly, trying to intimidate Xiao Fu. As time passed, perhaps sure that Xiao Fu posed no immediate threat or simply due to exhaustion, the one-eyed wolfy down and closed its eyes.
After a while, a female wolf cautiously approached the edge of the pack. After lingering for a bit, she went to where Xiao Fu was...
Chapter 431: The Angry Xiao Fu
Chapter 431: The Angry Xiao Fu
Xiao Fu extended his neck slightly in the gentle drizzle, sniffed the female wolf who followed him, then turned and walked away.
The female wolf followed behind him, walking together.
After turning a corner and being out of sight from the rest of the pack, Xiao Fu turned back towards the female wolf, sniffed a few times, and then stood up on his hind legs.
His front paws gripped the female wolf''s waist, and he headed straight to the point with great speed, shaking off the water droplets that had clung to him.
Not long after, Xiao Fu turned again, facing the female wolf''s hindquarters.
Some things should not be done; once done, one must bear the consequences.
The one-eyed alpha wolf lying on the ground woke up. He habitually looked to where Xiao Fu had been but could not find his presence.
After a while, it realized the pack was missing a member, particrly the one in heat.
The one-eyed alpha wolf appeared uneasy, starting to search around, then wandering towards where Xiao Fu and the female wolf were.The other wolves followed along.
"Awooo!"
The scene before the one-eyed alpha wolf enraged it. It let out an angry howl, baring its sharp, snow-white teeth, pressing its front paws against the ground, then shot off like an arrow, straight towards Xiao Fu and the female wolf.
Such actions caught red-handed also caused tension among animals.
Xiao Fu instinctively wanted to run, but his "roots" weren''t retracted, and dragging the female wolf behind him was the only way to escape.
The one-eyed alpha wolf had already rushed close, issuing angry roars while fiercely reprimanding the disobedient pack members.
The reprimanded female wolf emitted fearful whimpers, wanting to escape but was as helpless as Xiao Fu.
After a brief reprimand, the one-eyed alpha wolf turned and jumped toward Xiao Fu, opening its mouth to bite.
Though Xiao Fu was in the wrong, he couldn''t help but fight back now.
They immediately started fighting, biting, and growling at each other.
Xiao Fu, still engaged with the female wolf, was disadvantaged in the one-on-two battle.
After a while, he fell behind, gaining some additional wounds.
Can''t go back
Xiao Fu opened his mouth in this quiet wait, and the one-eyed alpha wolf slinked over with its tail between its legs.
"Woo, woo..."
Xiao Fu, in the posture of a victor, drove away the defeated one-eyed alpha wolf.
The one-eyed alpha wolf, reluctant to leave the pack it had led for so long, circled, unwilling to depart.
Xiao Fu, however, was not polite at all in his expulsion.
The other wolves stood by, watching the spectacle, none stepping forward to help.
One reason was the cunning nature of the one-eyed alpha wolf, who was not known for treating the pack well; the other was because the one-eyed alpha wolf was old and had been defeated by Xiao Fu in battle...
"Awooo!"
As the clouds dispersed and the rain ceased, a bright moon appeared in the sky in the evening.
The solitary, one-eyed alpha wolf lifted its head to the moon, howling long into the night, adding a touch of loneliness and destion to the darkness.
Unfortunately, it wasn''t a werewolf, so howling at the moon wouldn''t change a thing, nor could it discipline the wolf who had defeated and expelled it.
In its plight, its howls offered no help; instead, upon hearing the one-eyed alpha wolf''s distant cries, Xiao Fuy faster on the female wolf''s back.
After flipping over from the female wolf''s back, he lifted his head and howled at the moon.
The sound was filled with the attitude of a victor.
After howling, the lonely one-eyed alpha wolf licked its wounds on the ground, hearing Xiao Fu''s howl. It stood up and slowly walked away, disappearing into the dim distance.
If it couldn''t defeat Xiao Fu in the future or another alpha wolf who could defeat the rest of the pack like Xiao Fu, it was afraid it would only be a solitary wolf...
Crack!
The crisp sound of an eggshell breaking came from the pottery bowl. Without looking, Han Cheng knew he had identally broken another egg.
This was the third egg he had broken.
Shaking his head slightly, Han Cheng set the broken egg aside, picked up a new one, then dipped it into a mixture of salt and water blended with wood ash, rolling it around.
Sometimes, when he found the wet wood ash on the eggshell to be too thin, he would use his hands to grab more and coat it thicker.
He was making salted eggs.
Unfortunately, he hadn''te across any limestone this time. Otherwise, after burning it to make some raw lime and mixing it with some sawdust left over from the crippled sawmill, adding water to ferment it, when the lime cooled, it would be a century egg.
The century egg is good with beer during summer.
Han Cheng thought so regretfully.
Crack!
Another crisp sound.
This egg could not be pickled, and more were not yet broken.
Han Cheng sighed, stood up, called Bai Xue, and asked her toe over and take over his work. He stood beside and guided her.
Originally, pickling salted eggs was a very happy thing. But he was worried about Xiao Fu''s disappearance.
He was not worried at first. He thought Xiao Fu would return in a few days, but he was nowhere to be found after eight days.
Chapter 432: Orchard’s bountiful harvest
Chapter 432: Orchard¡¯s bountiful harvest
n I am a Primitive Man
The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting in colorful halos refracted by dewdrops hanging beneath the leaves.
Without wind, a few yellowed leaves silently drifted from the branches, spiraling down to rest on Xiao Fu''s head beneath the trees.
Shaking its head, Xiao Fu dislodged the mischievous leaf and then nced around at the other wolves nearby.
The ground was damp from yesterday''s constant rain.
Xiao Fu, whose fur was still damp from the rain, appeared even darker.
Two female wolves were in heat consecutively within this wolf pack. Being young and vigorous, Xiao Fu naturally had an undeniable responsibility.
After several consecutive days, Xiao Fu had adapted to this new lifestyle.
During these days, Xiao Fu enjoyed a carefree existence. If its head itched, it could wash it anytime; if tired from washing, it could roam with the wolf pack, hunt some prey, and rest for a while...Such leisurely days were far better than those in the tribe.
Back then, it had to ept leadership from a deer; besides the deer, Fu Jiang could also control him.
The most brutal thing was the owner, who liked to kick his buttocks for no reason...
Of course, that was just the thought of Xiao Fu, who had just joined the wolf pack. When it saw the flowery look, it remembered where it had lived since childhood.
He wanted to go back, as this was not his permanent residence.
Another leaf fell andy close to Xiao Fu. After looking at it, Xiao Fu turned and left.
The mother wolf stood idly or yed with it, and after spending time together, they ultimately epted the new strong young head wolf.
"Shaman Shaman......"
After walking for a while, Xiao Fu saw the situation behind him, stopped, turned back, and shouted at the wolves to stop following him.
However, this small group of wolves had already identified it. After repeated reminders, they still followed it left and right.
After a few unsessful attempts, Xiao Fu stopped driving away and walked away with them...
In the orchard not far from the Green Sparrow tribe,ughter andughter filled the air. Even though the temperature was a bit cold due to the rain, it couldn''t reduce the joy in their hearts.
The shaman held a small basket, constantly picking up fallen fruit. After filling it, he poured the fruit into anotherrge gourd head.
After being brought back, these fallen fruits can be selected. The better quality is stripped and used to make wine vinegar and fruit preserves, while the poor quality is used to feed rabbits and wild boars.
Anyway, it cannot be squandered.
Butpared with previous years, few fallen fruits are on the ground. On the one hand, because the use of fruits has increased, they have received significant attention from the tribe''s people, and they will no longer allow some to survive on their own as in previous years.
Even now, Shaman found it quite miraculous, although he vaguely sensed some reasons behind it.
Previously, although the fruit trees bloomed profusely, many of the fruits that started to grow would prematurely fall off or wither on the trees.
This pattern of growth and loss meant that by the time the fruits matured, there were far fewer left on the trees.
This year, however, was different. Initially, due to the vigorous pruning by the Divine Child, after the flowers bloomed, the number of small fruits left on the trees was much lowerpared to previous years at the same time. However, very few of these fruits fell off prematurely.
This situation continued until now, resulting in a scene of abundant harvest!
Shaman bent down to pick up a freshly fallen fruit. There was a spot where a bird had pecked at it, but Shaman didn''t mind; he wiped it with his hand and popped it into his mouth.
By now, when the fruits were plentifully ripe, those pecked by birds were mature and highly delicious.
Eating the fruit, Shaman watched with delight as the bustling crowd picked numerous fruits and put them intorge gourds.
The scenes of harvest and joy were never enough for him.
As he watched, his thoughts involuntarily turned to the Divine Child.
Although he had long revered the Divine Child, Shaman still wanted to praise the Divine Child vigorously...
In the tribe, steam rose from the raised y pot, and many cleaned and sun-dried jars were ced nearby.
A sweet and rich aroma permeated the air. As a chef, Han Cheng stood there with a spoon in his hand, asionally lifting the pot lid to check the progress inside.
"Get ready!"
Seeing that the fruits in one y pot were already cooked, Han Cheng instructed the people around him.
He then picked up arge spoon and scooped up a spoonful of the still bubbling fruit, directly pouring it into a jar.
In just a few scoops, a jar was already filled.
"Hurry!"
He urged, and the person beside him quickly covered the jar''s mouth with arge oily tree leaf in his hand.
After applying beeswax around the jar''s mouth, he pressed down, sealing it tightly without letting any air in.
After waiting a while, the leaf covering the jar''s mouth suddenly copsed inward, tightly adhering to it.
Upon seeing this reaction, Han Cheng froze for a moment and then broke into a smile. It seemed that this batch of fruit preserves would be sessful!
Han Cheng has gradually explored and improved methods for making fruit preserves.
He would not let things like ''making vinegar in a wine barrel and sour in a jar'' happen to him. Despite his background in liberal arts, living in the modern era, he had some knowledge about bacterial dposition and sterilization through high temperatures.
After turning preserves into wine, he carefully recalled the process and was able to pinpoint where things might have gone wrong.
After making targeted modifications, today''s sess came.
After Han Cheng''s joy, he sped up his movements and continued filling fruit preserves.
After a while of such busy work, there was amotion at the courtyard entrance. Han Cheng quickly turned to look.
Chapter 433: Flying Snake Tribe’s night
Chapter 433: Flying Snake Tribe¡¯s night
The nting evening sun cast its glow on the ground, elongating shadows. Even the stoutest individuals appeared leaner in this light.
Deer Lord, the leader, returned with the deer herd from outside, apanied by a few hounds led by Fu Jiang.
Han Cheng, hopeful, scanned the deer herd, hoping to catch sight of Xiao Fu among them. However, his hope turned to disappointment.
There were only five dogs; Xiao Fu, who had been missing for eleven days now, still hadn''t returned.
Han Cheng sighed, delegating tasks to those already proficient, and approached the deer herd.
At the exact moment, somewhere not far from Green Sparrow Tribe, in a direction unknown, Xiao Fu looked up helplessly towards the setting sun.
He was genuinely anxious now. It had only been ying recklessly with several she-wolves during this period, not knowing where it had wandered off to.
Now, wanting to return home, he couldn''t find the way or direction.
The heavy autumn rain not long ago had washed away its scent from the ground.With the nting evening sun, at this time in previous days, it would have been returning home with the deer herd and siblings, regardless of whether they had found something to eat outside. Upon returning, it would always receive a share of abundant food.
But now, it could only roam the wilderness and forests with the wolf pack, catching and eating only what it could find. Sometimes, it would have the misfortune of not finding food for the day.
"Wu wu wu..."
The evening wind blew through the woods, rustling some leaves. Xiao Fu whimpered in loneliness and helplessness in the crimson glow of the setting sun, like a lost child. Its cries echoed far and wide, eventually fading into the gradually dimming twilight.
At the same time, in the Flying Snake Tribe, the campfire flickered irregrly.
Steam rose from two y pots on the fire, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.
The shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe, along with several leaders, squatted around the y pots, waiting for the food inside to cook.
In the quiet anticipation, their gazes kept returning to the y pots. Even though they had used such utensils to cook food many times before, they couldn''t help but marvel at their craftsmanship and utility each time.
After waiting for a while and seeing that the food in the y pots was ready, the shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe took dry grass from therge leader beside him, wedged it under the edge of the y pot, and lifted the steaming pot down.
Then, he began todle soup and meat into bowls.
After serving, the shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe took some white salt from a nearby pot and sprinkled it into the soup bowls.
One bowl had more, and the other two had less.
The soup in the bowl with more was for him to drink, while the other two were for preparing the prominent leader and the second leader.
The second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe at this time was not the original one.
The original one had suffered a setback outside Green Sparrow Tribe, causing significant casualties, and had not achieved much merit since then, so his position had not been restored.
The current second leader used to be the third leader, and the third leader used to be the fourth.
As for the Fourth Leader, he was newly selected from among the others.
The shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe carefully and solemnly ced the jar with some salt, then picked up his rice bowl and began to eat slowly. The First and Second Leaders did the same.
They enjoyed their meal so much that it was a taste they had never experienced.
The Third and Fourth Leaders watched on, swallowing their saliva, hoping that the Big Leader and Second Leader would finish quickly so they could also taste this incredibly nostalgic food.
The First Leader of Flying Snake Tribe took a sip of soup and felt unusuallyfortable.
The taste was already so delightful with just a bit of salt in his bowl. The food in the shaman''s bowl was probably even more delicious.
Of course, he only thought this in his heart; he wouldn''t act on it.
There was no objection to the Shaman having the best food.
Setting aside the Shaman''s exceptionally high status in the tribe for the time being, just what he had aplished recently was enough to warrant such treatment.
Raising the singr-horned monsters, easily raiding other tribes, killing the people of other tribes, and strengthening his tribe.
And he had brought back these exquisite utensils and things that made food taste even better.
With these things in hand, it was only natural for the Shaman to eat the best.
In the dim light of the campfire, Cao Geng looked at the fire while drooling and put some fruits into his mouth.
His crooked nose had straightened quite a bit but would never return to its original straightness.
Cao Geng was treated much better than other members of the same tribe who had been captured together.
When sleeping at night, he could lie closer to the campfire, with some dry grass under him and some animal skin to cover him.
This was almost indistinguishable from the old people of the Flying Snake Tribe.
He received such treatment because, through his actions, he had shown the Shaman of this tribe how to use this y pot and how to add salt to it.
Seeing those from the same tribe who received very little food and slept directly on the ground at night, Cao Geng felt that what he had done before was correct and wise.
Cao Geng was not the only one drooling while putting fruits into his mouth; not far from him, the original Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe also stared greedily at the campfire and the food eaten by several people around the campfire.
If it were before, he would also be able to eat such delicious food, not just salivating like now.
All of this was because of that damn tribe.
Cursing the Green Sparrow Tribe that failed to attack and instead was turned back, the former Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe often did this. Especially when encountering good things without his share, he cursed even more fiercely.
Because of that encounter, he suffered great harm and remembered the Green Sparrow Tribe particrly clearly.
By the campfire, the Shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe had finished eating.
He held the still-warm y bowl momentarily and then set it down.
He searched the crowd for a while, finally fixing his gaze on Cao Geng.
Through several difficult conversations with this person, he had learned some things.
For example, these precious and exquisite utensils, including the tasty salt, were not produced by the tribe he had newly conquered.
Instead, they were obtained through trade with an external tribe.
They gave animal skins to that tribe from elsewhere, and in return, they could get exquisite pottery and delicious salt.
Moreover, it was said that the tribe trading with them from elsewhere still had many such things.
Initially understanding Cao Geng''s intentions, the Shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe was extremely surprised. He felt very fortunate with so many precious things, but he had not expected that there could be more for the tribe.
Such good things should all belong to their Flying Snake Tribe.
Chapter 434: waiting by a tree for the Donkey
Chapter 434: waiting by a tree for the Donkey
Not long ago, the former Third Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, now the Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, returned from Grassroot Tribe with a group of people and set off again.
Apanying them was Cao Geng, the man with the crooked nose.
Their destination was the cave where Cao Geng and others had once lived.
They would live there for some time.
On the one hand, they could go to another ce far from Cao Geng¡¯s original cave to collect and dig the grass that the Unicorn Monster liked to eat, which they increasingly valued.
On the other hand, they could also collect fruits and hunt animals there.
Of course, there was also another important purpose: waiting for that dark tribe toe again with precious pottery and delicious salt for exchange.
In that ce, the Shaman of the Flying Snake tribe gently touched the face of the Unicorn Monster with his hand while watching the Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe leave with everyone.
His mood was so good that he felt like howling a few times to vent his joy.The leader of the Donkey tribe, apanied by people from the Green tribe, carrying pottery, salt, and some food from the Green Sparrow tribe, walked on the road leading to their own tribe.
His mood was also delightful, especially when he felt the heavy weight on his shoulders, making him exceptionally happy.
These heavy things could be exchanged for many things from other tribes when the time came.
However, after the leader of the Donkey tribe returned, he did not immediately prepare to trade with other tribes.
Obtaining food had be extremely easy because it was now the season when fruits were plentiful.
He led the tribe to trade back and forth between various tribes, aiming to obtain sufficient food.
Since they could now obtain sufficient food without trading back and forth, they naturally would not risk the danger of shuttling back and forth for trading.
He wanted to spend the time trading when the ice and snow were about to melt, just likest time, so he could quickly obtain more fur and other things from other tribes.
Life in the Green tribe was much more challengingpared to the triumphant Flying Snake tribe and the satisfied Donkey tribe.
It was not because the food was difficult to harvest at this time, but because since the Green Sparrow tribe announced that they would no longer give out salt for free, they loved and hated the salt that had always hung over their heads.
The salt they exchanged from the kind Green Sparrow tribest time was almost gone, even though the leader of the Green tribe had been very careful and frugal with it. He could not resist the fact that many people in the tribe liked to eat salt.
The leader of the Green tribe looked a little annoyed. He scratched his hair, and the green grass leaves fell. There was also some hair falling with it.
During this period, the house prepared by the Green Sparrow tribe for the Green tribe had already set up wooden beams, and all that was left was to finish the roof, which would be all right.
Rapeseed has also been nted in the ground.
There are a lot of them, a total of 100 acres.
Fifty acres were sown with a heavy sowing cart, and the remaining fifty acres were sown by hand.
These rapeseeds sown with a heavy sowing cart were mainly for harvesting and leaving seeds, while those sown by hand were mainly for digging and eating green vegetables.
Because of the different purposes, different sowing methods were used.
After all, if seeds were sown, the number of rapeseed nts in the same area would be at least three to four times more than those sown with a heavy sowing cart.
These rapeseeds grown like this are most suitable for digging and eating.
When pulling up vegetables, they first select thergest ones. After the big ones are pulled out, the smaller ones will have room to grow. This way, batches of vegetables can be harvested over a long period.
The reason for nting so many at once is because they have considered the growing poption of the Green Sparrow tribe, and the number of animals they raise is also increasing, which will increase the consumption of rapeseed.
There is no need to worry about whether there will be enoughnd to nt millet next year.
First, after the rapeseed was nted, Han Cheng continued to arrange manpower to open up newnd.
Secondly, after harvesting these rapeseeds, they can continue to ntte millet for crop rotation.
After two years of nting, the fertility of thend will decrease, so it will lie fallow for half a year or a year to restore its fertility.
Han Cheng also personally nted carefully cultivated Chinese cabbage and high-quality rapeseed. He still did this matter.
After several years of uninterrupted selection and cultivation, there has been some progress.
However, there is still a long way to go to achieve ordinary Chinese cabbage seen inter generations.
But this is already enough to make Han Cheng happy.
Since elderly people who are past sixty can create and cultivate white chrysanthemums year after year from nothing, why can''t he, a person who is just considered an adult in the primitive era and is far from being an adult inter generations, cultivate Chinese cabbage using the same method?
Such enthusiasm diminished considerably when his gaze fell upon the only five dogs.
It has been over a month, and Xiao Fu has not returned. It seems he won''t being back.
Although Han Cheng regrets this oue, he no longer feels as anxious as he did initially. When he thinks about it, he feels a bit regretful.
After all, heaven and earth are transient, and time passes like a fleeting guest.
"ng, ng..."
Not far in front of the cave, a strong man held a smooth, thick-to-thin wooden stick and pounded it into the stone pit below with force.
This work was so exhausting that even a strong man like him was sweating profusely.
After pounding a few times, he bent down to look at the millet grains in the stone mortar. Many of them had already had their husks pounded off. He stopped and handed the wooden stick to another primitive woman. She squatted down, lifted her sore arms, and scooped all the millet from the stone mortar into the winnowing basket ced aside, then walked aside to clean up.
As the winnowing basket was lifted and lowered, husks flew out and fell to the ground, leaving behind round golden-yellow millet.
These husks should not be wasted. Although they cannot be used for fuel, they are excellent when mixed with grass to feed pigs or used as bedding for deer pens.
While the strong man cleaned the millet, the previous primitive woman took over his work.
She scooped some grains from the nearby winnowing basket, put them into the stone mortar, and then began pounding the rice grain by grain.
Although the frequency was not fast, sweat soon appeared on her forehead.
Dry millet dishes and porridge are very delicious, but they are too troublesome and tiring.
Chapter 435: Cannot joke around
Chapter 435: Cannot joke around
It seems it''s time to improve the tools for pounding rice.
Han Cheng, who was constantly surveying the surroundings of the tribe from the walls and observing in all directions, thought to himself after watching Zhuang and Qinghua pounding rice from a distance for a while.
Pounding rice is not easy. Previously, when fewer grains were nted in the tribe, it was manageable, though tiring. However, now it''s different.
This year, the grains in the Green Sparrow Tribe have had a bumper harvest. Under Han Cheng''s intentional guidance, grains have be an important food source for the tribe.
Moreover, as time progresses, the proportion of millet in the tribe''s food will increase.
This is because more grains are nted and harvested, and enough grains are avable for consumption.
Secondly, because of several years of excessive fishing, the fish in the river in front of the Green Sparrow Tribe have be scarce. Even though there will be fish swimming upstream after the summer rains, the scale is not asrge as before.
The recipe relying on fish as the primary food source is gradually bing difficult to maintain. In fact, since several months ago, the proportion of fish in the Green Sparrow Tribe''s diet has been gradually decreasing.
Fortunately, various wild vegetables and Han Cheng''s few condiments as a part-time chef have sustained the life of the Green Sparrow Tribe without much impact.Thirdly, the tribe''s poption has grown rapidly in recent years, and daily food consumption has almost tripledpared to the previous period.
Given this rise in demand, the fish in the small river can no longer bear the burden.
Fortunately, with these years of buffering, the nting industry of the Green Sparrow Tribe has also developed, and there is no need to worry too much about food.
In the future, appropriately reducing fishing in small rivers will be necessary. Han Cheng does not want his tribe to exhaust its resources.
In addition, the excavated pits for taking soil, burning bricks, etc., need to be expanded again, and some fish fry should be put in for breeding.
As for the koi in the water tank outside the house, Han Cheng thought keeping it in the water tank would be better. Firstly, it''s pleasing to the eye, and secondly, Bai Xue likes it.
The only regret for Han Cheng is that he has not encountered lotus roots until now.
This makes his dream of fish ying among lotus leaves and frogs hopping on lotus flowers impossible.
Due to the increased millet consumption daily, pounding rice has inevitably be an indispensable task.
If fewer people were eating in the tribe, it would be manageable to pound rice daily. However, the current situation is that over a hundred mouths are waiting to be fed.
To satisfy these mouths, a considerable amount of rice must be pounded daily, requiring two people to alternate and not rest much.
No work can be done for a long time, let alone pounding rice, which is far from easy.
Of course, if there is no good solution, then the current method will have to continue.
However,ing from the future, Han Cheng knows that pounding rice is not just as simple as it seems.
He wants to create a water-powered rice pounder.
The so-called water pounder relies on the rush of water to use hydraulic power to pound rice.
This method should be very ancient, but it did not exist in Han Cheng is current era.
He has heard about water pounders for a long time, knowing they are ancient wisdom, but his most direct experience of themes from the TV series "Tian Long Ba Bu."
Inside the mill by the river, Wang Yuyan''s face was pale, and she looked weak as a breeze blew softly.
Duan Yu, who always fell for his younger sister, was busy taking care of her beside her and met Murong Fu disguised as someone else.
The thing that impressed Han Cheng the most at the time, apart from Wang Yuyan nearly crying, "Where are you touching?" was the water pounder smashing down repeatedly with no one managing the mill.
"Is pounding rice tiring?"
Coming down from the wall and walking up to the stone mortar, Han Cheng looked at Qinghua and Zhuang, sweat dripping from their heads and faces, and asked with a smile.
The two showed simple smiles and shook their heads repeatedly, "Not tired."
"Not tired?"
Han Cheng looked at the two of them and asked back.
Without waiting for their answer, he shook his head regretfully and sighed, "I originally wanted to make a tool to rece you in pounding rice. Since you''re not tired, continue pounding then."
Han Cheng said this jokingly, of course. Regardless of whether they were tired or not, he intended to create the water pounder.
However, seeing Qinghua and Zhuang looking at each other, standing there momentarily unsure what to say, Han Cheng suddenly felt like he had swung at empty air.
He shouldn''t have joked with them like that. Now it''s awkward.
"Pound the rice well. We''ll have dried millet for dinner tonight."
Feeling embarrassed, Han Cheng sniffed and left to find the Lame, leaving Qinghua and Zhuang puzzled.
"What did the master mean by what he just said?"
"Should we make that tool or not?"
After standing there in confusion, the two primitive women began to pound rice again.
Because the Divine Child said we''d have dried millet for dinner tonight.
"A tool that doesn''t require people to pound rice."
While repairing a bone shovel there, Lame became excited after hearing Han Cheng''s words.
Since making the single-wheeled handcart, Lame hadn''t done anything simr to challenging things for a long time and had been dealing with doors and windows.
This made him itch to do something.
At this moment, when he suddenly heard such a thing from Han Cheng, he immediately became excited.
A tool that allows rice to be pounded without effort sounds exciting and challenging.
If it had been at the beginning, Lame naturally wouldn''t have believed Han Cheng''s words. However, after experiencing fish cages that let fish in by themselves, traps that let prey fall in by themselves, and deer-drawn plows, Lame had long since be a firm believer in what Han Cheng said.
After listening to Han Cheng, he immediately expressed his willingness to create this miraculous tool under the master''s leadership.
He then looked at Han Cheng eagerly, expecting the master to sketch out the shape of the device that needed to be made as he had done in the past.
However, this time it didn''t happen.
Regarding the water pounder, Han Cheng only knew it used water to drive it, causing the lever above to pound the stone mortar constantly.
As for the specific details that couldn''t be seen, he had no idea.
This is the difference between knowing and not knowing.
Thinking like this in his heart, Han Cheng slowly exined what he knew about the water pounder to Lame, brainstorming with him to find a solution.
Chapter 436: The Weird Mu Tou
Chapter 436: The Weird Mu Tou
The Green Sparrow tribe was not significant, and Han Cheng was the focal point of the entire tribe, the kind who brought his spotlight.
Everything that happened to him, as long as it wasn''t deliberately hidden, quickly becamemon knowledge.
The shaman was preparing to create a tool that could pound rice without human effort, something beyond everyone''s understanding and possessing new and extraordinary characteristics. So, it didn''t take long before everyone in the tribe knew about it.
Upon hearing this news, the happiest were those who frequently pounded rice in the tribe. They were delighted that they wouldn''t have to pound rice all day anymore.
However, after their initial joy, they also wondered what this tool, which required no human effort to pound rice, would look like.
But no matter how hard they thought, they couldn''te up with a reasonable exnation.
It wasn''t just them; many people in the tribe had thought the same thing, but it had not yielded results.
To them, such a thing seemed utterly impossible.
However, over these years, the Divine Child had already aplished many seemingly impossible things, so they were not inclined to believe he couldn''t achieve this either.It''s just that the number of people going to the Lame''s room increased again for no apparent reason, all wanting to see what kind of tool the Divine Child and Lame had created.
Mu Tou was not included among those who went to watch because he had something else to attend to.
At this moment, he was incessantly hammering away on a piece of stone with one hand holding a hammer and the other an iron chisel.
Fine stone chips would asionally fly off, and stone dust would rise.
His body, face, and hair were all covered in ayer of whitish stone dust.
Ignoring all this, Mu Tou waspletely focused on his work.
On his mouth was a thick, white mask that covered his nose, mouth, and half of his face.
Initially, Mu Tou found the mask ufortable and wanted to remove it, but the Divine Child didn''t allow it, saying he might get sick, so he dared not take it off.
Over time, he got used to it, and now, whenever he made stone tools, he wore the mask.
What he was working on now was a stone mortar, simr to the one originally in the tribe.
However, forging this one was much faster than the original because the previous stone mortar was chiseled out bit by bit. In contrast, this one now had an iron chisel and hammer, making the process iparable.
For the next considerable period, his job was to chisel stone mortars.
He wasn''t particrly slow; it was because he needed to chisel at least five stone mortars.
Mu Tou knew the purpose of these stone mortars was rted to the tool the Divine Child was creating that could pound rice without human effort.
He wanted to see this tool that piqued his curiosity as soon as possible, so he vigorously chiseled the stone mortars.
"Mu Tou, pause for a moment. Go to the riverbank and install the stone mortars," Han Cheng shouted as he approached.
Mu Tou set down his tools and tapped a nearby stone mortar with his hand, indicating that he had already prepared one.
Bending over, he tried to move it but seemed to struggle. The second Senior Brother walked over and picked it up.
Mu Tou suddenly felt relieved.
He followed the group, walking forward while observing the peculiarly long piece of wood Heiwa and Eldest Senior Brother carried.
The piece of wood was a stripped tree trunk, thick at one end and thin at the other.
The thick end has a diameter of over twenty centimeters, while the thin end is approximately fifteen centimeters.
In the middle of the thick end, a hole has been drilled, inside which a wooden stick, thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top, forms a ny-degree angle with the trunk.
This wooden stick looks like the sticks used in the tribe for pounding rice.
Towards the thicker end of therge trunk, another hole has been chiseled out horizontally.
Behind this hole, the upper part of the trunk has been hollowed out, resembling a miniature canoe scaled down countless timespared to those in the tribe.
Looking at this strange-looking object, Mu Tou was momentarily puzzled, unable to understand how this modified trunk was meant to be used.
Could such a trunk alone be used to pound rice automatically?
This question lingered in his mind, simr to many others in the tribe.
Even though the Divine Child and Lame had already created tools, they still couldn''t figure out how this odd-looking thing would function.
Han Cheng didn''t borate further but led the way with the people towards the small river.
They stopped a bit upstream from the brick kiln.
Here, a tributary with a modest current flow into the small river. The drop between the tributary and the small river is just over a meter, perfect for setting up the simple water-powered pestle he had created.
He took measurements here for a while and had Second Senior Brother set down the stone mortars.
Then he ced the peculiarly shaped trunk there as well. The specially crafted wooden stick under the thicker end was ced inside the stone mortar.
The thinner end extended towards the drop in the creek.
After ensuring the distance was correct, he used a pre-prepared crossbar to thread through the horizontally chiseled hole in the trunk.
They stacked small stone walls on both sides of the crossbar to support the wooden bar.
Because the trunk''s front end was heavy, once the crossbar was propped up, the tail end lifted high, and the front end pounded into the stone mortar.
Han Cheng walked to the trunk''s tail end, pulled it down, and let go, and the unbnced crossbar fell again.
The wooden stick under the thick end struck the stone mortar, emitting a hollow sound.
The effect was satisfactory enough, and Han Cheng nodded with some satisfaction.
Seeing Han Cheng''s operation, the onlookers'' eyes lit up involuntarily. They seemed to understand how the device worked suddenly.
But this understanding quickly disappeared, reced by new doubts.
Wouldn''t pressing like this be feasible within the tribe? Why did the Divine Child have to transport these things to the edge of the small river?
Moreover, it didn''t seem to eliminate the need for human effort.
Han Cheng noticed the crowd''s doubts but smiled and didn''t exin further.
Instead, he instructed Lame and a few others to nail down three rows of sticks in a straight line between the trunk and the middle of the drop in the creek.
The sticks were half a meter apart.
Then, he brought a bamboo pole, specifically selected for its thickness, which was already jointed.
One end of the bamboo pole was ced at the drop in the creek, while the other was aimed at the raised end of the trunk.
As soon as the bamboo pole was in ce, water flowed through it, crossing over a distance of over a meter andnding in the wooden trough behind the trunk.
The water flow wasn''t too fast, but when Lame and the others secured the bamboo tube to the wooden stakes, the trough was filled with water.
Chapter 437: Not pounding fast enough? Then bring a few more.
Chapter 437: Not pounding fast enough? Then bring a few more.
"Swish."
"Thunk."
Water continued to flow steadily inside the bamboo tube, collecting more and more in the trough behind the tree trunk.
As the water poured in, this side grew heavier, causing the originally raised part to descend slowly.
The thick wooden pestle also lifted out of the mortar at the other end of the trunk.
When the trough filled up even more, the trunk finally lost its bncepletely.
The trough suddenly dropped, water sshing out with a "swish."
Then, the stout end of the trunk soared high, paused briefly, and abruptly fell.
The embedded wooden pestle underneath struck the mortar with a "thunk."The principle of this thing is very simple, akin to a seesawmonly yed with.
The difference lies in recing the people at either end of the seesaw with water and the thick wooden trunk.
This simple water pounder will tirelessly work as long as water is poured in.
Of course, a true water pounder isn''t like this; it relies on the force of water flow to drive a shaft, which in turn moves a pole for pounding rice.
However, such a water pounder is tooplex. Han Cheng and Lame fiddled with it for several days, feeling it couldn''t bepleted quickly.
After pondering for a while, Han Cheng found another way to create this extremely simple water pounder.
Of course, this water pounder is just a transition. They will continue to attempt the moreplex version.
This simple version of the water pounder can only be used for pounding rice or smashing other things, whereas the moreplex version, with slight modifications, can be used to drive millstones and such. Han Cheng naturally won''t give up on that.
The onlookers from the Green Sparrow tribe, watching the water pounder rise and fall under the continuous flow of water, widened their eyes one by one.
So this tool is used like this.
Just ordinary water, yet it has this function.
After the surprise, a sudden realization dawned on them.
Indeed, water can be used like this. It''s just that before the Divine Childpletely fixed things, they couldn''t think of such a method.
"Let''s try some grains," Han Cheng said, looking around at the bewildered and amazed people.
Because when they came, they said they were there to test the water pounder, so they brought some grains.
Upon hearing Han Cheng''s words, Zhuang, who often pounded rice, quickly brought over a pot.
Taking advantage of the slow rise of the water pounder, they poured three bowls of grains into the mortar.
Then, everyone stood together and waited to see the results.
Water flowed, filling the trough. The water pounder rose and fell, pounding into the mortar.
Truly effortless, it only required cleaning up afterward, which was very convenient.
The strong men who often pounded rice looked at the husked grains in the mortar with a strange sense of joy.
However, this joy didn''tst long because they noticed a problem.
That is, the speed of this water pounder is indeed too slow. They can pound rice at an average speed five times, but this water pounder can''t even do it once.
While it saves effort, the speed is just too slow.
Using this water pounder to pound rice after a whole day, could the tribe''s people eat the freshly pounded rice?
More and more people realized this issue. The Green Sparrow tribe, happy just now, quickly became somewhat silent.
Shaman''s brow furrowed slightly. This water pounder was ingenious, but its speed in pounding rice was too slow.
As they calcted in their hearts, not long after, Shaman''s brow suddenly rxed.
Because he remembered what the Mu Tou had been doing for the past few days.
There''s not just one stone the wood prepares to chisel into the mortar.
In other words, the Divine Child wants more than just one pounder installed.
One pounder is undoubtedly slower than a person, but if you install three or four or more, the speed of pounding rice will increase.
Moreover, this pounder relies on the power of water flow, never tiring, and its speed won''t slow down, unlike a person who gets tired after a while of pounding rice.
Thinking this way, Shaman surveyed the surroundings. The terrain here was open, so installing three or four-pounders was no problem.
It had to be said that Shaman, the original first sage of the Green Sparrow tribe, was not just famous for nothing.
While many people were still puzzled and confused, he had already figured out what was inside.
Having figured things out, Shaman became more and more delighted and excited.
Seeing the still puzzled crowd, he cleared his throat lightly, preparing to exin the matter to everyone.
"I have something to say. Please listen quietly."
Of course, this wasn''t Shaman speaking, but Han Cheng standing nearby, who imagined it after noticing Shaman''s actions.
Shaman didn''t have Prime Minister Zhuge''s aura, so his passionate speeches would naturally not inme the people of the Green Sparrow tribe.
But it still had an effect.
After Shaman spoke, everyone suddenly understood, and some overreacted, pping their foreheads with their hands.
Yeah, one pounder isn''t as fast as a person pounding rice, but wouldn''t several of them solve the problem?
It''s a simple matter, yet they couldn''t figure it out themselves.
There were many things they couldn''t figure out. When Han, the Great Divine Child, had Lame tie another bamboo rod through three upright poles, the speed at which people pped their heads, like the pounder, increased.
Pouring water into the pounder''s troughs with two bamboo rods directly halved the time between its rise and fall.
That meant, at the current rate, three-pounders could surpass the normal speed of one person pounding rice.
Furthermore, the wooden pestles used under the pounders were thick, and the mortars below wererger than those used manually, resulting in more millet pounded out at once.
As everyone waited, the grains in the mortar gradually cracked open.
Seeing their reddened faces and blue bruises on their foreheads, Zhuang and Qinghua were ready to go over and clean up the millet that had been pounded in the mortar, but Han Cheng stopped them.
After adding another bamboo tube, the pounder''s speed increased, and the interval between was too short for anyone to clean out the millet inside without risking injury from the pounder.
Han Cheng brought over a wooden post that someone had brought earlier, stood near the crossbar while the pounder rose, and propped up the trunk. This way, the pounder wouldn''t fall, and Zhuang and Qinghua could confidently clean out the pounded millet from the mortar without being too flustered.
After refilling the mortar with grains, theyid the supporting post back down, and the pounder continued tirelessly with its work.
Chapter 438: The Fire Tribe at the time of stripping hemp, has arrived
Chapter 438: The Fire Tribe at the time of stripping hemp, has arrived
The autumn chill grew stronger, and the morning air carried a cold bite.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe no longer wore fashionable bikinis but switched to garments made of fur and leather.
Their clothing was now made from rtively thin hides; they would switch to thicker clothing when the weather got colder.
As the diligent Donkey Tribe continuously delivered the pottery and salt, the number of hides in the Green Sparrow Tribe also increased.
Upstream from the small river, Zhuang and Qinghua, wearing grass shoes were using winnowing baskets, rough hemp cloth, and wooden screens to clean the millet pounded by the water mill.
At this point, there were already four water mills.
The four water mills were all filled with bamboo pipes, one after another, like fourrge roosters pecking at rice.
The somewhat empty sound emanated from here, spreading to the wild field in the early morning, making the surroundings more peaceful.
Zhuang and Qinghua looked at these water mills, feeling even more joyful.In the past, they would have been sore and tired after half a day of pounding rice. Now, it waspletely different.
With the water mills, the two of them could pound rice continuously throughout the day without feeling too tired.
Because the water mills never tired, with these four water mills operating simultaneously, they could pound more rice in a day than they used to in two.
With such efficiency, they should not have to get up so early every day to pound rice. However, they changed their minds after the Divine Child said that winter wasing and the river would soon freeze.
Yes, the water mills could no longer be used once the river froze in winter. Thinking about holding a stick and pounding rice again in the cold winter, they immediately became more diligent.
It would be better to use the water mills while they were still working and pound more millet for storage. This way, when the cold winter arrives, they can stay in the warm house and spin hemp or sit in a sheltered ce with other tribe members to enjoy the sunshine and make shoes, gloves, and other clothes.
"Ssh"
The calm water surface was broken, and a stick with a wooden hook retrieved a bundle of hemp soaked in water for a long time.
The hemp had beenpletely transformed by soaking. The bark had been peeled off to reveal white fibers, and the whole bundle of hemp carried a smoothyer of dark green substance.
With the appearance of this bundle of hemp, the previously dust-sealed scent under the water suddenly spread, filling the nostrils of the surrounding people.
This year, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s hemp, which they had soaked, was nted by themselves.
Because they skipped the round trip to the oil hempnd, even though they soaked it for a more extended period, they finished much earlier thanst year.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had experienced firsthand the benefits and many uses of hemp cloth, so they were enthusiastic about starting to strip hemp again.
Compared to other activities, stripping hemp was troublesome but not tiring, so now most of those stripping hemp were the old and weak of the Green Sparrow Tribe and some who were not very strong.
The strong ones had been taken away by the elder senior brother, carrying stone sickles, bone shovels, and some tree ferns, and went to the salt mountain.
It was not to make salt there but to dig traps near the spring next to the salt mountain and catch some game for the winter.
The rabbit traps could only catch small game, so they were powerless againstrger animals.
At the salt mountain spring, which had be a good hunting ground, the water there had picked up a salty taste due to the Green Sparrow Tribe''s frequent salt-making activities. Consequently, after the salt-makers left, more animals came to drink there.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others had previously considered hunting there, but Han Cheng disagreed. With traps set up and some free time, it was an excellent opportunity to harvest.
The animals there needed to be harvested soon; otherwise, as their numbers increased, the Green Sparrow Tribe might face attacks when they went back to make salt.
Han Cheng didn''t intervene in the hemp-stripping this time. In fact, since teaching everyone how to do itst year, he hadn''t been involved much in this work¡ªnot because he waszy but because the smell was too overwhelming.
While everyone was stripping hemp, Han Cheng stood by the small river, looking downstream.
asionally, yellow or red leaves drifted along with the current.
Bai Xue, now with braided hemp hair, stood beside Han Cheng, looking downstream together.
She knew Han Cheng was waiting for people from her original tribe to arrive.
Considering the timing, the Fire Tribe should have arrived by now. Why were they still nowhere in sight?
Watching the empty river surface, Han Cheng couldn''t help but feel anxious and impatient.
The Fire Tribe was crucial to his long-term strategy. If they didn''t arrive this year, many of his ideas about the Fire Tribe would likely remain unrealized.
It would affect the weaving in the Green Sparrow Tribe and impact future development and expansion.
"Brother Cheng, look!"
Lost in thought, Bai Xue suddenly eximed, pointing downstream.
The small river, not very wide, had flowed for a while and now appeared as a bright ribbon in the distance.
Initially empty, the ribbon suddenly showed several dark figures.
Those were figures of people standing.
As the figures grewrger, the boats they were sitting in slowly appeared.
At this time of year,ing to the tribe and arriving by boat was most likely the Fire Tribe.
Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing.
He immediately ordered someone to go back and pack up some things in the tribe that were easy to imitate, but he didn''t want the Fire Tribe to learn.
Then, not far from the riverbank, he saw the peopleing by boat, watching the Fire Tribe get closer and closer.
"..."
The rowing Fire Tribe members also saw Han Cheng and the others standing by the riverbank. The four who had been to the Green Sparrow Tribe and lived here for a while turned their heads excitedly to the other four people.
It meant that what we said was right. This is a very hospitable and friendly tribe. We haven''t arrived yet; they are already here to greet us.
Looking at this scene, the other four suddenly felt a sense of warmth, as if their people had been greeted by the riverbank when they returned from the hempnd.
At this moment, hearing these people''s words, they all nodded vigorously. Indeed, this was a very friendly and hospitable tribe.
The small boats and raftsnded, and Han Cheng, apanied by the second senior brother who hade to the news and several others, weed the arrival of the Fire Tribe.
Then he led these eight people from the Fire Tribe, who were a bit unsteady from being on the boat for a long time, towards the tribe.
"..."
Before reaching the tribe, the people from the Fire Tribe suddenly eximed.
Chapter 439: Taking advantage of a good deal and still acting coy
Chapter 439: Taking advantage of a good deal and still acting coy
"This sudden exmation startled the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, and the guards around Han Cheng immediately raised their shields in front of their chests.
"''Brother Cheng, they are marveling at our tribe''s walls,''"
Bai Xue tranted with a smile, her voice tinged with pride.
"This young daughter-inw had long considered herself one of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s people, feeling no attachment to the tribe that once tried to burn her alive.
"Around them, the other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe also smiled kindly.
"They looked at the amazed faces of the few people from the Fire Tribe, then turned back to look at their tribe''s walls.
"The walls looked very tall, and on top of them were several tiny houses made of mud and thatch, used by those standing guard on the walls to shield themselves from wind and rain.
"They had been living here all along, so the walls were long taken for granted. At this moment, hearing the Fire Tribe''s exmation and looking up at their own tribe''s walls, many people nodded secretly, feeling that their tribe''s walls were indeed magnificent enough to cause astonishment.
"However, these towering walls were just the beginning of what amazed the Fire Tribe members on their first visit. Once inside the tribe, they would see many new and mind-boggling things that would continue to shock them.The four people from the Fire Tribe who had visited the Green Sparrow Tribe once before, upon returning this time, didn''t react any less strongly than the four neers. They realized that their tribe had undergone significant changes in the year they had been away, truly incredible things.
As they recalled their tribe''s life during this period, besides the pottery jars and the salt that made the food taste better, there seemed to be no other changes.
They continued to live in their tribe just like before.
Thisparison made the shock in their hearts even stronger.
Some among them questioned inwardly, ''Why is it that in the same amount of time, our tribe seems to have made no progress while this tribe has advanced so much?''
The eight members of the Fire Tribe, whose feet still felt light from their boat journey, now felt even more adrift.
The sight before them seemed more surreal than a dream, yet they understood that all this was real.
This feeling persisted until midday, when they ate delicious food with the people of these tribes, which somewhat alleviated their amazement.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe looked kindly at these Fire Tribe members, each with a curious and amazed expression on their faces, which was the best reward for their efforts and the most gratifying feeling.
By then, the four Fire Tribe members who cameter had finally fully believed that everything those few had said after returning homest year was true.
This tribe was this powerful and wealthy, fascinating people like a dream.
After eating and resting here for a while, Hong Song suddenly remembered the purpose of their visit this time.
He got up and came to the distinguished Divine Child of this tribe, expressing his intentions with words and gestures.
On the side, Bai Xue took on the role of trantor.
ording to Han Cheng''s request, they have brought many hemp skins and want to use them to exchange for some Green Sparrow Tribe pottery and that delicious salt.
Han Cheng nodded and walked with them out of the tribe towards the small riverbank.
Earlier, the eight members of the Fire Tribe, captivated by the Green Sparrow Tribe''s warmth and wealth, had momentarily forgotten about other things. Consequently, the hemp skins they had transported were still on the raft, not yet unloaded.
Several hemp skins were on the raft, neatly bundled as Han Cheng had taught them before. It was evident that the people of the Fire Tribe had put considerable effort into their preparations.
However, the hemp skins weren''t fermented particrly well; there were many impurities, and the fibers were not fully exposed. They would need to be fermented again if they were to be used for spinning yarn and weaving cloth.
Seeing these hemp skins on the ground, Hong Song and hispanions finally felt somewhat reassured. At least now, they had something that could surpass this tribe.
Hong Song was appointed as the leader of the small team from the Fire Tribe, temporarily by the Fire Tribe leader. In truth, regardless of the Fire Tribe leader''s appointment, Hong Song would have been the fleet leader because he was the strongest among the eight who came.
Hong Song picked up a bundle of hemp skins and spoke and gestured to Han Cheng about their tribe''s hemp collection and the fermentation process. He exaggerated their actions to boast about how good their hemp was.
On the one hand, this was to try to get more in tradeter, but more importantly, they wanted to show that their tribe was not inferior.
Hong Song and the other seven members of the Fire Tribe felt much better after watching the dignified Divine Child nod in response to his exnations.
Chapter 440: Free Labor
Chapter 440: Free Labor
"They say, why does our tribe have so much hemp already? And why do we still need to exchange theirs?"
Bai Xue tranted on the side for Han Cheng.
"Why do you still want to exchange yours?"
Of course, we want to find cheap textile workers and absorb and integrate your step-by-step.
After hearing Bai Xue''s trantion, Han Cheng looked at the puzzled faces of the Fire tribe members and thought to himself, but he wouldn''t say that aloud.
"The hemp we have is grown by us. We need a lot of hemp fiber."
Han Cheng earnestly exined to the Fire tribe members.
"Grown by you?"
"What is ''grown''? How can there be so much hemp?"After hearing Bai Xue''s trantion, the Fire tribe members looked even more bewildered.
"''Grown'' means nting hemp seeds in the soil, and after some time, a lot of hemp will grow."
Han Cheng shook his head, exining to the Fire tribe members what ''growing'' meant.
The Fire tribe members still seemed to understand vaguely.
To make them more intuitively understand what ''growing'' meant, Han Cheng took them back to the tribe, had someone bring out stone hoes and bone shovels, and led the Fire tribe members to the edge of the Green Sparrow tribe''s fields.
There, a group of Green Sparrow tribe people were clearingnd.
It was foreseeable that the poption of the Green Sparrow tribe would increase significantly.
With the increase in poption, the demand for food also increased, so clearingnd was ongoing under Han Cheng''s arrangement.
However,pared to the concentrated effort in clearingndst year, the Green Sparrow tribe''snd clearing this year was less urgent. After all, they already had six or seven hundred mu ofnd.
"This is how you nt hemp. Use these tools to turn the soil, break it up, and bury the hemp seeds..."
Han Cheng pointed to about a dozen Green Sparrow tribe members who were clearingnd.
After Bai Xue tranted for them, the Fire tribe members took the stone hoes and bone shovels, learning clumsily alongside the Green Sparrow tribe members to clearnd.
Wasn''t the free food of the Green Sparrow tribe tasty?
How could Han Cheng let go of such freebor?
Han Cheng looked at the Fire tribe members clumsily clearingnd with stone hoes and bone shovels, revealing a mischievous smile.
Han Cheng carefully considered the decision to teach future generations of the Fire tribe the skill of farming.
Han Cheng had long nned to turn the Fire tribe into textile workers and make them increasingly dependent on the Green Sparrow tribe.
What he was doing now was just a part of that n.
To transform the Fire tribe into textile workers, an essential condition was having enough hemp for spinning.
Although there was a lot of wild hemp in the hemp field, it couldn''t withstand the annual harvest.
Without sowing, the wild hemp in the oil hemp field would gradually be extinct after several years, just like the sorghum around the Green Sparrow tribe.
Han Cheng introduced the skill of farming to prevent the Fire tribe from following the old path of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Of course, if the Fire tribe had edible food as the Green Sparrow tribe did, Han Cheng would certainly not act like he was now.
But hemp was a different story.
This thing couldn''t be eaten, and so far, apart from the Green Sparrow tribe, no other tribe had a great demand for it.
Moreover, when Han Cheng taught them farming, he would only teach them how to grow hemp and nothing else.
In this way, even if edible food existed around their tribe, they wouldn''t immediately think of cultivating it.
Even if they wanted to start nting, there wouldn''t be much progress in the short term.
With Han Cheng, an expert in farming and other such skills, present in the Green Sparrow tribe, it took several years to reach their current level of development. For the Fire tribe to quickly move away from gathering and hunting towards agriculture, which can support arger poption, was simply impossible.
Of course, even with this confidence, when trading with the Fire tribe in the future, Han Cheng also controlled the situation, ensuring that not a single unshelled grain would flow into their tribe.
The Fire people, gradually familiarizing themselves with stone hoes and bone shovels, had no idea that the distinguished Divine Child standing aside watching them till thend was thinking about so many things.
Through Bai Xue, Han Cheng instructed the Fire tribe to have the four men continue farming there while the other four primitive women were led back to the ce where they were stripping hemp.
Because the farming area was not too far from the hemp stripping area, and the impression given by the tribe''s priest was as amiable as ever, the Fire tribe members didn''t find Han Cheng''s separation of them inappropriate.
Han Cheng had no particr thoughts about these Fire tribe women. These women who looked at him with piercing eyes made Han Cheng feel like keeping a distance...
Taking them to the riverside was to have them learn from the Green Sparrow tribe people how to strip and wash hemp.
The hemp brought by the Fire tribe this time wasn''t well-soaked. Hemp that wasn''t properly soaked couldn''t be used for weaving fabric.
Even if one were to force the weaving, the quality of the hemp cloth produced would be pretty poor...
Since Han Cheng intended to turn the Fire tribe into cheap textile workers for the Green Sparrow tribe, he needed to teach them everything about textile production.
After all, these fabrics would eventually be used by their tribe.
Following Han Cheng''s instructions, Bai Xue earnestly exined to the Fire tribe women how to soak hemp, what the soaked hemp should look like to be considered sessful, and how to retrieve it for peeling.
The women from several tribes listened attentively.
Time passed quickly, and nightfall descended after another delicious and satisfying meal.
The eight members of the Fire tribe were amodated in a newly built grass-roofed house with twelve rooms.
Three rooms already had heated beds built, covered with thick, dry grass.
Full from the meal, Fire and the other tribe membersyfortably on these t, even heated beds, feeling as if they were dreaming.
This thing called a ¡®Heated Bed,'' as the tribe called it, was genuinelyfortable to sleep on¡ªspacious and t.
It was different from living in caves; it was also veryfortable. However, theck of fire in the rooms made Fire and the others somewhat ufortable.
Fire pulled the soft animal fur covering him with his hands, feeling extremelyfortable against his body, unlike the hard animal hides from their tribe... Everything about this tribe was fascinating.
After lying there for a while, Fire finally fell asleep. Before falling asleep, he thought about what the distinguished priest mentioned at dinner¡ªthat they would see something tomorrow...
Chapter 441: The Hidden Aspects Behind Fair Trade.
Chapter 441: The Hidden Aspects Behind Fair Trade.
In the rooster''s crowing, Hong Song and a few others from the Fire Tribe woke up.
They slept morefortably than everst night, though they were stiff and sore.
Hong Song didn''t know if it was from the hard work of clearingnd with the tribe yesterday or if his body couldn''t handle such good treatment.
Stepping out of their room, they found many people from this tribe already up.
However, unlike their tribe, where people would go hunting or gather food after eating, they were doing things in a courtyard that they didn''t quite understand.
The esteemed Divine Child was vigorously chopping grass with a stone knife, and the second esteemed one was holding some grass and throwing it into something made of mud.
There were also many people squatting by a ditch, holding precious pottery in their hands, poking something into their mouths with a tree stick.
While poking, they shook their heads and swayed, looking like they were trembling...
This... this was indeed a rich and strange tribe.Standing in a daze at the door for quite a while, Hong Song finally defined this tribe.
His strangeness did notst long because soon, someone came over and gestured for them to join in doing strange things together.
Looking at the pottery cup full of water in his hand and then at the tree stick dipped in salt in his other hand, Hong Song felt dizzy all over.
Salt, exceptionally cherished in his tribe, was being used to poke teeth in this tribe!
In his mind, the prosperity of the Green Sparrow Tribe soared to another level once again.
Such astonishment persisted until they ate the yellowish-fragrant porridge.
After the meal, Han Cheng and Bai Xue called Hong Song and others to take them to a room in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
In this room, there were four simple looms lined up.
Han Cheng''s n was to teach them how to make these simple looms and pass on the weaving technology so that the Green Sparrow Tribe could spend less effort on this in the future.
This year, the newly processed hemp also yielded some threads, which Han Cheng had people rush to make precisely for this moment.
Bai Xue sat down at her usual loom and began weaving fabric, one thread at a time.
Hong Song and hispanions initially didn''t understand what their tribe members were doing, but the up-and-down motions looked intriguing.
After waiting a while, something astonishing happened that made Hong Song and the others widen their eyes. The individual strands of hemp, which had been separate, were now woven together into a dense piece of fabric.
With Han Cheng''s approval, a woman from the Fire Tribe approached and carefully felt the fabric woven by Bai Xue, expressing amazement and curiosity at the transformation.
"With things like this, we can trade for more pottery and salt and even exchange them for food from our tribe," Han Cheng said, seizing the moment. He pulled some hulled millet from his pocket and showed it to Hong Song and the others.
Since arriving at the Green Sparrow Tribe, Hong Song and hispanions had already eaten this yellowish food three times, finding it exceptionally delicious whether boiled with water or made into dry rice. It was very different from their usual food.
Now, hearing the esteemed Divine Child mention that items made from hemp thread could be exchanged for plenty of salt, pottery, and this delicious food, they were thrilled.
Their tribe all highly valued salt, pottery, and this previously unknown but delicious food. Now, with just these hemp-made items, they could obtain them. It was indeed a delightful surprise.
These items made from hemp thread didn''t seem troublesome to produce. As long as they stayed within the tribe, they could manufacture them, which was much easier than hunting.
In other words, people in their tribe only needed to perform these seemingly non-dangerous and not very tiring activities within the tribe to acquire these precious items.
People are always more eager and responsive to benefits than to other things.
"Really?" Han Cheng listened to Bai Xue''s trantion and looked at Hong Song and the others, who were hopeful yet afraid he might change his mind, vigorously nodding.
Han Cheng even thumped his chest to emphasize the seriousness of his words.
Seeing Hong Song and the others cheering, Han Cheng was delighted.
Since the people from the Fire Tribe arrived, Han Cheng has made sure they have millet every meal. This is to introduce them to this food they had never eaten before.
It seemed to have worked well, and his efforts were not vain.
Han Cheng deliberately suggested using fabric to exchange grain with the Fire Tribe. The cultivation and weaving of hemp fabric would undoubtedly affect the Fire Tribe''s food procurement.
If they were only trading for pottery and salt, the Fire Tribe would likely limit the scale of hemp cultivation and weaving to ensure they could still hunt for enough food to sustain their tribe.
However, everything would change if grain-like millet were added to the exchange.
Because they could exchange hemp fabric for food, the Fire Tribe would ept this arrangement outright.
If the Green Sparrow Tribe had enough millet to trade for fabric and the amount of millet offered was sufficient to feed the Fire Tribe, they might focus on hemp cultivation and weaving instead of hunting.
If it came to that, the fate of the Fire Tribe would be entirely in the hands of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Perhaps not even that much was necessary; if just one-third of the Fire Tribe''s food came from millet obtained through trade with the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng would have significant influence over their future.
This approach may not seem barbaric at all and might even seem a bit maternal, but the results achieved would far surpass those of relying solely on force.
Hong Song and the others were happy their tribe would gain so much. They couldn''t have imagined that behind this seemingly fair and highly advantageous trade, there could be such profound implications.
After their cheers, they respectfully bowed to this kind and generous shaman, expressing their feelings that words could not fully convey.
Chapter 442: tiger with staring eyes and white forehead
Chapter 442: tiger with staring eyes and white forehead
Initially feeling jubnt because his scheme was about to seed, Han Cheng became somewhat embarrassed when faced with the Fire Tribe''s reaction.
He wondered if he had been too harsh in treating these simple-minded primitive people this way.
After these feelings arose, he suddenly felt less satisfied than before.
Thinking this, he shook his head.
He didn''te here to do charity; with limited abilities, he could only take care of his tribe.
As productivity drove the tribe forward, the surrounding tribes of the Green Sparrow Tribe were bound to be affected.
By the time they realized it, they would have few choices: either join the Green Sparrow Tribe or be crushed and then join the Green Sparrow Tribe.
That is to say,pared to the bloody methods, the current methods, while seemingly insignificant, are undoubtedly much better.
At least in the trade with the Green Sparrow Tribe, these tribes have gained tangible benefits.Moreover, after joining the Green Sparrow Tribe, they can live better lives than in their original tribe.
Afterforting himself like this, Han Cheng felt much morefortable.
People are sometimes contradictory or hypocritical.
When doing something that is not very glorious, they always want to find some reasons for themselves.
There is nock of effect. Just like the current Divine Child Han, his heart immediately became much morefortable after such simr self-guidance.
Han Cheng''s psychological activities were naturally unknown to the people beside him.
After hearing Han Cheng''s words, a few people from the Fire Tribe were more interested in watching Bai Xue weave cloth.
Now, they were immediately enthusiastic about weaving cloth with fine linen threads.
Bai Xue had already received Han Cheng''s instructions before, so she did not refuse to teach several people from the Fire Tribe to learn to weave cloth.
Moreover, Bai Xue was very interested in weaving and patiently taught the Fire Tribe people.
However, it was not on the loom she used but on another one.
Otherwise, the cloth she was weaving would be ruined.
"£¤£¤!"
Huo Song, who got a definite answer, patted his chest to indicate he would be the first to learn.
He was the strongest of the eight people from the Fire Tribe, and in the tribe, he was always considered one of the best, whether in hunting or other activities.
Now, weaving linen threads seemed not tiring at all, and he thought he could master it quickly.
Bai Xue did not refuse either. After smiling at Huo Song, she began to teach.
How do you tie each linen thread carefully onto the wooden frame and use it to thread the linen?
Huo Song''s confidence quickly crumbled.
These thin linen threads made him feel restless. Tying even one properly was difficult, and it ended up loose and sagging.
After much sweat, he didn''t tie half of the thread correctly, which was even more tiring than digging the soil with a hoe.
Huo Song finally retreated, making way for another eager volunteer...
The fact proved that most women are better than men at tasks like needlework. With patience, they can do things that make men feel irritable.
After several attempts, two women from the Fire Tribe were exceptionally talented in weaving cloth, so they stayed here to be taught exclusively by Bai Xue.
The other two primitive women from the Fire Tribe continued to follow the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe to strip hemp, and the other learned how to use a thread to spin fine linen threads.
Huo Song and several other male primitive people continued as they wished, carrying hoes and digging these things, apanying the Green Sparrow Tribe''s pioneering team in clearingnd.
A particr Divine Child gave them an impressive lofty title: "Learn skills, return to nt hemp and weave cloth, exchange for pottery, salt, and millet for the tribe."
Inspired by this lofty ideal, the people of the Fire Tribe were passionate in their pioneering efforts. Compared to the elderly hands of the Green Sparrow Tribe, their speed was not much slower.
The very generous and kind Divine Child and the gentle Shaman watched this scene with a pleased smile tinged with a hint of slyness.
Regardless of how lofty the slogans were, the addition of these energetic recruits from the Fire Tribe noticeably increased the speed of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s pioneering efforts, which became an established fact.
So much so that Shaman quietly discussed with Han Cheng whether to keep these people in the tribe.
Upon hearing this, Han Cheng secretlyughed; Shaman always thought about the tribe.
Moreover, judging by the attitudes of these people, after staying in the tribe for a few days, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.
If they were to ask, there was a good chance they would agree to stay in the tribe.
However, this couldn''t be done. After all, these eight people were like baits thrown out by Han Cheng.
If they didn''t return, then everything nned for the Fire Tribe woulde to an end...
Early in the morning, the Eldest Senior Brother returned with people to the salt mountain, bearing a heavy harvest on their shoulders.
There was no need to mention the antelopes and deer. Just the majestic tiger with its beautiful striped fur shocked everyone!
Even the eldest brother and his group did not expect the traps set there to catch such a fierce creature!
In the past, when encountering such wild beasts, they usually remained alert to each other and circumvented them.
Several years ago, the Green Sparrow Tribe also hunted down an old and sick tiger; otherwise, they wouldn''t have seeded.
But this time waspletely different. The tiger brought back was in its prime, and its fur had just changed for the winter; when touched, it felt as smooth andfortable as satin.
Han Cheng stretched out his arm andpared it with the tiger''s paw; they were not in the same league.
Even when stretching out his leg, they were roughly the same thickness.
In his heart, he couldn''t help but feel sincere admiration for Wu Song''s bravery.
To kill such a creature bare-handedly was indeed something extraordinary that ordinary people couldn''t do!
While Han Cheng marveled at Wu Song''s bravery, several people from the Fire Tribe were also about to pop their eyeballs out.
They looked at the tiger lying in a heap on the ground, then at Eldest Senior Brother and the others, their mouths wide open as if they could fit a fist inside!
When Eldest Senior Brother went to check the traps in the morning, he didn''t bring many people with him, and he only had about ten people.
And now, they had brought back a freshly killed tiger, which was such a strong one!
Most importantly, the hunters came back unscathed!
This...
Were they human?
With his mouth wide open in astonishment, Huo Song didn''t know what to say to express his feelings...
Trantion Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Song
Chapter 443: A cart that is harder to push than a wheelbarrow
Chapter 443: A cart that is harder to push than a wheelbarrow
After recovering from the initial shock, Han Cheng became happy and excited.
Not only would he now possess a hot and stylish tiger fur coat, but more importantly, this unlucky tiger turned out to be a male!
Looking at Bai Xue standing beside him, who was developing better day by day, and then at the tiger lying on the ground, Han Cheng secretly made up his mind that the tiger''s kidneys and other important parts were all his¡ªno one could snatch them!
As a young man still growing, it was right to exert oneself when working, but one should not becking in food...
"Thud!"
As the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe eagerly prepared to skin and clean the tiger, Huo Song''s mouth finally closed.
His upper and lower teeth clinked together, making a clicking sound.
This tribe was too brutal, entirely beyond hisprehension!
You should know that even their tribe wouldn''t dare provoke such a beast!Yet this tribe not only provoked it but also brought it back unharmed...
Could people do this?
The Fire Tribe people, unaware of the trap, were confused in the wind...
Dinner was exceptionally sumptuous. Apart from anything else, the tworge pots of tiger bone soup were enough to make one''s mouth water.
Han Cheng bit into the tiger''s kidney and then drank some simmered tiger bone soup, feeling excited.
This was a tiger!
Previously, it was an existence only to be looked up to, but now he ate it himself.
Even though he understood the fierceness of primitive times, he still felt a bit dizzy.
But this feeling quickly disappeared. He couldn''t straighten his back after eating a whole tiger''s kidney.
Amidst the tribe members'' teasingughter, Han Cheng held Bai Xue''s hand and hurried toward their residence.
"Herees the day!"
Early in the morning, Han Cheng, who was secretly clutching his waist, looked at another tiger''s kidney in his bowl and felt as if he had been electrocuted, unable to help shivering.
This stuff was too potent, it would be more than they would.
"You eat, you eat."
Han Cheng promptly moved the bowl of things to the Eldest Senior Brother, the Second Senior Brother, and others.
Originally, Han Cheng was still nning to leave a few blocks for himself, but after meeting Bai Xue''s bright eyes, he parted ways.
This is scary, too.
After Lame created the wheelbarrow, Han Cheng helped push it a few times. Without the rubber wheel, pushing the wheelbarrow was quiteborious. After a few trips, Han Cheng was sweating profusely.
At that time, he felt it was the most tiring cart he had ever pushed.
Now, Han Cheng had to take back that statement. The wheelbarrow without the rubber wheel wasn''t the most tiring to push...
One deity held a bowl of soup and thought while holding his waist with the other hand...
The tiger skin hanging on the wall had dried somewhat, and the branches had few leaves left.
Several women from the Fire Tribe had already mastered tasks such as stripping hemp, spinning hemp thread, and weaving cloth.
Having calloused hands from grinding and having opened up several acres ofnd for the Green Sparrow Tribe, Huo Song, and the others were also proficient in tilling and nting wild hemp after tilling.
With this, they were also about to set off.
Huo Song and the others looked highly reluctant. During their time in this tribe, they experienced many things and felt that their lives werepletely different from those of the tribe.
Though tired, their hearts were at ease,pletely free from the anxiety they used to feel.
Most importantly, the food in this tribe was delicious, and they could eat to their heart''s content!
How nice would it be to live in this tribe forever?
Huo Song and the others couldn''t help but think the same way...
The chief of the Fire Tribe by the riverside appeared somewhat anxious. Each day after the people from his tribe left, he would mark a trace on the tribe''s cave walls.
There were several more marks than when Huo Song and the others leftst year, but those who had gone upstream had not returned.
Did something happen to them?
Such worries continued to haunt him...
After hunting, the chief of the Fire Tribe once again came to the riverside. He didn''t have to wait long before shadows appeared upstream this time.
The chief of the Fire Tribe immediately felt relieved, having recognized them as the people who had left their tribe.
Amid the cheers of the people on the shore, Huo Song and the others approached the shore in their boats like returning heroes.
They brought back not only the boat but also three rafts loaded with bundles of wild hemp.
On their way back, this wild hemp was harvested again in the oil hemp field.
Several exquisite jars were unloaded from the boat, and the people of the Fire Tribe around couldn''t help but cheer.
The cheers grew louder, especially when they saw the snow-white salt inside the jars.
As Huo Song and the others moved things down, they enthusiastically recounted their experiences in the Green Sparrow Tribe to the crowd.
The people around them asionally eximed in amazement.
However, when Huo Song and the others mentioned how they had killed a colorful tiger unscathed, the exmations abruptly ceased.
Because they thought this was simply impossible. They used Huo Song and the others of fabricating stories.
Huo Song and the others were red-faced and vehemently argued to defend themselves.
After a thorough discussion, the people finally began to believe.
However, regardless of what was said, with their firsthand experiences at the Green Sparrow Tribe, the people of the Fire Tribe became even more eager to visit and see for themselves if that tribe indeed possessed such wonders...
In the cave of the Fire Tribe, the leader held a finely woven piece of cloth and looked at it with curiosity.
This cloth was woven by Bai Xue, and Huo Song and the others brought it back to set a standard for the Fire Tribe and prevent them from producing too many defective pieces.
The Fire Tribe leader released one hand, holding the cloth to the side of a y pot, and reached inside; some yellow grains appeared in his hand.
He had eaten this stuff before. It wasn''t as tasty as meat, but once cooked, it was much better than wild vegetables. It was indeed an excellent food.
After looking at it for a while, he returned the millet to the pot and nced back at the hemp fabric in his hand.
This stuff, which looked hairless, could somehow be exchanged for so much from that tribe.
It seemed to be quite good.
However, his concern abouting and going to the hemp fields to gather wild hemp was quickly dispelled as Huo Song reached for some hemp seeds with his silky hand and held them out to him...
Chapter 444: Green Tribe leader constantly probing the edge of death
Chapter 444: Green Tribe leader constantly probing the edge of death
The weather was getting colder. When Han Cheng woke up in the morning, the sky outside was dark and overcast, with heavy clouds that looked like they were about to bring snow.
After having two bowls of thick, golden millet porridge, Han Cheng felt the chill in the air and decided to wrap himself up in his clothes and head back inside to continue sleeping on the warm kang.
However, Bai Xue wasn''t willing to stay idle. After breakfast, she went to the "machine room" to continue weaving, apanied by three other women from the tribe.
Initially, the elderly Fire One and Fire Two also wanted to join, but because the sky was so gloomy and the light in the room was poor, their eyesight wasn''t good enough for weaving, so they didn''t go.
Instead, they sat by the edge of the heated bed, which was heated by a fire, and began spinning hemp into thread using spindles, providing the raw materials for Bai Xue and the others'' weaving.
Seeing that Bai Xue had left, Han Cheng quietly climbed from the bed, went to a corner of the room, and opened a sealed jar. He scooped out a bowl of something from it, gritted his teeth, and quickly downed it in one gulp. He held his breath for a while, and only after his tightly knit brows rxed did he feel better.
After sealing the jar again, Han Cheng climbed back onto the kang.
What Han Cheng had just drunk was wine.
It was a fruit wine he had identally made. The alcohol content wasn''t exceptionally high, but the reason for his reaction, as if he had just drunk strong liquor, was that the wine had been mixed with something¡ªtiger penis!As for why he had to wait until Bai Xue left to drink it secretly, there was a reason.
It wasn''t that Bai Xue prohibited him from drinking alcohol, but whenever she saw Han Cheng drinking this tiger penis wine, she would be so aroused that she could barely stand still.
After several such incidents, Han Cheng had no choice but to drink the tiger penis wine in secret, like a thief.
He had to be sneaky because he was drinking it to replenish his strength, but each time, it ended up being more draining than beneficial, which was frustrating.
With the sudden drop in temperature, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe stopped going outside the courtyard.
They had already stored enough food for the winter. Even if they had no other supplies, the stored grain would be enough for everyone.
No major construction projects needed to be done during the winter, so as the weather got colder, the tribe members rarely left the courtyard.
And it wasn¡¯t just them. Most tribes in such weather would stay inside their caves, not venturing out to hunt or gather food.
I use the term "generally" because there are always exceptions to the norm.
Take, for example, the Green Tribe.
The temperature had started to dropst night. When they woke up in the morning and removed the stone b blocking the cave entrance, the icy wind rushed in.
After wrapping himself tightly in animal skins and shivering a few times, the Green Tribe''s chief, who had been a bit groggy, suddenly became fully alert.
He hunched his shoulders and stepped outside the cave, ncing up at the sky. Seeing the overcast, cloudy sky, he knew that the first heavy snowfall of the year was likely about to arrive.
¡°%$#&!¡±
He muttered a few curses, seeminglyining that the snow wasing too early.
After standing in the cold air for a while, he turned and went back into the cave.
Inside, someone was already cooking something in a y pot.
The warmth of the steaming broth as it went down his throat made the Green Tribe''s chief feel much morefortable.
However, this sense offort did notst long because soon after, he grabbed his stone spear and led the tribe''s people out of the rtively warm cave into the cold wind.
He was going out to search for food.
This year''s snow came particrly earlypared to previous years. By this time, the Green Tribe should have already stored enough food for the winter. There should have been no need to venture out in such weather, braving the cold to search for food.
But there''s always an exception.
Unfortunately, this year, that exception fell upon the Green Tribe.
The Green Tribe''s chief, with his hair blown by the cold wind, raised his hand, now numb from the cold, and gave his head a hard p.
He pped it hard, not holding back at all.
Yet, even so, his frustration did not lessen one bit.
He shouldn''t have gone to the Green Sparrow Tribe for salt onest time!
If he hadn''t gone to trade for salt, the tribe wouldn''t be in its current predicament.
The Green Tribe''s chief had gone to the Green Sparrow Tribe to trade for salt after autumn, not at the beginning of autumn, but well after most of autumn had passed.
After being without salt for ten days and after much internal struggle, the Green Tribe''s chief finally couldn''t hold out any longer and made the decision he now regretted¡ªtaking some of the food collected in autumn and a small amount of newly stored furs, he went to the Green Sparrow Tribe to trade for salt during the best days for storing food.
At that time, he thought that it wasn¡¯t sure the snow woulde so early this year.
He believed that by trading some of the food he had gathered for salt, he could hurry back, continue gathering food, and still make it through the winter without much trouble¡
But that kind of wishful thinking is always dangerous.
Often, even when you know something shouldn''t be done, doing it can lead to severe consequences.
Yet many still test the limits, flirting with disaster.
The root of it is wishful thinking.
Most people believe that they are different from others, that they are a bit luckier than others.
The same thing that others failed at, they think will work out differently for them¡
But the truth is, it''s just an illusion.
Take, for example, the Green Tribe''s chief, who was out in the cold, head down, leading his people in search of food, now caught in deep regret as the snow began to fall.
Snow eventually came down, starting with white snow pellets, then delicate snowkes, andter a heavy snowfall.
At that moment, Han Cheng, who was drinking tiger whip wine, was doing push-ups on the heated brick bed.
Hearing the joyful shouts outside as the snow began to fall, he jumped out of bed without worrying about the cold and rushed to the door without even putting on his shoes, eager to see the falling snowkes.
At the same time, the Green Tribe¡¯s chief, still out searching for prey and fruits, cursed as he watched the snow begin to fall.
But no amount of cursing could fight the forces of nature.
After continuing to search for a while longer in the wild and seeing the snowkes falling thicker, he finally ordered his people to return with their meager harvest.
As they headed back far away, the second chief of the Flying Snake Tribe stood at the entrance of a cave, watching the snow fall, looking eager to go out¡
Chapter 445: Cao Geng Discovered the Flying Snake Tribe Shaman’s secret
Chapter 445: Cao Geng Discovered the Flying Snake Tribe Shaman¡¯s secret
In snowy weather, Cao Geng was unwilling to go out. Justst winter, his experience searching for food outside with several tribe members in the bitter cold left a deep impression on him. The frostbite marks on his body and face still bore witness to that ordeal.
Of course, things rarely went as he hoped. Whether in his original tribe or this stronger current tribe, his words seldom carried much weight. The next day, he emerged from the cave, trudging through snow nearly covering his ankles, heading towards a distant destination.
Their first task was to find some green grass that the solitary horned monster liked before continuing toward a prominent faraway tribe. This round trip would require a long journey.
Just thinking about it made Cao Geng feel highly reluctant. Yet, he marched with therger group with unusual vigor. At the same time, he prepared himself for the possibility of frostbitten hands and face.
However, this time, a mysterious turn of events unfolded. The Second Leader of the Tengshe Tribe, traveling with them, presented a white substance obtained through prayers to the sky god by the shaman. This substance, when applied to their skin, acted as a shield against the biting cold, a miracle they couldn''tprehend.
As they rubbed this magical substance onto their hands and faces, marveling at the shaman''s greatness and the sky god''s kindness, Cao Geng couldn''t help but feel doubtful. He seemed to have seen this substance before.
In the past, when their tribe cooked meat soup in y pots, ayer of white substance sometimes formed on top when the soup cooled. It looked very simr to what he was applying now. He tasted a bit and found it smooth and simr in taste.
Despite his growing doubts, Cao Geng was determined to push them aside. He recognized the vast difference between what was cooked in y pots and what was obtained through prayers to the sky god. Yet, the resemnce was uncanny, and it left him with a lingering sense of unease.
With these thoughts in mind, the Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe led them to dig up the grass that the solitary-horned monsters loved before heading toward the tribe.For this year, the story of waiting under the tree ends here. First, because the food stored in Cao Geng''s original tribe was not enough for them to survive the winter here. Second, the tribe had a tradition of gathering together during winter.
If the food in the tribe were insufficient, they would follow the shaman''s n and lead an attack on the tribe they had discovered earlier...
The day after Cao Geng returned to the tribe with the Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, he found himself back in the snowy field. Many others stood beside him, not to attack another tribe but for the annual ritual in which the shaman prayed to the sky god for something extremely useful that greatly benefited the tribe.
Cao Geng, who had never experienced anything like this before, was deeply reverent of the asion.
It was amunication with the sky god in snowy weather like this!
And that white substance, bestowed by the sky god, was very effective.
This waitsted until the sky was almost dark, and the shaman prayed to the sky god all day before finally opening the blocked cave for them.
While everyone else looked at the white substance stored inside skull caps and gifts from the sky god, Cao Geng''s attention was mainly on the substance''s odor.
This smell was somewhat familiar, reminiscent of burnt meat.
In his thoughts, theyer of oil that sometimes appeared on cooled meat soup came to mind again, causing his heart to tremble suddenly...
In the flickering light of the bonfire, the shaman of the Flying Snake tribe appeared extremely tired and mysterious, epting the crowd''s admiration and worship.
The north wind blew, lifting snowkes over the high walls and filling the air with coldness.
However powerful it might be, it could only be disyed outside. Inside the houses, it wouldn''t affect them.
Because of the cold weather, there was more moisture inside the bathhouse, a vast expanse of white, surreal as if in a dream or fairnd.
Han Cheng enjoyed this scene most, especially with Bai Xue, his little wife, by his side.
The two genders bathed together, always thorough and clean, inside and out, truly clean.
Bathing was tiring. With her red face, Bai Xue came out of the bathhouse andy down on the kang in the room, and Han Cheng quickly fell asleep.
But Bai Xue, with her red face, seemed quite energetic.
When Han Cheng woke up from his dream, the outside was still as dim as before he went to sleep.
The house was quiet, with no sound in the courtyard, and for a while, he couldn''t tell what time it was.
After being stunned, he looked at the heated bed and saw no trace of Bai Xue. Han Cheng shook his head and smiled. This little wife was indeed too diligent; without asking, he knew she had gone to weave cloth again.
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng''s thoughts returned to the Green Tribe.
ording to his estimation, the Green Tribe should have reached its breaking point by now. Why hadn''t they arrived at this critical time? Could there have been another unexpected event?
Thinking randomly like this, what had been confident now felt somewhat uncertain.
While he worried endlessly, the leader of the Green Tribe led his people, trudging through the snow, shivering, and heading straight for the Bluebird Tribe.
They were shivering, partly because their belliescked food and partly because they had no extra fur; it had all been exchanged for salt with that kind of tribe.
Except for what everyone was wrapped in, there was nothing left.
Some people in previous years had taken some originally wrapped animal skins and exchanged them for salt even in order to exchange them for a little more salt.
The leader of the Green Tribe put his frozen and numb hands to his mouth and sighed. Looking back at the people behind him with blue faces and lips, he fell into regret once again.
Thest time he traded for salt, he shouldn''t have gone himself!
Of course, thinking about it at this time was useless. It was better to think about how to approach that practical, wealthy tribe and borrow food from them.
Borrowing food from that wealthy tribe was the only solution the leader of the Green Tribe could think of to solve the current dilemma.
It was fortunate that this nearby tribe was wealthy; otherwise, he wouldn''t have had the courage to think about it this way.
After all, food was essential for every tribe, especially in winter.
The leader of the Green Tribe was very uneasy, worried that this trip might be in vain and that the tribe might not lend them food.
However, this unease diminished significantly when he thought of the kind and generous Divine Child.
The Divine Child should agree...
Chapter 446: The Green Tribe leader moved to tears
Chapter 446: The Green Tribe leader moved to tears
Facing wind and snow and enduring a difficult journey, the Green Tribe leader arrived at the Green Sparrow Tribe. As he gazed at the towering walls, even more majestic in the heavy snow, the leader of the Green Tribe let out a long sigh of relief.
Behind him, some couldn''t help but shed tears.
They had finally arrived at this warm, prosperous tribe, abundant in food and exceptionally friendly. They would no longer starve.
Although their tribe faced today''s hardships due entirely to trading food for salt with this tribe, they harbored no resentment toward them. To them, the exchange of food for salt was fair.
Moreover, the kind-hearted shaman always gave them extra salt during these exchanges. It could be said that they greatly benefited from these salt exchanges.
Furthermore, bringing food and fur voluntarily was their own decision; the prosperous tribe did not force them.
As the people of the Green Tribe sighed with relief at the sight of the towering walls, guards hidden in the arrow towers above spotted them through small holes left for observation.
Without hesitation, they turned and shouted into the tribe, "People! People!"
At the same time, they picked up sticks lying on the ground and banged them loudly.Due to previous attacks by the Snake Tribe during winter, the Green Sparrow Tribe was especially cautious about neers during this period and maintained a high level of vignce.
As the warning cries echoed through the courtyard, tightly closed doors opened, and figures rushed out swiftly.
Though swift, there was no chaos¡ªthis resulted from frequent drills.
The once-empty courtyard was suddenly filled with many people.
After identifying the direction of the neers, the crowd quickly moved toward the front of the wall while a few went to the left and right sides.
The running people mostly carried no weapons in their hands.
It wasn''t that they all had unique skills that allowed them to stand on top of the high walls and use air cannons to bombard the iing people; rather, there were hidden bunkers every two meters along the wall, each about a meter long, thirty centimeters deep, and forty centimeters high, stocked with ample weapons year-round.
Han Cheng was also rmed. After a slight shock, he was delighted because he thought the Green Tribe, which he had longed for, had finally arrived.
As for the Flying Snake Tribe, since they suffered a great loss under their own tribe wall that time, they haven''t been seen since.
But even if they came now, Han Cheng wasn''t worried.
In the past, the manpower in the tribe was far less than it is now; the walls weren''t as high, and the weapons and personnel training were far inferior to what they are now.
There was no reason to think that in the past, they could easily defeat the Flying Snake Tribe; now, everything had improved significantly, and they couldn''t confront them anymore.
With this thought in mind, Han Cheng did not ck off but instead headed towards the wall with Shaman. Before they reached the main gate, they received news that the arrivals were from the Green Tribe.
Upon hearing this news, Han Cheng and Shaman halted their steps and exchanged smiles¡ªone elderly, one young.
In the cold air, there was immediately a subtle sense of sly triumph pervading...
The Green Tribe leader and his people had visited the Green Sparrow Tribe many times before and were familiar with their customs.
Without waiting for anyone from the Green Sparrow Tribe to speak, they voluntarily dropped their weapons and looked up with faces filled with envy and awe at the swiftly appearing figures dressed neatly and full of vitality on the wall.
The Green Sparrow Tribe quickly entered a defensive posture. Although they had seen it before, each time they saw it, they felt a deep sense of awe and dared not entertain any improper thoughts.
After a brief exchange, the gates of the Green Sparrow Tribe opened, and the shivering Green Tribe people entered the courtyard.
The gates were promptly closed and barred from inside.
Wu looked at the group entering the Green Sparrow Tribe with an unusually gentle gaze.
He had the same kind and gentle look when he watched Deer Lord and the others being lured back to the tribe by Han Cheng from Salt Mountain.
"£¤......"
"Enough talk. Let''s eat something first to warm up!"
Upon seeing Han Cheng, the leader of the Green Tribe, was about to greet him and state his request.
Before he could finish speaking, Han Cheng, tightly holding his hand, interrupted him.
The eldest senior brother acted as the trantor in a timely manner.
Tears welled up in the Green Tribe leader''s eyes, partly because of the sincere kindness of the noble Divine Child and partly because his hands were cracked from the cold, and now Han Cheng''s firm grip made it hurt...
Following the understanding conveyed by the eldest senior brother, the Green Tribe people behind them were deeply moved one by one.
Although their bodies were icy, their hearts felt warm.
Perhaps they couldn''t articte their feelings urately in such clear words, but the feeling was profoundly real.
Upon Han Cheng''s orders, some quickly headed to the rooms newly built this autumn, lighting the hearths inside.
At the same time, others carriedrge pots to three rooms to add water and cook food.
Nothing was moreforting in such weather than sitting by the fire and drinking warm soup.
Cooking inside the rooms rather than using the Green Sparrow Tribe''s cave as a cafeteria was necessary because the rooms prepared for the Green Tribe had just been lit up, and the temperature hadn''t risen yet.
Cooking inside would help raise the temperature faster.
This was also why Han Cheng insisted on braving the cold wind and dragging the Green Tribe leader and his people away from entering the rooms.
The moment they entered from the cold into the warm room left a deeply pleasant impression, aimed at leaving a more profound impression on the Green Tribe people and making them yearn more for their tribe.
Chapter 447: We will join you all
Chapter 447: We will join you all
After enjoying the golden millet porridge, warmth spread throughout their bodies.
The cold inside them was driven entirely away.
The people of the Green Tribe finally slowed their eating pace, holding warm bowls in their hands and feeling incrediblyfortable in the warm air around them.
So this was how life could be!
Even in winter, it could be thisfortable.
The people of the Green Tribe thought to themselves.
At this moment, they all began to entertain the thought of how wonderful it would be to live here forever.
Including the Green Tribe leader.
After eating and drinking their fill in such a warm environment, it was easy for people to feel drowsy.These people who had endured the cold and hardships now rxed, some lying sideways on the warm beds and falling asleep.
The leader of the Green Tribe also felt like dozing off, but he refrained from doing so because he was still thinking about borrowing food.
As the door darkened, when the Green Tribe leader looked up, he saw the kind shaman and the leader of this tribe approaching.
The Green Tribe leader wanted to greet them but was stopped by Han Cheng''s gesture.
Before the Green Tribe leader could speak, Han Cheng inquired about the current situation of the Green Tribe leader.
The Green Tribe leader, who had lost nearly half of his hair, almost cried when he heard Han Cheng''s question. Despite his size, he choked up, with red-rimmed eyes, slowly recounting the tragic plight of their tribe to Han Cheng.
As Han Cheng had suspected, the Green Tribe had no food for the winter.
Han Cheng listened attentively as the Green Tribe leader recounted, expressing deep sympathy for their plight.
Hearing this emotional moment, Han, the Great Shaman, wiped his eyes with the sleeve stained with scallion juice, which instantly turned red.
With a hand grasping the hand of the Green Tribe leader, who had be more sensitive due to warmth, Han emotionally said, "Your tribe is in trouble. Why didn''t youe earlier? We have spare houses here, each warm enough for your entire tribe to live in..."
The eldest senior brother danced around, tranting eagerly.
Because of the frequent contact between the Green Tribe and the Green Sparrow Tribe in recent years, they had gained some understanding of each other''snguages, making trantions more urate and effortless.
Upon hearing the trantion from the eldest senior brother, tears welled up in the eyes of the Green Tribe leader for quite some time before finally falling uncontrobly...
The Green Tribe members who understood Han Cheng''s intentions immediately became hopeful and moved.
Their eyes wandered around the rooms they had never stayed in before. Simply imagining living in these warm rooms for a long time filled them with longing.
The tearful Green Tribe leader almost nodded in agreement, but at thest moment, he stopped himself.
"£¤......"
He shook his head with difficulty and mentioned the matter of borrowing food.
Han Cheng also shook his head with difficulty.
"Your tribe has no food now. Even if we lend you food, what will you use to repay itter?
Moreover, you''ll still need to trade for delicious salt in the future. Your current food supply is not enough..."
Han Cheng spoke while the eldest senior brother tranted beside him. The Green Tribe leader, now understanding Han Cheng''s meaning, looked somewhat bewildered.
Indeed, what would they use to repay the borrowed food?
If they didn''t trade for salt, it might be somewhat manageable. Still, adding salt to the equation, their resources would be even more inadequate.
In such circumstances, he wouldn''t even lend food to such a tribe, would he?
But if they couldn''t borrow food, how would his tribe survive this cold winter?
"Join our tribe. Once you join us, you be family. You can live in these warm houses without freezing.
After joining, you''ll have plentiful food every day, just like us, without worrying about hunger.
After joining, you''ll have salted food every day. Although our salt is hard-won, we don''t owe anything to members of the same tribe..."
Han Cheng now seemed like a gentle guide, urging the Green Tribe leader to join the Green Sparrow Tribe.
His voice was highly persuasive.
Yes, just joining this wealthy tribe would solve all their difficulties.
His tribe wouldn''t have to live in such hardship anymore.
They wouldn''t have to worry about salt and food anymore...
Once the Green Tribe leader understood Han Cheng''s intentions from the eldest senior brother, he was immediately moved.
Joining the prosperous Green Sparrow Tribe had been on his mind for a long time.
The two little people had been arguing in his mind for a long time.
On one hand, he truly wanted to join the Green Sparrow Tribe, but on the other hand, as a leader, he instinctively didn''t want to give up his tribe.
This conflicting, painful decision has persisted until now.
Ultimately, the little person named ''not joining'' gained the upper hand.
"We can refrain from using salt in the future, umte food and fur to repay..."
Listening to the trantion from the eldest senior brother, Han Cheng couldn''t help but smile inwardly. That was because they still had salt to eat now.
Externally, he maintained a sorrowful appearance, seemingly considering the Green Tribe''s well-being.
"You may choose not to use salt, but what about the infants and the elderly? They are so young and old. How could they possibly endure without salt?"
"You can eat less food, but what about them? ording to your thinking, can they survive this winter?"
"Don''t hesitate anymore. There''s nothing wrong with joining our tribe. In the future, we''ll still live together, and you can still see your tribe members daily..."
Yes, he and others were rtively strong. Going without salt and eating less food in winter wouldn''t be a problem. But what about the children and the weak in the tribe?
If that were the case, could they survive this cold winter?
The more the Green Tribe leader thought about it, the more rmed he became, and the more he felt that joining the Green Sparrow Tribe was excellent.
All these crises could be avoided, and the tribe members could still live together, just like before in the cave...
Han Cheng''s thoughtful consideration for the Green Tribepletely dispelled all the leader''s doubts.
It made him feel that joining the Green Sparrow Tribe was not shameful. On the contrary, it was precisely for the tribe''s sake that he was doing this.
"We will join you."
After a moment of silence, the Green Tribe leader finally said these words that he had hesitated over for a long time.
Before saying it, he felt the weight of those words was unbearable, impossible to say.
Now that he had spoken them, it didn''t feel burdensome.
On the contrary, he felt that his previously heavy heart suddenly lightened...
Chapter 448: The shocked Green Tribe people
Chapter 448: The shocked Green Tribe people
"£¤!"
After the Green Tribe leader agreed to join the Green Sparrow Tribe, the first to cheer were not Han Cheng, the master persuader, the shaman, or the elder brother who had eagerly anticipated the Green Tribe''s integration. It was the many Green Tribe people who had been eagerly awaiting this moment.
Seeing the cheers from the Green Tribe people, Han Cheng couldn''t contain his joy. This proved that his gradual approach over these years had been correct and indicated that integrating the Green Tribe would be much simpler.
Most importantly, the Green Sparrow Tribe''s strength would undergo a significant leap forward.
With reinforcedbor, the untouched pigsty and the two paths leading to the fields were finally being repaired... How could he not be delighted?
He gripped the Green Tribe leader''s hand tighter, shaking it vigorously to express his sincerity.
Afterward, Han Cheng ordered people to prepare a sumptuous feast to celebrate the joining of the Green Tribe. Upon hearing about the richer food, the Green Tribe leader and the others couldn''t help but swallow hard, though they ultimately resisted the temptation of the delicious food.
The Green Tribe leader stood up and mentioned that there were still many people left in their tribe, and there wasn''t much food left. It would be best to bring them over first.
Upon hearing this, Han Cheng nodded in agreement. Initially, he had thought that the Green Tribe people had endured a long and arduous journey and would rest in his tribe for two days before bringing some food back to pick up the remaining people to avoid any casualties.Upon hearing the Green Tribe leader take the initiative to suggest that, Han Cheng agreed. Because he remembered the suffering of the Pig Tribe back then, he was worried about the long nights and dreams.
After all, the Green Tribe people who remained behind were already considered part of their tribe.
After seeing Han Cheng''s agreement, the Green Tribe leader brought some food prepared by Han Cheng and prepared to return to the tribe to fetch the remaining people, but was called back by Han Cheng.
Some of the Green Tribe members were left behind, the reason being that their bodies were not strong enough, and making repeated trips in the snowy terrain could easily lead to illness.
This was indeed a very legitimate reason, and considering the well-being of the Green Tribe, the Green Tribe leader quickly agreed upon a bit of thought.
Of course, behind this legitimate reason, some of Han Cheng''s subtle intentions were to use these people as ties to the Green Tribe, preventing the Green Tribe leader from suddenly having second thoughts about joining the Green Sparrow Tribe after returning.
In addition to this arrangement, Han Cheng instructed the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang to bring twelve strong members of the Green Sparrow Tribe along with the Green Tribe leader.
The reason was that the journey ahead was fraught with danger, and this time, the Green Tribe intended to bring all the elderly and weak from their tribe rather than making the journey individually.
Things would go much smoother with the help of the Eldest Senior brother and the others.
The Green Tribe leader and the others who understood Han Cheng''s intentions felt warm-hearted, moved by Han Cheng''s thoughtful consideration and sincerity.
At this moment, the Green Tribe leader felt that bringing people to join the Green Sparrow Tribe was a sage and correct decision...
Their hearts were warm, but they couldn''t resist the harsh cold outside.
However, when people like Ruhua followed Han Cheng''s orders and brought out thick hats, gloves, and nitre-treated animal skins, the people of the Green Tribe immediately felt warm again.
The numerous and finely crafted warm clothing from the Green Sparrow Tribe was iparable to their meager winter gear, which was prone to insects and bites.
Now dressed in these garments, everyone from the Green Tribe felt warm.
Warm bodies led to warmer hearts.
The chief of this tribe did not lie; they indeed treated themselves and others as members of the same tribe.
Now, with clothes and hats on, the Green Tribe leader was confident. With this warm clothing, he would surely bring all the remaining people of the tribe safely over.
He believed this was sufficient, yet he had not realized that the people of this tribe had more means left to use.
Afterward, the eight deer that had previously dazzled him were led out. These deer were tied with strange ropes and tethered to peculiar wooden frames behind them...
What does the Divine Child intend to do?
He was nning to return to bring the tribe''s people over. Why did he have people lead the deer and drag along some wooden frames?
After pondering these questions, they eventually turned intoplete astonishment.
The chief of the Green Tribe sat on a plow adorned with many furs, gripping the wooden handle tightly, fearing he might fall off.
Despite this, he refused to descend and looked ahead in amazement at the deer walking through the snow.
Deer are not just for eating but have such uses.
His mind churned incessantly. When he nced back at the people walking alongside the plow, his surprise and admiration grew even stronger.
Without walking, they could move forward automatically¡ªa rare sight. For the Green Tribe leader, riding a plow for the first time reshaped his perception of the world.
Heavy snowfall covered the ground, making the roads more difficult to traverse, but the tribe he had just joined had found an ingenious solution!
Not only did they save effort, but it was even more effortless than walking on ordinary days!
Thinking this, he cautiously released one hand from the warm glove and lightly touched his face.
It felt a bit sticky, but there was no pain at all.
Unlike when he arrived, the cold wind had cut numerous tiny cracks into his face...
This tribe was genuinely unique. Faced with difficulties, they always managed toe up with brilliant solutions.
ording to the elderly who apanied them, these were all things the shaman had invented, which deepened the respect of the Green Tribe leader and its people for this seemingly just grown-up shaman.
Unknown to Han Cheng, in the hearts of the newly joined Green Tribe members, he had already been elevated to the highest esteem.
Senior Brother Shang and the others watched the curious and nervous Green Tribe members sit on the plow, all smiling kindly.
When they remembered how they had reacted when they first saw the shaman''s various miraculous creations, they were no less impressed than the Green Tribe members.
Before it got dark, under themand of the Eldest Senior Brother, everyone stopped moving forward.
They cleared the umted snow in a rtively open area and cleaned out an ample space.
Several makeshift tents made from stitched animal hides were set up.
The people of the Green Tribe''s eyes lit up upon seeing them. Considering these things, spending the night would be much morefortable.
However, what happened next puzzled them. The Green Sparrow Tribe members brought back the cleared snow and piled ityer byyer outside the animal hide tents.
The Green Tribe members exchanged bewildered nces. What were they doing?
Putting snow outside would make it even colder, wouldn''t it?
Chapter 449: No one was left behind.
Chapter 449: No one was left behind.
Facing the inquiries from the people of the Green Tribe, the Eldest Senior Brother, and the others smiled without saying a word.
When the Divine Child initially told them about this method, they, too, raised simr questions. However, the reality proved that covering the outer side of the fur tents with thick snow was much warmer than leaving them uncovered.
As for the reasons behind it, the Divine Child had mentioned something about the tents bing thicker or something like that, which the people didn''t quite remember clearly, but the method was meticulously noted.
Now, amid the snowy night, they were putting it into practice.
Once the snow was piled up outside the tent and a fire was lit inside, the Green Tribe leader and the people quickly realized how mistaken their previous ideas had been.
Piling snow outside the tent not only didn''t make it colder inside but made it warmer.
With such a simple method and readily avable materials, they wondered why their tribe hadn''t thought of it.
If they had known, they wouldn''t have been so horribly frozenst night...
When asked who came up with such an excellent solution and found out it was the Divine Child again, the Green Tribe leader and the people couldn''t help but be amazed.Was there anything the Divine Child didn''t know?
At this moment, Han Cheng, who was preparing to sleep on the tribe''s warm, heated bed, hugging the soft Bai Xue, did not know what the Green Tribe and others were thinking. If he knew, he would definitely show a wry smile.
It''s not that I know too much, it''s that you know too little. Manymon sense things in future generations will be unprecedented here...
While the people of the Green Tribe were amazed by the warm snow caves, Senior Brother and the others remained busy.
Tie Tou was melting snow in pottery jars and boiling water.
This hot water wasn''t for drinking, but after it was heated, it was sprinkled with salt and used to feed several deer, who bowed their heads and ate grass.
As more uses were developed, this group of deer also gained more attention from the people of the Green Sparrow tribe.
They were used for meat in the past, but now it''spletely different.
So Tie Tou took care of these eight deer that came out to pull the plow very carefully.
Not only did he put salt in the hot water, but he also added some shelled millet to the grass they ate.
While Tie Tou fed the deer, Eldest Senior Brother and the others used ropes to wrap the trees around the snow-covered bags and encircled the ce where they were going to rest.
Then they drew some rabbit traps ced around where they would rest...
The leader of the Green Tribe and the people of the Green Tribe looked at the busy Eldest Senior Brother and others individually.
"Isn''t it enough to find a sheltered spot and light a fire when spending the night outside? Why go to all this trouble?"
However, they couldn¡¯t deny that having these things made them feel much more at ease.
The leader of the Green Tribe and the others wanted to help, but they were unable to contribute much. They could only stand around wide-eyed or do the simplest tasks, like boiling water.
The people of this tribe knew so much and could make so many things...
This was the sentiment of all the Green Tribe members...
That night, the people of the Green Tribe slept soundly.
Lying in the warm snow caves, they realized for the first time that spending the winter outside, even in the cold, could be thisfortable...
The following day, after having their meal, they continued their journey toward the Green Tribe.
As they drew closer to their tribe, the Green Tribe members grew more excited. They had found a good ce and no longer had to worry about the cold and hunger. The people waiting for them back at the tribe, hoping they¡¯d return with food, would be overjoyed when they heard the news.
However, Shang was walking with a heavy heart. The familiar scene reminded him of what had happened to his tribe a few years ago.
He feared that the people of the Green Tribe might suffer the same fate as his tribe, with the stronger members away, leaving the rest vulnerable to being captured by evil forces.
Because of this, he kept urging the Eldest Senior brother to pick up the pace.
The Eldest Senior brother, aware of Shang¡¯s past experiences and understanding his concerns, didn¡¯t hesitate. He followed Shang¡¯s suggestion and urged everyone to move faster, aiming to reach the Green Tribe as soon as possible.
This gesture moved the Green Tribe members once again...
The Green Tribe''s cave was now in sight, and some members cheered as they ran toward it.
Shang''s eyes kept scanning the area around the cave. Seeing no signs of disturbance, he finally rxed.
He had been genuinely worried that the Green Tribe would meet the same tragic fate as his own.
As the tightly shut cave door opened, people rushed out from inside, cheering to wee their returning kin. Watching this scene, Shang smiled, though his eyes were red with emotion...
"£¤~"
Inside the Green Tribe''s cave, where arge bonfire was burning, the elderly and children who had stayed behind, upon hearing that the leader had agreed to join the Green Sparrow Tribe, not only didn''t feel sad but even cheered.
The kindness, wealth, and strength of the Green Sparrow Tribe had been well-known for years. Everyone had fantasized about how wonderful it would be to live in that tribe.
Now that their wish hade true, they were, of course, overjoyed.
The thick, golden millet porridge they were eating received endless praise. They had never imagined that what they once thought was tasteless wild grass could be so delicious.
The salted fish and meat soup were so good that they nearly swallowed their tongues.
With these two dishes as a base, they were even more eager to go to the well-known tribe they had heard so much about.
Watching their tribespeople smile broadly and greedily eat their food, the leader of the Green Tribe felt deeply that joining the Green Sparrow Tribe was the right decision...
After dinner, the Green Tribe members began to pack up their belongings.
Though "packing" wasn''t the right word, there wasn''t much to pack.
They wore everything they had.
There was almost no food left.
All that remained were a few pieces of pottery, which they had exchanged for many goods from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The next day, after having breakfast in the Green Tribe''s rather dirty cave, the senior brother and his group set out.
Aside from those pottery pieces, the only things the Green Tribe took with them were a few crude weapons.
The Eldest senior brother initially didn¡¯t want them to bring the pottery since their tribe had plenty of it.
But the Green Tribe''s leader insisted as they had traded for these items at a high cost.
Finally, they packed the heavy pottery, ced the smaller ones inside therger ones, and loaded them onto the sleds, letting the deer pull them.
Some of the elderly and weak members of the Green Tribe, wrapped in the soft, thick furs that had been transported on the sleds, sat on what they saw as miraculous sleds, gradually moving away toward the best tribe they could imagine.
With a better ce waiting for them, they didn¡¯t feel much sadness about leaving the cave they had lived in for so long.
Only the Green Tribe''s leader kept looking back at the open cave entrance, feeling a bit reluctant to leave.
Chapter 450: Bathe? This will kill us!
Chapter 450: Bathe? This will kill us!
For the Green Tribe, this winter was exceptionally tough and bitterly cold.
But that feeling vanishedpletely once they arrived at the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Warm clothes, cozy beds, heated houses, hot soups... All of these made them forget about the cold outside.
With these things, the fear-inducing cold that once terrified them didn''t seem so dreadful anymore.
The life they once envied and dreamed of living suddenly became a reality.
Moreover, this tribe didn''t disappoint them. Everything here was much better than they had imagined.
So much so that many from the Green Tribe found themselves asionally dazed, wondering if this new life they were living was real.
However, this dazed state didn''tst long before they were brought back to reality.
The one who brought them back was the smiling, mysterious, and highly respected Divine Child.Because the Divine Child said they should bathe!
Once they understood what bathing meant, including the Green Tribe leader, they couldn''t help but shudder.
During warmer weather, washing with water was eptable, but in this season, when water turned to ice, how could anyone endure that?
Wouldn''t they freeze to death?
But they had just joined the tribe, and the tribe had given them so many good things. Now, if a request were made, it wouldn''t be good for them to refuse.
So, after thinking about it for a while, the Green Tribe leader gritted their teeth, took off their hat and gloves, handed them to a former member of the Green Tribe standing nearby, and then took a step forward.
While untying the ropes of their clothes, they asked Han Cheng, with a pleading expression, if he could bathe alone, and the rest wouldn''t need to bathe.
After understanding the Green Tribe leader''s intentions from Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng was stunned.
It was just bathing. Why did it feel like a major ordeal?
They say primitive people don''t care much about hygiene; today, Han Cheng saw it firsthand.
Han Cheng looked at the Green Tribe leader''s strange behavior and shook his head. Bathing was necessary for everyone.
If one person bathed and was clean, what about the dust and ufortable little bugs on the others?
Other things could be substituted, but bathing couldn''t be reced.
Seeing Han Cheng shaking his head, the Green Tribe leader became even more anxious. Babbling, they began to untie their clothes, grab a handful of snow, and rub it on their bare chests.
Han Cheng was taken aback by the Green Tribe leader''s sudden action, eyes widening in surprise.
Was this guy so bold?
Rubbing snow on their body right in front of so many people?!
Afterward, Han Cheng understood what was happening and couldn''t help but burst outughing.
On the other hand, the Eldest senior brother also understood the Green Tribe leader''s intention from his ''babbling'' words and conveyed them to Han Cheng.
The bewildered Green Sparrow Tribe members standing beside, taken aback by the Green Tribe leader''s bold actions, all suddenly felt relieved.
Watching this scene anxiously, the Green Tribe members couldn''t quite understand it. The Green Tribe leader, rubbing snow on their chest, stopped abruptly.
Vaguely, they felt they might have misunderstood something.
"Hurry, stop him..."
Han Cheng spoke up, addressing the Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
After rearranging their clothes neatly, including their hats and gloves, the Green Tribe leader stood there in a daze.
Didn''t they say to bathe? Why did they stop themselves?
Was there another way to bathe besides using snow? Even if they used water, wouldn''t it be just as cold?
Not only that, but all the Green Tribe members felt dizzy from the esteemed Divine Child''s actions.
The misty steam spread through the stone-built room, thick fur curtains blocking the cold air outside. Sitting in arge pottery tub, the Green Tribe leader''s skin reddened from the hot water as they wiped some water off their face with their hands, showing a blissful expression.
So bathing in winter wasn''t just not cold, but quitefortable!
Recalling their reaction shortly after hearing the Divine Child talk about bathing, the Green Tribe leader''s face flushed rarely.
They had misunderstood. How could the kind-hearted Divine Child possibly suggest something like that?
Just as they were thinking this, not far away in another tub, Eldest Senior Brother stood up, holding a bone-made box containing a piece of soap in his hand.
Initially, he didn''t need to bathe. However, considering the Green Tribe had just joined and was unfamiliar with the bathhouse amenities, he came in to apany them.
The Eldest Senior Brother was quite willing to take on this task. He had long appreciated thefort of soaking in a hot bath during winter.
"Here, rub it on your body..."
Senior Brother said to the Green Tribe leader, demonstrating as he spoke.
After a while, seeing the Green Tribe leader struggling, Senior Brother couldn''t bear it and personally helped apply the soap.
The Green Tribe leader was deeply moved by the smoothness of their skin and the asional bubble. Even bathing in this tribe was uniquelyfortable and pleasant.
Under Senior Brother''s guidance, the Green Tribe leader''s emotions deepened even more after experiencing the sauna built on the side.
They even had a feeling of not wanting to leave.
Other members of the Green Tribe had simr thoughts.
However, the Divine Child repeatedly emphasized the rooms that could generate a lot of heat and make people sweat: elders and young children were not allowed in, nor were they allowed to enter alone. This left some people feeling somewhat regretful.
The people emerged from the bathhouse with their hair loose and feeling rxed all over. After just one session, they fell in love with this bathing method.
The bathed Green Tribe members gathered in the grass-roofed houses assigned to them for residence.
Specialists taught the female primitives and underage females how to braid their hair into twisted braids and use goat horns.
As for the male primitives, the elderly from the Green Sparrow Tribe held sharp iron knives, cutting their cleaned hair bit by bit into short hairstyles like those of the Green Sparrow Tribe men.
After being busy for half a day like this, the Green Tribe members who had just joined the Green Sparrow Tribe were utterly renewed.
This was genuinely starting anew.
With their bath and hairstyles resembling those of the Green Sparrow Tribe members, it was hard to tell the difference between them and the elderly of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng, Wu, and Senior Brother looked at the curious looks exchanged between the newly integrated Green Tribe members, unable to hide their smiles.
This was just the first step in integrating the Green Tribe. A series of measures would follow.
Once these measures were primarily implemented, the Green Tribe members would be nearly fully absorbed and integrated.
Chapter 451: Exile changed to beheading
Chapter 451: Exile changed to beheading
"Once you experience something, you be familiar with it, and after a few times, you can even teach it to others." This saying holds, especially in many situations. For instance, the ongoing integration of the Green Tribe into the Green Sparrow Tribe exemplifies this.
After dealing with the Pig Tribe and the Bone Tribe, Han Cheng, Shaman, and the others are now handling simr matters with much more organization and effectiveness. They have developed more reasonable and nuanced methods and strategies.
¡°Dong dong dong~¡±
A series of thunderous drumbeats resonated throughout the Green Sparrow Tribe, breaking the winter¡¯s silence and mimicking the arrival of summer thunder.
Even though they had been informed about these events in advance, the leaders and people of the Green Tribe were still filled with awe and trepidation upon witnessing such thunderous instruments.
Thunder can still invoke a sense of fear, even to those who understand it scientifically. For people in the primitive era who held a deep reverence for nature, it was even more frightening.
Some individuals dropped to their knees and trembled before Han Cheng, who was drumming, seeing him as a living deity.
With Shaman leading the ceremonial dance, Han Cheng drumming in the center, and the Eldest Senior Brother and Shang carrying the totem pole at the rear, they proceeded solemnly towards the prepared cave.
Inside the cave, the fire zed, illuminating everyone¡¯s faces. In the flickering light, Han Cheng and Shaman appeared even more majestic and mysterious, standing close to the fire.After the ceremony, the abstractly sculpted Green Sparrow figure was brought in, apanied by a load of wine carried by the Eldest Senior Brother.
Han Cheng had previously felt that Green Sparrow water wasn¡¯t as satisfying as wine. Now that they had sour fruit wine, he didn¡¯t hesitate to make the switch.
As soon as the ceramic Green Sparrow emerged, the tribal elders became respectful.
The Green Tribe members had been informed about the significance of these items. Although they now wore the same clothes and hairstyles as the Green Sparrow Tribe, they could not be considered part of it until they experienced this rite.
Thus, they became especially solemn, like the other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng personally broke the y seal, then took a bamboo container of wine and poured it into the open mouth of the ceramic Green Sparrow.
The wine flowed from the Green Sparrow''s mouth from high to low and dripped down into the ceramic bowl held by the Shaman.
Han Cheng and Shaman worked continuously, setting up bowls of Green Sparrow wine on the ground between the fire and the ceramic Green Sparrow.
A total of 43 bowls were prepared. The Green Tribe had 48 members, but five were too young to have their own bowls. The adults would use the wine bowls to let them taste the wine.
The Green Sparrow wine itself is more symbolic than practical.
After incorporating the Bone Tribe, the Green Sparrow Tribe has eighty-five adults. Nearly two years have passed, and Han Cheng, Bai Xue, Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, Xing, Cheng, and two others have all reached adulthood.
With one person having passed away, the Green Sparrow Tribe now has ny-two adults.
In the past two years, twenty-nine infants have been born and survived, bringing the total poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe to one hundred eighty, not including the Green Tribe members about to join. With the addition of forty-eight members from the Green Tribe, the Green Sparrow Tribe¡¯s poption will rise to two hundred twenty-eight.
Among this poption are 121 adults, 9 elders, and the rest are minors. The adult poption consists of 46 men and 75 women.
Although this poption might be smallpared to a modern elementary school, Han Cheng is still very pleased. The era''s standards are different, and what might seem insignificant inter times is a considerable force in this context.
"Drinking this Green Sparrow wine means we are now one family. Anyone who harms or rebels against the tribe will face execution!"
Han Cheng addressed the Green Tribe members as they held their cups of wine. The original punishment was exile, but Han Cheng changed it to execution after recalling a news story he had seen before crossing over.
The story was about a solitary primitive man in North America who had lived alone in the forest for many years after outsiders wiped out his tribe. This realization made Han Cheng think that exile might not be the most secure method. There was a chance that someone expelled from the Green Sparrow Tribe might survive like the primitive man and pose a future threat.
Considering this, Han Cheng discussed with Shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother before the integration ceremony and decided to rece exile with execution. After all, nothing could be more reassuring than death.
"Drink."
After exining the significance of the Green Sparrow wine, Han Cheng paused briefly, scanned the faces of the Green Tribe members, and then gave themand.
Over the past few days, the Green Tribe members had been thoroughly impressed by the Green Sparrow Tribe¡¯s hospitality and were genuinely willing to be part of the tribe. They drank the Green Sparrow wine without hesitation following Han Cheng''smand.
However, the taste of the wine was somewhat unexpected. Having recently enjoyed the delicious food of the Green Sparrow Tribe, they had anticipated that the ceremonial Green Sparrow wine would also be vorful. Still, it turned out to be quite sour.
Despite this, no one dared waste even a drop, fearing that wasting the wine might prevent them from bing true members of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After the sour taste, a warm sensation spread from their stomachs, a different feeling from hot water or soup, which surprised the Green Tribe members who had just drunk the Green Sparrow wine.
While the other Green Tribe members drank the wine, their leader appeared hesitant.
Chapter 452: Divine Child did a good deed
Chapter 452: Divine Child did a good deed
Han Cheng had already learned about the significance of the Green Sparrow wine and the consequences of regret before the ceremony through the words of the Eldest Senior Brother.
He was informed about the meaning of the Green Sparrow wine and the severe punishment for those who might have second thoughts after drinking it.
The public beheading was not unfamiliar to him; the image of the Bone Tribe leader¡¯s head being severed by the Eldest Senior Brother¡¯s bone knife was still vivid in his mind.
After drinking the Green Sparrow wine, the Green Tribe would cease to exist.
As the leader of the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng''s feelings at this moment were naturally different from those of the other Green Sparrow Tribe members.
Of course, his hesitation did notst long. Whether it was their previous living conditions or the current prosperity of the Green Sparrow Tribe, there was little time or room for further hesitation.
He lifted the bowl and drank the Green Sparrow wine in one go.
The wind was blowing, the snow was falling, and the snowkes tapped against the animal-skin-covered window, making a soft rustling sound.
Inside the room, the fire in the hearth burned slowly, with smoke drifting out through the chimney and blending into the dim sky.Sitting on the warm brick bed was the former leader of the Green Tribe, now Han Cheng. He was holding a small wooden que, reading it attentively.
The que was smooth and shiny. Three characters carved on the front were ¡°Green Sparrow Valley.¡± The back was engraved with a Green Sparrow bird, and its wings spread, ready to fly.
Han Cheng, the former leader of the Green Tribe, now understood the significance of this que.
It was his identity symbol, proving he was a member of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
He lightly traced his thumb over the character "Valley."
After several days of studying in the Green Sparrow Tribe¡¯srge brick house, he had learned to recognize this character and understand its meaning.
It represented his name and referred to a type of food.
Millet porridge and millet rice, the mostmonly eaten and tasted very good, were "Grains."
Seeing the character "Grains," Han Cheng felt ufortable.
He had only just realized that the golden, delicious, and filling food was made from the wild grass seeds he had previously thought were inedible¡
However, this difort did notst long. If he had recognized the wild grass seeds'' quality earlier, he would not be enjoying this life now¡
He traced the character for a while and hung the wooden que, an ¡°ID card,¡± around his neck, like the other tribe members.
Gu knew there was a more exquisite version of this ID card made from precious ceramics.
He desired such an ID card, but the deity said he would only receive it after twice the fruit had matured on arge scale.
If he wanted to get it earlier, he would need to contribute significantly to the tribe.
The time required for the fruit to mature twice was too long, and Gu was reluctant to wait. So, he secretly resolved to work diligently in the spring to earn the ceramic ID card as soon as possible.
Those with ceramic ID cards could live in houses with tile roofs.
While grass-roofed houses werefortable, tile-roofed houses would likely be even more so.
Gu, like many of the former Green Tribe members, was not entirelyfortable with this differential treatment.
However, when the Divine Child, apanied by the leader known as the Eldest Senior Brother, recounted how they gradually built the tribe into its current prosperous and powerful state and how much hardship they endured to construct the grass-roofed houses they now lived in, showing the elders¡¯ hands as evidence, Han Cheng and some other former Green Tribe members¡¯ discontent quickly faded away.
Most of the tribe''s elders had thick calluses on their hands, except for a few. Even the esteemed Divine Child had calluses on his palms.
Indeed, considering how much they had contributed to the tribe, enjoying such treatment was already quite good.
To get even better treatment, one must contribute to the tribe like the elders did.
Unspoken words and unaddressed thoughts would prevent one from reaching a certain level of understanding.
To avoid falling behind in thought, one must work on their mindset¡
Squatting in front of the hearth, holding skewers of marinatedmb meat threaded onto bamboo sticks, Gu drooled over the sizzling, oil-drippingmb skewers and felt a sense of pride.
As someone from ater time, he understood better than people from this era how significant thought can be for an individual.
Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be so many people brainwashed by pyramid schemes who couldn¡¯t escape.
He mainly anticipated the changes in the Green Tribe members. After all, the Green Tribe members had long admired this tribe, so the integration was naturally easier¡
After several rounds of births, the tribe''s sheep now numbered eighteen, which was quite a lot.
There were neen initially, but one had recently seemed dejected and downcast for some unknown reason.
Seeing this, Han Cheng felt sympathetic and had it rescued from its mncholy state.
Doing good deeds always brings joy. Han Cheng, who had rescued the sheep from its gloomy state, looked at the ten skewers of well-cookedmb with a smile.
However, this smile didn¡¯tst long before turning into a slightly helpless grin.
He had already heard the footstepsing from the window.
He knew immediately that it was the young maid, Bai Xue Mei, approaching.
¡°Creeeak~¡±
The slightly ajar door opened to reveal Bai Xue with her braided hair grown longer. She walked in, came to Han Cheng¡¯s side, and looked at themb skewers in his hand, unable to resist sticking out her pink tongue to lick her lips.
Han Cheng sniffed, thinking this little maid had a knack for timing. She could always appear precisely when the skewers were ready, even though she was busy weaving.
Han Cheng set aside six skewers for Bai Xue, who stood beside him, looking eagerly but silently. Bai Xue Mei immediately became delighted.
Without Han Cheng¡¯s prompting, she quickly took three skewers and ran to another room to give them to Shaman.
She rushed back, already nibbling on a piece of meat while running.
Her little mouth worked swiftly, and her lips, coated with grease, turned even redder. In no time, all themb skewers were devoured.
Watching Bai Xue''s ¡®ferocious¡¯ eating, Han Cheng suddenly felt chilly in some parts of his body¡
Chapter 453: Community Warmth Delivery
Chapter 453: Community Warmth Delivery
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, the end of the fifth year of the Green Sparrow era is approaching. The arrival of the sixth year is bing increasingly imminent amidst the sound of firecrackers.
On this cold night, the Green Sparrow tribe is anything but cold.
The orange mes dance in the night, and people gather around the huge bonfire, jumping and dancing, their joy evident.
The thunderous drums, the ttering ppers, and the asional firecrackers exploding in mes all transform this chilly, bleak night into an incredibly vibrant one.
What was once an ordinary day has now taken on a special significance because people have imbued it with significant meaning.
Gu and other members of the original Green tribe, who are experiencing such a festival for the first time, have flushed faces and are exceptionally excited, their minds in a state of dizziness.
Part of the reason is the effects of drinking the sour fruit wine, but more so, it''s the overwhelming stimulus of a grand celebration they¡¯ve never experienced before.
So this is how you can celebrate!
So this is how you can live!The concept of celebrating the New Year, which was previously unfamiliar to them, now appears before them in a profoundly shocking way.
They couldn¡¯t express their joy other than by joining the elders of the Green Sparrow tribe in cheering andughing wholeheartedly.
Such a celebration is genuinely iparable to the frugality they once endured¡
With various delicious foods, a brilliant bonfire, enthusiastic dancing, thunderous drumming, and sparking firecrackers¡
The New Year of the fifth year of Green Sparrow has left an incredibly deep impression on the original Green tribe members.
Just when Gu and others from the original Green tribe thought that the dazzling, almost dream-like celebration wasing to an end without leaving a trace, a new surprise arrived.
The newly dressed Divine Child, the Shaman, and the Leader, apanied by other newly dressed elders of the Green Sparrow tribe, arrived at their residence carrying numerous new clothes.
With a cheerful ¡°Happy New Year,¡± the Divine Child added a cheerful ¡°Community Warmth Delivery.¡±
To this, Gu, who struggled with learning Mandarin, only understood part of it, but he knew the intention of the Divine Child and others.
Gu, who had nearly stayed up all night, and the other members of the original Green tribe in the house received the brand-new clothes distributed by Divine Child and others. Their already red eyes became even redder.
With red eyes, they clumsily and excitedly put on the clothes, truly feeling the warmth sent by the Divine Child¡
As days passed, the snowfall became less frequent, and the ice and snow on the ground gradually thinned.
A maiden named Spring had unknowingly arrived in the world.
During these passing days, the integration between the Green tribe, who joined the tribe in the winter of the fifth year of Green Sparrow, and the elders of the Green Sparrow tribe became increasingly harmonious.
The sense of belonging of the original Green tribe members to this powerful and prosperous tribe also grew more assertive.
After the arrival of Spring, all things began to awaken from their slumber, waiting for the ice and snow to meltpletely and the spring sunshine to spread across the world, ready to show their most splendid side.
Of course, there are always those with a sense of urgency among the world''s things.
While others are still secretly waiting for the right moment, they have emerged from their sealed caves, stepped on the still-unmelted ice and snow, braved the cold, and set off withrge and small packages.
These diligent and tireless people are none other than the Donkey Tribe, who have not seen the sun for one or two months and have not turned white.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe, wrapped in thick fur and carrying a jar of salt, leads the way.
Spring is still chilly, but it cannot dampen his enthusiasm for his role as a middleman.
Of course, if there were an easier way to live better, he certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to muster such enthusiasm under these conditions.
Whether it¡¯s the role of a middleman, the impressive growth of the Green Sparrow tribe after Han Cheng¡¯s arrival, or the survival tactics of other tribes, living in this world is a challenging feat. To live vibrantly and meaningfully is even more difficult.
The world is a furnace, and all living beings are subjected to trials...
In early spring, the snow is crushed underfoot as a group of burdened people, braving the cold, make their way step by step.
After carefully examining the mark on arge tree nearby, the leader of the Donkey Tribe smiled.
Their first trading target was finally within reach.
Last time, around the same period, they hade to this tribe with pottery and salt, exchanging many goods. It had been a while since theyst traded with this tribe, and their tribe¡¯s furs must have umted considerably.
They would surely be weed warmly, as in addition to pottery, they also brought delicious salt...
Thinking happily about this, he continued walking, and the familiar tribe appeared before him.
Chapter 454: A Close Brush with the Flying Snake Tribe
Chapter 454: A Close Brush with the Flying Snake Tribe
"£¤£¤!"
The leader of the Donkey Tribe''s voice was filled with confusion, and the other members of the tribe exchanged puzzled nces.
Inside the cave with the open entrance, there was no single person to be found.
The interior was cold and deste, devoid of any sign of life.
A pile of ashes, which looked like they had been there for a long time, was in the center of the cave.
Beside the ashes, there were some animal droppings, likely left by animals that had used the spot to keep warm during winter.
Had the people of this tribe left?
Where had they gone?
The leader of the Donkey Tribe wondered in disbelief.It seemed that the people of this tribe must have migrated, as the cave was very clean, with nothing left behind.
They wouldn''t have left so calmly if they had faced a disaster.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe felt regret at the disappearance of this tribe, as he had lost another trading partner.
Additionally, the journey back and forth had cost him a lot of time.
After waiting for a while, he left and moved on to the next tribe for trade.
Just then, someone suddenly screamed, and the sound was somewhat sharp.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe gripped his weapon tightly and hurried over, only to find a pile of white bones in a dark corner.
At first, he thought nothing of it, but upon realizing that these were human bones, his demeanor changed.
He ordered his people to use their stone spears to move the bones into the light and saw that some of them had scorch marks from fire.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe and his people shuddered, feeling a sense of grim foreboding.
However, this feeling quickly turned into deep relief.
Fortunately, their tribe had a smart leader who had found a way for them to survive.
Otherwise, they might not be able to afford salt and could end up in a dire situation simr to this tribe, leading to internal strife and migration.
Thinking this, their respect and admiration for their leader grew even more.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe also felt grateful to be in a position to lead, epting the tribe''s praise without hesitation.
"£¤!"
After expressing these thoughts, the leader of the Donkey Tribe shouted loudly and picked up the jar of salt. Leading his tribe out of the abandoned cave, he headed towards the next tribe for trade.
With the bloody lesson from this tribe in mind, the people of the Donkey Tribe became even more enthusiastic about trades that could improve their lives.
Following their leader, they trudged through the snow without feeling any hardship...
The cave was destined to be less quiet. After the Donkey Tribe left, as the snow gradually melted, green grass emerged, and tree branches sprouted new buds, a new group of people arrived.
The neers were the second-inmand of the Teng Snake Tribe and the Grassroots fromst winter, who had returned to the big tribe to spend the winter.
Valuable pottery and salt were highly prized by the Teng Snake Tribe¡¯s shaman and others, so as soon as spring began, they left the tribe with the previous batch of people and returned here to wait for the donkeys.
The Grassroots was particrly pleased to be back at this former residence.
It wasn¡¯t due to nostalgia, but because being here allowed him to continue waiting for the deer and wolves that had caused him trouble before.
This had almost be an obsession for him, much like how the former second-inmand of the Teng Snake Tribe would curse the Blue Sparrow Tribe daily.
¡°aa¡?¡±
The second-inmand of the Teng Snake Tribe looked at the exposed white bones inside the cave and questioned.
"£¤£¤!"
The Teng Snake Tribe¡¯s second-inmand was puzzled about why the pile of bones,pletely devoid of meat, had been disturbed.
Had another tribee here after they left?
Or was it the tribe they had been waiting for?
If that were the case, it would be quite distressing.
¡°£¤¡¡±
Amid these worries, the Grassroots with the crooked nose pointed to the animal droppings near the pile of ashes they had left behind and exined to the Teng Snake Tribe¡¯s second-inmand.
Under the threat of death, many people¡¯s potential is unleashed, and the Grassroots was no exception.
After witnessing the brutal killing and eating of two women who couldn¡¯t understand theirnguage, the Grassroots had be highly motivated to learn the tribe''snguage and behaviors and integrate quickly.
The Teng Snake Tribe¡¯s second-inmand closely examined the animal droppings, which were somewhat white, suggesting they had been left by carnivores.
In winter, with food hard to find, it was usible that a hungry carnivore hade into the cave and, finding no meat, had disturbed the bones while searching for something to eat.
Having confirmed this, the second-inmand felt reassured and stopped worrying about whether the other tribe had been here.
Instead, he instructed his people to ce their supplies inside the cave, built a fire with considerable effort, and began preparing for the hunting season.
They nned to wait here for the tribe with the precious pottery and salt¡
At the same time, the leader of the Donkey Tribe, along with his people, carried the numerous furs they had painstakingly traded and headed towards the Blue Sparrow Tribe.
Upon arriving at the Blue Sparrow Tribe, he nned to exchange these furs for salt and pottery and continue trading with other tribes.
However, trading this year was more challenging than before.
It wasn¡¯t because the surrounding tribes had less demand for pottery and salt. On the contrary, after a long period of use, their demand for salt had actually increased.
The difficulty in trading stemmed from the fact that after two years of exchanges, most of the surplus furs from these tribes had already been traded away¡
He needed to find new tribes, the leader of the Donkey Tribe thought to himself.
Yet, thinking about arriving at the Blue Sparrow Tribe brightened his mood.
Since their tribe began trading pottery and salt with other tribes, they had be one of the wealthiest tribes in the area, except for the affluent tribe.
He clearly remembered the astonished look on the Green Tribe leader¡¯s face when they saw the many furs they brought. Every time he thought back on it, it made him feel particrly pleased.
He now hoped to encounter the Green Tribe again this time; it would be great to surprise them once more¡
After thinking for a while, he shook his head, realizing the likelihood of meeting the Green Tribe was slim. After all, unlike his tribe, they wouldn¡¯t have such arge quantity of furs to trade as soon as the weather warmed up.
Chapter 455: Busy Spring!
Chapter 455: Busy Spring!
The weather has warmed up, and the Green Sparrow Tribe has be more lively. This year is undoubtedly busier than previous years, with so many more people living here.
Gu woke up early, and his first tasks after going to the bathroom were brushing his teeth and washing up. He had long since developed a habit of feeling ufortable without brushing his teeth in the morning. He now enjoyed using slightly bitter twigs dipped in salt to brush his teeth. However, unlike before, he no longer swallowed the salty water but spat it out.
After brushing, he noticed someoneing out of the bathroom and immediately put down his teacup, rushing to the bathroom. Unfortunately, someone else had already gone in before he could reach it. Frustrated, Gu had no choice but to wait outside the bathroom, pacing and looking distressed. This was one of the few things he disliked about life in the tribe: too many rules and too few bathroom stalls.
In the past, he might have sought out a scenic spot to relieve himself, but now he refrained from doing so due to the rules set by the Divine Child.
As the sun rose, the Green Sparrow Tribe fully awoke. After taking care of personal matters, everyone started their work. The former Green Tribe members, now scattered and integrated into the Green Sparrow Tribe, were divided into groups to learn new tasks they had never encountered.
The area around the Green Sparrow Tribe was bustling with people. Quarry sites, the courtyard bathroom area, and the vast fields outside were all filled with activity. The difference from the previous leisurely pace was striking.
Among the activities, farming was the most prominent, with half of the adults working with bone shovels and stone hoes. As the Green Sparrow Tribe developed, the crucial role ofnd became increasingly apparent. Han Cheng paid more and more attention to it, understanding that food and sustenance were fundamental. Solving this issue was crucial for the tribe to focus on other matters and to advance at a pace far beyond that of surrounding tribes.
Without plows or draft animals like oxen and horses, the farming efforts of the Green Sparrow Tribe, which were getting on track, relied on bone shovels and stone hoes, making progress slow. This was why Han Cheng had arranged for arge workforce to start turning the soil as soon as spring began. It was no small task, with hundreds of acres needing to be turned.
Farming depends on the weather; thend must be prepared for the right conditions to sow seeds. Waiting to turn the soil and sow seeds until the conditions are correct would be toote.Additionally, preparing thend early allowed for the quick development of newnd. As the poption of the Green Sparrow Tribe grew, so did the need for more food. With only about eight hundred acres ofnd, the existingnd wasn''t enough to meet the needs of the increasing poption.
The former Green Tribe leader, Gu, now part of the Green Sparrow Tribe, was also hard at work, using a stone hoe more diligently than most.
Because the Divine Child had announced that a newrge toilet, with fifteen male stalls, would be built next to the old one, Gu felt deeply moved by the prospect. He had suffered from the shortage of toilets and was determined to work hard.
After Han Cheng and a few experienced hands marked out the foundation for the new toilet, Gu enthusiastically threw himself into the work, putting in more effort than even the older members of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
In addition to his eagerness to build the new toilet, Gu was also motivated by the desire to improve his own status and upgrade his "identity" from a simpleborer to someone with a higher status in the tribe, symbolized by the transition from using basic tools to more refined ones like ceramic implements.
Although early spring temperatures were still cool, Gu was already sweating profusely, and steam rose from his head as if he had mastered a legendary technique. He leaned on his hoe with one hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the other.
Exhausted and with aching hands, Gu realized this was harder than hunting. Looking at the blisters on his palms from the hoe and the others working tirelessly, he suddenly understood why the tribe had achieved so much.
After a brief rest, Gu resumed digging, and others used bone shovels to move the dirt he had excavated. Due to the toilet construction, the pig pen project was dyed again.
Fortunately, the seven pigs in the small pig pen were still young and not yet mature, so they weren¡¯t producing piglets. They had also been eating poorly over the winter, so their growth was slow, which made managing them less of an issue.
However, the castrated wild boar was growing faster than the others. It had been smaller than another male wild boar before the castration but was now more prominent. Perhaps it was channeling its distress into appetite.
Compared to when they were first captured, the wild boars had be much tamer, especially the injured ones. They were less wild, and the young wild boars, including Fu Jiang, Da Fu, and San Fu, were rxing in the sunny, sheltered spots, enjoying themselves.
During the winter, Fu Jiang, Da Fu, and San Fu had all gone into heat, causing howls from wolves around the tribe, especially at night. Cheng, who had lost half an ear to a wolf, yed with the pigs happily but harbored a deep hatred for the wolves. He suggested killing them to prevent them from harming the tribe.
With the new bows, slings, and traps, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were no longer afraid of wolves. Han Cheng considered the situation and decided not to agree to Chen''s suggestion immediately, as these wolves were part of the ecosystem that brought in new wolf cubs for the tribe.
Instead, Fu Jiang, Da Fu, and San Fu were released and, after a few days, returned sessfully, with their bellies slightly erged, indicating that more wolf cubs would soon join the tribe.
Just then, people from the Donkey Tribe arrived, carrying various furs.
Chapter 463: Let’s watch the meteor shower together!
Chapter 463: Let¡¯s watch the meteor shower together!
The night was calm and serene, with a gentle breeze rustling the bamboo, producing a soothing "rustling" sound.
The sky was clear, with a bright moon hanging high and scattered stars dotting the surrounding darkness.
The silver moonlight spilled like liquid mercury, making everything around seem distant and hazy, leaving only dark silhouettes.
In the direction of the small river, faint green fireflies fluttered among the grass, daringlypeting with the bright moon.
White lines meandered in the rice field outside the courtyard wall.
As the wind blew, the rice nts, already up to the knees, swayed. The waves made these lines, which were not very wide to begin with, appear even more indistinct and elusive.
Under the night sky, Han Cheng and Bai Xue stood on the wall of the Green Sparrow tribe, feeling the coolness of the night and experiencing a unique emotion as they slowly gazed at the tribe''s surroundings.
The dawn, the evening mist, and the summer moonlit nights always evoke something deep within, pulling one into afortable but inexpressible feeling.
This was the night of June 13th, the sixth year of the Green Sparrow tribe. Han Cheng, with Bai Xue, climbed the tribe''s wall to enjoy the cool air and savor this unique tranquility.There were more than just the two of them on the wall. In addition to the guards, others had climbed up to enjoy the coolness.
However, far fewer people were on the wall than inside the courtyard.
With summer''s arrival, the heat had enveloped the earth. This brief moment of coolness after dinner was a rare leisure time for everyone.
In the rice field, the lines that seemed somewhat pale and serpentine against the backdrop of the surrounding rice resulted from the tribe''s effort over the past couple of months.
These were small, scattered stone paths.
The construction of these stone paths in the fields did not damage the growing rice.
When the fields were cleared and prepared, bunds had been left in the fields.
The stone paths wereid along these bunds.
Of course, not all bunds were paved with stone paths; instead, they were constructed at suitable locations while considering the fields.
It was foreseeable that these stone paths would be highly beneficial for the fields.
Oncepleted, the greatest convenience was not for people but for the Green Sparrow tribe¡¯s wheelbarrows.
With these paths, whether transporting manure to the fields or moving harvested crops, the advantages of the wheelbarrowsrge capacity and ease of use¡ªcould be fully utilized.
This is infrastructure!
Under the moonlight, Han Cheng admired the bright, elusive paths and reflected on the effort it took to build them, which ultimately brought significant convenience.
It was as if the heavens agreed with Han Cheng''s reflection. Soon after his thoughts, a bright meteor streaked across the night sky from south to north before falling.
The red tail light momentarily brightened the night, even outshining the moon!
"Brother Cheng, what is that?" Bai Xue asked, her mouth and eyes wide with curiosity and a hint of fear as she pulled Han Cheng''s hand.
"That''s a shooting star. Make a wish quickly; they say it''s very effective."
¡°What is making a wish?¡±
¡°Making a wish is when you express a desire for something you want.¡±
¡°Then¡ I want my belly to get big soon¡¡±
Understanding what making a wish meant, Bai Xue quickly voiced her wish without hesitation.
Han Cheng¡¯s face twitched. Does she want to have a child right now? I¡¯m not ready to be a father yet!
¡°Okay, since you¡¯ve said your wish out loud, it won¡¯te true!¡±
Han Cheng, who wasn¡¯t ready to be a father just yet, said excitedly to Bai Xue, who looked disappointed.
Bai Xue¡¯s face immediately fell.
Han Cheng¡¯s triumphant smile barely had a chance to appear before another bright light streaked from south to north across the sky.
¡°Brother Cheng, another shooting star!¡±
Bai Xue grabbed Han Cheng¡¯s arm excitedly and shook it.
¡°I want to¡¡±
She shook Han Cheng¡¯s arm several times and quickly let go to make her wish. After starting to speak, she suddenly remembered Han Cheng¡¯s earlier words and quickly shut up, silently wishing for a child with him.
Seeing Bai Xue¡¯s excitement and the direction of the falling meteor, Han Cheng felt a sense of helplessness. It seemed the heavens were deliberately making things difficult for him!
¡°Shooting star!¡±
As Han Cheng thought this, Bai Xue¡¯s voice of joy rang out again.
This time, it wasn¡¯t just a single star; it was like a fireworks disy, with many shooting stars crossing the sky from south to north.
The brilliant meteors streaked across the night sky, emitting enchanting light. Bai Xue tightly held Han Cheng¡¯s hand, watching the dazzling shooting stars with a mixture of shock and awe.
Han Cheng also looked at the continuous disy of light, feeling a sense of wonder. This was a meteor shower!
Inter years, he had seen many brilliant fireworks, but they were still nothingpared to the meteor shower¡¯s long, trailing lights.
As he marveled at this rare meteor shower, the tribe behind him suddenly erupted into chaos.
Terrified shouts and people were running into their homes.
This unprecedented phenomenon had caused fear among them.
Han Cheng sighed, feeling a bit helpless. It seemed he couldn¡¯t enjoy a meteor shower in peace.
¡°Quiet down!¡±
¡°Quiet down!¡±
Han Cheng turned and shouted into the now chaotic courtyard.
The frightened Green Sparrow tribe members recognized the voice of the ¡°God Child¡± and felt their fear ease as if a ray of sunlight had pierced through the gloom.
Finding their source of reassurance, the panicked tribe members¡¯ fear diminished significantly.
They instinctively gathered in front of Han Cheng on the wall.
¡°This is not a disaster and won¡¯t bring us misfortune. It is a sign from the gods, showing us their concern for our hardships¡¡±
Standing on the wall, Han Cheng addressed the tribe with his improvised words.
At this moment, the best strategy was to invoke the gods, even if only fictitiously.
The words ¡°Divine Child¡± were naturally believed by the Green Sparrow tribe.
They stood in front of the wall, looking up at Han Cheng.
The spectacr meteor shower streaked across the sky behind Han Cheng, making him appear even more mysterious and majestic.
It indeed seemed like the gods had descended.
This scene was deeply engraved in the minds of the Green Sparrow tribe, and for a long time afterward, people spoke of that night and the miraculous scene.
Chapter 464: The Horrifying loud bang and flashes
Chapter 464: The Horrifying loud bang and shes
Calming everyone down, Han Cheng turned to continue watching the rare meteor shower, filled with deep emotions.
He had thought that he would never see fireworks again once he arrived here. To his surprise, the heavens had sent a meteor shower even more brilliant than fireworks.
It seemed the heavens were being quite generous with him.
The meteor showersted for quite a while, around ten minutes or so.
After the prominent disy of the meteor shower passed and only a few meteors remained, Han Cheng looked to the side and saw that, at some point, Bai Xue had closed her eyes, her lips moving slightly¡ªmaking a wish.
Han Cheng¡¯s face twitched. Without asking, he could guess what Bai Xue was wishing for.
Han Cheng wished for a meteor shower for a child but didn¡¯t know how to express his feelings about this.
¡°Brother Cheng!¡±
Opening her eyes, Bai Xue saw Han Cheng looking at her and excitedly called out like a little kitten.Han Cheng sniffed slightly. It seemed he would have to be more cautious in the future.
The meteor shower, Han Cheng¡¯s words during it, and the emotionally stirring scene made the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe extremely excited.
For a moment, no one felt like sleeping; instead, they all discussed the unforgettable scene with great excitement.
The meteor shower streaked across the sky, illuminating the night. This awe-inspiring sight was not only witnessed by the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Such a phenomenon shocked many tribes living across this vastnd!
Under the night sky, a low, Square-shaped wall surrounded an opening glowing with fire.
Though the wall was low, it was still a step up from having no wall at all, offering somefort to those within.
A group of panicked individuals had gathered in this enclosed space, shouting wildly with fear.
These people were among the braver members of the tribe, but the rest of the tribe had retreated into the cave, too afraid to move.
The frightened cries of children only added to the night¡¯s unease.
Shu Pi, holding a bow, had a much more refined weapon now than the hastily made one he had crafted when he was first expelled from the tribe.
Even though he was outside, his body trembling uncontrobly behind the wall, he was still overwhelmed by the terrifying scene of so many mes flying across the sky above them!
If some of those mes had fallen, their tribe would have been doomed!
Shu Pi wouldn¡¯t have been so scared if it were wild animals or other enemies, but the sight of those fiery massesing from the sky genuinely terrified him.
It gave him a sense of helplessness.
After waiting for a while and seeing no more fire in the sky, Shu Pi, still trembling, suddenly stood up, raising his bow high and shouting in celebration and pride.
The sounds of his cheers continued, and soon, others holding weapons behind the low wall joined in the howling.
Hearing the cheering from outside, those hiding in the cave felt less frightened. Some bolder individuals tentatively ventured out from the cave and joined the cheering crowd, with more people emerging from inside...
Theirck of fear did not mean that others were not afraid.
To the north of Shu Pi''s tribe, about a hundred miles away, another tribe was hiding in their cave, peering out through the gaps in the stone bs with terror.
Fear had spread throughout the entire tribe. Even the bravest among them clung to their weapons, trembling with fright.
For them, tonight was nothing short of a disaster.
While they were either sleeping or humming tunes in their cave, a tremendous roar suddenly erupted from outside. It was louder than summer thunder.
The roar paralyzed the cave inhabitants. Some looked through the gaps in the cave entrance and saw mes flickering at night near the cave.
If that had been the only urrence, perhaps their fear would have been more manageable. But the roaring continued, apanied by terrifying firelight.
The cave suddenly shook during this ordeal, and small stones fell from above, intensifying their already extreme fear.
They huddled together, shaking uncontrobly.
In the face of natural disasters, humanity often seems incredibly insignificant.
Under their fearful gaze, the mes continued burning for a long time before gradually dying.
This provided somefort to those in the cave, but no one dared venture outside to see what had actually happened.
What they could do was make the fire inside the cave burn brighter to bolster their courage.
That night, many people in the stricken tribe stayed awake, unable to sleep.
The idea of relocating the tribe, leaving this terrifying ce, began to take root in many minds.
The long night finally passed in this anxious state, and dawn broke.
Compared to the mysterious and frightening darkness, daylight always provided some courage.
However, it seemed not enough. The cave of the tribe remained tightly closed.
Behind the stone b, someone was crouched, peering out through the gap.
After a long while, someone who seemed to be the leader finally mustered enough courage.
He slowly moved the stone b blocking the cave entrance, gripped his weapon tightly, and cautiously stepped out to examine the area. Seeing nothing unusual, he cautiously stepped out of the cave.
Nevertheless, he was prepared to retreat into the cave at any moment.
He looked toward the front side of the cave, not too far from the entrance, where arge area of ckened groundy.
That was the mark left by the fire.
He stared at it for a while, and seeing no movement, his courage gradually increased.
He picked up a stone in front of the cave, gripped it tightly, and threw it toward the ash-covered area.
When the stone was thrown, he quickly retreated into the cave.
Clutching his weapon, he and the others anxiously watched the direction of the throw.
The stone traveled a short distance through the air, lost momentum, and fell to the ground, rolling a bit before stopping.
Itnded some distance away from the ash-covered area.
Everyone held their weapons tightly inside the cave, staring fixedly at the ashes, fearful that something might suddenly leap out from there...
Chapter 465: Meteorite Iron
Chapter 465: Meteorite Iron
When the people inside the cave quieted, a deathly silence fell over the surroundings.
The birds and small animals had fled in panic the night before, leaving this eerie ce behind.
After a while of silence, the people in the cave grew bolder. This time, in addition to the leader, two others joined him in leaving the cave.
Under the watchful and tense eyes of those inside, they reached the spot where the stone had fallen and picked it up to hurl it again.
After throwing the stone, they ran back as before, but they didn''t go straight into the cave this time. Instead, they stood a short distance away, nervously observing...
Through repeated cautious advancements, more people gradually emerged from the cave. Eventually, the entire tribe reached the edge of the ashes.
They approached with a mix of fear and anxiety.
This area, which had once been rtively t, was now dotted withrge and small pits.
Therger ones were deep enough to bury a person standing upright, while the smaller ones resembled the marks left by someone sitting on soft sand.The pits and the surrounding ground had been upheaved, with cracked earth that looked terrifying.
ck stones were visible in some pits, while others were buried deeper, having been driven directly into the ground.
After standing there for a while, the leader spoke up. After a brief hesitation, the people hurriedly retreated, keeping a safe distance.
Only the leader and a few others remained near the ashes.
Seeing that the others had backed off, the leader took a deep breath and issued amand.
Together, they hurled the stones they held into the pits and at the ck stones within them.
Once the stones were thrown, they quickly turned and ran back.
After a tense and silent wait, they returned to the edge of the ashes.
The stones they had throwny quietly in the pits, with one even striking a ck stone directly!
This result encouraged them even further.
After waiting a while, someone cautiously ventured into the ashes, while others stood guard with weapons, watching the person and their surroundings intently, fearful of any sudden danger.
The area remained deathly quiet. The person walked through the ashes and reached the nearest pit.
Inside was a ck stone, not particrlyrge.
Standing at the edge, under everyone''s tense gaze, the person carefully prodded the partially buried stone with a wooden spear.
The leader lifted a fist-sized ck stone into the air, one he had just dug out of the ground. It was heavier than any stone he had ever seen.
He held it up and shouted triumphantly to those around him, showing off his strength.
The others cheered, for they wouldn''t have to relocate; they could continue living on this familiarnd.
The leader then carefully tossed the heavy ck stone aside and led the group to hunt.
That ck stone was useless to him because it was too heavy to be thrown effectively...
Life in the tribe gradually returned to normal, though they still harbored some fear of the ashes and the ck stones that hade with the loud noises and fire.
As days passed, the strange phenomena in that area never reurred, and the tribe''s people grew increasingly brave, venturing there more often.
One day, when most adults had left the cave to hunt, a mischievous young boy wandered away and found himself at the site.
He rummaged around and found a small ck stone. Unlike the others, it had a sharp, angr edge, probably caused by colliding with other stones as it fell.
The boy ran his hand over the stone, pressing down too hard. The sharp edge cut his hand, causing him to drop the stone in fear and dash back to the cave. Once inside, he clutched his bleeding finger and stared fearfully back at the uneven ground where he had found the stone.
The small ck stone, now discarded,y silently on the ground, exposed to the elements just like the others...
Later, the hunting party returned to the cave. Although they hadn¡¯t caught any live prey, they found a dead creature, unlike anything they had seen before. Nevertheless, they knew it was edible.
As soon as the creature wasid down, someone grabbed a stone knife to skin it. However, the creature''s hide was exceptionally tough, and despite his efforts, the man couldn¡¯t cut through it.
The leader, growing impatient with hunger, kicked the man aside and took the stone knife himself, but even he couldn¡¯t make any progress.
Frustration spread through the group. They had food but couldn¡¯t get to it, an irritating situation.
The leader gestured towards the fire and the creature, indicating they should roast it whole. Although this would waste some meat and take longer to cook, they could at least eat something, unlike their futile attempts.
The young boy with the injured hand, still eager to eat, recalled what had happened earlier in the day. He told the others about his discovery and showed them his wounded hand.
After a brief hesitation, some of them apanied him back to the site to find the sharp stone.
After some searching, they found the small ck stone lying quietly on the ground. They picked it up and brought it back to the cave.
The leader examined the ck stone for a moment before gripping it firmly and shing at the creature''s tough hide.
To everyone¡¯s amazement, the hide, which had resisted their efforts, was quickly cut open, revealing the meat inside...
As the scent of roasting meat filled the cave, everyone crowded around to get a closer look at the small, sharp ck stone. They hadn¡¯t expected this strange, heavy stone to be so incredibly sharp.
This unexpected discovery gradually opened a new door for them...
Chapter 466: The Eight Sufferings of Life
Chapter 466: The Eight Sufferings of Life
A magnificent meteor shower provided the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe with much to talk about. Several days after the event, the tribe''s members were abuzz with discussions about the spectacr meteor shower and the heroic disy of the "Divine Child" during the celestial event.
The excitement persisted for five or six days before gradually dying down. However, despite all the talk, work did not stop.
About one-third of the adults, mostly women, were seen daily in the millet fields, weeding and loosening the soil with bone hoes. Compared to other tasks, working the fields was rtively light work. These individuals wore cool bamboo hats on their heads and had towels made from freshly woven hemp draped around their necks. From a distance, they looked very much like the people who toiled endlessly in the fields inter times.
Another group was engaged innd clearing on the other side of the small river, working a certain distance from the water. This was a long-term task. Thend on the opposite side of the river was more suitable for cultivation than thend they had on their side.
The former members of the Green Tribe were now pushing stone bs along the paved roads, moving from the quarry past the gates of the Green Sparrow Tribe and heading eastward. To the west of the tribe, a winding stone path had already beenid. Now, they were extending the path eastward, branching off along the ridges of the fields and continuing to extend it deeper into the farnd.
Han Cheng sat in the shade, watching a nearby spot where two trees, transnted two years ago, had now grown to provide a vast expanse of green shade.
Bai Xue, dressed in short sleeves and shorts, ced freshly picked mulberry leaves into silkworm baskets. As she bent over, her clothes stretched tightly across her body. Although Han Cheng was already well-acquainted with the secrets hidden beneath those clothes, he still felt his heart race at the sight. But all he could do was keep those feelings in check.
Recalling Bai Xue''s wish made during the meteor shower, Han Cheng, not ready to be a father so soon, could only force himself to resist...
A sudden downpour swept away the oppressive summer heat. Summer rainse quickly and leave just as fast. The air turned cool, but the atmosphere within the Green Sparrow Tribe grew even more tense than before the rain.It wasn¡¯t because Han Cheng was about to be a father; instead, it was because someone in the tribe was nearing the end of their life.
Many people had gathered in a series of twelve connected tiled houses. In the room at the easternmost end, the crowd was evenrger. The key figures of the Green Sparrow Tribe were present: Han Cheng, the Shaman, the Eldest Senior Brother, the Second Senior Brother, the Third Senior Brother, Shang, and Gu. They stood silently, their expressions filled with concern and sorrow as they looked towards the earthen heated bed built against the mud wall.
Lying on the bed was a frail figure¡ªthis person was Fire One. Beside her were two women, one holding a half-bowl of deer milk sweetened with honey and the other sitting on the bed, supporting Fire One''s head so that it tilted slightly upward.
The woman holding the bowl brought a spoonful of deer milk to Fire One''s lips, but the milk trickled down her mouth without being swallowed.
"Enough, don''t force her. Let her rest," Han Cheng said solemnly. The woman put down the spoon and carefully wiped away the spilled milk. She gentlyid Fire One back down and quietly got off the kang.
Fire One had been growing thinner for some time, mainly due to her advanced age.
Han Cheng, who wasn¡¯t even a half-trained doctor, was equally helpless. All he could do was prepare some fine food for Fire One and ensure she was well apanied.
Fire One had fallen into aa the previous night, and it had continued until now. Strangely enough, after the two women got off the kang, Fire One woke up. She nced around the room and tried to sit up. Seeing this, Han Cheng quickly went over to help. By now, Fire One¡¯s body was so light it seemed almost weightless.
¡°Divine Child... Shaman... Leader...¡± she greeted them weakly. Han Cheng and the others responded with smiles.
Han Cheng pointed to the deer milk nearby and gestured for the others to let the Shaman handle it. The Shaman personally brought the bowl over.
¡°Drink some deer milk to regain your strength, and you¡¯ll be able to get up and walk soon,¡± Han Cheng said.
Fire One nodded, and Han Cheng fed her. She slowly drank down half a bowl of deer milk. Seeing her awake and able to drink the milk, Fire Two, the Shaman, and the others breathed a sigh of relief. To them, being able to eat meant a healthy body.
Han Cheng wanted to be as optimistic as they were, but deep down, he knew this was a sign of the ¡°final rally¡± before the end...
Fire One passed away about ten minutes after finishing the deer milk. She went peacefully, with a smile on her face.
The passing of life cast a deep sorrow over the Green Sparrow Tribe. The atmosphere in the tribe was weighty, and Han Cheng felt a deep weight in his heart.
Birth, aging, sickness, death, separation from loved ones, prolonged suffering, unfulfilled desires, and the inability to let go¡ªthese are the eight sufferings of life, and they are hard to avoid.
He squatted by the wall, silently lost in thought.
The Shaman approached and squatted beside Han Cheng. After a moment, he said, ¡°Divine Child, Fire One lived a good life. She enjoyed a quality of life that no one in the tribe had experienced before... Compared to those before her, she lived a long life...¡±
Han Cheng nodded silently, knowing that the Shaman''s words were true, but he still felt sad. Fire One, who had been with the tribe since he arrived, was now gone...
¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s send Fire One off on her final journey,¡± Han Cheng said after a long silence, rising to his feet.
Fire One was dressed in a new outfit, and her face had been washed. Some people felt that using newly made hemp clothing for the deceased was wasteful, but Han Cheng insisted. For the deceased, everything should be done with respect. It was their final journey, and it was fitting to be dressed well.
Fire One was ced in a wooden box hastily crafted by Lame and then carried by others to the western side of the tribe. The people of the tribe followed behind in silence.
A pit over a meter deep had already been dug not far from the millet fields. The wooden box containing Fire One was ced in the pit. Following Han Cheng¡¯s lead, everyone began using bone shovels to scoop up soil and gradually fill the pit. The loose earth slowly covered the wooden box, forming a mound shaped like an overturned bowl.
In front of the mound, a small stone tablet was erected, inscribed with four characters: "Fire One''s Grave."
Chapter 467: Start of the Great War
Chapter 467: Start of the Great War
As the sun set in the west, the day''s heat dissipated, and a coolness began to rise.
The birds chirped as they returned to the forest, and the deer, back from grazing, called out softly.
The newly piled grave mound appeared taller and more lonely in the evening.
Fire Two sat quietly in front of the grave, her cloudy eyes staring at the stone tablet and the mound behind it.
She was closest to Fire One in the tribe; they shared the strongest bond. They were about the same age, and the tasks they managed were simr, so they had long been ustomed to each other¡¯s presence.
Now that Fire One was suddenly gone, Fire Two felt an emptiness inside her, as if something important was missing.
However,pared to the past, things are much better now.
In the past, when someone in the tribe died, they would be burned in a fire. It was a clean break, leaving no trace behind.
Now, the Divine child had changed the custom, burying the deceased in the earth and cing a stone engraved with their name on top.This gave people something to hold on to and look forward to.
Even if Fire Two missed Fire One terribly in the old days, she could only think about it in her heart. But now, with this grave, she could sit here for a while.
It made her feel a bit better as if Fire One hadn''tpletely left but was still present in another way¡
At dinner time, Han Cheng looked around but didn¡¯t see Fire Two. After thinking for a moment, he led a few people to the grave.
By then, the light was already dim, and Fire Two crouched there in front of the grave looked even smaller and lonelier in its shadow.
The wind blew, stirring her thin, white hair and rustling the leaves.
Seeing this, Han Cheng felt a pang in his heart...
Time passed, slowly yet swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, the hot summer had ended, followed closely by the lingering heat of early autumn.
But no matter how strong it was, autumn was still autumn. Though the days remained hot, the nights grew cooler.
If they didn¡¯t cover themselves with a thinyer of animal skin at bedtime, they would feel the chill.
Time is mysterious; it not only brings changes but also heals the wounds in people''s hearts.
People were gradually getting used to Fire One¡¯s passing, and when they thought of her, it no longer brought the same sadness. Even Fire Two visited the grave less frequently.
Life is like that¡ªyou can''t dwell in sorrow forever. Moving forward is the only way.
As the early autumn heat finally subsided, the millet that the Green Sparrow Tribe had nted in the spring turned golden.
The threshing floor outside the main gate had been cleaned, and the sickles, wooden forks, brooms, and wheelbarrows had been prepared.
After a hearty meal, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, sharpening their tools, set out joyfully to the golden fields.
Sickles moved swiftly, and one by one, the heads of the millet stalks, heavy with grain, fell to the ground with a soft rustling sound.
Sweat rolled down their bronze-colored skin, which seemed to shimmer like gold in the autumn sunlight, reflecting off the golden millet.
The creaking sound of wheelbarrows filled the air as their wooden wheels rolled lightly over the newly built stone road, carrying the heavy harvest to the threshing floor...
Threshing, winnowing, flipping, gathering...
After going through the entire process, the clean millet grains appeared before them. Once dried, they were stored in the granary.
Last year¡¯s remaining millet was cleared and dried, then stored separately. It would be consumed first before the new grain was eaten.
This year, the Green Sparrow Tribe harvested even more millet than the previous year.
On one hand, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were more familiar with all millet cultivation aspects thanst year. On the other hand, they nted more millet this year.
In addition to the original 800 mu ofnd, after the rapeseed harvest, the 100 mu was also used to nt ate millet crop under Han Cheng¡¯s orders.
Just as the early millet was harvested and stored, thete millet was also ready for harvest.
Although the yield wasn¡¯t quite as high as that of the early millet, it wasn¡¯t much less per mu, either.
This 100 mu ofnd, which was used forte millet, would lie fallow this winter.
Han Cheng nned to select another 100 mu ofnd that had never been nted with rapeseed for this year¡¯s crop.
Different crops have different nutrient requirements from the soil, which is why Han Cheng practiced crop rotation between millet and rapeseed¡
The seemingly simr days passed in a repetitive yet subtly new way.
After the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe harvested the hemp and buried it in the retting pit, the leader of the Donkey Tribe also set out to trade with distant tribes using the goods they had exchanged from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Compared to his former enthusiasm, the leader of the Donkey Tribe now appeared more reserved.
His silence was understandable. As trading continued, the fur supplies from the surrounding tribes had already been mostly exchanged for their precious pottery and salt.
It had be increasingly difficult to obtainrge quantities of fur from these tribes.
He could only lead his people further afield, carrying pottery and salt on their backs. Only those tribes that had never traded could still offer a substantial amount of fur.
The ever-lengthening journeys were a significant burden for the people of the Donkey Tribe.
This was why the leader of the Donkey Tribe had be more reserved¡
Cao Geng picked a few early-ripening fruits and ced them in the grass basket on his back.
He had scars on his body, and his already crooked nose had be even more bent.
The second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe hit him, and the reason for the beating was simple.
Despite waiting here for so long, the ck tribe Cao Geng had mentioned had never appeared.
After cing the fruit in his basket, Cao Geng straightened up and looked again from where the ck tribe had oncee. All he saw were trees and wild grass.
The ck tribe was still nowhere to be seen, just like the herd of deer he had hoped to encounter.
Cao Geng''s longing for the ck tribe had surpassed his desire for the deer.
If the deer didn¡¯te, he might go without some meat, but if the ck tribe didn¡¯te soon, he feared he would be beaten again in a few days.
¡°Damn it!¡± Cao Geng cursed anxiously. Because of his crooked nose, his voice sounded muffled.
But after cursing, all he could do was continue to wait¡
¡°There! Look!¡± A man from the Donkey Tribe, carrying three nested pottery jars, excitedly pointed ahead.
The somewhat dazed leader of the Donkey Tribe quickly focused his gaze¡
Chapter 468: Trading with a viper
Chapter 468: Trading with a viper
After carefully observing the situation in front of him for a while, the leader of the Donkey Tribe shook off his earlier gloom and became excited.
Following his gaze, he saw a few people in a sparsely wooded area ahead, carrying stone spears and moving around as if hunting for prey.
The Donkey Tribe leader was naturally thrilled. Since he had never been to thisnd before, encountering people here meant they were likely dealing with a new tribe they had never seen.
Meeting such a tribe meant they could exchange for many beast hides.
This was something he had learned from years of trading.
¡°£¤£¤!¡±
After watching the situation for a while, he excitedly called out to the people behind him and took the lead.
The rest of the tribe members, also quite excited, carried their pottery and salt and followed the leader toward their new trading target...
The former Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe walked through the woods with a stone spear, feeling satisfied as he observed the hunters around him.He had be a leader in the tribe again. Initially, he had no chance of bing a leader, but during the summer, the newly elected Fourth Leader stepped on a venomous snake while leading people on a hunt and died soon after.
With the position of Fourth Leader vacant, the shaman allowed the tribe to hold apetition to select a new Fourth Leader.
This time, the shaman permitted the former Second Leader to participate.
This man had fought his way to bing the Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, and no one could match him in thepetition.
After a fierce battle, he had be the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe as he had wished.
Although he was only the lowest-ranking leader, he was finally a leader.
Aside from him, no one knew why the previous Fourth Leader had stepped on a snake and died...
Holding his stone spear, he smiled and looked at the hunters around him.
There were nearly thirty people, all under hismand.
They were not in therge tribe now but had left it, as usual, to hunt in the surrounding area.
A hint of gloom marred the Fourth Leader¡¯s joyful mood as he remembered another matter.
That was the white, snowke-like ¡°salt.¡±
From the crooked-nosedmoners and other leaders, he had learned how delicious food with added salt could be.
However, when he became a leader and wanted to taste some of that salted food, the shaman forbade it.
Only the shaman could enjoy food with added salt because the precious salt in the ceramic jars was running out...
This frustrated him, but he had no way to change it. In the tribe, no one dared challenge the shaman¡¯s authority, not even the Great Leader.
¡°£¤~¡±
He muttered angrily, not at the shaman but at the Flying Snake Tribe''s Second Leader, who led people to wait for the tribe with salt and pottery.
It had been such a long time, and they still hadn¡¯t found the salt and pottery, which made him very angry.
While lost in these thoughts, the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe suddenly focused his gaze and looked with surprise and caution toward one direction.
Some people suddenly appeared there and wereing directly toward them, carrying something.
¡°¡¡Öap;!¡±
He shouted out, and those around him quickly gathered at his side.
They assembled, weapons in hand, and watched the unexpected group approaching them.
While feeling some caution, the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe was more excited because it meant they had discovered another new tribe.
When he saw what the neers were carrying on their shoulders, he rubbed his eyes to ensure he wasn¡¯t mistaken and became even more excited.
Precious pottery!
So much precious pottery?!
He shifted his gaze from the pottery to the people carrying it. Most of these people were dark-skinned.
He suddenly remembered what the crooked-nosedmoner had said: the traders who used toe to their tribe were a group of dark-skinned people, and these dark-skinned people carried precious pottery, which contained the equally precious salt!
The tribe that the Second Leader and others had been searching for so long had suddenly appeared before him, leaving him with a dizzying sense of amazement.
Amidst this dizziness was an indescribable, intense joy!
The Donkey Tribe leader also had a broad smile. He wasn¡¯t surprised that the arriving tribe had be wary and gathered together.
He had seen this kind of reaction many times before.
Typically, when new tribes saw them, their reaction was almost always simr.
But once they realized the value of the pottery and salt, they would genuinely appreciate the value of his tribe''s goods.
Thus, they would willingly exchange their surplus hides for precious pottery and salt.
With this thought in mind, the two tribes gradually moved closer.
To show that he meant no harm, the Donkey Tribe leader instructed his people to lower their weapons and carry them behind.
¡°£¤~¡±
He set down the salt jars and approached the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe to greet him.
Just like the other tribes they had encountered before.
The Fourth Leader¡¯s eyes were fixed on the pottery before him, and he pointed at it, his eyes shining with eagerness.
He could hardly wait to find out if the jars contained salt.
Although the Donkey Tribe leader could not understand the words of the Flying Snake Tribe¡¯s Fourth Leader, his extensive trading experience allowed him to grasp the meaning.
With a smile, the Donkey Tribe leader knew that exquisite pottery always had a significant impact on those who had never seen it before.
When meeting a new tribe, the attention of other tribes was quickly drawn to the pottery. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had experienced such a reaction.
Thus, even though the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe seemed more enthusiastic than the tribes they had encountered, the Donkey Tribe leader took it in stride.
He felt even more pleased because the response indicated they might be able to obtain more hides from this new tribe.
After a brief exchange, the Donkey Tribe leader was even more delighted because he found that the pottery and the snow-white salt attracted the people of this tribe more than the people of other tribes they had met before.
So, he didn¡¯t bother with further discussion and went straight to the point...
Chapter 469: The Flying Snake Tribe, Disdained by the Donkey Tribe
Chapter 469: The Flying Snake Tribe, Disdained by the Donkey Tribe
In the not-so-dense forest, a cleared area was prepared.
Without needing much direction from the Donkey Tribe leader, members of the Donkey Tribe brought dry firewood and fetched water with a y pot. They ced it on the stones they had set up, beginning a performance that, despite being something they had done many times, still required significant effort.
As the mes rose and the water in the y pot gradually began to boil, the Donkey Tribe leader skillfully added some food and waited for it to cook.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe sat by eagerly awaiting his first taste of food with added salt!
However, the Donkey Tribe leader''s following action puzzled him. Instead of adding the snow-white salt into the pot, he scooped some of the soup into a bowl and brought it to him for tasting.
¡°£¤~£¿¡±
He received the hot soup from the Donkey Tribe leader, pointed to the nearby jar filled with arge amount of salt, and inquired.
Seeing the Flying Snake Tribe leader point towards the jar of salt, the Donkey Tribe leader felt even more pleased. Today had been remarkably smooth, and the leader of this tribe was adapting quickly to these new things they had never encountered before.
Despite this, the Donkey Tribe leader did not immediately add salt to the bowl but insisted on having the understanding leader first taste the in soup. This was something he had learned from the powerful tribe''s divine son. When he introduced pottery and salt to them, he used this method.It turned out that drinking in soup first, followed by salted soup, did indeed have a greater impact.
Unable to refuse the Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s insistence, the Flying Snake Tribe leader drank a small amount of in soup in the bowl. The taste was quite simr to what he had at home.
The Donkey Tribe leader took the empty bowl from him, generously refilled it with soup, and, with great ceremony, added a considerable amount of salt. He stirred it well and returned the bowl to the Flying Snake Tribe leader.
He then watched expectantly as the Flying Snake Tribe leader hesitantly tasted the salted soup.
The other members of the Donkey Tribe also watched the Flying Snake Tribe leader intently.
They had seen the astonished expressions of other tribes trying salted food for the first time many times, but it never failed to delight them. Each time, it brought them immense satisfaction, a feeling even better than eating the delicious salted food themselves.
The Flying Snake Tribe leader did not disappoint them. After tasting a small sip of the salted meat soup, his eyes immediately brightened, and he could not hide his astonished expression.
Although he had anticipated that salted food would be exceptionally delicious, the taste still surprised him. At this moment, he suddenly understood why the leaders who had eaten salted food found other foods less appealing afterward. He also realized why the shaman often sighed over the dwindling salt jars and frequently asked about the avability of salt.
So this was the taste of salted food!
Seeing the expression on the Flying Snake Tribe leader''s face, everyone from the Donkey Tribe broke into knowing smiles.
Noticing that other members of the Flying Snake Tribe were drooling over the steaming y pot, the Donkey Tribe leader, understanding their eagerness, allowed them to add salt to the remaining soup and serve it to others.
¡°£¤£¡¡±
The Flying Snake Tribe leader sincerely praised the deliciousness of salted food.
The Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s smile widened even more.
He took the empty y bowl, pointed at the pottery and salt, and then pointed at the furs wrapped around him, indicating to the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe that he was willing to exchange the furs.
Since he had heard about the Donkey Tribe from Cao Geng earlier, the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe quickly understood the Donkey Tribe leader''s intention.
However, he had no ns to use the furs for trade.
Firstly, he had not been at the cave for long, and the furs he had collected were not substantial.
Secondly, he didn¡¯t need to trade for these items; he could seize them. He was not foolish like the Cao Geng people.
Seeing the Donkey Tribe leader enthusiastically unting the pottery and salt, the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe maintained a smile on his face.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe then led the Donkey Tribe people to the cave they were temporarily residing in, which had initially been upied by another tribe.
The Donkey Tribe leader, carrying the pottery and salt, happily followed with the rest of his tribe.
They were not being held captive but were following the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe to exchange furs.
At this moment, the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe no longer intended to kill and rob the Donkey Tribe for their salt and pottery.
This change of mind was due to the realization that their tribe¡¯s salt was dwindling, and the shaman had been sighing over the decreasing salt jars.
Although the Donkey Tribe had a lot of salt, it wouldn¡¯tst forever. Once they consumed the looted salt, where would they find more?
Thinking about this, the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe changed his approach. Given his cunning nature, this change was not surprising.
Upon arriving at the temporary cave, the Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s mood soured.
Seeing the small number of animals hiding before him, he even felt an impulse to strike someone.
He had hoped to acquire many furs from this new tribe, only to find their collection so meager.
The high expectations turned into disappointment, which was indeed disheartening.
This tribe, despite having many adults, was surprisingly poor!
The Donkey Tribe leader developed a sense of contempt for this tribe.
However, he didn¡¯t leave empty-handed. He left behind a y bowl and a small portion of salt and took all the avable furs.
¡°£¤£¤!¡±
As the Donkey Tribe leader and his people left, someone inside the cave pointed at the departing Donkey Tribe and spoke to the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe.
The suggestion was to chase down and kill all the Donkey Tribe members to seize all their pottery and salt.
Such an action would yield the greatest reward for their group.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe disagreed with this proposal. Instead, he waited until the Donkey Tribe people were nearly out of sight, then called over two people to follow the Donkey Tribe quietly.
After the two left, he instructed others to carry away all the food in the cave and, armed with weapons, exited the cave.
Chapter 470: The Alarm Sounded
Chapter 470: The rm Sounded
During the Mid-Autumn, the daytime temperatures were still high.
Most of the trees were still lush and green, with only an asional yellow leaf falling gently to the ground like a butterfly.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe, carrying a thick bundle of furs, walked at the front.
He had a rxed smile on his face. After this travel period, he finally managed to exchange all the pottery and salt he had carried for many animal hides.
What¡¯s more, he had found two new tribes to trade with in the future.
This would be theirst trade of the year. After returning to their tribe, they would rest for a while.
Then, they would transport these numerous furs to the powerful and wealthy tribe, exchange them for valuable pottery and salt, and stop trading. They would wait for the heavy snow to melt...
Surrounded by joy, the Donkey Tribe did not realize that two people were trailing behind them, marking trees along the way.
Further behind, a tribe deemedzy and weak by the leader was following these markings.The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe felt a mix of emotions.
On the one hand, he was frustrated by the tribe''s refusal to fight and their continued exchange of valuable pottery and salt for less useful furs, feeling angered by the stupidity of the ck tribe.
On the other hand, he was secretly pleased.
Seeing so much pottery and salt being exchanged, it was clear that the tribe had arge amount of these goods.
Moreover, by following this tribe, he discovered two more tribes.
These discoveries and gains expanded their food sources.
The fourth leader admired his decision to track the tribe and find their cave instead of directly attacking them.
When he returned to therge tribe with the numerous pottery and salt, even the shaman would cheer for him.
He recalled the shaman¡¯s obsession with salt and pondered the possibility of regaining his position as the second leader.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, almost eager to reach the tribe''s cave ahead.
¡°Phew!¡±
Seeing the cave before him, the Donkey Tribe leader sighed a sigh of relief.
The other members of the Donkey Tribe behind him also showed delighted expressions.
This time, they had been away longer than ever and were finally returning to their tribe.
The people following them were smiling and looking rxed as if carrying furs was no longer heavy.
At the partially concealed entrance of the cave, some of the people who had stayed behind ran out to greet them.
At the forefront were the short but quick children, followed by some adults who were not very strong.
They cheered and jumped to wee the returning tribespeople.
The Donkey Tribe leader set down a bundle of furs from his shoulder and cheerfully took out a fur-wrapped bundle.
Inside were some bright red fruits.
These were found on the way back.
The children happily received the fruits from him, their smiles even wider.
The people who came out to greet them carried the furs back into the cave without needing help.
The Donkey Tribe leader looked at the bustling tribe with genuine joy.
They entered the cave, untied some furs, and took out some food.
This was the preserved food they had exchanged for pottery and salt with the other tribes.
In their trades with other tribes, the Donkey Tribe did not only exchange for furs but also for food.
The furs were used to trade with the wealthy and powerful tribes for pottery and salt, while the food was for their consumption.
Simrly, when trading these furs with the wealthy tribe, they were exchanging them for pottery, salt, and food.
The mes grewrger, and the ceramic pot on top was steaming. The aroma of the food gradually filled the cave.
The Donkey Tribe leader was the first to serve the food, followed by the others.
Amidst the rich aroma of the food, the entire cave of the Donkey Tribe was filled with cheerfulughter and voices.
After eating, while it was still bright outside and plenty of time before dark, the entrance to the cave was blocked.
The long journey with heavy loads had exhausted most of the Donkey Tribe members.
Now, back in the cave, their bodies and minds rxed. They eagerly needed a good night''s sleep to restore their energy.
Not long after the cave was sealed, the sound of snoring filled the cave.
The children also behaved well, not running around or making noise but quietly staying to allow the adults some peaceful rest...
In a concealed location near the cave, the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe and his group sneaked up.
He inquired about details from the two individuals following closely, then carefully surveyed the blocked cave for a while before turning to give the order to attack.
After the long journey following the Donkey Tribe, they were exhausted even without carrying anything, let alone the Donkey Tribe members carrying loads.
At this time, with the cave entrance blocked, they were most likely sleeping.
This was a perfect opportunity for a surprise attack.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, who had experience attacking other tribes, was confident in his n.
Upon receiving his orders, the Flying Snake Tribe members began to move.
Instead of rushing out recklessly, they used the surrounding trees and grass to approach the Donkey Tribe''s cave quietly.
This was based on their experience from previous attacks on other tribes.
If only the strange horned beast were here, they could have charged directly without such caution.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe thought to himself, smiling at his timidity.
This tribe didn¡¯t have such a strange cave and was most likely sleeping. There was no need to worry too much.
Without the horned beast, they could still take this tribe down!
¡°Help!¡±
Inside the quiet Donkey Tribe cave, a woman peeking through a gap at the entrance suddenly cried out loudly. Her voice was so loud that even the approaching Flying Snake Tribe could hear it.
The sleeping members of the Donkey Tribe quickly woke up, scrambling to find their weapons.
While sleeping, they hadn¡¯t previously kept watch at the cave entrance, but after frequent trades with the Green Sarrow Tribe, they had learned to be on guard.
Chapter 471: Fight a way out
Chapter 471: Fight a way out
¡°Help!¡±
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe did not expect to be discovered before reaching the Donkey Tribe''s cave.
However, he reacted quickly. Almost as soon as the woman''s voice sounded, hismand followed.
The Flying Snake Tribe members stopped hiding and charged straight at the cave entrance, swiftly moving stones and pushing away the stone bs.
Before the main force of the Donkey Tribe could reach the cave entrance to hold the stone bs in ce, the bs were already being pushed inward.
The woman who had given the warning couldn¡¯t dodge in time, and a falling stone b crushed her leg, twisting the bone and causing her to scream in pain.
The Flying Snake Tribe members ignored her and trampled over her like a pack of hungry wolves, viciously attacking the others inside the cave.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, carrying a stone spear, approachedst and casually used his spear to kill the Donkey Tribe woman who had been trampled on the ground.
Watching the chaotic scene inside, he wore a cruel smile.This tribe wasn¡¯t the damned tribe. Even if they discovered his tribe in advance, it would be useless; his tribe would still kill them!
Of course, the woman''s early warning had its effect. If she hadn¡¯t alerted the Donkey Tribe leader and given them some time to prepare, the situation for the Donkey Tribe would have been even worse!
¡°A!¡±
The sudden warning cry and the ensuing battle left the Donkey Tribe leader and his people feeling unprepared.
They had never anticipated a conflict with another tribe; they wanted to trade peacefully. Yet, the battle erupted suddenly.
And it took ce right in their cave!
The Donkey Tribe leader was even more enraged when he recognized that these attackers were from a tribe they had previously traded with and whom he consideredzy.
He swung his stone spear desperately, trying to kill the invaders, but thebat was not the strong suit of his tribe.
Members of the Donkey Tribe were continuously struck by the enemy, either falling to the ground or being killed outright.
Two children who had not managed to retreat to the back were directly impaled by a Flying Snake Tribe member''s spear!
With bloodshot eyes, the Donkey Tribe leader faced brutal attacks from the enemies and could only retreat continuously!
After waiting a little longer, he could no longer hold back and shouted.
At his shout, the adults in the tribe gathered around him with all their might and charged desperately outwards.
They fought and pushed through the enemies blocking their path, suffering injuries and bleeding.
However, they ultimately cleared a path and continued to charge out.
Under the orders of the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, arge portion of his people followed and quickly pursued.
Only twelve people managed to escape with the Donkey Tribe leader, several of whom were seriously wounded.
They ran in a direction after emerging from the cave.
The Flying Snake Tribe members chasing them from behind continued to throw stones and other objects at them.
The Donkey Tribe leader was struck in the right arm by a spear and hit by a stone.
In terms of running away, the Flying Snake Tribe members were no match for the Donkey Tribe, whose skills had been honed over years of long journeys.
However, today was different. Some of those who had escaped were seriously injured, significantly affecting their speed.
¡°...!¡±
The Donkey Tribe leader turned to look at the fierce Flying Snake Tribe members behind them and shouted.
The four heavily injured individuals stopped and, trembling with fear of death, used their weapons to block the path of the pursuing Flying Snake Tribe.
Though they feared death, they were even more unwilling to let their tribe be destroyed.
This was why their tribe had survived so long¡ªjust as they prioritized feeding the strong over the weak when food was scarce.
It was all about ensuring the survival of the tribe.
Living in a brutal era, they had to fight and struggle in harsh ways to survive.
¡°Help!¡±
The Donkey Tribe leader yelled towards the four and the direction of the cave, like a wild beast howling for its lost offspring.
Despite this, he did not dare to stop. Leading the remaining eight, he fled at full speed.
Only by escaping quickly could they avoid the destruction of their tribe.
The Flying Snake Tribe members surged forward, and the four blocking the path were quickly overwhelmed like small sand mounds on the coast being swept away by a huge wave.
However, this brief dy provided the fleeing Donkey Tribe members with a valuable opportunity.
They fled desperately, quickly increasing the distance between themselves and the Flying Snake Tribe.
After a while of chasing, the Flying Snake Tribe members, seeing no results, eventually gave up.
Breathing heavily and victorious, they returned to the cave they had just captured.
There, a feast awaited them¡ªa feast for the victors.
As they passed the four fallen Donkey Tribe members, they carried them off, smiling, towards the cave, like hunters returning with their prey.
Inside the cave, it was a scene of devastation. The previous warmth was gone, reced by the strong smell of blood and the bodies scattered on the ground.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe looked at the pottery and food grimly.
In the past, receiving such arge pottery and nearly a jar of precious salt would have made him cheer with joy. But now, he felt only disappointment and anger.
The reason was that the current haul was far from what he had anticipated.
He clearly remembered how much valuable pottery and salt the Donkey Tribe had carried when he first encountered them.
They were willing to trade these precious items for less important furs, showing just how much pottery and salt their tribe had!
However, the reality was highly disappointing.
The amount of pottery and salt stored in this tribe was significant, but the gap from his expectations was toorge.
It was far less than what the Donkey Tribe had taken to trade with other tribes.
He had hoped for a big score but ended up with this, worsening his mood.
¡°Where are these from?!¡±
After a while, he suddenly grabbed an injured Donkey Tribe member who was cowering to the side and, pointing at the pottery and salt, loudly demanded to know how they hade by these items.
Chapter 472: Go to the Strong Tribe
Chapter 472: Go to the Strong Tribe
Early the following day, as the sky was beginning to lighten, the tightly shut entrance of the Donkey Tribe¡¯s cave was opened from the outside.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe and his people emerged from within.
The previous day¡¯s feast and restful sleep had wiped away all their fatigue, leaving them feeling particrly spirited.
Armed with weapons and full of energy, they set out.
Apanying them were two Donkey Tribe members who had been captured and had not escaped after being injured.
The two Donkey Tribe members were being led in front by the Flying Snake Tribe members heading straight towards the Green Sparrow Tribe.
¡°Move faster!¡±
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe was irritated by the two Donkey Tribe members'' slow pace and kicked them a few times.
He was eager to reach the Green Sparrow Tribe and seize all their precious pottery and salt, but the two were dragging their feet.The two terrified Donkey Tribe members had no choice but to endure their pain and hasten their pace to lead the ruthless Flying Snake Tribe members to the affluent tribe.
The fourth leader¡¯s mood improved again.
He initially thought that dealing with pottery and salt would be straightforward, but he didn¡¯t expect to learn more information from these people.
Due to thenguage barrier, he couldn¡¯t understand most of what they said, but he clearly understood that the salt and pottery the Donkey Tribe had were acquired from another tribe.
So, he set out early in the morning with his people to attack the tribe that possessed the salt and pottery.
He intended to take all the salt and pottery from that tribe, and upon returning to his tribe, he would undoubtedly earn the great praise of the shaman.
Whether the tribe was challenging to conquer or very powerful, the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe didn¡¯t consider it at all.
Since he could remember, he had never seen a tribe stronger than the Flying Snake Tribe.
And there wasn¡¯t a tribe the Flying Snake Tribe couldn¡¯t defeat.
Regardless of which tribe had the pottery and salt, it didn¡¯t matter to him, as he would break through and seize the salt and pottery.
With such ambitious thoughts, he deliberately ignored the tribe that had previously caused him great trouble.
That tribe was just an ident. There were many tribes on thisnd, and it couldn¡¯t be that coincidental for a tribe with strange caves to also possess precious pottery and salt.
Sunlight streamed down, and in a clearing among the trees, the Donkey Tribe leader and eight other members of the Donkey Tribe sat dejectedly.
Most of them were injured. Wounds, fear, and exhaustion... all these factors had left them in a state of utter despair.
The Donkey Tribe leader leaned against a tree, his eyes vacant as he stared at the ground.
Everything that had suddenly happened from yesterday until now left him in a daze.
His tribe had been destroyed just like that. After working so hard to build up the tribe and seeing it flourish day by day...
All of it had been abruptly shattered.
It all felt like a nightmarish dream he wished he could avoid.
The image of lively children being pierced and bleeding out, familiar faces in the tribe lying on the ground with lifeless eyes, the panicked and despairing screams of the people, and the four injured tribe members left to block the enemies...
These images swirled continuously in his mind, causing great emotional turmoil.
The thought of returning to fight those evil people, to kill them and rescue the remaining members of the tribe, had crossed his mind more than once. There were even several times when he had led the remaining people back partway, but in the end, he sat down in despair as if all his strength had been drained away.
He knew that even if they went back, it would be useless. They were no match for that tribe. With so many of their people dead, returning would only destroy thest remaining members of the tribe without changing the oue.
Time passed slowly, and the sun sank lower into the sky. The Donkey Tribe leader, whose arm was swollen and no longer bleeding, remained silent for a while before suddenly standing up from the ground. A wave of weakness hit him, making him sway.
Ignoring this, he shouted to the remaining eight people.
The eight other Donkey Tribe members, who had also been silent, gradually regained theirposure. They stood up from the ground and, despite their weakness, followed their leader, making their way with all their remaining strength.
They were heading towards the affluent and influential tribe to inform them of what had happened and beg for revenge for their tribe.
Their hasty escape had led them off the usual path to that tribe, but it didn''t matter. They had spent most of the recent years traveling and could reach that tribe as long as they knew the direction.
The thought of seeking help from the wealthy and powerful tribe strengthened them. Despite their weakened state, they moved through the deste terrain with determination.
This thought was like thest straw...
The Green Sparrow Tribe continued to be peaceful as usual. The first batch of millet had been stored indoors, and the second batch had also been harvested in good weather.
With the millet filling several rooms, everyone felt secure; having food on hand meant no worries.
Thest batch of autumn silkworms had spun their cocoons the day before.
Somerger cocoons were kept to allow them to transform into moths and produce the next generation. The rest were collected by Bai Xue, the silkworm caretaker, who threw them into a pot of boiling water.
Unlike before, when she would open the cocoons to extract the pupae and fry them, this time, all the cocoons were ced directly into the pot.
Bai Xue, who had mastered weaving with hemp thread, wanted to try weaving with silk cocoons. Brother Cheng said that silk thread fabric was better than hemp fabric.
She had started experimenting with this after the previous batch of cocoons matured, but the results were far from satisfactory, almost aplete failure.
The problem wasn''t with the weaving machine but with the cocoons. Before she could extract the silk, moths had already emerged from the damaged cocoons.
The silk broke quickly with holes in the cocoons, which was very frustrating. It was even more upsetting than her inability to grow a bigger belly during that period.
It wasn''t until she consulted Brother Cheng that she solved this problem...
As the pot''s water boiled, the cocoons floated and rolled around in the hot water. The boiling water killed the pupae inside the cocoons, preventing them from turning into moths and ensuring that the cocoons wouldn''t break.
Chapter 473: Instantly Cowardly Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe
Chapter 473: Instantly Cowardly Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe
The sun set and rose again and then set once more.
The Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, holding a weapon, was leading his people on their journey.
Along the way, he asionally kicked the two exhausted and injured Donkey Tribe members who had been leading them. They were weary from fear, injury, and the long trek.
The leader was impatient to reach the tribe with the salt and pottery and seize it all, but frustratingly, despite traveling for so long, they had not yet arrived.
So, the two Donkey Tribe guides suffered greatly.
As the light grew brighter and the forest ended, glimpses of the outsidendscape appeared through the trees. One of the battered Donkey Tribe members pointed outside and spoke urgently.
Though the Flying Snake leader couldn¡¯t understand the words, he guessed the general meaning. It seemed they had arrived at the tribe¡¯s location.
Upon hearing this, the Flying Snake leader was uncontrobly excited. Finally, they were almost there!
He focused intently on the forest¡¯s edge.Through the sparse trees and over a bare stretch ofnd, his gaze settled on a yellowish-brown cliff.
The Flying Snake leader was momentarily stunned. There was no sign of the cave¡ªhow could they have arrived?
Just as he was about to kick the Donkey Tribe member, he was suddenly taken aback.
After a moment of confusion, he turned his head sharply toward the cliff.
His eyes were fixed on the yellowish-brown cliff, and he was momentarily dazed.
Memories of several years ago came rushing back to his mind.
Thick snow, fallen tribesmen, the yellowish-brown cliff, people standing on the cliff, thrown spears, and steaming blood...
The scene from his memory gradually merged with the cliff before him, disorienting the Flying Snake leader.
His previous ambitions and fierceness were suddenly frozen in ce.
The tribe with the valuable pottery and salt was indeed the same tribe that had once caused him a significant loss.
What a coincidence!
The Flying Snake leader¡¯s heart tightened.
Back in his tribe, he had often imagined what it would be like to retake this tribe and exact revenge.
But now, having unexpectedly returned to this tribe, he couldn¡¯t muster any desire to attack.
The other Flying Snake tribe members also realized they had reached their destination.
The valuable pottery and delicious salt made them anxious to proceed.
Some were puzzled to see the Flying Snake leader standing there, dazed, instead of quickly locating the cave and killing the inhabitants.
One of them spoke up to remind him.
The Flying Snake leader, still scanning the cliff inch by inch, finally spotted a small figure on the cliff.
His heart sank sharply.
This cunning tribe had indeed stationed guards on the cliff as before.
Lost in these thoughts, he was jolted by hispanion''s voice, causing him to drop his weapon.
Furious, the Flying Snake leader snapped angrily, scolding in a low voice before pping the offendingpanion.
The excited Flying Snake tribesman was momentarily stunned. He couldn¡¯t understand why the leader had struck him.
Wasn¡¯t it urgent to find the tribe with the salt and pottery and charge in?
Why had he been hit for merely mentioning it?
Even more confusing was that after hitting him, the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe picked up his weapon, lowered his voice, and instructed everyone to remain silent. Then he led them back, retreating deeper into the forest.
He kept ncing back toward the forest''s edge as if fearing someone mighte after them.
What was wrong with the leader?
He had always been the type to grab his weapon and charge, so why was he now so cautious and fearful?
After retreating into the forest for a while and letting out a long sigh, the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe and many of his people were puzzled.
Of course, not everyone felt this way. A few Flying Snake tribe members, who had fought in the brutal battle against the Green Sparrow Tribe years ago, reacted simrly to the leader.
Finally, someone voiced their confusion. The Flying Snake leader, wanting to hit the person who spoke, thought better of it and restrained himself. He angrily pointed toward the forest''s edge and shouted in a low voice.
After a while, the Flying Snake tribe members understood the situation.
As they looked toward that direction, their faces were marked by fear and a hint of panic.
It turned out that the tribe with the salt and pottery was indeed the same one that had once defeated them so badly.
This revtion hit them like a bucket of cold water, leaving them momentarily stunned.
They looked to the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, waiting for him to decide.
The leader, feeling conflicted between wanting to avoid the terrifying tribe and his unwillingness to give up the valuable pottery and salt, remained silent for a moment.
Eventually, he sent someone to observe the situation up close before making any further decisions.
He instructed the others to stay hidden and, along with threepanions, cautiously approached the edge of the forest.
They crouched by the grass at the forest¡¯s edge, nervously surveying the open area and the yellowish-brown cliff.
The distance was still too great to look at the tribe¡¯s situation, but the Flying Snake leader dared not get any closer. The open area made it easy to be spotted.
The memory of past encounters made him wary of making any reckless moves.
Additionally, people were near the yellowish-brown cliff holding various items, but it was unclear what they were doing.
Getting closer would increase the risk of being discovered.
As the Flying Snake leader quietly observed the yellowish-brown cliff, the sun¡¯s rays cast a daunting shadow, making the cliff appear even more imposing and forbidding.
Suddenly, the sharp sound of drums echoed from afar, apanied by urgent shouts.
The people near the yellowish-brown cliff immediately rushed to the other side.
The Flying Snake leader¡¯s heart raced. Having been here before, he knew this was the warning signal of the tribe ahead!
Chapter 474: Leave the Walls and Attack
Chapter 474: Leave the Walls and Attack
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, lying in the dirt, broke out in a cold sweat.
Had he been discovered?
As this thought crossed his mind, he wanted to jump up and flee, worried that the tribe¡¯s people would rush out and kill him.
The battle from a few years ago had left him with a significant psychological scar.
At that moment, he noticed something else.
A few staggering figures appeared a certain distance away from him.
These people had just emerged from the forest, and upon hearing the rm from the strange tribe, they not only did not stop but hurried towards the strange tribe with all their might.
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe recognized these figures as the dark-skinned tribe leader who had previously escaped from them.
What were they doing here?Seeking help?
Feeling a false rm, the fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribey even more t against the ground, watching the stumbling figures heading towards the strange tribe with a look of confusion and puzzlement.
He wanted to go out and kill these people, but it was merely a thought.
He looked at the numerous people appearing on the strange cliff from a distance and could only lie still and do nothing.
Within the Green Sparrow Tribe.
When the rm went off, Han Cheng crouched on the ground with Bai Xue, slowly drawing threads from the boiled silkworm cocoons.
This was genuine silk extraction.
It wasn¡¯t easy without prior practice.
When the rm sounded, Han Cheng stood up, still holding a silkworm cocoon with its head opened, and slowly wrapped the silk around a wooden stick.
The other members of the Green Sparrow Tribe reacted quickly but did not expect a significant incident.
After all, arge quantity of fruit was ripening and was a season of ample food. Usually, no tribe wouldunch an attack during this time.
However, this thought quickly diminished, and everyone¡¯s mood shifted from indifference to seriousness.
¡°What?¡±
Surprised by the announcement, Han Cheng passed the silk cocoon to Bai Xue and hurried with the Eldest Senior Brother, who had a serious expression, towards the gate.
Climbing up thedder to the wall, Han Cheng saw several people from the Donkey Tribe standing at the gate.
The Donkey Tribe leader and hispanions were in a pitiful state. They supported each other, looking hopeful and pleading as they gazed up at the wall.
Upon seeing Han Cheng appear, the Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s eyes lit up, and his expression became even more pleading.
¡°¡¡±
He weakly spoke, pleading for help.
Seeing this, Han Cheng¡¯s heart tightened. The Donkey Tribe had likely been attacked, most likely by another tribe.
After confirming that only these few members of the Donkey Tribe were around, Han Cheng ordered the gate to be opened to let the nine members in and quickly descended thedder himself.
¡°¡¡±
The Donkey Tribe leader was in a pitiful state, with deep-set eyes and cracked, dry lips.
The worst injury was to one arm, severely swollen, with yellow fluid oozing from it.
The other seven were in almost as bad a condition, all bearing wounds.
When the Donkey Tribe leader saw Han Cheng, he began toment and plead.
At this point, he had no other options; all he could think of was this wealthy and powerful tribe.
They had previously defeated the attacks from the evil tribe and had annihted the Bone Tribe that had attacked them.
Now that his tribe had faced utter devastation, the only chance for revengey with this wealthy, powerful, and kind tribe.
Without this thought supporting him, he might have copsed on the road.
"Don''t rush. Take your time to exin," Han Cheng said to the anxious Donkey Tribe leader.
He then had people support them in the courtyard.
The tribe¡¯s gate was tightly shut, and many people stood on the walls.
Someone brought some cool water, which the members of the Donkey Tribe drank greedily, improving their condition somewhat.
The leader set the cup aside and continued to speak, pleading with the Green Sparrow Tribe to help them exact revenge.
To this end, the Donkey Tribe leader even promised to join the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng¡¯s expression darkened, and the Green Sparrow Tribe members who heard the news also looked troubled.
Especially Shang, who had a simr experience with the Donkey Tribe.
Faced with the Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s plea, Han Cheng did not immediately agree. After a moment of silence, he asked the Eldest Senior Brother to inquire about the details of the situation.
After a long while, Han Cheng clenched his fist and instructed the people on the walls to be extra cautious. He also directed the Eldest Senior Brother and others to prepare weapons and food, nning to send people to the Donkey Tribe to investigate.
The militant Shang was the most enthusiastic. He wondered if the evil tribe attacking the Donkey Tribe was the same one that had attacked their tribe before.
On the other hand, Shaman appeared worried and expressed his concerns clearly.
He did not want the tribe members to wade into this mess. Being old, he wanted to develop and quietly watch the tribe grow stronger.
The recent death of Fire One made him cherish the tribe¡¯s poption even more.
Moreover, from the Donkey Tribe¡¯s ount, he knew that the attacking tribe was powerful and numerous.
Sending their people there might result in casualties if they encountered that tribe.
He expressed his worries by pointing at the walls, indicating his deeper fears.
Without the walls as their greatest defense, Shaman¡¯s anxiety was hard to dispel.
Han Cheng understood Shaman¡¯s concerns, but it was necessary to go. Some things had to be faced and could not be avoided.
¡°If we don¡¯t go, they will surely attack our tribe one day. By going now, we can learn more about them.¡±
Han Cheng persuaded Shaman.
He was not speaking recklessly; his words were based on truth.
From the Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s ount, Han Cheng learned that the attack was due to pottery and salt.
The pottery and salt from the Donkey Tribe had been exchanged from their tribe.
There was a significant possibility that the attackers would trace their way to their tribe.
Even if they couldn¡¯te immediately, over time, they would eventually reach their tribe.
Rather than living in constant fear, it was better to take the initiative to understand the situation and gather information about the enemy.
Of course, Han Cheng¡¯s decision was also directly rted to the significant increase in the tribe¡¯s strength after the recent merger with the Bone Tribe and the Green Tribe.
If the poption were still as sparse as before, Han Cheng would never have allowed the tribe members to leave the safety of the walls and take the offensive.
Chapter 475: Kill them all!
Chapter 475: Kill them all!
Han Cheng persuaded the shaman and he no longer objected to sending the people from the tribe to the Donkey Tribe, though the worry in his eyes could not be dispelled.
Under Han Cheng''s orders, the Green Sparrow Tribe people quickly mobilized. The Vine Shield, Spear, Archery, and Sling Team gathered in the courtyard, totaling eighty-three people, looking quite impressive.
Due to its small overall number, the Green Sparrow Tribe, like other tribes of this era, followed the policy of universal military service. Almost all adults participated in the training.
Even Hei Wa and Lame were involved. However, they would not be assigned tobat teams or allowed to participate in external battles. They would only take part in the tribe¡¯s defense if the tribe were attacked. Their importance to the tribe was too great for Han Cheng to risk losing them.
Han Cheng selected fifty-three people from those who were prepared.
Fifteen each from the Vine Shield Team, Archery Team, and Spear Team, and eight from the Sling Team.
The Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and Shang team leaders went out to lead their respective teams. The sessful diet-reduced Second Senior Brother stayed behind to guard the tribe with the remaining people.
The Donkey Tribe¡¯s leader could not give a precise number of the attackers. Han Cheng asked in various ways before finally getting a rough idea of the numbers. The enemy had more strong adults than the Donkey Tribe, but not by much. There were twenty-three strong adults in the Donkey Tribe, and the enemy tribe likely had around thirty.
So Han Cheng sent out fifty-three people.With these fifty-three well-trained and well-equipped tribal warriors, defeating the enemy tribe was not a problem.
¡°Be careful on the road; they mighte toward our tribe¡¡±
Han Cheng instructed the Eldest Senior Brother, who nodded solemnly.
Now an adult, Han Cheng originally intended to lead the team personally. However, the shaman strongly opposed it, fearing for his safety. Not just the shaman but also the Eldest Senior Brother and others persuaded Han Cheng not to go and promised to defeat the enemy. So, Han Cheng had to relent.
¡°Warriors of the Green Sparrow Tribe!¡±
After instructing the Eldest Brother, Han Cheng stepped in front of the fifty-three selected individuals, raised his voice, and gave a pre-battle pep talk.
¡°There is an evil tribe approaching us!
They want to kill our people! Steal our pottery and salt!
They want to upy our homes! Take our food!
What should we do in the face of such a tribe?¡±
Han Cheng looked at everyone, speaking loudly.
As his voice rang out, the battle spirit of the Green Sparrow Tribe began to rise rapidly. These were things they had worked hard to acquire; they depended on them for survival. Now, another tribe wanted to take it away¡ªhow could that be tolerated?
Thinking of this, even those who were a bit scared about the uing battle had their fighting spirit ignited.
¡°Kill them!¡±
The belligerent Shang¡¯s chest heaved, his eyes slightly reddened, gripping his spear tightly.
After Han Cheng¡¯s words, he shouted.
¡°Kill them!¡±
¡°Kill them!¡±
¡°Kill them!¡±
The others waved their weapons, joining in the shout, their momentum impressive.
They were not an evil tribe and did not want to conflict with other tribes, but when other tribes tried to bully them and steal their belongings, they could also unleash overwhelming courage andbat power!
¡°Divine Child, I want to go too!¡±
¡°Divine Child, I¡¯m going as well¡¡±
The remaining people on the sidelines came over to petition, influenced by the atmosphere and wanting to join the fight. Han Cheng, of course, refused their request. If everyone went out, who would protect the tribe?
The tribe was their foundation.
The leader of the Donkey Tribe and a few others from their tribe watched in shock as the Green Sparrow people, who were now full of energy and spirit, felt excitement and envy.
If their tribe had so many people and such strength, they wouldn¡¯t be in such a dire situation, facing the threat of being overrun by an evil tribe.
At that moment, the Donkey Tribe leader suddenly realized that to thrive, it wasn¡¯t enough to have enough food; a tribe also needed powerful strength to defend everything!
He and the remaining few approached the esteemed Divine Child and excitedly and firmly expressed their desire to return with him.
A friendly tribe was helping their tribe, rescuing their people¡ªhow could they stay behind and not participate?
Han Cheng didn¡¯t want them to go; they were too tired and weak. However, he couldn¡¯t argue with them and, after a while, left three of the more severely injured and immobile individuals behind. The Donkey Tribe leader and the other six joined the main force of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
¡°Good!¡±
The belligerent Shang patted the Donkey Tribe leader on the shoulder. He was pleased with the Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s request to join the fight. The earlier difort caused by the Donkey Tribe leader breaking away from the tribe had vanished.
With the gates of the Green Sparrow Tribe wide open, the Green Sparrow Tribe members, who had drunk a bowl of fortifying liquor, walked out through the open gates.
Armed with weapons and led by the leader, the Eldest Senior Brother, they followed the stone-paved road towards the east side of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
This was the Green Sparrow Tribe''s second expedition.
Their route was the one frequently used by the Donkey Tribe.
Due to increased trade between the Donkey Tribe and the Green Sparrow Tribe in recent years, their travels had worn down a clearly defined path.
As Master Lu said, the more a path is traveled, the clearer it bes.
The team was divided into two groups, marching side by side along the winding stone-paved road, entering the forest, and heading towards the Donkey Tribe.
The forest was, as usual, empty. The people from the Flying Snake Tribe who had previously been here were nowhere to be seen.
At the courtyard entrance, Han Cheng and the others watched the Eldest Senior Brother and his team leave. After they entered the forest, Han Cheng turned and returned to the tribe.
The courtyard gate was tightly shut, and the remaining people were on high alert, with many standing on the walls.
Compared to before, the Green Sparrow Tribe had grown significantly. Even with fifty-three people sent out at once, there were still enough left behind to guard the tribe.
In addition to the thirty people assigned to thebat teams, others not on the designated teams could also take up weapons and participate in defending the tribe!
In the forest, at a hidden spot some distance from the path worn by the Donkey Tribe, the fourth leader of the Teng Snake Tribey low, not daring to move, as did the rest of their group.
They watched in shock and panic as the people walked by.
They had not expected that this tribe with the strange caves would have so many adults! Moreover, the adults in this tribe looked even stronger than their tribe.
Overall, they appeared stronger than their tribe!
After the shock, they felt a deep sense of relief. Thankfully, their leader had moved them to a new location not long ago. If they had still been in their old spot, facing this tribe with strange weapons and a muchrger number, they would likely have been in grave danger.
The Teng Snake Tribe¡¯s four leaders, realizing they couldn¡¯t withstand the strength of this formidable tribe, began to retreat slowly, preparing to sneak away.
However, they suddenly stopped when they realized something. With so many people gone from the tribe, few adults were left behind. Now might be the perfect time to attack...
Chapter 476: Won the Flying Snake Tribe in an unseen manner
Chapter 476: Won the Flying Snake Tribe in an unseen manner
The sudden idea greatly excited the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe.
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
He remembered that when theyst attacked this tribe, the number of people in it was small.
Even if the poption of this tribe had increased a bit over time, it wouldn¡¯t have grown too much.
With so many strong adults having just gone out, the remaining number in the tribe would be limited.
Moreover, he was leading the valiant warriors of the Flying Snake Tribe. With such a force, the chances of capturing this tribe were extremely high!
They often took advantage of other tribes'' vulnerabilities byunching sudden attacks.
When the Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe shared this n with those around him, their excitement grew.
The people of the Flying Snake Tribe emerged from their hiding ces and headed towards the edge of the forest.There, a wealthy tribe possessed arge number of pottery and salt. Now, this tribe would be attacked, and these precious items would all belong to them!
The Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, leading the way, was so excited that his body slightly trembled. After all this time, he was back at the base of this tribe. This time, he was determined to kill everyone in this tribe!
However, his excitement quickly vanished, and not just him¡ªeveryone from the Flying Snake Tribe who was thrilled earlier was now stunned.
They looked straight ahead through the sparse forest as if frozen like ice sculptures.
Through the thinning trees, they saw that the strange mountain wall in the distance was crowded with people.
There were no fewer people than before!
What¡ what is happening?
How did this tribe suddenly have so many people?
Even though their own tribe often attacked other tribes and recruited some of the poption, their poption growth rate was not as fast as this tribe¡¯s!
The Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe was disoriented in the wind.
What kind of tribe is this?
Their poption growth rate certainly could notpare to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Many of the people they had captured in the past had been eaten, and with the harsh living conditions, it was a miracle that their poption growth rate could match that of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe did not know why. All he saw were the results.
He looked at the crowd of heads on the strange mountain wall, then nced back at his own meagerly small group. After a stunned silence, he suddenly turned and ran into the deeper forest behind them.
He no longer dared to stay here or attack this strange and frightening tribe.
The other Flying Snake Tribe members followed suit, turning and running into the forest behind them¡
Within the Green Sparrow Tribe, many people were on the walls. Besides the adults, even the older children had climbed up the walls.
The fate of the Donkey Tribe had shocked them and made them more aware of the evil tribes.
In their panic, more than anything, there was a rising sense of anger and determination to defend their tribe.
They would not allow anyone toe and attack what they had built with their hands!
Han Cheng also stood on the wall, looking at the silent surroundings and the fearless Green Sparrow Tribe members. Feeling the atmosphere, he showed a hint of a smile.
People walked on the high walls as dusk fell, carrying weapons and vigntly observing their surroundings.
The number of people on patrol had increased from three to six.
Inside the room, Han Cheng and the shaman were discussing the situation.
They were specting about which tribe had attacked the Donkey Tribe.
Was it the same tribe that had attacked them a few years ago and captured the remaining people from the Pig Tribe?
After some discussion, Han Cheng ruled out the possibility that the same tribe carried out the two attacks.
He had learned from the Donkey Tribe''s leader that the tribe that attacked them had followed them from a distant location andunched a surprise attack on their tribe.
Given the long distance and the time gap between the two incidents, it was unlikely they were the work of the same tribe.
This meant there could very well be two evil tribes near their tribe.
This wasn¡¯t good news, especially since the recently appeared tribe seemed interested in salt and pottery. The likelihood of their tribe being targeted by other tribes increased.
Although the wall offered some protection, if their tribe had been well-prepared, major losses could have been avoided. However, the constant threat of potential danger was unsettling.
He didn¡¯t know when or where these evil tribes might strike.
Moreover, many of the tribe''s activities required going beyond the wall, which made people even more anxious.
It was hoped that the Eldest Senior Brother and his team would encounter the members of this evil tribe.
If they captured some of them, they could trace them back to the tribe¡¯sir and eliminate them in one decisive blow.
This would remove the threat once and for all.
After some discussion, Han Cheng noticed that it was gettingte. He advised the shaman to rest first and decided to check the tribe before going to sleep himself.
The shaman shook his head and followed Han Cheng to inspect the area together.
This old man had a deep-rooted love for the tribe. Although often idle, he always stepped up when significant issues arose, dedicating his aging body to the tribe.
Seeing the shaman wanting toe along, Han Cheng did not refuse. Instead, he found arge fur cloak for the shaman to wear.
The night was fantastic outside, and he didn¡¯t want the shaman to catch a cold.
With the passing of Fire One, Han Cheng became more concerned about the health of the remaining elders and about any potential idents.
After inspecting the main gate and speaking with the sentries on the wall, Han Cheng gave some instructions before returning to his room with the shaman.
That night, Han Cheng watched the situation outside, contemted various issues, and only fell asleep after a long while.
The night passed without incident. The next day, Han Cheng wanted to set up more defensive measures around the tribe.
However, since the Eldest Senior Brother and his team had not yet returned and could not be sure whether the tribe that attacked the Donkey Tribe might bring them along, he decided to postpone further actions.
At this moment, being cautious was the best course of action.
Chapter 477: Missed Opportunities and Preparations for Battle
Chapter 477: Missed Opportunities and Preparations for Battle
In the cave of the Donkey Tribe, which is some distance from the Green Sparrow Tribe, the exhausted Donkey Tribe leader wept uncontrobly in front of everyone amidst the debris scattered everywhere.
There were white bones from eaten flesh, some corpses that had begun to stink after death, and buzzing flies and white maggots...
All the pottery and salt the tribe once had were gone, even the broken pieces, with somerger fragments also taken away...
The Eldest Senior Brother and his team searched the area around the Donkey Tribe but found no traces of the evil tribe.
Fire rose as the dead members of the Donkey Tribe were burned.
After the mes died down, the Donkey Tribe leader grabbed some of the slightly hot ashes and partially burnt bones and scattered them around the perimeter of the cave where they once lived.
After doing this, he came before the Eldest Senior Brother and spoke.
He implied that he had previously been to the cave of the evil tribe and could lead the Eldest Senior Brother and his team there to annihte the evil tribe.
The belligerent warrior Shang, frustrated by the inability to find the evil tribe, immediately brightened when he understood the Donkey Tribe leader''s meaning.He looked at the Eldest Senior Brother with hope, urging him to agree quickly and lead everyone to attack the evil tribe.
The scene at the Donkey Tribe¡¯s cave reminded him of the harm his own tribe had suffered, and he was deeply stirred, eager to go to the evil tribe immediately and kill everyone there.
Third Senior Brother also had some anticipation.
In this anticipation, after thinking for a while, the Eldest Senior Brother slowly shook his head.
Although slow, it was extremely firm.
He believed this was a significant matter that needed to be discussed with the Divine Child and the Shaman before action was taken, and they couldn¡¯t just rush in.
Moreover, they were not prepared for a long journey and did not have enough food.
With so many people, relying solely on hunting along the way would not be sufficient without bringing extra provisions.
As the long-term leader of the tribe, the Eldest Senior Brother had to be more thorough and cautious in his decision-making than ordinary people.
The Donkey Tribe leader and Shang tried to persuade him, but seeing that the Eldest Senior Brother was unmoved, they dared not say more and could only return to the tribe with the animal hides they had painstakingly exchanged for.
The Fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe deemed these hides unimportant, so they were not taken.
Inside the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng and the Shaman listened to the reports from the Eldest Senior Brother''s team.
Seeing that the Eldest Senior Brother did not follow the Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s advice and did not lead the team to find the evil tribe, Han Cheng smiled and patted the Eldest Senior Brother¡¯s shoulder, expressing approval for his decision.
Indeed, acting hastily at that time was not appropriate.
Shang and the Donkey Tribe leader, seeing the Divine Child praising the Eldest Senior Brother, felt somewhat ashamed and lowered their heads.
Han Cheng approached them,forted them with a smile, and affirmed their courage.
The two raised their heads again with a glimmer of light in their eyes.
¡°Divine Child, will we still attack that evil tribe?¡±
¡°Yes, we must attack, but not at this moment.
The evil tribe is too far from us; we must prepare more.
Besides, he also needs to recover more; otherwise, he might not make it to the evil tribe.¡±
Han Cheng said, pointing at the severely exhausted Donkey Tribe leader.
Upon hearing that they would still attack the evil tribe, Shang immediately brightened up. Looking at the exhausted Donkey Tribe leader beside him, he fully agreed with the Divine Child¡¯s words.
If the Donkey Tribe leader died, it would be much harder to find the tribe again.
The Eldest Senior Brother, observing all this, scratched his head, feeling somewhat confused.
His intention seemed simr to the Divine Child¡¯s, right?
Why was it that they epted them when he expressed his views but weren¡¯t very happy, whereas when the Divine Child said the same thing, they were readily agreeable?
With these matters settled for the moment, Han Cheng quickly arranged for people to tend to the wounds of the Donkey Tribe members.
These people were now considered part of their tribe.
The three who remained in the tribe and had more severe injuries had stabilized after several days of treatment and rest.
However, those with lighter injuries were in more trouble.
Their wounds had not been treated promptly and were significantly exacerbated by the long journey.
The Donkey Tribe leader and two others were in rtively better condition, with their wounds mostly scabbed over, but the remaining three were in poor shape.
Their wounds had be infected and were festering, and they had developed fevers.
Despite Han Cheng¡¯s guidance, including removing the rotting flesh, cleaning with saline and willow branch water, wrapping them with fine cloth, and brewing an infusion of Bupleurum root, two of them still died.
The Donkey Tribe leader was deeply remorseful about this.
Now, including the leader, only seven members of the Donkey Tribe remained.
Meanwhile, the Green Sparrow Tribe was actively preparing for battle.
They cut meat into pieces, boiled it vigorously in ceramic jars, and then cooled it into meat jelly in ceramic pots.
Several simple water mills for pounding rice were continuously in use.
Others were cleaning and maintaining weapons.
People were also working outside the tribe, but unlike before, everyone was extremely vignt and carried weapons.
They no longer worked separately; each area had a group of five working together.
In the woods around the Green Sparrow Tribe¡¯s fields, people dug the ground to set traps.
These were not for capturing prey but for enhancing the tribe¡¯s defenses.
The traps were quite sturdy, and small animals passing over them would not be harmed.
Each trap had one or more markings that the Green Sparrow Tribe members could understand to prevent identally injuring their people.
At one trap, Han Cheng repeatedly exined to Deer Lord and Fu Jiang, pointing out the marks and surroundings to ensure they understood.
After thorough instruction, he picked up arge stone and threw it into the trap.
With a cloud of dust, the once-t surface immediately copsed, revealing sharp sticks underneath.
Themotion startled Deer Lord, who took two steps back, stretching his neck to watch warily. Fu Jiang, less brave, hid behind Han Cheng and made whimpering noises towards the trap as if to protest.
Han Cheng was satisfied and then took the two to check the next trap, ensuring they remembered the locations and markings.
Chapter 478: Brush Past again!
Chapter 478: Brush Past again!
Eight dayster, the prepared Green Sparrow Tribe warriors, now in much better condition, led by the Eldest Senior Brother, set out towards the evil tribe.
For their safety, the Green Sparrow Tribe warriors took proactive measures. This time, the group had grown to sixty people, as Han Cheng wanted to be more cautious. The tribe itself was well-prepared with numerous arrangements and a significant number of adults, making it much stronger than when Han Cheng left the tribe to follow the river downstream. There was no need to worry.
This time, they were determined to eliminate the evil tribe.
Han Cheng stood on the wall, silently reciting in his heart as he watched the Eldest Senior Brother and the others depart. As for the possibility of casualties among their people, he deliberately chose not to think about it.
While the Eldest Senior Brother and the others were away, the remaining Green Sparrow Tribe members were not idle; they were still busy outside. Initially, the shaman did not want them to do this, as they would suffer more significant losses if attacked outside thepound. However, reality soon forced them to relent.
The fruits in the orchard were ripening inrge quantities and needed to be picked and transported to the tribe. The rapeseed also needed to be nted soon, requiring thend to be prepared in advance.
For the Green Sparrow Tribe, these were crucial tasks that could not be neglected. However, when carrying out these tasks, the tribe members did not go out individually but in groups of ten or more, always carrying weapons.
Han Cheng also released Fu Jiang and the other four small Fu Jiangs, along with the third generation of dogs, to patrol around the tribe.
These traps were designed to catch humans and were made robustly. Not only had Fu Jiang previously identified their locations with Han Cheng, but even without identification, stepping on them would not typically cause any issues. Their weight was insufficient to copse the traps.Despite this, the shaman remained worried about potential idents within the tribe. Han Cheng was somewhat concerned but not as anxiously worried as the shaman. Even though the likelihood of the evil tribeing now was lower than before, if they dide, the tribe would still be in no better position with the Eldest Senior Brother and others away.
Han Cheng could only continually reassure the shaman to ease his worries and maintain a rxed demeanor to influence and calm everyone¡¯s nerves.
During these somewhat uneasy days, the Eldest Senior Brother and the others, under the guidance of the former donkey tribe leader, gradually approached the evil tribe¡¯s cave.
¡°Hold on, send someone to check the situation quietly.¡±
When they were still a certain distance from the cave, the Eldest Senior Brother gave the order.
The Green Sparrow Tribe members, having traveled a long way, stopped in the forest as instructed. A few armed individuals apanied the former donkey tribe leader as they slowly approached the cave.
The Eldest Senior Brother and the others watched them leave, gripping their weapons tightly and preparing for an immediate strike.
The former donkey tribe leader, whose arm had healed significantly, carried a stone spear with his good arm as he led the way, his eyes showing a fierce and vengeful excitement.
His eyes were slightly reddened, and he looked menacing.
This time, bringing more people than the evil tribe and with strongerbat capabilities!
They would rescue the surviving members of their own tribe and kill everyone in the evil tribe!
Just like when they killed the people of their tribe!
With such thoughts, the entrance to the tribe¡¯s cave came into view.
The former donkey tribe leader and a few Green Sparrow Tribe members hid here, quietly watching the cave entrance.
The cave was open, and the surroundings were eerily quiet, with no one seening in or out.
After waiting a while, one person returned to report the situation to the Eldest Senior Brother, while the others slowly approached the cave...
¡°Not a single person?¡±
The Eldest Senior Brother and his armedpanions, standing inside the cave, looked around in stunned silence.
The cave was deserted, with no people, no constant fire burning, and even the essential food and weapons were missing.
It appeared to be apletely abandoned hollow.
¡°Did you possibly remember the location wrong?¡±
The Eldest Senior Brother looked at the former donkey tribe leader, who anxiously scratched his head and asked.
The former donkey tribe leader shook his head vigorously. He was confident he hadn¡¯t made a mistake; he had been leading his tribe in trade for years and had never previously mistaken a location.
Seeing the former donkey tribe leader¡¯s certainty, the Eldest Senior Brother couldn¡¯t help but scratch his head.
From the situation here, it seemed the cave had been uninhabited for some time. The evil tribe should have left after attacking the donkey tribe.
But why hadn¡¯t they returned? Such migration was usually undesirable for most tribes.
Or did they foresee that the others woulde to attack them?
The Eldest Senior Brother shook his head. Even a demigod might not foresee such things, let alone the people of the evil tribe.
He ordered his people to split into several teams to search for traces around the tribe but found nothing.
By now, night had fallen, and the Eldest Senior Brother decided to rest in the cave.
The cave was safer than outside, and he hoped to wait longer for the evil tribe to appear. They had traveled for many days to get here, only to see nothing; it was pretty disheartening.
Most importantly, if they did not dismantle the evil tribe, the potential threat to their tribe would remain unresolved...
The night passed quietly without any visitors. Despite their reluctance, the Eldest Senior Brother and his team had to return to their tribe.
In this era, finding a tribe without any visible sign of it was exceedingly difficult.
Time moves forward a bit, back to when the fourth leader of the Flying Snake tribe fled in a panic from the outskirts of the Green Sparrow tribe.
After a frantic escape, the distance from the strange tribe increased, and the fourth leader of the Flying Snake tribe finally settled down.
He did not return to the temporary residence but instead, after avoiding the tribe, headed west.
Having discovered valuable salt and pottery, he nned to return to the tribe early and convey this exciting news.
It could be anticipated that the shaman would be thrilled to learn that he had brought back so many precious items and discovered the tribe''s location possessing them.
And he would be a revered figure in the tribe.
Chapter 479: Send Scouts
Chapter 479: Send Scouts
The wind blew, causing leaves to sway and fall,nding on Cao Geng''s tangled hair.
Feeling a bit irritated, Cao Geng brushed the leaves off his head and continued staring into the distance.
As he stared, he muttered curses about the dark tribe that had yet to appear.
He had already been beaten several times because of this. If that tribe didn¡¯t show up soon, he would surely be beaten again.
Just as he was worrying about this, he suddenly noticed figures appearing in the distance¡ªfirst one, then a second, and a third.
After a brief moment of surprise, Cao Geng''s heart leaped with joy and quickly focused his gaze.
A momentter, he was even more delighted because he could see from afar that these people were carrying y pots on their shoulders.
Cao Geng shouted excitedly and ran toward the tribe to bring this good news to the Leader.
The second leader of the Flying Snake Tribe was feeling frustrated due to the dyed arrival of that tribe. But when he suddenly saw Cao Geng running toward him, panting and looking overjoyed, he also felt a surge of excitement.Upon hearing from Cao Geng that the tribe had finally arrived, the second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe also became thrilled. He quickly gathered his men, preparing to capture the tribe that had finally shown up and take their valuable pottery and salt back to the prominent tribe.
They grabbed their weapons and eagerly followed Cao Geng, but after walking for a short while, they stopped in their tracks, dumbfounded.
Indeed, the neers were carrying valuable pottery, but those carrying it were not from the dark tribe¡ªthey were their own tribe members!
¡°What the¡?¡±
The second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe pointed at the pottery, his face filled with astonishment.
He couldn¡¯t understand why their tribe members carried the pottery.
The fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe saw the shocked expressions of the second Leader and the others and felt extremely pleased with himself. Even the frustration he had felt earlier from not being able to do anything about that strange tribe was now gone.
With great pride, he recounted his glorious deeds to the second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe.
Cao Geng got beaten again, and it was the second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe who hit him. The reason was that they had waited so long here, based on Cao Geng¡¯s information, without seeing the dark tribe, while the fourth Leader had already obtained the precious salt and pottery elsewhere.
After hearing the fourth Leader mention that the dark tribe had obtained their pottery and salt through trade with another tribe¡ªand that this other tribe had even more pottery and salt¡ªthe second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe immediately stood up. It proposed that they join forces to attack that tribe.
However, to his surprise, the fourth Leader shook his head and refused.
¡°What¡?¡±
After a brief moment of confusion, the second Leader pointed at the fourth Leader and mocked him.
Since when was the Flying Snake Tribe afraid of anyone?
This guy hadn¡¯t attacked the tribe before, and now, even though the two of them had more men to lead, he still didn¡¯t dare to go after them. Such behavior was genuinely despicable.
Facing the second Leader¡¯s ridicule, the fourth Leader¡¯s face turned red with anger.
He responded just as angrily, revealing the identity of the tribe that owned the salt and pottery.
Upon learning that this was the same tribe they had jointly attacked before and suffered a great defeat, the second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe fell silent and no longer spoke of leading an attack.
The battle in the icy wastnd from years ago had also left a deep impression on him.
After resting here for a day, the second and fourth Leaders of the Flying Snake Tribe, along with their people, left the area and set out for the main tribe.
The second Leader''s task had been to wait for the Donkey Tribe to obtain salt and pottery.
Now that the fourth Leader and his men had defeated the dark tribe, he no longer needed to stay here.
After the Flying Snake Tribe¡¯s branch, lingering here for nearly a year, left, the ce quickly fell into silence again...
The fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe was correct in his thinking. When they returned to the prominent tribe with salt and pottery, they were given a warm wee.
Seeing many pottery items and nearly a whole jar of salt, even the usually reserved shaman couldn''t help but let out a joyfulugh.
That evening, he got to taste food seasoned with salt. The shaman, who had been without salt for some time, praised the fourth Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe endlessly after eating the salty food and immediately promoted him to the position of the third Leader.
The leader of the Flying Snake Tribe and others, after licking their y bowls clean, looked at the numerous pieces of pottery and the nearly full jar of salt that had been brought back. They began discussing with the shaman about attacking the tribe from which these items hade.
After experiencing it, the wonderful taste of salt was unforgettable, and it had been very difficult for them to spend time without it.
Now that they had news of the salt and pottery, they were eager to attack and take everything back to their tribe.
They believe such precious items should belong to their tribe and no other tribe deserves to possess them.
As for the strange caves that had made the second and third Leaders anxious and fearful, they didn¡¯t seem like much of a concern anymore.
Their tribe now had a terrifying one-horned beast. With it, the strange caves of that tribe were nothing to worry about.
Looking at the one-horned beast lying nearby like a massive boulder and recalling how easily it had broken through the caves, even the second and third Leaders, who had once suffered a major defeat at the walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe, felt a surge of confidence.
Yes, with this one-horned beast on their side, no matter how strange or populous that tribe''s caves were, they would be no match for their tribe.
They looked at the shaman with eager faces, hoping he would immediately agree.
They were already impatient to attack that cursed tribe and kill everyone inside.
However, the shaman remained silent for a long time. It was only after quite a while that he slowly shook his head.
The Leaders looked at each other in confusion, not understanding why the shaman had made such a decision.
In their view, with the one-horned beast and the many warriors in their tribe, attacking and defeating that tribe should not be a problem.
The tribe''s leader spoke up, asking if this meant they would no longer be attacking that tribe.
The shaman slowly shook his head again, deepening the others'' confusion as they couldn¡¯t understand what the shaman meant by this.
The shaman then began to exin his n slowly.
He suggested that they first send a few people to scout around that tribe carefully. Meanwhile, their tribe should take this time to store up food. Once the scouts returned with information, they would decide on their next course of action based on the situation...
Chapter 480: Catch a Glimpse of a Secret
Chapter 480: Catch a Glimpse of a Secret
Compared to the warlike nature of the leaders, the shaman of the Flying Tribe was much moreposed.
As the tribe''s wise one, he thought long-term and was cautious. The devastating defeat they experienced long ago left a deep impression on him. In his memory, their tribe had never faced such a catastrophic loss before.
That defeat had a significant impact on the tribe, and it took a long time for the adult poption to recover to its pre-loss level. Because of this, when he learned that the pottery and salt were from that tribe, he became very cautious. Even though their tribe possessed a unicorn beast, he did not act recklessly.
Seeing the shaman¡¯s firm attitude, the leaders said no more and slept. Amid the flickering firelight, the shamany there but did not fall asleep quickly. He kept pondering the information about the mysterious tribe he had received.
Strange caves, formidablebat power, precious salt, and pottery, rapidly increasing poption¡
What kind of tribe was this?
He tried hard to recall any information passed down from the previous shaman about such strange tribes but was at a loss. The previous shaman had never encountered such an unusual tribe.
After thinking for a long time, his head spinning, he finally fell asleep.
The following day, the Flying Tribe members became busy. Under the leadership of the four chiefs, they quickly began gathering food. They had seen the precious pottery and salt, and the shaman said that once they had collected enough food, they would lead them to attack the strange tribe and retrieve therger quantities of salt and pottery from them.While they were gathering food, five people left the main group and headed east. They were the original scouts sent by the shaman to gather information about the Green Sparrow Tribe.
They carried sturdy tree branch weapons and had grass baskets on their backs, which were filled with stones and longsting food.
When they set out from their tribe towards the Green Sparrow Tribe, the Eldest Senior Brother and his group, who had returned empty-handed, were back in their tribe.
Han Cheng thought their trip would be almost undoubtedly sessful, but the oue was unexpected. While he was d that no one in their tribe had died, he was also worried. Because the evil tribe had not been eradicated, their tribe could not fully rx.
In the courtyard, Han Cheng sat in silence, reflecting on recent events and why the evil tribe had not returned to their original residence after attacking the Donkey Tribe.
They should have returned logically. From the Donkey Tribe chief''s ount, he knew that the evil tribe had not suffered significant losses during the attack.
Such a battle should have been a great victory for the evil tribe. Especially since the Donkey Tribe had a considerable amount of pottery and salt.
With so many spoils, they should have returned to their tribe to celebrate or regroup.
Yet the current situation was far from what was expected.
What exactly was going on?
Han Cheng was troubled by these thoughts, unable to find a solution despite his deep contemtion.
After pondering for a long time with no clear direction, Han Cheng called in the Eldest Senior Brother, the Donkey Tribe chief, and the remaining members of the Donkey Tribe to question them again about their encounter with the strange tribe.
The answers they gave were the same as before.
As Han Cheng questioned them, he noticed that one of the Donkey Tribe members seemed eager to speak, so he asked him to share what he knew.
The man began speaking rapidly, and the Eldest Senior Brother, looking somewhat confused, said, ¡°Divine Son, he mentioned that they didn¡¯t see any minors or elderly people in the evil tribe''s cave.¡±
No minors or elderly people? Han Cheng was slightly taken aback. This was indeed quite strange.
Every tribe has minors and elderly people, but this tribe seemed to have none, which was puzzling.
As he pondered this, a sudden thought shed through his mind.
With many adults but no minors and recalling what the Donkey Tribe chief had said about the tribe¡¯s stored furs being very few and all new, the idea became clearer.
The cave Eldest Senior Brother and the others had visited might have been only a temporary residence for that tribe, while the tribe had other permanent residences.
After attacking the Donkey Tribe, they probably returned to their original residence, where the minors and elderly lived.
This exins the current puzzling situation.
The more Han Cheng thought about it, the more usible it seemed. However, his relief was short-lived as another concern arose.
The evil tribe''s power must be significant.
This situation suggested that the tribe¡¯s poption was likely substantial. If everyone lived in one tribe, the resources around the tribe would not be sufficient to sustain everyone, so some people would need to be separated.
These people would be sent to distant ces to hunt and gather food, alleviating the pressure on the original tribe.
Han Cheng fell silent, realizing that arge and powerful evil tribe was not good news for the Green Sparrow Tribe.
He thought for a while and then shared his conclusions with the shaman, Eldest Senior Brother, and others.
The shaman and the Eldest Senior Brother were surprised and impressed by the Divine Son''s ability to deduce so much.
As Han Cheng exined his reasoning, they followed his lead and found it increasingly convincing. This led to a somber mood among them.
For the Green Sparrow Tribe, the most distressing aspect was not just the existence of a potentially powerful enemy but the unknown location of this tribe.
Being in the dark while the enemy remains hidden was the most passive and troubling situation.
Han Cheng didn¡¯t have a good solution for this. All he could do was strengthen his vignce, maintain his weapons, and increase the intensity of his training.
Days passed, and the anticipated enemy still did not appear, making Han Cheng increasingly uncertain and anxious.
The feeling of knowing that danger is imminent but not knowing when, where, or in what form it wille was highly unsettling.
Meanwhile, in this anxious waiting period, the five scouts from the Flying Tribe were gradually approaching the Green Sparrow Tribe¡
Chapter 481: What kind of wolves are these?
Chapter 481: What kind of wolves are these?
After an autumn rain, many leaves had fallen. Once the ground had dried a bit, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe went to nt rapeseed.
The rapeseed nting area was in the west of the tribe.
Although they knew a powerful tribe mighte to attack, they couldn''t afford to dy the rapeseed nting.
In the forest, Tu Mao walked in the distance while muttering curses about the annoying autumn rain.
Last night, the rain had soaked through the fur wrapped around him, making him feel quite cold.
Moreover, they couldn''t even start a fire to warm up because the nts were wet.
Fortunately, the weather was clear now; otherwise, they would have had to continue suffering.
Based on the marks they had left, it seemed that the strange, wealthy, and formidable tribe was getting close.
Tu Mao stopped cursing and tightened his grip on his weapon, bing more cautious.He was reluctant to take on this task, as the leaders'' reaction not long ago indicated that this tribe was formidable. Even with so many people, they didn''t dare attack, and now they had only sent a few of them.
But there was no choice; he had toe since the shaman had pointed him out.
Thinking about the task assigned by the shaman made Tu Mao feel even worse. The shaman had instructed them to keep an eye on everything about this tribe and to try to find out how they made their pottery and salt.
Tu Mao was very puzzled by this. How could people make such precious things?
Shouldn''t they be like the precious white divine oil from his tribe, which the gods gave?
He had doubts but didn¡¯t dare to question the shaman, as he was the wisest person he had ever met and couldn¡¯t be wrong.
The group quietly moved through the forest, getting closer to the tribe. They bent over and tried not to make too much noise.
After a while, through the gaps in the forest, they could vaguely see the mountain wall standing in the distance.
Tu Mao wanted to move forward but was stopped by one of hispanions.
Thepanion spoke softly to him and then pointed outward. Tu Mao followed their gaze and noticed many strangely dressed people on the open ground between the forest and the peculiar cave.
These strange people were also engaged in odd activities, constantly digging something on the open ground.
Were they digging for food?
But what kind of food could be found in such an open space?
What were those people doing behind the deer?
What were those strange things they were holding?
They captured the deer but didn¡¯t eat it. Instead, they were doing these strange things.
The deer didn¡¯t seem to be afraid of them...
A series of question marks appeared in Tu Mao''s and the other four¡¯s minds.
They couldn''t understand the magical operations of this tribe.
After a while, Tu Mao took a piece of bark from his backpack and a small, sharp stone, and began to make marks on it.
He was having difficulty making the marks because the people in the field kept moving, which made it easy to confuse the marks, causing Tu Mao much difort.
While Tu Mao was focused on this task, one of hispanions quickly tapped him on the shoulder.
Tu Mao, puzzled, turned to look at thepanion, who seemed anxious and pointed backward.
Tu Mao looked over and was stunned to see severalrge wolves leading a group of half-grown wolves approaching from the side.
Tu Mao quickly set down the bark, gripped his weapon tightly, and stared at the sizeable pack of wolves.
However, he did not act rashly.
With their years of hunting experience, they knew that wolves generally did not attack first in such situations.
Since the wolves had cubs and the group was armed, they did not appear to be easy prey.
At the same time, he cursed the useless tribe for leaving such arge pack of wolves near their cave.
As Tu Mao had thought, the wolves did not attack immediately but stopped at a certain distance.
The apparent alpha wolf watched them silently, and they watched it in return, both sides in a standoff.
After a while, the alpha wolf turned halfway around. Just as Tu Mao thought it was leading the pack away, it raised its head and began to make a call.
The sound was urgent, not the usual wolf howl but a strange ¡®woo-woo¡¯ noise.
Despite being strange, the sound was loud and echoed through the forest.
Even worse, after the alpha wolf made the call, the other wolves started to ¡®woo-woo¡¯ in response.
Tu Mao and hispanions immediately felt rmed.
Why were these damn wolves making such a racket now?!
This would attract people!
Thinking this, they frantically turned back to look at the people who were performing the strange activities.
Sure enough, those people had dropped their tools and pulled out weapons from somewhere, rushing toward their location.
Tu Mao and hispanions were in a panic. They hadn''t expected that their presence would be exposed in such an unexpected way just after arriving at the tribe¡¯s outskirts!
These damned wolves! If they have any guts, they should stop running and see if these people can deal with them. How dare they howl at the edge of the cave? Isn¡¯t that asking for death?
With this in mind, they abandoned their standoff with the wolves and fled.
They needed to distance themselves from the stupid wolves so that after the people drove them away, they wouldn¡¯t discover them, allowing them to continue observing the tribe quietly.
However, just a few steps into their run, an extremely distressing and almost hopeless situation urred¡ªthe damned wolves were not fleeing but were chasing them!
Some even ran ahead of them under the lead of the alpha wolf, blocking their path.
Tu Mao was frantic. He never imagined being harassed like this by a pack of wolves!
He quickly turned and charged at the half-grown wolves without hesitation, swinging his weapon as he ran. Some wolves were hit and yelped in pain.
He ran as fast as he could.
He had to move quickly at this moment because many people had already entered the forest and discovered their trail.
He thought that these stupid wolves would either flee or attack the neers. However, something more desperate happened.
These foolish wolves did not flee or attack the new arrivals; instead, they seemed even more enthusiastic in pursuing him and hispanions!
What kind of wolves were these?!
Chapter 482: He’s still not happy?!
Chapter 482: He¡¯s still not happy?!
¡°ng!¡±
A bowstring twanged, and an arrow with an iron tip shot out like a meteor, striking a person who had escaped the wolves and fled elsewhere. The person let out a scream and fell to the ground with a thud.
Rolling twice and about to get up, the approaching wolves pounced on him immediately.
Third Senior Brother drew another arrow aimed at another person, but a branch blocked it.
Archery wasn¡¯t very effective in the forest.
After missing the shot, Third Senior Brother didn¡¯t continue firing but chased after the person who had run the farthest.
That person was Tu Mao, the first to break through the wolves.
Tu Mao¡¯s heart was filled with terror. He had just seen Third Senior Brother¡¯s arrow strike another person, which filled him with dread. He had never seen anyone throw something so far before.
Seeing that person with the strange weapon chasing after him made him even more frantic. He ran desperately, fearing a terrifying person would catch up with him.Third Senior Brother pursued closely, nocking another arrow and preparing to shoot, but upon seeing Tu Mao¡¯s direction, he stopped his action.
He even slowed his pace.
Seeing this, Tu Mao felt immense relief. Although he didn¡¯t understand why the person suddenly stopped, it was undoubtedly good news for him.
He quickened his pace, no longer thinking about the task assigned by the Shaman, only focused on escaping this terrifying ce.
But just a few stepster, he suddenly felt the ground give way, followed by the sound of something breaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw arge pit suddenly appear on the t ground.
Tu Mao didn¡¯t even have time to cry out before he fell into the pit.
Amidst the swirling dust, a sharp pain shot through him¡
Seeing this, the Third Senior Brother smiled and ignored the situation, instead turning to look at other parts of the forest. Noticing that the remaining three had been subdued, he headed towards the trap''s edge.
A few Green Sparrow Tribe members carrying weapons joined him, and they headed towards the pit.
Sitting in the pit, Tu Mao, filled with fear and despair, cried out. Sharp wooden spikes had pierced his calf, and blood flowed freely.
He tried to escape but was unable to move.
In his despair, a few people appeared above him.
Tu Mao watched in despair as one of them, holding a spear with a sharp stone, aimed to stab him.
He shut his eyes in fear.
But the pain didn¡¯te as expected. After a moment, he cautiously opened his eyes.
He saw that the person with the strange weapon had stopped the attacker.
After a while, two ropes were lowered from above and wrapped around Tu Mao¡¯s body, then Third Senior Brother and others pulled him up.
As Tu Mao was lifted, the spikes in his leg moved through the flesh, causing intense pain that made him howl loudly.
But he gripped the ropes tightly, knowing that if he fell again, it would mean his death¡
With one of the five dead and four remaining, the Third Senior Brother immediately ordered a search of the area for other enemies and sent someone swiftly back to the tribe to alert them.
The guards on the wall had already seen the people sowing seeds suddenly drop their tools and grab weapons, rushing wildly into the woods.
After a brief shock, they realized something terrible was happening and immediately sounded the rm.
The people within the tribe quickly reacted, running up to the wall.
They retrieved weapons from hidden slots in the wall.
Han Cheng also climbed up the wall, saw the abandoned tools scattered everywhere, and vaguely heard barking and shouting from the west woods.
Without needing to ask, he understood roughly what had happened.
These guys! How many times have I told them?
I¡¯ve always said that when encountering enemies near the tribe, they should immediately head back to the courtyard and avoid conflicts outside the tribe.
As long as they return to the tribe, they can use the wall to achieve the greatest results with minimal losses.
And now? They¡¯vepletely forgotten my instructions!
Han Cheng was so angry he nearly wanted to stomp and curse.
Anger aside, some things needed to be done.
He nced at the many people standing on the wall, hesitated momentarily, and ordered Shang to lead a group to the west woods to assist the Eldest Senior Brother.
Shang epted the order and soon led more than twenty people out of the tribe, rushing towards the west.
Han Cheng stayed on the wall, tightly gripping a stone spear.
He hoped the number of people from the other tribe was not too many. Otherwise, this kind of field battle would cause too much damage to the tribe.
After a period of anxious waiting, before Shang and his team could reach the west woods, the Eldest Senior Brother and his group emerged with weapons and prisoners.
Seeing this from a distance, Han Cheng sighed in relief. It seemed the enemy didn¡¯t bring many people, and the tribe''s losses wouldn¡¯t be too severe this time.
However, this relief quickly turned to a frown as Han Cheng looked at the jubnt Eldest Senior Brother and the others.
¡°Divine Child, we captured¡¡±
The Eldest Senior Brother shouted and pushed a prisoner bound with hands tied, looking somewhat excited.
His excitement was cut short as he noticed Han Cheng¡¯s displeased expression.
Realizing suddenly that he had forgotten the Divine Child¡¯s previous instructions at such a critical moment, the others also began to sense the gravity of the situation. They lost their excitement and became nervous, lowering their heads and averting their eyes.
The person who had previously faced the enemy¡¯s fierce assault now seemed subdued by this young man who had juste of age.
Tu Mao, pale-faced, felt this shift and looked up in surprise.
Is this person the leader of the tribe? Otherwise, why would these people be so afraid of him?
He didn¡¯t seem that strong and was rtively young.
And why was he unhappy?
They had won the battle and captured all of them.
Shouldn¡¯t it be them who are unhappy right now?
¡°You all are quite capable!
You just rushed in like that. Did you know how many were inside? What if there had been more people?¡±
After a moment of silence, Han Cheng spoke in a deep voice. The Eldest Senior Brother and the others lowered their heads even further¡
Chapter 483: Tu Mao Search for Kin
Chapter 483: Tu Mao Search for Kin
Han Cheng scolded for a while, then changed his tone: ¡°It was correct to capture the enemies; that ismendable. However, acting recklessly despite previous warnings will be punished.¡±
¡°After some time, all of you will be punished¡ªrun tenps around our farnd!¡±
Upon hearing the Divine Child¡¯s reprimand and the punishment, the group felt a sense of relief. Some were indifferent, but Eldest Senior Brother and the others felt a pang of fear.
As Eldest Senior Brother had said, if the people in the forest had been more numerous and they had recklessly rushed in without any reconnaissance, the consequences could have been severe.
From their previous deductions, they knew that the evil tribe had arge poption. It was very likely that there were many people inside.
¡°Divine Child, I was wrong. I will run twentyps¡¡±
The Eldest Senior Brother came to Han Cheng in the courtyard and said sincerely.
Han Cheng was delighted with Eldest Senior Brother¡¯s response. The tribe''s safety was paramount, and one could not be careless.
¡°A slight mistake could cost lives.¡±¡°Hmm, be more careful next time.¡±
Han Cheng patted the Eldest Senior Brother¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see these captives.¡±
The former leader of the Donkey Tribe, now known as Mao, was highly agitated. His eyes were red with anger as he red at the injured and trembling captives bound together.
If not for the restraint of others, he would have already killed all four of them.
He had already killed one in the woods. Initially, all five could have been captured alive, but that person was viciously attacked by Mao, who, like a beast, had bitten his neck open.
¡°Divine Child¡¡±
He could now speak a few simple phrases in Mandarin. Seeing Han Cheng approach, he hurried forward, wanting to kill the remaining captives to avenge his tribe.
The captives, shivering in fear, were terrified of being killed and eaten by this tribe.
Despite their previous fierceness, they had only acted that way because of the presence of their tribe members. Once separated from their tribe, they became meek.
This was simr to piranhas; while a group of them is fearsome, an individual piranha is much less so when isted.
Han Cheng nodded and refused Mao¡¯s suggestion: ¡°No killing. We still need to obtain information from these evil tribe members.¡±
After Mao understood Han Cheng¡¯s meaning, he ceased insisting and had the Eldest Senior Brother attempt to question the captives. When Eldest Senior Brother saw their terrified and confused responses, he realized they didn¡¯t understand his questions.
After waiting a while, Han Cheng had people call Ru Hua, Left Lame, and Right Lame.
He wanted to use them to confirm if these captives were from the tribe that had attacked them previously.
Before Ru Hua and the others arrived, Shang, who was standing with his weapon and also ring at the four captives, looked at the captive¡¯s pierced calf and showed a thoughtful expression.
After observing for a while, he finally spoke tentatively.
The terrified captive, Tu Mao, looked up in surprise when he heard the voice, nced at Shang with confusion, and then quickly looked down again.
Inside, Tu Mao was filled with doubt. It had been a long time since he heard his original tribe¡¯snguage, and he was surprised to hear someone speaking it here.
¡°£¡¡±
Seeing Tu Mao¡¯s reaction, Shang felt a surge of joy. His voice trembled with excitement as he called out again with increased volume.
In his panic, Tu Mao looked up again at the strange person. After a while, he showed signs of confusion, feeling that the person looked familiar but unable to recall where he had seen him before.
¡°£¤¡¡¡±
Shang had already confirmed Tu Mao''s identity as one of the people captured from their tribe!
He threw away his weapon, crouched down, and grabbed Tu Mao¡¯s shoulders, shaking him vigorously with great excitement. While shaking him, he spoke in the less-developednguage of his former tribe.
Tu Mao, whose face had gone pale, gradually showed less fear in his eyes.
¡°£¤¡¡¡±
As Tu Mao began to understand Shang¡¯s words, his expression became excited. He hadn''t expected to encounter his former leader in such a strange tribe at such a moment!
¡°¡Öap;¡¡¡±
Shang eagerly asked Tu Mao how many people from their tribe were still alive. Tu Mao drew three curved vertical lines in the dirt with his finger.
Shang felt a mix of joy and sadness. After a while, he remembered other matters and quickly began to exin to Han Cheng and the others.
From Shang¡¯s earlier reaction, Han Cheng had already guessed what had happened. Hearing Shang¡¯s confirmation now, Han Cheng smiled and congratted Shang.
Han Cheng was in a good mood for several reasons: first, Shang had reunited with his former tribesmen today; second, this reunion proved that the evil tribe they were dealing with now was the same one that had appeared years ago. This meant that his initial assumption of two hostile tribes had turned into one, which was a relief. Third, with the presence of Shang¡¯s former tribesmen, they could gain more information about the evil tribe.
They could also get some information from Ru Hua and the others, but since they had been away from that tribe for several years, they didn¡¯t know the tribe''s recent developments.
¡°Divine Child, he¡¡±
Shang pointed at Tu Mao, indicating that Tu Mao should be released and treated as soon as possible.
Han Cheng agreed. This person was valuable to their tribe and couldn¡¯t be allowed to die just like that. In consideration of Shang, Han Cheng announced that if Tu Mao was willing to join the Green Sparrow Tribe, he could be a Level 2 citizen with a wooden identity card.
When Tu Mao realized that he didn¡¯t have to die and could survive in this tribe, he was overwhelmed with relief and began to cry. He expressed his gratitude to Han Cheng in a torrent of words.
Han Cheng waved his hand, telling Shang to take Tu Mao to Liang for treatment.
The other three captives, seeing their ropes being untied and realizing they wouldn¡¯t be killed, immediately pleaded for mercy andy prostrate on the ground.
¡°Divine Child, kill them!¡±
¡°Divine Child, don¡¯t let them live with us¡¡±
¡°Divine Child, they are all evil¡¡±
The elders of the Green Sparrow Tribe were rmed at Tu Mao¡¯s release and the three captives¡¯ pleas for mercy. They were afraid Han Cheng might soften and keep the remaining three.
Such people who intended to attack their tribe were not wee at all!
Even Shaman did not want to keep the remaining three captives.
Chapter 484: The impending slavery and a safety line
Chapter 484: The impending very and a safety line
Seeing the three captives prostrating on the ground in submission and observing the tribe''s angry expressions, Han Cheng understood the people''s mood.
These three were different from those of the Bone Tribe. A few years ago, they attacked his tribe and destroyed the Pig Tribe, and recently, they attacked the Donkey Tribe, almost wiping them out. Now, they have turned their attention to Han Cheng''s tribe. Naturally, the people wanted to kill them all and didn''t want them to join their tribe.
However, Han Cheng decided to keep these three alive. He wouldn''t kill them, but they wouldn''t be citizens like Tu Mao. Instead, they would be kept as ves.
With over two hundred citizens now, it was time for the Green Sparrow Tribe to implement very. ves inherently had no rights or dignity. They would be given the worst food, made to do the hardest work and produce the most resources. In conflicts with other tribes, they could be used as cannon fodder to weaken the enemy without much concern for their well-being. They were more useful than milk cows.
With all these benefits, Han Cheng saw no reason to kill them. Keeping them as ves would provide more value to the tribe. Such punishment was much harsher than killing them directly and would not create as much bloodshed.
¡°These three people cannot be killed,¡± Han Cheng said to the tribe.
The people were stunned, not understanding why the Divine Child would decide.
¡°They will be ves to our tribe,¡± Han Cheng continued, exining the advantages of very.
To ease the people''s resentment, Han Cheng described the harsh conditions of very in more detail. As he spoke, the tribe''s confusion began to dissipate.Standing next to Han Cheng, the shaman looked at the three captives and then at Han Cheng, his eyes growing brighter.
Why should they be killed? Keeping them alive as ves to work for the tribe seemed much better. They were strong adult males and could do many things, increasing the tribe¡¯s production and strength.
This seemed like a great idea!
As the shaman considered this, he vaguely recalled that Han Cheng had said something simr when capturing Ru Hua a few years ago. Still, Ruo Hua and her people had fully integrated into their tribe then. He wondered if Han Cheng had simr ns now.
When the crowd thinned out, he asked Han Cheng about it.
Han Cheng smiled and shook his head, ¡°No, we were too few back then, and it wasn¡¯t the right time for very. Now our tribe¡¯s poption has grown significantly, and we can develop very.¡±
The shaman felt reassured by Han Cheng''s response.
But then Han Cheng added, ¡°However, in time, we might select a few to remove their ve status and make them official citizens of the tribe.¡±
¡°Why do that?¡± The shaman was puzzled again. He couldn¡¯t understand why Han Cheng would want to remove the ve status from some of them.
In his view, having them as ves was highly beneficial for the tribe. Wouldn''t it be better to keep them as ves to continue contributing? Removing their ve status would defeat the purpose of punishing them.
The shaman found it hard to understand the meaning behind Han Cheng¡¯s approach.
Han Cheng, however, was fully aware of the reasons behind it. He firmly believed in the idea that where there is oppression, there will be resistance. ves and ve owners are naturally opposing sses. ve owners oppress and exploit ves, and over time, ves will inevitably harbor resentment. When this resentment reaches a certain level, conflict is likely to erupt.
The most effective and fundamental solution isn¡¯t to enforce even more brutal suppression, which only addresses symptoms rather than root causes and exacerbates conflicts. Instead, it¡¯s better to address the issue through gradual reforms.
The approach should establish rules that allow ves at the bottom of the social hierarchy to see a glimmer of hope and a potential escape from their dire situation. Although this path is fraught with difficulty, and only a small number might escape their plight, the existence of this path can prevent the situation from reaching a breaking point.
In such conditions, theck of hope is the most terrifying. Having even a slight chance of hope motivates people to strive towards it. This not only ensures long-term stability among the ves but also significantly boosts their work ethic.
Moreover, those who manage to escape their status through such a challenging process are typically the most capable among the ves. When these capable individuals advance beyond the ve ss, the remaining ones are easier to control.
Former ves, having once been in the same position, are less likely to be sympathetic to the plight of ves, thus eliminating concerns about leniency. This can be understood simrly to how officials from ordinary backgrounds, once they rise to the ruling ss through the imperial examination system, are not particrly lenient towards their former subjects. Simrly, peasant uprisings throughout history often led to new regimes that were even more oppressive than the ones they overthrew.
Of course, just having this path is not enough. The Green Sparrow Tribe¡¯s citizens also need the means to enforce control. If any ves be restless, they must be suppressed with force to bring them back onto the right path. With this path in ce, even using force won¡¯t drive ves to the brink of despair.
Thebination of this approach with the use of force ensures the long-term stability of the ve system in the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The rationale behind this was too profound andplex for the shaman to grasp immediately. Han Cheng exined it in a way the shaman could understand, rifying the significance of his actions.
After an extended period, the shaman gradually understood Han Cheng¡¯s intent and was deeply impressed by the Divine Child¡¯s long-term vision and consideration of such aplex issue. Without Han Cheng¡¯s exnation, he would never have realized that this seemingly simple act of removing the ve status from a few people significantly impacted the stability of the tribe¡¯s future.
Chapter 485: shattered all three views (worldview, values, and outlook on life)
Chapter 485: shattered all three views (worldview, values, and outlook on life)
Eventually, removing the ve status from a small portion of the ves and allowing them to be normal citizens of the Green Sparrow Tribe had not been mentioned to anyone other than the shaman.
This was a consideration for a muchter time when the number of ves in the Green Sparrow Tribe reached a specific scale, and such measures needed to be considered and implemented.
There were only three war captives about to be ves, so there was no need to worry about them causing much trouble.
What needed the most attention right now was dealing with this evil tribe that was once again reaching out to their tribe. Only by defeating them could the tribe have a chance to develop steadily and securely and potentially acquire many ves. If they couldn''t get past this obstacle, no amount of future nning would help.
Calcting the time, he got up from where he had been sitting, still deep in thought, and walked towards a corner of the courtyard. He needed to gather more information about that tribe from one of Shang''s former nsmen.
In the corner of the courtyard, after enduring the ''abuse'' of salt water and willow branch water, Tu Mao had calmed down a lot. With the old chief Shang and a few other former Pig Tribe members present, he had almost lost his fear once he knew he wouldn''t die. Instead, he rejoiced in his miraculous survival and an unexpected reunion with his former nsmen.
Tu Mao suddenly froze, staring intently towards the main gate of the courtyard.
Were those vicious wolvesing into the tribe?!
After a brief moment of shock, he immediately panicked. The recent encounter with those damned wolves in the forest had left a deep impression on him.He used all his strength to stand on one leg, grabbed Shang, and babbled anxiously while trying to run to the side and find a weapon.
Not only him, but the three captives were also panicking.
Shang was somewhat confused by this sudden reaction from his nsman and did not understand why there was such a significant response.
Looking in the direction Tu Mao was pointing, Shang saw the wolves leading the way for the Four Little Fu Jiang, entering the tribe. Hearing his nsman''s words, he smiled.
He smiled and reassured his long-lost nsman, patting him on the shoulder and telling him not to worry. These wolves were raised by their tribe and wouldn¡¯t bite.
Won¡¯t bite?
Tu Mao didn¡¯t believe this answer at all. These creatures had shown no mercy when attacking them in the forest just a while ago.
However, seeing the chief and the other tribe members showing no signs of panic at the sight of the wolves swaggering into the tribe, he began to calm down a bit.
Perhaps the chief was right.
As he was thinking this, his eyes suddenly widened in disbelief, as if he had seen somethingpletely shattered his views.
The incredibly fierce wolves approached the person who should be the chief, who had just reached adulthood, wagging their tails, bouncing, and showing a ttering demeanor.
Tu Mao swore he had never seen such wolves before.
Among them, the lead wolf was the most outrageous. After bouncing around for a while, ity down, wrapping its front paws around the chief¡¯s leg, exposing its belly, rolling from side to side, and ying around.
Were these the same ferocious wolves?
Tu Mao was stunned.
The disparity between their behavior was just too significant.
Thispletely unexpected scene dumbfounded not only him but also the other three captives from the Flying Snake Tribe.
Seeing Tu Mao and the others with their stunned expressions, Shang and the others couldn''t help butugh.
So, it turned out that these wolves were indeed raised by the tribe, just like the terrifying unicorn raised by the shaman in Shang''s previous tribe.
Thinking of this, Tu Mao suddenly became fearful again as he remembered the terror of the unicorn and the cruelty of the Flying Snake Tribe''s shaman.
That tribe had many strong adults, and with the terrifying unicorn, even if this tribe had strange caves, it wouldn¡¯t matter.
He had been present when the horrifying unicorn had easily breached caves and knocked people over. It was something that no one could withstand!
¡°£¤!¡±
With these thoughts, Tu Mao grabbed Shang and spoke in fear again.
After meeting the old chief and being saved by him, he no longer wanted to return to the Flying Snake Tribe.
Though the Flying Snake Tribe was powerful, living there always made him anxious and insecure.
Now that he was back with the old chief, he didn¡¯t want to leave again.
He also didn¡¯t want the tribe where the old chief was to suffer another attack from that powerful, almost invincible tribe.
So, he wanted the old chief to tell the new chief, whom he had never met, to leave the area quickly before the evil Flying Snake Tribe arrived.
Although moving the tribe would bring various troubles, it was better than being attacked by the Flying Snake Tribe, having many people killed and the remaining ones taken away.
Tu Mao had experienced this once and knew how terrifying it was.
Shangughed again, thinking his former nsman must have been so frightened by the evil tribe that he was jumpy about everything.
However, as Shang began to understand Tu Mao¡¯s words more clearly, his smile faded, and his expression grew serious.
Han Cheng approached at that moment.
Shang then stepped forward to share the information from Tu Mao with Han Cheng.
Seeing the usually battle-ready Shang looking serious, Han Cheng had an inkling that things might be troublesome.
¡°Divine Son, that tribe¡¡±
A creature with a horn on its head, enormous size, and long fur?
Able to attack caves and people?
Han Cheng pondered the information Shang had received from Tu Mao, momentarily stunned.
He hadn¡¯t expected that this evil tribe not only had arge number of people but also kept animals as war tools.
And it sounded like these animals were huge and ferocious, far beyond the capabilities of the Four Little Fu Jiang.
What kind of prehistoric beast was this?
¡°Ask him how many of those creatures the tribe has.¡±
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng spoke to Shang.
Tu Mao, understanding the old chief''s question, widened his eyes slightly. One of those creatures was already too much; how could they want more?
He raised one finger, looking expectantly at Shang and Han Cheng.
He hoped they would leave quickly and not stay a moment longer. Otherwise, it would be toote once the shaman and the terrifying unicorn arrived.
Seeing Tu Mao extend his middle finger, Han Cheng twitched his nose slightly. Why did this guy have to choose that finger?
Thinking this, Han Cheng felt a bit relieved. No matter what kind of creature it was, it was much easier to handle if there weren¡¯t too many of them.
Chapter 486: raising a hawk
Chapter 486: raising a hawk
After hesitating for a long time, the former leader of the Donkey Tribe, now known as Miao, came to find Han Cheng.
The blood on his face had been cleaned up, andpared to his previous frenzy, he seemed much more sober now. However, his anxiety had not lessened much.
The unexpected reunion of the Pig Tribe leader, Shang, with his people had touched him deeply. The fact that people from the Pig Tribe survived the long attack from that evil tribe gave him hope. His tribe had been attacked by the evil tribe for a shorter time, and judging from the bodies left in the cave, some people had been taken away.
This meant that there might still be survivors in his tribe. If they could defeat that evil tribe, they could quickly rescue their people.
Now that they have captured a few members of the evil tribe, with their guidance, they should be able to find their real cave and not miss it as they didst time.
With so many people in the tribe, they could attack the evil tribe. Moreover, the Divine Child said he would not stand by and do nothing.
After hearing Miao''s intention, Han Cheng thought momentarily before shaking his head and rejecting Miao''s suggestion.
If it were a matter of dealing with a tribe with a small number of people, then taking the initiative would be fine. But now, ording to the information from Tu Mao, the evil tribe had more adults than the current Green Sparrow Tribe. And there was a fierce, unknownrge monster involved. In this situation, how could he abandon the huge advantage of the walls and his territory to confront the evil tribe head-on?
Even if the Green Sparrow Tribe managed to win with their weapons and trained soldiers, it would still be a victory.This was not something he wanted to see.
Han Cheng exined the pros and cons to him.
The former Donkey Tribe leader was highly disappointed. He was desperate for revenge against the evil tribe and to rescue the captured people, but the Divine Child was not ready to fight.
¡°£¤¡¡¡±
After Han Cheng''s exnation, the reluctant Donkey Tribe leader said one more thing.
Before he could finish speaking, the Eldest Senior Brother, standing aside,nded a heavy punch on the Donkey Tribe leader''s face, knocking him to the ground. He then kicked the fallen leader several times in frustration.
Han Cheng watched this scene with a slight frown but did not intervene.
Without needing the Eldest Senior Brother to trante, Miao''s expression and the Eldest Senior Brother''s reaction clearly indicated that Miao had essentially questioned Han Cheng¡¯s decision.
That was going too far. Some discipline was necessary.
It wasn¡¯t that Han Cheng wanted to impose a dictatorship or suppress dissent, but Miao¡¯s behavior was simply uneptable.
From his reaction, it seemed he did not regard the Green Sparrow Tribe as his own. He did not seem to care about the safety of the Green Sparrow Tribe¡¯s people.
Even after Han Cheng had exined the situation, Miao still recklessly endangered the entire tribe for a few people from his former tribe.
The sudden violence from the Eldest Senior Brother shocked everyone. They didn¡¯t understand why the leader had acted this way.
After gathering and learning the reasons from the Eldest Senior Brother, the Green Sparrow Tribe members were enraged.
They had always been respectful to the Divine Child, and this outsider, who had joined their tribe in trouble, dared to treat the Divine Child in such a manner which was unforgivable.
Even the gray-haired shaman could not resist giving a kick to the crouched Donkey Tribe leader.
The other six members of the Donkey Tribe were also dragged over by the angry Green Sparrow Tribe members, including two who were still injured and had been recovering in the house.
¡°We don¡¯t wee you!¡±
¡°Daring to question the Divine Child¡¡±
¡°You did not care about our lives, and we will not care about yours¡¡±
¡°Expel them¡¡±
The furious members of the Green Sparrow Tribe roared. If Han Cheng had not intervened, the Donkey Tribe leader and the other six members would likely have been beaten to death by the enraged crowd.
The Donkey Tribe leader, helpless and terrified, sat on the ground, looking at these once-friendly people in confusion. He had not expected these kinds of people to suddenly turn against him.
¡°He was just momentarily confused, thinking of his former tribe. Give him one more chance, but if it happens again, there will be no forgiveness.¡±
Han Cheng waited quietly until the situation calmed down and then spoke to end the sudden upheaval.
Han Cheng was reluctant to kill the members of the Donkey Tribe. He nned to keep them and, after this situation ended, use them to form a trade team centered around them.
However, they still needed to be taught a lesson.
Unlike Shang and Gu, the former Donkey Tribe leader had not properly adjusted to his new position after joining the Green Sparrow Tribe. Therefore, it was necessary to use force to make him understand.
Although the incident appeared sudden, given the Donkey Tribe leader¡¯s current behavior, simr issues would likely arise sooner orter.
The crowd dispersed as instructed, but their looks toward the Donkey Tribe leader remained hostile.
The Donkey Tribe members, who had a basic understanding of the situation, were also dissatisfied with their former leader¡¯s actions. In their view, the affluent and influential tribe had already done enough for them. They not only took in these homeless people, provided them with food and shelter, and treated their injuries, but also risked their lives twice to fight the evil tribe.
Now that the situation had drastically changed, and the evil tribe was too powerful, the esteemed Divine Child wanted to wait and see. Yet, the former leader was still disappointed.
They could hardly imagine what their situation would be like without this wealthy and powerful tribe.
The life in this tribe was soforting that they didn¡¯t want to be driven out.
After the rest of the Green Sparrow Tribe members left, the former Donkey Tribe members also departed, and none of them spoke to the Donkey Tribe leader.
When the remaining Donkey Tribe members left, the leader was inplete shock.
He hadn¡¯t expected that things would change so drastically in an instant.
Sitting there exhaustedly, he looked at the suddenly unfamiliar people and tribe, feeling his mind go nk.
During this time, no one came to check on him.
The terrified and confused former Donkey Tribe leader suddenly realized something: this was no longer his former tribe.
He was no longer a leader; his original tribe had been destroyed.
He, along with the surviving members of his tribe, had joined this new tribe and be part of it.
Everyone in this tribe was now his fellow tribesmen¡
Chapter 487: Furry Rhinoceros!
Chapter 487: Furry Rhinoceros!
Han Cheng left the area and observed the donkey tribe leader sitting on the ground from a distance before returning to the matters concerning the Flying Snake Tribe.
His primary concern was still the monstrous creature described by Tu Mao.
Since Tu Mao¡¯snguage was not well-developed and his vocabry limited, he could not precisely describe the creature.
Tu Mao only knew that the creature was veryrge, but the exact size was unclear.
Han Cheng pondered for a while and then instructed Shang and a few others to help Tu Mao, who could not put weight on one leg, go to the quarry.
At the quarry, there were manyrge stones.
Han Cheng pointed to a stone about 1.5 meters high and 2 meters long, but Tu Mao shook his head.
Tu Mao searched the area and finally pointed to arge stone approximately 2 meters high and nearly 3 meters long.
Afterparing it with his memory of the unicorn, Tu Mao indicated this stone was the closest match.Han Cheng¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Was it really that big?
No wonder Tu Mao was so frightened.
Such arge creature couldn¡¯t be an elephant, could it?
Han Cheng considered this but immediately dismissed the idea.
Elephants don¡¯t have horns, and as far as he knew, elephants lived in tropical regions.
The ce where he lived had distinct seasons, with winters even colder than those in his past life, so elephants shouldn¡¯t be here.
Thinking about it, Han Cheng shook his head again. Ancient Central ins did have elephants.
He vaguely remembered learning about fossils of ancient elephants discovered in the Yellow River in elementary school.
Moreover, Henan, formerly known as Yuzhou, had a character representing a person leading an elephant.
Though Han Cheng was unsure of his exact location, the climate did make the presence of elephants possible.
¡°Does it have a long trunk?¡±
Han Cheng thought momentarily, gesturing with his hand to indicate a long trunk.
Tu Mao, however, did not understand what Han Cheng meant.
Seeing Tu Mao¡¯s confusion, Han Cheng found a stick and drew the shape of an elephant on the ground, highlighting the long trunk and tusks.
Since he had previously drawn various shapes for Green Sparrow and for marking tools for the disabled, Han Cheng¡¯s skills had improved, allowing him to draw a reasonably decent elephant.
Tu Mao carefully examined Han Cheng''s drawing and suddenly cried out loudly, his eyes filled with fear.
He remembered seeing the creature with a giant python on its head fighting with the unicorn, and the memory was still vivid.
He hadn¡¯t expected that the tribe¡¯s divine child could represent such a terrifying animal in this way.
Could it be that Han Cheng had seen such a terrifying creature?
Seeing Tu Mao¡¯s reaction, Han Cheng was surprised. Could it be an elephant?
Tu Mao excitedly made gestures and sounds, and after a while, Han Cheng learned from Shang that the unicorn had fought with the elephant.
It seemed that the unicorn was also very fearsome. It had fought with the elephant, even though it was ultimately killed. It was not an easy opponent.
Could it be a rhinoceros?
Han Cheng recalledrgend animals he knew of and searched for a corresponding image.
Aside from rhinoceroses or otherrge wild buffaloes, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else.
But did rhinoceroses have long hair?
Thinking this over, he drew an image of a rhinoceros and showed it to Tu Mao.
Seeing the much smaller but strikingly simr representation of the unicorn on the ground, Tu Mao¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, his mouth agape in astonishment.
Could it be that this divine child had also seen a unicorn?
Otherwise, how could he have so clearly depicted the unicorn-like creature?
¡°£¤5¡¡¡±
Tu Mao voiced his confusion.
Listening to Tu Mao¡¯s doubts conveyed through Shang, Han Cheng smiled.
He had seen a rhinoceros, but the scenario was not quite the same as Tu Mao had imagined.
Han Cheng momentarily thought and nodded, surprising the people around him, including the Eldest senior brother. After all, the divine child had lived with them for years, so how could he have seen such a unicorn-like creature?
Recalling the miraculous experiences of the divine child descending from the heavens and the various extraordinary traits he had shown, the crowd was somewhat relieved.
It was only natural for a divine child to know so much.
It was remarkable that the hostile tribe had rhinoceroses and could control them to attack caves and people.
However, it also posed a problem, as dealing with rhinoceroses with the current equipment would be challenging.
The former donkey tribe leader, having reflected on his actions, approached. He saw the huge stone and heard Shang describe the terrifying creatures used by the evil tribe to attack caves and people.
He regretted and feared that he should not have insisted onunching another attack on the evil tribe under such circumstances.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe responded to his arrival with cold stares.
Mao came before Han Cheng, lying prostrate on the ground like a beast submitting to its king, uttering words of apology.
Han Cheng waited a moment before allowing him to rise and said, ¡°The evil tribe will be destroyed, but not through a direct assault; we need to use strategies.¡±
Mao quickly nodded, afraid to say another word.
Seeing Mao¡¯s nervousness and the cold stares from the rest of the tribe, which was not what Han Cheng desired, he reached out, took Mao¡¯s hand, and lifted it.
¡°He made mistakes before, but he has realized his errors and hasn¡¯t caused harm to the tribe, so we should ept him now. We shouldn¡¯t treat him like an enemy anymore¡¡±
Mao¡¯s eyes welled up. He hadn¡¯t expected the divine child to not hold a grudge against him for his previous actions but instead to help him exin himself to the other tribe members.
The surrounding people fell silent for a moment. After a while, the senior brother was the first to approach, patting Mao¡¯s chest.
This gesture indicated a reeptance.
After the Eldest senior brother stepped aside, Shang also came over.
With Han Cheng¡¯s words and the senior brother¡¯s lead, the rest of the people gradually approached and patted Mao¡¯s chest individually.
Seeing the once again friendly faces of the tribe members, Mao was moved to tears. He had gained their forgiveness and was no longer alone.
As Maoy prostrate before everyone, Han Cheng suddenly thought of something.
If Mao were a female primitive person, the eldest senior brother''s leading gesture¡
It would create quite a ripple.
Chapter 488: Sharpening the knife, aiming at the rhinoceros
Chapter 488: Sharpening the knife, aiming at the rhinoceros
While Mao received the forgiveness of the people of the Green Sparrow tribe, news of the evil tribe''srger number of adults and the presence of a terrifying unicorn spread throughout the Green Sparrow tribe.
The people were shocked; they hadn¡¯t expected such a thing to exist in that tribe.
Seeing their reaction, Tu Mao sighed in relief. This was the proper response¡ªresisting that unicorn was impossible. The only thing one could do in the face of it was to fear and escape.
However, what happened next left him shocked and panicked. Instead of preparing to migrate, the tribe''s people were busy organizing their weapons. Some cursed the evil tribe, while others remained silent.
Regardless, their fighting spirit seemed even stronger than before.
Tu Mao was both shocked and anxious. He was shocked that, upon learning about the powerful evil tribe, the people were more determined to fight. He was anxious because the unicorn from the evil tribe was invincible, and staying here would only lead to the cave being breached and many people being killed.
He wanted to tell the esteemed Divine Child about this situation to stop the people from their current course of action. But remembering the fate of the previous person who had tried to speak out, Tu Mao changed his n and went to find his old chief, Shang.
In his impression, the old chief valued the lives of the tribe¡¯s people highly, and it seemed that the old chief had a high status in this new tribe. He hoped that after hearing his concerns, the old chief would not adopt such a foolish approach.
But Tu Mao was stunned again when he saw the old chief leaving with a wooden stick topped with a stone. His mind was in a daze. He couldn¡¯t believe what he had heard!The old chief said they had a way to deal with the unicorn. How could that be possible? He had seen the terror of the unicorn firsthand; humans were insignificant in its presence, and its thick skin made it resistant to ordinary weapons.
How could this tribe say they had a way to deal with such a beast? Tu Mao was dizzy from the shock.
He remembered how the unicorn had breached the cave and easily crushed other tribes.
After standing in a daze, Tu Mao could only slowly sit down. Looking at the busy and highly motivated people, he felt a deep difort.
He had hoped that after meeting the old chief, he could ultimately leave the evil tribe. But now it seemed that it wouldn¡¯t be long before he had to return¡
Meanwhile, Han Cheng was less concerned. Since he knew that the unicorn was a rhinoceros and there was only one, with proper preparation, there was nothing to fear.
He was somewhat excited. Such an opportunity to hunt such a rare creature didn¡¯te often in the future. Moreover, the horns and skin of the rhinoceros were valuable resources. Whether used for armor, shield covers, belts, or small whips, they were excellent materials.
The Eldest Senior Brother, the Second Eldest Brother, Shang, and many adults of the Green Sparrow tribe enthusiastically dug pits with pickaxes and bone shovels in front of the tribe¡¯s gate.
At this time, Lame, the chief carpenter of the Green Sparrow tribe, had stopped doing other tasks. Armed with an iron axe and apanied by two apprentices, he was out searching for and cutting down many tree branches, each about as thick as an arm, with a length of over one meter.
He then brought them back to sharpen them with the axe, slightly burned them in the fire, and honed them to make them sharper.
Although this process was quiteborious, Lame and his team worked diligently because the matter concerned the tribe¡¯s survival.
In another part of the Green Sparrow tribe''s courtyard, Bai Xue and several others who were not very strong were quickly weaving coarse hemps.
At this moment, no one was concerned about saving on hemp skins; instead, they focused on making thes as sturdy as possible.
As dusk fell, several fires were lit outside the Green Sparrow tribe¡¯s gate. The people, who had been digging the earth for most of the day, continued their work, illuminated by the firelight, digging with renewed effort.
Arge pit was growing bigger and deeper with their hard work.
Everything here was the result of their strenuous efforts. After having enjoyed a few years of good days, they could not tolerate the thought of someoneing to take it all away from them.
As the bonfires dwindled, the sweat-covered, mud-streaked workers climbed out of the pit, smiling with satisfaction.
They had previously used such methods to catch ferocious wild boars and to hunt fierce tigers. Although the unicorn, which the Divine Child had called a ¡®rhinoceros,¡¯ was terrifying, as long as they dug the pit deep enough and made the wooden stakes long and sharp enough, they were confident they could trap the so-called rhinoceros!
The Divine Child had said this, and the Green Sparrow tribe people firmly believed it.
After learning that the terrifying unicorn was a rhinoceros, some of these people eagerly awaited the evil tribe¡¯s arrival with the rhinoceros.
One of these people was the young shaman Shi Tou, who had studied under the shaman for several years. This boy was deeply obsessed with flying and still couldn¡¯t forget it.
He became excited after hearing Han Cheng say that the terrifying unicorn was called a rhinoceros. Since the name ¡®rhinoceros¡¯ also contained the character for ¡®cow,¡¯ he wondered if they could eventually fly by wearing its skin.
Shi Tou, who had always wanted to soar to the heavens and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun, eagerly anticipated this.
Tu Mao, witnessing the tribe¡¯s reaction and actions, was thoroughly bewildered.
What kind of tribe was this? What kind of people lived here?
Despite thinking of himself as not too foolish, Tu Mao was unable to understand many things aftering to this tribe.
When he learned from the old chief that this tribe was neighboring to their former tribe, Tu Mao was even more confused.
He had visited that tribe before; their numbers were simr to those of his former tribe, living in caves, and their food was not abundant.
How had they transformed so drastically in such a short time?
Exquisite pottery, delicious salt, high walls, and arge poption...
Tu Mao stared wide-eyed at everything before him, trying hard to recall.
No matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t connect this affluent, influential, novel tribe with the old, small one he had known.
Chapter 489: series of pitfalls.
Chapter 489: series of pitfalls.
The selfless sun is also extremely domineering. When it awakens from its slumber, all the stars in the sky must retreat from its presence. Even the brightest moon can only leave a faint shadow in the sky.
Outside the walls of the Green Sparrow Tribe, two meters from the gate, arge pit has appeared. It measures over four meters in length, three meters in width, and two meters in depth. Due to the tribe''s proximity to the river, the pit has already filled with water at a depth of two meters.
In this pit, the eldest senior brother and his team are burying sharp wooden stakes prepared by Lame and his two assistants. Less than one and a half meters away, two more groups are digging additional pits.
On both sides of the pit being dug, two rectangr areas outlined with nt ash are being dug out to set traps.
This is Han Cheng''s arrangement to ensure everything is done properly. After all, the rhinoceros, which is tough-skinned,rge, and different from the previous wild boars and tigers, requires more thorough preparation.
Han Cheng has ordered a series of pitfalls to prevent the rhinoceros from climbing out of the pit and continuing to charge at the gate. Even if the rhinoceros is strong enough to climb out of one pit, it will eventually be trapped if it falls into another immediately after.
Han Cheng looked at the numerous wooden spikes, each over a meter long, in the pit with a sinister smile. The Flying Snake Tribe will certainlye, and the rhinoceros wille as well.
He is confident in this because he learned from Tu Mao''s ount that after attacking the Donkey Tribe, part of the Flying Snake Tribe hade near their tribe and had been scared away. Since they know the difficulties posed by the walls and have the rhinoceros as their trump card, they will not leave it unused.
Furthermore, Han Cheng learned from Tu Mao that the Flying Snake Tribe''s shaman had a strong reaction to pottery and salt. This confirms that they will not overlook their tribe.There are reasons for setting the traps at the courtyard gate. First, the rest of the Green Sparrow Tribe''s areas are protected by moats, and only the courtyard gatecks such protection. Second, Tu Mao informed him that the Flying Snake Tribe has a precedent for using rhinoceroses to charge cave entrances.
With these two conditions, Han Cheng is not afraid that the Flying Snake Tribe''s rhinoceroses will not pass there. He is relieved that the Flying Snake Tribe''s shaman is very cautious, sending a few people to scout and investigate beforeunching a full attack. Additionally, their food reserves are low, so they need to gather more supplies before bringing their forces to war.
Otherwise, Han Cheng would not have known this evil tribe had such tank-like creatures. If he had been unaware, the tribe would have been highly panicked upon seeing such a giant beast. Moreover, if they were unprepared, their tribe''s gate would likely be breached.
Once the defenses are broken and the number of enemy adults isparable to their tribe, the situation could be dire.
Reflecting on these matters, Han Cheng felt both fortunate and fearful. The severalrge traps have almost covered all the essible areas outside the Green Sparrow Tribe. Only narrow paths, less than forty centimeters wide on each side of the traps, are left for passage.
These paths are marked with nt ash to make them noticeable if someone identally steps into the traps.
Even if someone identally steps on one of the traps, it won¡¯t cause too much trouble. This is because Han Cheng constructed the traps very robustly. This way, it prevents tragic idents from happening if someone steps on a trap by mistake, and it ensures that when leading the rhinoceros to attack, the person carrying an unknown bundle of grass in front of the rhinoceros won''t cause the trap to copse underfoot, making it difficult to trap the rhinoceros.
However, despite this, no one dares to step on the traps intentionally. They know how terrifying these traps are because they set them up themselves.
In the deer enclosure, Deer Lord stretches its head and calls out, wanting to lead its herd to graze, but the little two-legged creatures have confined it and are feeding it. The deer have not been outside the enclosure for several days. Since the traps were dug outside the courtyard, they have been restricted in their enclosure. After all, while the traps can contain humans, they cannot contain deer.
Tu Mao¡¯s leg, which had been severely swollen, is now less severe. Unlike the three captured and enved people, he, as a Level 2 citizen of the Green Sparrow Tribe, has not had his freedom restricted. He uses a stick as a cane and limps to the entrance, looking at therge pit being covered at the edge. He can¡¯t help but shiver. He was captured after falling into a pit and getting his leg impaled by wooden spikes, so he understands the danger of these pits. He never expected that the tribe could make the pits so huge.
Thinking about the rhinoceros falling into theserge pits makes Tu Mao¡¯s face pale. Now, he is somewhat worried about the terrifying unicorn. Now, hepletely understands why the tribe didn¡¯t panic and migrate after hearing about the unicorn¡¯s ferocity but instead chose to stay.
This nearby tribe has now be incredibly powerful. As the Green Sparrow Tribe continues to dig the traps inside the Flying Snake Tribe, the shaman frowns deeply. On the stone wall in front of him are marks made with stones, indicating each day since the five scouts he sent out left. Many days have passed, and they still have not returned.
He worries whether they were discovered and killed by that tribe or encountered other dangers on the way. He is concerned because if the scouts are captured, it would be problematic if they reveal information about his tribe.
However, he soonughs, thinking that his worries might be excessive. Firstly, these scouts are skilled at concealing themselves and may not have been discovered or captured. Secondly, even if captured, they couldn¡¯t reveal much useful information since they knew little about the tribe¡¯s specifics. Finally, even if the tribe knows about his tribe¡¯s situation, it doesn¡¯t matter because they have no way to deal with the unicorn!
As he thinks this, someone walks in from outside the cave...
Chapter 490: Deploy the strongest forces of the Flying Snake Tribe!
Chapter 490: Deploy the strongest forces of the Flying Snake Tribe!
The shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe turned around. The person who had arrived was the tribe''s great leader.
"£¤..."
The great leader spoke to the shaman, gesturing towards another direction.
He meant that the tribe''s food reserves were substantial enough to attack the other tribe.
The Flying Snake Tribe''s collective wish was to attack the rich tribe that possessed valuable pottery and salt. However, under the shaman''s guidance, they first had to gather fruits and store food.
The Flying Snake Tribe has been diligently collecting food this year to prepare for the attack and ensure a plentiful haul.
When the great leader announced that the food reserves were sufficient, the shaman could no longer remain calm.
The shaman had long desired to attack the other tribe. However, as the tribe''s wise elder, he needed to consider the well-being of the entire tribe, so he suppressed this desire.
Now, hearing that the food reserves were ample, he, too, was bing restless.Among the two coveted items, salt was the shaman''s greatest concern. Unlike pottery, which usuallysts, salt diminishes with daily use and eventually runs out.
He needed tounch an attack before the tribe¡¯s salt supply was depleted to secure enough salt from the other tribe.
Having tasted the bitterness of running out of salt, he knew it was unbearable.
Their cave had several branches, allowing them to amodate everyone during winter.
He followed the great leader to the other side of the cave, where they stored food.
Here, arge amount of fruit was piled up.
The shaman quickly assessed the situation, noting that the fruit reserves were less than in previous years. If they could defeat therge tribe and seize their food, it would suffice.
If there wasn''t enough food, they could always eat the other tribe¡¯s people, considering theirrge numbers.
"£¤..."
After a period of contemtion, he confirmed that the food was adequate and gave the long-awaited order for the attack.
The great leader responded enthusiastically, quickly leaving the cave to assemble forces.
The news that the shaman had finally agreed to attack brought joy to the rest of the Flying Snake Tribe. They were eager to taste salted food and use the precious pottery.
Pottery and salt were scarce in their tribe, monopolized by the shaman and leaders, and themon people dared not touch them.
But the newly appointed third leader brought good news.
Not far away was a tribe with countless pottery and heaps of salt like small mountains.
Once they conquered that tribe, the pottery and salt would belong to them.
The thought of eating salted food from pottery bowls excited them!
"£¤!"
The shaman no longer waited for the few scouts he had sent out.
They might have encountered trouble or were on their way back, but regardless of the situation, he was unwilling to wait any longer.
He looked at the many fruits stored in the cave, then at therge, seemingly dazed unicorn, and finally at the numerous, battle-ready tribe members, and issued the order to set out.
He led the unicorn at the front, followed by the three leaders, and then by the many members of the Flying Snake Tribe.
As they left the tribe, they marched forward cheerfully, not as if going to war, but like they were setting out on a joyous hunt.
The pottery and salt seemed to be waiting for them to take at their leisure.
Not only were the tribe members excited, but even the usuallyposed shaman was in high spirits.
Leading the fearsome unicorn and so many people, the shaman, despite his usual calm demeanor, did not believe the other tribe could withstand them.
All the initial apprehension and unease before departure had vanished, reced by a strong sense of confidence.
So much so that the Flying Snake Tribe''s shaman regretted not starting the attack sooner.
He thought he shouldn''t have sent scouts and waited so long; he should have just led the attack directly...
The fourth leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, one of the original three leaders, stood at the cave entrance, watching enviously as the departing tribe members grew smaller and eventually disappeared. His chest was filled with regret and frustration.
He felt deeply resentful about the task of guarding the cave.
It was an easy and rewarding battle, but due to his lower rank among the leaders, he couldn''t participate. Instead, he had to stay behind with a few strong adults, less robust individuals, and the children.
It was indeed a demoralizing task.
He was unhappy, and those left behind with him were also visibly dispirited and downcast...
Han Cheng stood on the wall, looking around. Some people in the tribe also scanned the surroundings, hoping the other tribe would arrive soon.
They had prepared everything and were waiting for the other tribe to bring the ves.
Most of the trees had lost their leaves at this time, providing a clearer view. Standing on the wall, one could see farther.
However, to their disappointment, the evil tribe had not yet appeared.
This was causing a lot of anxiety among the members of the Green Sparrow Tribe...
The shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe, who had been walking continuously, was considerably leaner from the long journey.
But he was in good spirits because, not long ago, the Flying Snake Tribe''s third leader had informed him that the other tribe was almost there.
Others in the tribe who received this news were also very excited.
They would soon obtain those precious items!
The third leader of the Flying Snake Tribe looked at the imposing unicorn with a sharp gaze.
With the unicorn and so many people, how could the other tribe''s people possibly resist?
Compared to the tempting salt and pottery, he was now more eager to see the panic on the faces of the other tribe when they saw the unicorn.
Having traveled all this way without encountering the five scouts he had sent out, the Flying Snake Tribe''s shaman knew they were likely in danger.
Not only had they not obtained thetest news from the other tribe, but it was also very possible that the other tribe knew about the impending attack.
However, the shaman of the Flying Snake Tribe was not overly concerned. It wasn¡¯t arrogance but rather a reflection of their overwhelming strength.
"£¤!"
The third leader of the Flying Snake Tribe called out excitedly, mboyantly pointing forward.
The Flying Snake Tribe''s shaman looked ahead and saw, through the branches, a yellowish mountain wall appearing in the distance¡
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