I am a Primitive Man
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 successfully communicated 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 contemplate.
“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 particular, 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 overcome,” Han Cheng said, pointing to his head and patting his hands.
The shaman sighed in relief again because his greatest fear did not come 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 overcome difficulties and progress towards a better future.
After much contemplation, 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 overcome 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 overcome 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 overcome 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 overly large, 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 preoccupied 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 place 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 more comfortable 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 overcome the difficulties caused by demons with their wisdom and hands.
For the sake of the plot, let’s ignore that their speech has become somewhat fluent, haha.