The Primitive Adventures of a Chipmunk 31

Chapter 31

“Giant black… bee? What’s that?”

“A type of insect, a flying bug.”

Night fell, and the cooking smoke, carrying the fishy smell, filled the air above the camp. Dinner was finally served. Hua Shi’an and Chief Mu sat in a corner away from the crowd, holding their bamboo tubes, alternating between bites of fish and sips of soup, asking and answering questions.

After finishing the delicious and delicate fish meat, Chief Mu licked his lips, not quite satisfied, and finally spoke, “I’ve seen flying bugs before, but what are we looking for that thing for? Is it edible? Is it tasty?”

Taking a sip of the fish soup, Hua Shi’an shook his head and patiently explained, “We’re not looking to eat the bees, but to find their nests. Bees make something called honey in their nests. It’s delicious, very… tasty.”

Not eating the bugs, but the bugs’ nests? Chief Mu couldn’t help but frown, his expression indescribable. “A flying bug is only so big. Its nest probably isn’t much bigger. Is it worth all the trouble just for a taste? I don’t understand you young people.”

“Oh my, this fish is still the most fragrant. No matter how delicious a flying bug’s nest is, can it compare to our fish and pine nuts? Why go through all that trouble?” Chief Mu shook his head, picked up a fish head from his bamboo tube, and took a satisfying slurp.

Hua Shi’an smiled. “I didn’t explain it clearly. The giant black bee is a social bee. Like us, they usually gather in the thousands, so their nests are naturally not small. If we’re lucky enough to find a large hive, we might need a back basket to carry the honey.”

He was not happy about this. Chief Mu stopped gnawing on the fish head, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter. “Social? Does that mean a lot of flying bugs gather together, densely packed?”

“Pretty much,” Hua Shi’an nodded.

“Hiss.” Chief Mu sucked in a breath of cold air and asked again, “Are they poisonous?”

There were no bees in the Clear Sky Forest, but there were some flying bugs that were poisonous and could harm people.

It was precisely this that worried Chief Mu, so he asked the question.

Hua Shi’an quickly averted his gaze, the smile in his eyes gradually freezing, and his speech became stuttered. “Wha-what’s poisonous?”

Chief Mu glared at him. “What do you think? Don’t play dumb with me.”

There was no escaping it. Hua Shi’an touched his nose. “Yes.”

Chief Mu was furious. “You’re going to look for poisonous flying bugs just for a bite to eat, you—”

“Chief, Chief, don’t be anxious.”

Before Chief Mu could explode, Hua Shi’an quickly patted his shoulder, soothing and explaining, “The giant black bee is indeed poisonous and will sting, but I’m not stupid. I’m just going to look for their nests. I won’t come into direct contact with the bees.”

“Isn’t that nonsense? You’re going to their nests. How can you not encounter them?”

“Really, I’m not lying. This is related to their living habits…”

Although he had been thinking about sugar, Hua Shi’an still had a sense of proportion. If it were a hive hanging from a tree, he wouldn’t even think about it. Being stung by wild bees was very dangerous. It wasn’t worth risking his life for a little honey.

But the giant black bee was different.

The largest size, the most ferocious temperament, and it produced the sweetest, highest quality honey.

The giant black bee was social and usually gathered in large colonies on cliffs, which is why it was also called the giant rock bee. Its temperament was extremely ferocious, and it would actively attack people. If you went directly to their current nests to collect honey, you would most likely be stung into a sieve.

But the giant rock bee was very sensitive to temperature and had a unique habit of migrating with the seasons. Every summer, it would migrate from the lowlands to the highlands, and every autumn, it would migrate back to the low mountains.

When the bees flew away, the hive would not, and the honey in the hive could not be completely taken away.

Now was the season for the giant rock bee’s migration. If they went up the mountain to look now, as long as they found a hive, they would definitely find honey, and they wouldn’t encounter the bees, so there would be no risk of being stung.

Sweet, sweet honey!

The more Hua Shi’an thought about it, the more excited he became. He wished he could go up the mountain to look for it tomorrow. But before that, he still needed Chief Mu’s approval.

Hearing his explanation, Chief Mu’s expression finally relaxed. His furrowed brow slowly smoothed out, and he took a sip of the fish soup and looked at Hua Shi’an. “Flying bugs, flying bugs, bugs can fly. How do you know where their nests are?”

“On the rocky mountains,” Hua Shi’an said without thinking. “Today, Yan Zhile and I went a little further and found a large river and a large area of mountains, several of which are steep and high.”

“Bees don’t stray too far from their nests when they collect nectar. Their new nests are probably nearby, and their old nests should be on the steep cliffs of those high mountains. Of course, it’s not certain. We’ll know when we look. This kind of thing also depends on luck.”

Chief Mu: “The mountains around the big river? I think I know where that is. The hunting team has been there before. It is a bit far. You said you have to go up the mountain to look, then, then…”

As he spoke, he suddenly realized something was wrong. Chief Mu slapped his thigh, his voice rising. “It’s so far, you won’t be able to come back in two or three days!”

“That’s true,” Hua Shi’an said truthfully.

Chief Mu, who had just been about to relent, changed his mind again. He put down his empty bamboo tube, patted Hua Shi’an’s shoulder, and said earnestly, “Shi’an, this is still the Giant Tree Forest. Just because there’s no danger now doesn’t mean we won’t encounter any.”

“You also know that fierce beasts usually come out at night, so we’ve always told the tribe members to return to the tribe before dark. It’s one thing for you to wander around the tribe, but to be gone for several days to collect honey, I, how can I be at ease?”

Staying out overnight could be dangerous. Hua Shi’an of course knew this. But since they had decided to live here for the long term, they had to explore this world bit by bit. They couldn’t actively lock themselves in a cage.

Finding honey, finding more food, this step had to be taken sooner or later.

He hadn’t thought of what to say. Just as Hua Shi’an was organizing his words, Chief Mu spoke again, “How about this, Shi’an? If you really want to eat honey, I’ll have two beastmen go and collect it. You tell them what the honey looks like and where it might be. They’re fast. You don’t have to make this trip yourself.”

“No,” Hua Shi’an refused decisively, then continued, “It’s not just about finding honey. I also want to look for other wild vegetables and fruits along the way. It will be winter soon, Chief. Pine nuts are delicious, but they’re also consumed quickly. We’ve already dug out the tree hollows for storing food. Don’t you want to fill them up?”

This… Chief Mu was a little tempted.

He had almost worn out his lips, but Hua Shi’an seemed to have made up his mind.

Knowing he couldn’t win, Chief Mu sighed and reluctantly agreed, “Alright, alright, go then. But you can’t go alone. You have to take at least two beastmen with you.”

Hua Shi’an had the same intention and followed his words, “Alright. Which two do you think are suitable, Chief? They have to be good at climbing mountains, especially those steep rocky mountains.”

“Is there any need to ask? It’s definitely those guys from the Rock River Tribe. They can walk on cliffs as if they were flat ground. Take Yan Qiuyu. That kid is a steady worker.”

“Two, what about the other one?” Hua Shi’an blinked.

Chief Mu looked at him in surprise. “You’re not taking Mo Huaishan?”

After drinking the last drop of the fish soup, Hua Shi’an stood up with the empty bamboo tube, turned to look at Chief Mu, and smiled widely. “I’m taking him. I was just teasing you, Chief.”

“You—”

“I’m leaving now, Chief. We’re setting off early tomorrow morning. Remember to tell them.”

…

They were setting off early tomorrow morning, so they still needed to make some preparations tonight.

After washing the bamboo tube by the river and putting it back in the tree hollow, Hua Shi’an returned to the camp, now with a stone knife, a bamboo nail, and a section of golden bamboo as long as his forearm.

After dinner, the tribe members gradually dispersed, and the camp merged with the night, gradually falling silent.

The fire had also gone out, with no open flames. Hua Shi’an found a stone by the fire and sat down, picking up a branch to rummage in the fire. In a short while, he found a spark in the plant ash. He added some fallen leaves and wood and relit the fire.

By the faint firelight, Hua Shi’an started cutting the golden bamboo.

A fire source was essential for staying out overnight. It wasn’t necessarily for cooking, but when danger was sensed, firelight might be needed to deter wild beasts lurking in the darkness or to drive away mosquitoes, snakes, and ants.

Drilling wood for fire was too slow and tedious. If they encountered danger, the beast would probably have finished its meal and licked its lips before they could even get a spark. So they needed something more convenient, faster, and easier to carry—a fire starter.

The two-finger-thick golden bamboo was suitable in every way. He used a stone knife to cut off a complete section of the bamboo tube, about three inches long, keeping the bottom node. The node at the other end also had to be cut off to be used as a lid. A length of two knuckles was just right.

And then… start carving.

To be able to screw on the lid like a water cup, a groove needed to be carved at the top of the bamboo tube. The lid also had to be chiseled. The outside of the bamboo tube was carved, and the inside of the lid was chiseled and thinned so that they could fit together tightly.

It was quite a hassle. One bamboo tube was enough to give Hua Shi’an a headache.

But he didn’t mind the trouble at all. In fact, he was a little excited, because carving the groove reminded him of the bamboo tube for drinking water. If he carved a groove at the top of a large bamboo tube, carved a screw thread, and then made a lid in the same way, wouldn’t he have a water cup!

Well, I’ll try it another day.

The bamboo tube and lid were made. Hua Shi’an tried putting the lid on. Not bad. It wasn’t a tight fit, but it wasn’t so loose that it would fall off with a shake. It took a little force to pull it open.

An oxygen hole was also needed where the lid and bamboo tube overlapped. Hua Shi’an casually measured with his finger and, with a stone knife and the pre-prepared bamboo nail, grunted and heaved as he drilled two small holes.

The container was now completely finished. Next was the wick.

The conditions were very limited. There was no paper, cotton, or sweet potato vines for fuel, nor were there any combustion aids like saltpeter or sulfur. Hua Shi’an thought for a moment, patted his coir skirt, and stood up. He rummaged in the pile of dry wood in the corner and took out a piece of rotten wood.

The severely rotted wood had been dried by the sun. It crumbled at a touch and lit up at once. Hua Shi’an peeled off the bark and, with his bare hands, broke the rotten wood into pieces and rubbed it into a powder like sawdust.

The rotten wood powder was flammable, but the disadvantage was that it burned too quickly. Hua Shi’an looked left and right, his gaze settling on the fire. He then took a branch and went over, digging out a few pieces of charcoal.

After the charcoal had completely cooled, Hua Shi’an used a stone to crush it and mixed it with the rotten wood powder, stirring it evenly. He wasn’t done yet. He then went back to the tree hollow and, when he returned to the camp, he had a few translucent pine resins in his hand.

These were what the tribe members had picked from the pine trees a few days ago when they were picking pine cones. They had specially brought them back for him to identify and had left them behind.

Pine resin had a strong adhesive property and was known as natural glue. By heating it to melt and pouring it into the mixture of rotten wood and charcoal and stirring and kneading it, a pile of unrelated powders soon solidified into a ball, a neat little family.

He rolled it into a long strip according to the size of the bamboo tube and roasted it by the fire.

The pine resin solidified very quickly. Hua Shi’an squinted and took a nap. The pine resin was completely dry, and the wick was finished.

He put the wick into the bamboo tube, brought an open flame close, and easily lit the fire starter. The fire starter also had an open flame. At this time, he put on the lid, and the fire went out, but not completely. It was in an oxygen-deprived environment, in a state of half-burning and half-extinguished.

He packed up his tools, put the unused rotten wood back on the firewood pile, and went to the river to wash his hands and face. He also used a public bamboo tube to scoop some water and extinguish the fire. After he was done, he took his tools and the newly made fire starter and walked back to the crooked-necked tree with a light step.

He was tired and sleepy, but he didn’t go to rest directly when he returned to the tree hollow.

He was setting off early tomorrow morning, so he had to pack his things in advance. Stone knife, stone axe, coir sheets, coir rope, coir bag… like a primary school student going on a spring outing, Hua Shi’an put his things into the back basket one by one, feeling inexplicably excited.

He fussed until late at night. Before going to bed, he took out the fire starter again.

It had been stuffy with the lid on for a long time. Success or failure depended on this. Hua Shi’an twisted open the lid with force. The wick had already gone out, and there was not a trace of firelight. But he opened his mouth slightly and blew, and a hot, bright flame slowly lit up.

Everything was ready, just waiting for dawn.