I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 417 – Old sow dug up the sweet potato pit
More sinister things were yet to come.
After the thorns were laid 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, then layered a net woven by tribe members that was significantly larger than the pit opening.
The net 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 extra layer of net was added because some wild animals were extremely fierce, especially in life-threatening situations, and could often unleash tremendous strength. Han Cheng added another net layer 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 net, he sprinkled a layer 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 of land 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 help laughing.
Hurt is hurt, but not enough to suit his taste.
Shaman also came over to remind people not to come here, especially the children in the tribe, not to come here.
If one of our people fell into it accidentally, 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 places where wild boars were likely to pass, they divided into groups and set up traps as before.
However, the scale was not as large as the previous trap area.
By late afternoon, when the sun was slanting 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 accidentally stumbling into them and getting hurt.
The golden sunlight slanted 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 would come again and ruin their hard work, but now they were concerned that these creatures might not come.
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 in later 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 place; they probably won’t just come once and never return.
After all, they were lively last night, with no one disturbing them.
This was why Han Cheng spent a lot of effort setting traps where they had wreaked havoc last night, while the traps set elsewhere weren’t as meticulously placed.
After dinner, as twilight fell, people from the tribe sat in groups of two or three in the courtyard, enjoying the comfort 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 transplant many plants like calamus 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 uncontrollable 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 stern command, then lay back down to sleep with White Snow Maiden, who had also woken up in surprise.
These guys are all leaders. How could they lack patience like this? Going out in the middle of the night with no plan 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 the commotion from that direction, filled with excitement and itching curiosity.
Knowing there might be a catch but being unable to see it was uncomfortable, 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…