I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 194 – Feeling Empty
“Fu Jiang~!”
“Fu Jiang~!”
The anxious shouts echoed continuously in the forest, making the mountains and forests seem emptier.
The joy of finding wild silkworms had long disappeared, completely replaced by the anxiety and unease brought about by Fu Jiang’s unexpected disappearance.
How could such a good fellow just vanish like that?!
“Fu Jiang~!”
Han Cheng’s face was anxious as he shouted hoarsely, his voice somewhat hoarse.
“Fu Jiang~!”
Eldest Senior Brother and the others also joined in the shouting, equally anxious.
They had witnessed how Fu Jiang had grown from a chubby little ball of fur day by day. After more than a year of living together day and night, they had fully accepted this fellow who looked like a wolf but was different in every other way. One could even say they treated him as half a tribe member.
Now, suddenly disappearing like this, they felt uneasy, too.
As they walked through the forest, wielding their weapons and shouting, they looked around and noticed the surrounding movements. Wherever they went, all the beasts were startled.
Han Cheng had fantasized countless times that Fu Jiang would suddenly appear from somewhere, wagging his tail and playing around him as usual. However, when he turned to look toward his fantasy, the expected figure did not appear.
“Divine Child, let’s go back. It’s getting late…”
Eldest Senior Brother looked at the sky and then at Divine Child, who was still shouting and searching for Fu Jiang. After hesitating several times, he finally spoke up.
Han Cheng felt very uncomfortable, a kind of emptiness inside.
He raised Fu Jiang from a young age, and he had already developed feelings for him. How could he rest easy when he suddenly disappeared like this?
Although there were no dog thieves then, the surrounding world was far more dangerous than in the future, especially for Fu Jiang, who was alone…
Han Cheng shook his head and said, “Let’s search a little longer.”
Seeing Divine Child say this, Eldest Senior Brother didn’t insist anymore and could only follow Divine Child.
He didn’t want to give up the search like this, but compared to Fu Jiang, he was more concerned about the safety of the people in the tribe.
“Divine Child…”
After searching for a while with no results, Eldest Senior Brother spoke again.
Han Cheng looked at the sky. Indeed, it was not early anymore. Although he felt reluctant, he could only return.
He couldn’t risk putting most of the tribe’s strength in jeopardy just to search for Fu Jiang.
“Perhaps… he’s in the tribe.”
After walking back for a while, Eldest Senior Brother suddenly spoke up.
Han Cheng’s spirit couldn’t help but shake. How could he forget about this possibility?!
With renewed hope and a bit of anxiety, they hurried back to the tribe with everyone else, wishing they had wings to fly faster!
As the late autumn sky darkened quickly after the sun descended, darkness immediately enveloped everything at a visible speed.
The people left in the tribe began to feel uneasy.
The shaman came out from the depths of the cave, regardless of his age, climbing the ladder step by step onto the low wall over two meters high, looking towards the dim distance shrouded in dusk.
In his somewhat clouded eyes, there was unease and anticipation.
The adults in the tribe who had no other tasks to attend to had gone out with the Divine Child to search for the silkworms that had not been found before. They said it wouldn’t take too long. Now that the sun had set and darkness was about to fall completely, neither the Divine Child nor the people from the tribe had returned…
A sense of unease spread throughout the entire Green Sparrow Tribe. Even the children, who loved to play, quieted down at this time.
After waiting for a while, with the surroundings becoming increasingly desolate, the shaman couldn’t wait any longer. After instructing someone to make the fire outside the gate brighter, he carefully climbed down the wall and headed toward the cave.
He was going to pray to the heavenly gods, praying for the safety of the Divine Child and the other people in the tribe.
The people in the tribe were already living one day at a time, but they couldn’t withstand such calamities!
“Hey~!”
A distant shout came faintly from afar. Lame, adding firewood outside the gate, hesitated momentarily. Then, another shout came, and his hesitant expression turned into pure joy. He had already recognized the voice.
“They’re back! They’re back!”
He shouted excitedly, then picked up a burning stick and waved it vigorously above his head.
The shaman, who was halfway there, heard Lame’s shout and immediately forgot about praying to the heavenly gods. He turned around and headed towards the gate of the tribe.
The tense atmosphere dissipated, and the children, who had been as quiet as if their tongues had been tied, started cheering with the adults.
“Shaman, Fu Jiang…”
After the short-lived joy of their return, Han Cheng couldn’t help but ask anxiously.
The shaman, who was overjoyed to see everyone return unharmed, was puzzled by Han Cheng’s words.
Wasn’t Fu Jiang supposed to be with you guys?
He heard the anxiety in Han Cheng’s voice and didn’t hesitate to tell him what he knew.
Han Cheng’s heart suddenly sank, and even Eldest Senior Brother and the others playing with children couldn’t help but pause.
The whole joyful scene suddenly became bleak.
Even before reaching the gate of the tribe, Han Cheng had already confirmed that Fu Jiang had not returned because if that guy were in the tribe, he would have run out to greet them from afar.
He just didn’t want to believe the news until he got the confirmation from the shaman.
Seeing Han Cheng and the others with such expressions, the shaman hurriedly asked what was happening.
Han Cheng ate very little for dinner, only drinking a few mouthfuls of soup. Without Fu Jiang eagerly waiting to share his food, Han Cheng felt uncomfortable.
He put down his bowl and walked out of the cave towards the gate. The shaman glanced at Han Cheng, who was walking out and hurriedly finished chewing his food. After finishing the food in his bowl, he followed suit.
He came to Han Cheng’s side and looked towards the vast distance with him.
He wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing, just stood there quietly accompanying Divine Child.
Gradually, more and more people stood behind them…
“Let’s all go back to sleep…”
Feeling both uncomfortable and moved, Han Cheng turned back and smiled at everyone…
Lying on the kang, Han Cheng tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Fu Jiang lingered in his mind.
As the night deepened, this worry not only did not diminish but became even heavier.
Fu Jiang had grown up in the tribe since childhood, never interacting with other wolves. And Han Cheng had intentionally tamed his wildness…
How could he survive in the wilderness? Probably, he would starve.
But Han Cheng was most worried that Fu Jiang, gentle and inexperienced in outdoor survival, would encounter other animals’ hostility.
He didn’t want to see such a result no matter what!
Unable to sleep, he tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.
The night was quiet, and the half-moon appeared silently at some point, casting its cold light over the land.
The closed door was suddenly pushed open, and Han Cheng, wearing only a pair of leather shorts, ran out of the room barefoot towards the gate.
Just now, he vaguely heard Fu Jiang calling and scratching at the gate.
When he arrived, the gate was as quiet as before. Where was Fu Jiang?
He stubbornly opened the gate and walked a few steps outside, looking around and calling Fu Jiang softly. Only the chirping of insects echoed around him.
He stood quietly here for a while, sighed softly, returned to the courtyard, bolted the gate, and returned to the bedroom with a sigh…
The next day, Han Cheng woke up very early, and Eldest Senior Brother and the others also woke up early. They, who used never to understand Divine Child’s thoughts, all guessed right this time.
They washed up, had breakfast, grabbed their weapons, and set off.
Before they left, they instructed the people left behind to guard the tribe.
The shaman also hurried over to instruct Han Cheng and the others, reminding them to remember to return to the tribe before dark, regardless of whether they found Fu Jiang or not.
Han Cheng nodded solemnly, saying he wouldn’t forget…