I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 601 – Looking back at the year, life didn’t turn out as badly as it could have.
In the cold winter, there were three things that Han Cheng felt were the most comfortable.
He sleeps with his wife on the warm kang (a traditional heated bed), eats hot pot, and takes a hot bath.
Of course, the most comfortable of all would be if he could first have a hot pot meal, then take a hot bath, and finally cuddle with his wife in the warm Kang.
This trilogy was what Han Cheng was currently in the middle of.
However, it wasn’t as wonderful as he had imagined.
Because there was now a third party between the two of them.
This third party was quite arrogant. He needed Han Cheng to serve him, and if he didn’t do it well, the little one would start crying.
The problem was that Han Cheng couldn’t get that angry. In most cases, he still found it somewhat enjoyable.
The hot pot didn’t need this third party, but the bath couldn’t be done without him.
With an extra person, what should have been a romantic, fragrant couple’s bath immediately turned into something else.
The two who used to enjoy playing in the water were no longer interested in that, as their attention was completely on this little one.
The little one was having the time of his life, his tiny arms and legs kicking in the warm water, occasionally letting out a laugh.
Han Cheng and Bai Xue, who were soaking in the other tub, couldn’t help but laugh along.
They didn’t have to worry about the little one being drowned, as Han Cheng had already taken responsibility and made a float before the child got into the water.
He made a simple swimming ring by blowing up pig bladder bubbles with a bamboo pipe, tying them with rope, and then loosely wrapping them around the little one’s arms to form a circle.
For the small-sized pea, the shallow water and the not-so-large bathtub could easily become his water playground.
However, Han Cheng didn’t dare leave or get too distracted even with the float. Water was dangerous and too risky to let such a small child play alone in it.
Watching the little pea happily playing in the water, after a while, Han Cheng and Bai Xue scrubbed each other off, then started drying off the little chubby one, one limb at a time.
The soft and slippery little chubby one felt enjoyable against their skin.
The little one giggled and laughed.
But he hadn’t had enough fun in the water. After Han Cheng held him and Bai Xue dried him off with hemp cloth on the inside and fur on the outside, the little one started wriggling around until Bai Xue brought out a toy to calm him down.
Time passed quickly, and a year passed in the blink of an eye. Looking back, it felt like the last year had just passed yesterday.
Looking back on the year, the Green Sparrow tribe had created a simple plow and cultivated over 800 acres of land. They found copper and tin ores and made quite a few bronze tools.
In terms of crops, they had gained soybeans, an important agricultural product.
As for vegetables, they had added primitive radishes, and in medicinal herbs, they obtained fish mint.
If you counted the slaves, the tribe had welcomed 63 new babies!
Unfortunately, the tribe had also lost three and a half people. One was a citizen of the Green Sparrow tribe who suddenly fell ill and was bedridden for two days before passing away.
The other two and a half were slaves.
One had accidentally fallen into an ice hole while fishing in winter. After being pulled out, he had a high fever for several days and eventually died.
Another half-person was a case of one corpse, two lives—when a slave died during childbirth due to complications.
Even though Han Cheng and Liang both rushed over, they were unable to save her or the unborn child.
Life and death, the old and new alternating, are how humans continue and develop, generation after generation.
The ratio of births and deaths like this was still within Han Cheng’s acceptance range.
Aside from these events, Han Cheng’s most significant gain was that the seeds he had once wasted were finally planted in the right soil and had sprouted and borne fruit. He joyfully welcomed a big, chubby little one.
There had been considerable gains in the year that was about to pass. The Green Sparrow tribe had not stood still or regressed, meaning their lives hadn’t been wasted.
The adults were worried about the quickly passing time, while the young ones had no such feelings.
They felt that time passed incredibly slowly, awaiting the day when the beloved New Year would arrive.
Because during the New Year, there would be endless delicious food, carefree games, and burning bamboo and firecrackers at night. They especially loved watching the adults beat the drums so loudly.
When people woke up after the New Year, they would have a new set of clothes. Just thinking about this made it all the more exciting.
On the twenty-fourth, they would clean the house, and on the twenty-fifth, they would make tofu.
In the past, the tribe didn’t have beans, so tofu couldn’t be made. But this year was different. The three acres of beans had yielded more than 200 pounds, plus some additional beans they traded from the Huangguo tribe after the harvest, making a total of about 300 pounds.
While 300 pounds of beans wasn’t a lot, it was enough to make tofu for the New Year.
As per Han Cheng’s instructions, 40 pounds of beans were soaked on the twenty-fourth to make tofu the next day.
This move distressed Shaman because these beans would be planted again next year and yield many more.
Han Cheng saw Shaman’s concerned expression but only smiled quietly, saying nothing.
Older family members often acted this way. They were reluctant to eat or wear things, always thinking about saving more for later.
Frugality was necessary, but it shouldn’t be overdone.
Life is short, and not enjoying some good things, like eating and dressing well, would leave you with regret when you look back after growing old.
As the young people’s expectations grew, New Year’s Day finally arrived at its slow but steady pace.
On this day, the Green Sparrow tribe smelled of wine and meat, was full of joy, and became the envy of people from this era.
The New Year wasn’t just awaited by the citizens of the Green Sparrow tribe but also by the slaves who had joined the tribe, as they had learned of this holiday only after becoming part of the tribe.
They were allowed to have three meals on this day, and the food was much more abundant and delicious.
They especially liked the evening meal, which was their favorite because the tribe would bring out the leftover exquisite food and share it with them.
So, before it even got dark, many slaves in the slave courtyard began to glance eagerly at the entrance of the Green Sparrow tribe’s central courtyard.
They waited anxiously for the delicious food and abundant portions to be brought to them.
“They’re coming!”
The courtyard gates opened, and the tall ones and others carrying food baskets or large jars walked toward them.
The young slaves in the courtyard cheered joyfully, and the adults smiled, unable to resist swallowing their saliva.
Bowls of delicious food were distributed, and the slaves who received their portions either devoured the food or carefully savored it, relishing each bite and feeling grateful for the good life they now had.
As they reflected on how good their lives had become, they sometimes looked up toward the main courtyard of the Green Sparrow tribe.
Their food was so delicious, and they wondered how much more lavish and tasty the meals must be for the tribe’s citizens on this day.
Some even cast envious glances toward the tall one handing the food with a spoon as they thought about this.
They envied his good luck, wondering why such good fortune hadn’t come to them.
They thought they should contribute more to the tribe in the future, hoping to become citizens one day.
This was a thought that many of the slaves had after seeing the success of the tall one.
Of course, not all slaves shared this thought. Meng was one of those who didn’t.
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