I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 438 – The Fire Tribe at the time of stripping hemp, has arrived
The autumn chill grew stronger, and the morning air carried a cold bite.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe no longer wore fashionable bikinis but switched to garments made of fur and leather.
Their clothing was now made from relatively thin hides; they would switch to thicker clothing when the weather got colder.
As the diligent Donkey Tribe continuously delivered the pottery and salt, the number of hides in the Green Sparrow Tribe also increased.
Upstream from the small river, Zhuang and Qinghua, wearing grass shoes were using winnowing baskets, rough hemp cloth, and wooden screens to clean the millet pounded by the water mill.
At this point, there were already four water mills.
The four water mills were all filled with bamboo pipes, one after another, like four large roosters pecking at rice.
The somewhat empty sound emanated from here, spreading to the wild field in the early morning, making the surroundings more peaceful.
Zhuang and Qinghua looked at these water mills, feeling even more joyful.
In the past, they would have been sore and tired after half a day of pounding rice. Now, it was completely different.
With the water mills, the two of them could pound rice continuously throughout the day without feeling too tired.
Because the water mills never tired, with these four water mills operating simultaneously, they could pound more rice in a day than they used to in two.
With such efficiency, they should not have to get up so early every day to pound rice. However, they changed their minds after the Divine Child said that winter was coming and the river would soon freeze.
Yes, the water mills could no longer be used once the river froze in winter. Thinking about holding a stick and pounding rice again in the cold winter, they immediately became more diligent.
It would be better to use the water mills while they were still working and pound more millet for storage. This way, when the cold winter arrives, they can stay in the warm house and spin hemp or sit in a sheltered place with other tribe members to enjoy the sunshine and make shoes, gloves, and other clothes.
“Splash”
The calm water surface was broken, and a stick with a wooden hook retrieved a bundle of hemp soaked in water for a long time.
The hemp had been completely transformed by soaking. The bark had been peeled off to reveal white fibers, and the whole bundle of hemp carried a smooth layer of dark green substance.
With the appearance of this bundle of hemp, the previously dust-sealed scent under the water suddenly spread, filling the nostrils of the surrounding people.
This year, the Green Sparrow Tribe’s hemp, which they had soaked, was planted by themselves.
Because they skipped the round trip to the oil hemp land, even though they soaked it for a more extended period, they finished much earlier than last year.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe had experienced firsthand the benefits and many uses of hemp cloth, so they were enthusiastic about starting to strip hemp again.
Compared to other activities, stripping hemp was troublesome but not tiring, so now most of those stripping hemp were the old and weak of the Green Sparrow Tribe and some who were not very strong.
The strong ones had been taken away by the elder senior brother, carrying stone sickles, bone shovels, and some tree ferns, and went to the salt mountain.
It was not to make salt there but to dig traps near the spring next to the salt mountain and catch some game for the winter.
The rabbit traps could only catch small game, so they were powerless against larger animals.
At the salt mountain spring, which had become a good hunting ground, the water there had picked up a salty taste due to the Green Sparrow Tribe’s frequent salt-making activities. Consequently, after the salt-makers left, more animals came to drink there.
Eldest Senior Brother and the others had previously considered hunting there, but Han Cheng disagreed. With traps set up and some free time, it was an excellent opportunity to harvest.
The animals there needed to be harvested soon; otherwise, as their numbers increased, the Green Sparrow Tribe might face attacks when they went back to make salt.
Han Cheng didn’t intervene in the hemp-stripping this time. In fact, since teaching everyone how to do it last year, he hadn’t been involved much in this work—not because he was lazy but because the smell was too overwhelming.
While everyone was stripping hemp, Han Cheng stood by the small river, looking downstream.
Occasionally, yellow or red leaves drifted along with the current.
Bai Xue, now with braided hemp hair, stood beside Han Cheng, looking downstream together.
She knew Han Cheng was waiting for people from her original tribe to arrive.
Considering the timing, the Fire Tribe should have arrived by now. Why were they still nowhere in sight?
Watching the empty river surface, Han Cheng couldn’t help but feel anxious and impatient.
The Fire Tribe was crucial to his long-term strategy. If they didn’t arrive this year, many of his ideas about the Fire Tribe would likely remain unrealized.
It would affect the weaving in the Green Sparrow Tribe and impact future development and expansion.
“Brother Cheng, look!”
Lost in thought, Bai Xue suddenly exclaimed, pointing downstream.
The small river, not very wide, had flowed for a while and now appeared as a bright ribbon in the distance.
Initially empty, the ribbon suddenly showed several dark figures.
Those were figures of people standing.
As the figures grew larger, the boats they were sitting in slowly appeared.
At this time of year, coming to the tribe and arriving by boat was most likely the Fire Tribe.
Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing.
He immediately ordered someone to go back and pack up some things in the tribe that were easy to imitate, but he didn’t want the Fire Tribe to learn.
Then, not far from the riverbank, he saw the people coming by boat, watching the Fire Tribe get closer and closer.
“…”
The rowing Fire Tribe members also saw Han Cheng and the others standing by the riverbank. The four who had been to the Green Sparrow Tribe and lived here for a while turned their heads excitedly to the other four people.
It meant that what we said was right. This is a very hospitable and friendly tribe. We haven’t arrived yet; they are already here to greet us.
Looking at this scene, the other four suddenly felt a sense of warmth, as if their people had been greeted by the riverbank when they returned from the hemp land.
At this moment, hearing these people’s words, they all nodded vigorously. Indeed, this was a very friendly and hospitable tribe.
The small boats and rafts landed, and Han Cheng, accompanied by the second senior brother who had come to the news and several others, welcomed the arrival of the Fire Tribe.
Then he led these eight people from the Fire Tribe, who were a bit unsteady from being on the boat for a long time, towards the tribe.
“…”
Before reaching the tribe, the people from the Fire Tribe suddenly exclaimed.
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