I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 178 – The Second Senior Brother is like Cao Cao, planting 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 penetrate.
However, the Eldest Senior Brother remained unharmed because the other tightly packed vines prevented the spear from going through completely. 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 double-layered 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 double-layered 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, particularly the Nanman tribe. Perhaps soaking the rattan shields in oil, even animal fat or vegetable oil if tung oil wasn’t available, 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 similar 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 more complicated.
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 Soccer” 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 and laughing, 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: “白” (white) and “油” (oil).
Inside the jars were carefully cultivated rapeseeds, ready to be planted 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 planted the “白” (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 flat-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 jar labeled “白” and, pinching the seeds between his fingers, sowed them along the furrows.
After planting four to five furrows of “白” 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 planting method for the specifically selected rapeseeds was the same as for “白” 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 planted.
“Someone! Someone!”
The next morning, Han Cheng was awakened by the sudden shouts and the rhythmic sound of wooden clappers.