I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 917: All Things Are Born to Nurture Humanity
The sky stretched high and clear, a deep, washed-out blue, with sunlight spilling down, warm on the skin.
If one didn’t notice the yellowing leaves in the distance, it would feel like spring was in full bloom.
Han Cheng sat on the grass, facing a body of water that was partly yellowed but mostly still a pale green.
With Han Cheng and his group’s return, the various waterfowl near Jinguan City had once again flown far away, at least a mile off.
Only the boldest or the short-sighted, like fish with only a few seconds of memory, dared to linger here.
Occasionally, distant birds flapped their wings and soared, their calls drifting across the afternoon, adding a serene charm to the time.
Fu Jiang lay beside Han Cheng, basking in the warm sunlight, enjoying the scratches from Han Cheng’s hand, squinting contentedly.
After a while, it would roll over, exposing its belly, nibbling at Han Cheng’s fingers, while its four legs kicked playfully, wrestling with him.
Fu Jiang’s belly had grown somewhat large; it was unclear which litter of puppies this was for him now.
Time passed quietly; more than a decade had slipped by.
Fu Jiang, once a little puppy circling him for milk, had now become an aging dog.
Its descendants had proliferated, growing alongside the Green Sparrow Tribe, perhaps even faster than the tribe itself.
In recent years, some of the more disobedient dogs had to be quietly strangled with ropes in the wild, skinned, and eaten, to prevent overpopulation.
Han Cheng had no psychological burden about eating dog meat; as long as it wasn’t a dog he personally raised, he had no qualms.
To prevent dogs from becoming a burden to the tribe, Han Cheng had long ago decided to personally feed only Fu Jiang and the five “Little Fangs”; the rest were left unfed.
Little Fang had disappeared and become a wolf king elsewhere. After that encounter with Eldest Senior Brother, there was no news of him.
Han Cheng assumed he was still alive, leading a pack of wolves, bullying little she-wolves, and howling at the moon using the language Han Cheng had taught him.
In short, only Fu Jiang and the four other main dogs had immunity; the rest, if not useful for herding sheep or deer and not obedient, might mysteriously disappear.
This was unavoidable—their reproduction was simply too fast. At first, a small number was manageable, but as their numbers increased, the reproductive rate became alarming.
Though they were mostly herbivorous now, without this method of control, they would have become a burden to the tribe.
Han Cheng had considered letting the surplus dogs become strays, but abandoned the idea—wild dogs often harmed humans, and domesticated dogs left in the wild would quickly revert to their primal instincts.
Han Cheng did not want more people in the tribe suffering injuries like Chen, who had lost his ear to a dog.
“All things are born to nurture humanity”—this was Han Cheng’s philosophy, especially in this era.
Compared to countless animals, humans were the species that should be protected.
After playing with Fu Jiang for a while, enjoying the quiet afternoon, Han Cheng stood up and announced the resumption of work.
At his command, the tribe rested after lunch and resumed their tasks.
Some were sent nearby to find and carry stones for the foundation.
Nearby stones were scarce; small amounts were easily found, but not enough for a full foundation.
To avoid delaying progress, Han Cheng decided to construct the foundation for the inner courtyard wall without stone, drawing inspiration from the main Green Sparrow Tribe.
The main tribe’s inner courtyard wall had been built without stone foundations due to primitive conditions. After eleven years, it was still usable and could support people climbing on it, though it had been repaired over time.
Some improvements were made this time:
The excavated trenches were thoroughly compacted with tamping tools.
Wooden stakes used like rebar were first charred over fire to carbonize the surface before being driven into the ground, preventing decay.
Through years of living in the primitive era, Han Cheng had learned many small techniques, such as how carbonized wood buried in soil resists rot.
By evening, the elder female primitives returned with gathered food.
Undoubtedly, they had spent the day collecting small, tasty fruits, keeping only a small portion for themselves and trading the rest with the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The trade required only common pottery that was already widespread in their tribe—such is the beauty of exchange.
As the two tribes began cooking, the elder females once again received considerable benefits from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Night fell, and Jinguan City quieted.
In the Green Sparrow Tribe’s tents, the elder females lay awake.
The tents were temporarily lent by the Green Sparrow Tribe out of benevolence, sparing them the need to sleep outdoors.
They were about to begin their work for the tribe, acting as intermediaries controlling the supply of goods; it was only fair to be treated well.
The elder female with a fine ceramic pot could not sleep, her mind wandering outside the tent, over the newly dug foundation trenches.
If one had not witnessed it, the long rectangular trenches would seem naturally formed or grown from the earth.
But having seen it done by humans, the elder female found it incredible—something seemingly impossible had been completed in the time it took her to gather fruits twice.
Fine pottery, tasty salt, abundant food, terrifying capabilities… and sleeping mats made from hides.
What kind of tribe was this “Green Sparrow”?
Time flew—three days passed in a flash.
The elder females had collected all the new fruits, trading them for precious items from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
The female with the fish trap called out to Jinguan City, signaling they would return, while the others reluctantly followed.
Their departure eased the city; the tribe could now work freely without concealment.
Immediately, Han Cheng ordered semi-subterranean circular houses built within the inner courtyard as temporary housing.
The younger tribe members using fish traps or cards to catch food could do so freely without concern for others’ learning.
For safety, Han Cheng did not yet develop the surrounding waters into paddies, focusing all efforts on the construction of the inner courtyard.
Progress was rapid—daily visible changes occurred.
By the thirty-fifth day after the elder females left, the inner courtyard walls were completed.
The walls stood three meters high, two and a half meters thick at the base, tapering to 1.2 meters at the top.
The courtyard measured 100 meters long and 60 meters wide—smaller than the main tribe’s, but sufficient for current needs.
Once the carpenters installed the thick wooden doors, Han Cheng exhaled in relief.
With this courtyard, even if the bronze-equipped rival tribe was strong and numerous, the Green Sparrow Tribe could hold its ground.
Additionally, two wells were planned to ensure an adequate water supply.
To complete the courtyard quickly, Han Cheng urged the tribe to work diligently.
With the courtyard finished, he generously granted three days’ rest, allowing free movement—sparking joyous cheers.
Life relaxed. Some slept to regain energy; others hunted or gathered fruits for dinner.
Even a few sheep accidentally collided with stones held by Second Brother, sacrificing themselves for the evening feast.
Three days passed quickly, and the Green Sparrow Tribe resumed work.
Potters continued their craft, carpenters wielded axes and saws, producing more handcarts.
All handcarts in Jinguan City were made on-site because rugged mountain roads prevented transport from the main tribe.
Over time, the carpenters even planned to build two donkey carts.
Within the courtyard, foundations for citizen houses were laid.
Unlike before, most tribe members were tasked with developing nearby paddy fields, while only those involved in food gathering, herding, pottery, and handcart construction worked on houses.
Paddy field work needed urgency—even if winter here wasn’t extremely cold, clearing fields barefoot in winter would be grueling.
Meanwhile, at the main Green Sparrow Tribe, the autumn harvest was complete, and the fields were stored after drying.
Many were in the fields, turning soil with tools, while Bai Xue, having finished the last silkworm harvest, seemed lost in thought…
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