I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 870 – This Strange Cave Is Ours! (Three-in-One)
It turned out that even uninhabited houses could make a racket.
When one person placed a hand on the rough wooden door and pushed hard, a sound immediately echoed from inside.
At the same time, the two doors, which had been tightly shut and bound together with vine loops, revealed a narrow gap.
Because the doors and windows were closed, no light penetrated. Looking through the gap, the interior appeared pitch black, frighteningly so, like a sleeping giant opening its mouth.
Curious onlookers were terrified.
No one dared linger. Screaming and shouting, they ran without looking back.
Some tripped on the way, fell, cried out in panic, scrambled up, and continued running.
Even the animal hides dropped on the ground were abandoned; survival instincts took over.
After running for a while, they glanced back. The “monster” that had made the noise and opened its “mouth” remained motionless, not chasing them. Their racing hearts finally calmed.
A group stopped, nervously watching the vast structure, ready to flee at any sudden movement.
After waiting, a few braver ones suggested approaching again.
Once more, they cautiously moved toward the house built by Han Cheng and the others…
“Bang… bang…”
The closed door was pushed again, making noise. This time, the crowd was startled but didn’t run away—they stood alert.
“Bang… bang…”
The person who had pushed earlier tried again, using more force than before.
“Bang… bang…”
“Bang… bang…”
Seeing that the huge structure only made noise in response to their pushing, and nothing else occurred, the onlookers grew bolder. More joined in pushing the door, and their fear gradually turned to curiosity.
After a while, someone noticed the vines binding the doors.
They began to untie the vines.
“Squeak…”
Using slightly rougher hands, they freed the door from its bindings. Two pushes, and the door swung open.
The house now looked like a giant monster, capable of swallowing a person whole.
Though the group had grown accustomed to its silent presence, seeing the dark “mouth” caused them to step back instinctively.
It wasn’t cowardice—they were frightened by how terrifying it appeared.
The leading female primitive also stepped back, but after the initial shock, she studied the black maw thoughtfully.
She realized the opening resembled the mouths of the caves they lived in.
Looking at the “fur” like riverside plants, the body resembling mud, and the wooden elements resembling teeth and eyelids, she had a bold idea…
“Mhm…”
After a pause, she approached the doorway and peered inside.
Moments later, amidst the tribe’s gasps, she stepped fully into the house.
Her legs trembled slightly, and she gripped a sharpened stick in both hands, ready for danger.
Yet nothing happened. The interior remained calm, confirming her suspicions.
“Hmm!”
Standing still for a moment, she mustered courage and began walking inside, swinging her stick to show strength and bravery to those anxiously waiting outside.
Seeing her enter the massive structure and act boldly, the others admired her courage.
The female primitive strutted inside, proudly demonstrating her bravery to the tribe.
After a while, she gestured for the hesitant onlookers to follow into the “mouth” of the monster.
No one dared immediately.
Then an older female entered, came back out, and repeated the demonstration.
Finally, curiosity overcame fear. Others began to follow, stepping cautiously inside.
The newcomers observed that the “monster” did no harm and gradually gained confidence.
Soon, even the most timid joined.
The tribe’s people explored the cave as if it were the Water Curtain Cave of Mount Huaguo, filled with wonder and curiosity.
Inside, their eyes adjusted to the dim light. Differences in the space became apparent.
“Look!”
Someone pointed at a pile of ash on the floor, calling out to the others.
Some lay on the dry grass scattered nearby, rolling around comfortably.
Han Cheng and the others had left this dry grass.
Because they had been in a hurry when building the house, there was no time to prepare raised beds; they had slept on the ground with a layer of animal hides over the straw.
When leaving, the hides were taken, leaving the thick straw behind.
Near the ash, some discovered leftover fish bones and animal bones.
The first female primitive noticed something stranger: a woven fish trap left by Han Cheng.
She scrutinized it, holding it before her eyes, then tried placing it on her head.
The trap’s entrance resembled a hollow cone, like an oil funnel from a later age.
Surprisingly, it fit her head fairly well, though she needed to hold it in place; without securing it, it could fall easily.
She noticed ropes on both sides of the trap, extending forward about half a meter and merging.
A spark of inspiration hit her. She secured the ropes under her chin.
Now she could walk freely without the trap falling.
Everyone watching was amazed.
Wearing the trap, she appeared taller, majestic, and striking—even taller than the tallest in her group.
Soon, others imitated her, placing fish traps on their heads.
In no time, the group wore the peculiar “hats” and paraded around proudly.
“Ha!”
Someone raised a fish trap high and shook it. Two stones inside clashed, producing sound.
These stones were hunting weapons, carried by the person.
Observing this, others realized another use for the traps: they could carry multiple stones at once, making hunting easier.
Quick-thinking individuals also imagined storing fruits or other food.
Their admiration for this strange yet valuable item grew.
Once the initial shock and caution faded, the tribe examined the large, unusual structure.
The ash, fish bones, and animal bones indicated it had been inhabited.
The cave was peculiar, built from soil, wood, and riverside grasses. Many assumed it “grew” from the earth like local trees.
After some thought, they concluded the previous inhabitants were gone.
No one remained, and the fires had long been extinguished.
In a long-inhabited cave, this was abnormal; usually, people and children would still be around, and fires would keep burning.
Realizing this, everyone, including the female primitive, rejoiced.
This meant the strange cave could now belong to them.
After exploring further, they grew bolder. Some untied and opened the wooden shutters.
With doors and windows open, sunlight brightened the interior—brighter than their fire-lit home cave.
This discovery brought cheers.
Following the female primitive’s lead, they left the cave and resecured it with vines, hoping to scare off future intruders, as they had been initially frightened.
Satisfied, they cautiously returned to the tribe, eager to share news of the cave and its many uses.
The female primitive considered long-term possibilities: the cave could house some tribe members, and nearby were edible small fruits.
Meanwhile, Han Cheng, wearing vine armor and carrying a backpack, paused atop a hill, exhaling deeply.
Though he had crossed these mountains before, exiting again brought relief.
Others felt similarly.
After a brief rest, Han Cheng and the tribe resumed their journey, following marked paths to a water source and setting camp.
After dinner, Han Cheng lay in his temporary tent, excited at the thought of returning to the main tribe.
He then began planning the second sub-tribe, Jingguan City.
The city had to be at least as large as the Copper Mountain settlement.
However, building it quickly was not easy. Its distance from the main tribe made food transport difficult.
Without a proper road for donkey carts, relying solely on manpower meant a significant portion of food would spoil en route.
Human resources were also a concern. Rapid construction required a large workforce, but pulling too many people would impact the main tribe’s food production.
Han Cheng calculated that at least 120 adults were needed.
Temporarily removing so many adults risked serious consequences, particularly for agriculture.
Food was the tribe’s foundation; halting production would be disastrous.
After careful thought, Han Cheng sighed.
Even with population growth, labor shortages remained, as expanding the tribe demanded more work.
Returning to the main tribe first seemed prudent. If necessary, he could recruit nearby people for construction.
Sitting up, Han Cheng retrieved the route maps he had drawn, illuminated by the firelight.
He called Mao over to review them together.
Since much of the journey to Jingguan City had been exploratory, the paths were winding.
Han Cheng aimed to straighten the routes, reducing travel distance.
This required caution—one wrong move could lead to getting lost in the mountains.
Now outside the mountains, the situation was different.
From the main tribe westward to Copper Mountain, and eastward to near Lu River, all regions were known.
Even if they strayed, the familiar terrain allowed orientation and safe return.
With Mao, the living map, alongside him, Han Cheng felt confident.
Mao carefully studied the maps drawn by Han Cheng.