I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 108 – From Deer Pen to Houses
The collection of thatch and the roofing proved quite a troublesome task, taking nearly twenty days to complete.
During this period, the Eldest Senior Brother and others found time to plaster one side of the mud wall. The remaining three sides of the mud wall were completed 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 plastered 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 was completed, 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 building later this year.
After completing the deer pen, Han Cheng was more excited and looked forward to the houses he would build later 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 after completing 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 the completion 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 his later 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 always competed with him for milk.
Han Cheng wasn’t in the mood to compete 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 wooden lattice 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 Lord’s intention, Han Cheng couldn’t help but cry and laugh. 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 rain coming 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 irregular 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 becoming 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 slabs.
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 places in the tribe that would get wet, making it uncomfortable.
After the Divine Child arrived and created pottery, they used water tanks and clay pots to collect rainwater during rain. Although this improved the situation compared to before, it was still troublesome.
Moreover, the cave’s lighting became particularly 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 explained his thoughts to Han Cheng, who was surprised by Shaman’s 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 planned to inform Shaman about this soon, but now that Shaman had brought it up, he naturally went ahead and explained 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.