I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 130 – Praise, like labor, 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 playfully avoided the large teeth, joyfully gathering together to observe this novel world.
Where the teeth had passed, small furrows were left behind, similar to a comb 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 place 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 occasionally thought about the past.
If this were in the past, he might be hunting in the forest with his former leader. But hunting couldn’t compare to the comfort 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, occasionally glancing 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 plant rapeseed last year and knew some general procedures.
However, there were very few rapeseeds last year, and the methods used to plant them were quite different. For example, last 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 recollecting last year’s practices and a thorough comparison 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 Cheng last 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 making large 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 played 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 thick layer 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 thick layer 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 overcome. Han Cheng pushed it forward, leaving behind a half-meter-wide gap where the rake had passed. Only a thin layer 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 played 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 thin layer 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.