I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 269 – Dog jumping into the river
“Be careful… Be careful… Come back on time…”
Like sheep sleeping on fluffy clouds, they remained still in the air for a long time, too lazy to move.
The wind, not chilly, gently blew, swaying the disheveled hair of the people.
In this lazy and leisurely time, a sense of parting permeated the air by the small river of the Green Sparrow Tribe, enveloping these people dressed in animal skins.
There were no willow branches to bid farewell, no low and melodious flute sounds, and no one writing farewell poems with ink and brush.
But the melancholy of parting indeed spread here.
The shaman repeatedly gave instructions that had been said many times before while Fire One and Fire Two, two people older than the shaman, wiped their tearful eyes.
Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and a few others had red eyes.
With the blessing of the Five Little Blessings, the Fu Jiang stood on the shore, anxiously pacing around.
Even Deer Lord, who had been tempted by Han Cheng with rapeseed and had done a lot of harrowing, now stretched its long face toward them.
Only the teenage boy Shi Tou, who didn’t know the taste of sorrow, looked eagerly at the Divine Child, hoping the Divine Child would allow him to board the boat and see the world outside together.
“Take care of the tribe. We’ll be back.”
Han Cheng spoke to the people on the shore.
“We will be back by the end of the month.”
The mooring ropes were untied, and the unbound boat, under the influence of both oars and water, left the riverbank one by one, moving away from the crowd and heading downstream.
“Woo, woo, woo…”
The Fu Jiang on the departing boat opened its mouth and called out anxiously, clearly worried.
“Go back!”
Han Cheng shouted at it.
“Plop!”
Seeing Han Cheng getting farther and farther away, Fu Jiang jumped into the water and swam towards him.
“Go back!”
Han Cheng shouted at the Fu Jiang.
It was only late spring, and although the water wouldn’t freeze anyone, it was still quite cold.
But how could Fu Jiang listen to Han Cheng? It just kept swimming along with the water.
This silly dog!
“Go back!”
Han Cheng sniffled and shouted at the Fu Jiang, struggling in the water, only showing its head and swimming towards him.
“Wail, wail…”
“Wail, wail…”
Several little puppies on the shore cried out urgently and helplessly, two even trying to enter the water, whimpering continuously on the side.
After swimming for a while, the Fu Jiang finally turned its head and swam towards the shore.
Climbing ashore, it shook off the water from its body, whimpering as it ran towards the place where the little puppies were, and after meeting them, it led them along the riverbank downstream.
Occasionally whimpering.
“Go back! I’ll be back soon!”
Han Cheng shouted at the dog, which was so reluctant to part.
If only he had tied it up earlier.
The Fu Jiang led the Five Little Blessings along the river for a long time until there was a river fork ahead, which blocked their path and then stopped.
It squatted there, looking at the place where the boat had disappeared for a long time, whimpering from time to time until the sun set in the west before heading towards the direction of the tribe with the Five Little Blessings.
Under the sunlight, it looked very lonely and desolate, like a lone wolf abandoned by the group…
The once lively Green Sparrow Tribe became deserted with the departure of Han Cheng and the others.
The people’s hearts also felt empty, as if they had lost something significant.
Even Second Brother, who used to have a good appetite, now found his meals less appetizing.
With Han Cheng and Eldest Senior Brother gone, the shaman, who used to spend most of his time watching and petting rabbits in the rabbit pen, now hardly visited the rabbits anymore.
He focused more on the tribe, paying attention to any movements within it.
He had to personally oversee and manage inserting the gate, arranging personnel on guard duty, and other such matters every day.
The two indispensable figures of the Green Sparrow Tribe had left, and he had to shoulder the remaining responsibilities.
Perhaps he didn’t think about it explicitly but acted accordingly.
Even the silly dog, Fu Jiang, who used to run around crazily, had changed its temperament, appearing much quieter. Its most common activity now was to sit with the Five Little Blessings at the gate of the Green Sparrow Tribe, gazing downstream towards the small river…
The river water gurgled under the boat, and the oars rubbed against the wooden poles, making a creaking sound.
Eldest Senior Brother crossed his hands, each holding an oar, and paddled the water, one after the other. The oars went into the water and then came out, creating ripples and splashes.
When the oars emerged from the water, a string of glistening water droplets fell along the oars into the water.
Sometimes, he moved both oars simultaneously; sometimes, he only used one to control and adjust the direction of the canoe to avoid hitting the riverbank.
They were going with the flow at this time, so only one person needed to paddle with two oars; the other two oars were stowed away in the cabin.
The fluffy white clouds drifted lazily, and the green on both sides gradually receded. The familiar tribe, familiar people, familiar walls, and the silly dog chasing the boat far away gradually disappeared, wholly blending into the continuous green on both sides.
The other people on the boat were also a bit reluctant and anxious. After all, this journey was different from before.
In the past, when they went out hunting, they would usually return to the tribe the same day, but this time it would take a long time.
As the setting sun cast its afterglow, the river surface, which had doubled or tripled in width, shimmered.
Han Cheng estimated the distance; they were probably more than fifty miles away from the tribe.
After traveling forward for about half an hour, this river merged into a larger one. Looking back in the direction they came from, it looked like a bloody sunset spread across the water, a sea of red.
Han Cheng gave this river a name: Red River.
Shortly after merging into the larger river, Han Cheng instructed the Eldest Senior Brother and the others to paddle the boat towards the southern bank, where a shallow sandbar was perfect for resting.
In such circumstances, he had no intention of sailing at night, as that would be reckless behavior.
The splashing sound of oars hitting the water and the conversations among the people startled several gulls and herons.
Unfortunately, some of them, who hadn’t had time to fly away, were shot through the body by an arrow tipped with bone before they could react, and after fluttering a few times, they lay still.
Third Senior Brother grinned with a wooden bow, and the others cheered. They hadn’t had much success in the past catching these flying birds.
The people pulled the boat ashore, trampling down a patch of weeds.
The hand-crank drill used for making fire was brought out, and with a sizzling sound, sparks flashed.