The Primitive Adventures of a Chipmunk 57

Chapter 57

In the early morning, the wind was exceptionally strong, and the bamboo door, which was meant to resist the cold, was blown with a “clang clang.” The chill was pervasive, ruthlessly sweeping away the warmth in the hollow. But in the ice-cave-like tree hollow, there was one place that was particularly warm.

A narrow, simple, low-legged bamboo bed was placed against the wall. Two sheepskins, one large and one small, were casually piled on the bed. The beastman who should have been sleeping on the bed was gone. A small bulge was in the middle of the two sheepskins, and a tuft of black fur could be vaguely seen at the edge of the bed.

A small sheepskin was spread out, and a large sheepskin was used as a cover. Two furry little furballs were sound asleep in the middle of the sheepskins. The large black furball was like a cat, its body curled into a circle, with the small, brown-gray-furred chipmunk in the middle.

Soft and warm, the chipmunk’s chubby little face was buried in the black fur, as if it had burrowed into soft cotton. Its mini claws opened and closed, clutching the soft fur on the black furball’s belly, its pink nose twitching.

So warm, so comfortable.

The wind was too loud, too noisy. Hua Shi’an had actually been awake for a long time, but being held by a “cat” while sleeping in the cold winter was simply too blissful. Who would be willing to leave the warm bed at this time?

He couldn’t sleep, but he could pet the “cat.”

Hua Shi’an’s restless paws gently stepped on the black furball’s belly. The fluffy, soft fur enveloped him from all sides. The moment his entire paw sank in, Hua Shi’an’s back fur stood on end, an extreme sense of comfort.

The size difference was quite large. From the perspective of a chipmunk, the smallest of the squirrels, the black furball was truly a large, thick-furred, and adorably gentle beast. Hua Shi’an was wreaking havoc in his arms, but he only curled up his large, fleshy paws and held Hua Shi’an a little tighter.

The sheepskin was not very breathable. After being cooped up in the bed for a long time, it was really stuffy. Finally, after taking a deep breath from the furball’s belly, Hua Shi’an broke free from the big paws, grunted and heaved as he climbed up, and poked his little head out of the bed.

After taking two breaths of fresh air, he turned his head, and a black “cat head” came into view. Hua Shi’an was instantly interested. He carefully approached, stroked the black, reflective head, and rubbed his wet nose.

The medicinal soup had had some effect. Hua Shi’an had drunk half a bamboo tube, and after a night’s sleep, he felt comfortable all over, and his spirit was also good. The beastman, who had drunk a bamboo tube and a half, had his fever break last night, but he was still a little dizzy and coughing.

He couldn’t sleep at night and couldn’t wake up during the day. The beastman’s sleep schedule was almost reversed. He was a patient after all. Hua Shi’an couldn’t bear to wake him up. After playing for a while, he retracted his claws, got out of bed on tiptoe, and only then did he change back to his human form.

The weather was unexpectedly cold. He had vaguely felt something was wrong when he got out of bed, but with a thick coat of fur to resist the cold, Hua Shi’an hadn’t thought much of it. Until the moment he changed back to his human form, a sudden chill seeped into his bones. Hua Shi’an was so cold he shivered, and the huge temperature difference almost sent him away directly.

This is too cold. The temperature doesn’t drop like this, does it?!

Vaguely guessing something, Hua Shi’an let out a wisp of white smoke, hugged his arms, and hurried to the entrance of the hollow, slowly pushing open the bamboo door.

The sky was covered with dark clouds, and goose-feather-sized snowflakes were swirling down, like willow catkins scattered by the wind, covering the sky and the earth, densely packed.

It had been snowing all night. The treetops were holding fluffy snowballs, and the ground was covered with a thick layer. The fallen leaves and withered branches were covered with snow. As far as the eye could see, the entire forest was a vast expanse of white.

What, what a heavy snow! Hua Shi’an, who had been cooped up, had never seen such a scene. After the shock, he was instantly excited. He completely forgot the cold brought by the snowflakes and rushed into the snow like a gust of wind.

He didn’t know how heavy the snow had been last night. The snow on the ground was very thick. One step and he sank to his ankles, with a “crunch crunch.” Hua Shi’an was having a great time, catching snowflakes in his hands and running freely in the snow, leaving a string of messy footprints.

But he hadn’t forgotten his business. As he ran, Hua Shi’an ran back to his crooked-necked tree.

The crooked-necked tree sheltered a small world. After a whole night, the firewood piled at the foot of the tree had not been touched by the snow. The stone slab covering the stone pot to block the dust was clean. Only the water in the large stone pot had frozen in the low temperature.

The ice was not thick, only a layer on the surface. Hua Shi’an used a stone knife to break the ice, scooped some bone-chilling ice water into the small stone pot, and then added firewood to start a fire, continuing to boil the medicinal dregs from yesterday.

He also buried more than ten potatoes in the plant ash. Hua Shi’an hurried to the other side of the crooked-necked tree. He braved the wind and snow to dig through the snow at the foot of the tree, rescuing the blueberry and ginger seedlings he had planted. He covered them with a back basket and then placed a few stones on the back basket.

When he reached the beastman’s tree hollow again, Hua Shi’an was carrying two steaming bamboo tubes and had a back basket on his back. Besides the freshly roasted potatoes, the back basket also contained bamboo knitting needles, several large rolls of coir rope, and a small bone needle stuck in the coir rope.

In the harsh winter with heavy snow, outdoor activities had become a luxury. The winter had officially begun. To not be so bored, the coir rope was the toy that Hua Shi’an had prepared for himself and the beastman.

Not enough coir shirts and coir skirts?

Knit, knit two for a change.

No place to put the bone knives and stone knives?

Knit, knit a more exquisite and sturdy coir bag.

Cold hands, cold feet, cold neck?

Knit, knit socks, sleeves, and scarves.

He was idle anyway. Hua Shi’an and Mo Huaishan knitted from head to toe. When the coir rope was used up, they moved on to the coir sheets, making rain capes to shelter from the rain and snow, brooms to sweep the tree hollows, coir brushes to brush oil on roasted meat, cushions…

When all the stored coir sheets were used up, Hua Shi’an and the beastman started to work on the bamboo.

Bamboo had a much wider range of uses: washing baskets for vegetables and meat, steamers for steaming food, colanders for washing and filtering, conical hats for sheltering from the rain and sun, water ladles, soup spoons, pot lids…

There were only a few bundles of bamboo left in the camp. They didn’t want to go out to cut them in the cold wind and snow, so Hua Shi’an and the beastman had to use them sparingly. The bamboo utensils they made were on the small side, each one unique, only suitable for their own use.

But it didn’t matter. When the weather warmed up, he would teach the tribe members how to weave them, and the tribe would have them too.

It was a particularly long winter. Hua Shi’an spent a long time with Mo Huaishan.

In the morning, they would sweep the snow to prevent it from blocking the entrance of the hollow. During the day, they would stay in the tree hollow and weave. When the snow stopped, they would go out to split bamboo skin. Their food was mainly pine nuts and chestnuts. When they were craving something, they would wrap themselves in a sheepskin and go to the crooked-necked tree to cook meat and roast potatoes.

They ate together, worked together, and went to clean the rabbit hutch and sheep pen together, but the two of them did not live together. After the beastman had recovered from his cold, Hua Shi’an started to live in his own tree hollow again. The battlefield for weaving utensils was still at the beastman’s place, because the beastman’s tree hollow was spacious.

With food and drink, and a tree hollow to shelter from the wind and snow, the tribe members were very satisfied with this winter. When the food was distributed later, some people even said that it would be great if every winter could be like this.

Hua Shi’an, who had been trapped in a tree hollow and had spent his days weaving utensils: No!

The tree hollow was no longer an ideal residence. The space inside was small, and it was a pure wood structure. He didn’t dare to make a fire inside to cook or warm himself. It was really suffocating. He was almost going crazy from cracking pine nuts.

After just one winter, Hua Shi’an’s mentality had undergone a subtle change. The little fighting spirit he had was ignited. Before the next winter came, he wanted charcoal to dispel the cold, warm clothes, a variety of food, and also a warm and comfortable house.

The gentle breeze of early spring blew through the forest, and the winter snow gradually melted.

A trickle of water meandered down the tree bark, and the snow-covered trees were once again dressed in new clothes. The soil thawed, the rivers revived, the weeds broke through the earth, and the tender buds broke through the tree bark and dotted the branches. The sleeping forest was thus awakened, and life was renewed.

“Get up, get up! Everyone, get up and work!”

In the quiet and peaceful morning, with a series of loud shouts, the sound of “creak creak” filled the forest. The closed bamboo doors at the foot of the giant trees opened one after another, and the people who had rested for a whole winter stretched and came out of their tree hollows one after another.

Except for the tribe members who lived in the same tree hollow, the others hadn’t seen each other for some days. The people who came out of their tree hollows greeted each other, and in groups of three or five, they walked towards the camp. The sound of laughter and conversation lingered, and the long-silent forest became lively again.

“The snow has almost all melted, but it’s still chilly. It’s so annoying.”

“It’s cold when it snows, and even colder when the snow melts. It will be better in a while.”

“Sigh, the winter is over. The days of eating and sleeping are over too.”

“What, you still want to stay in the tree hollow?”

“Of course. Who wouldn’t want such a good life?”

“I don’t! What’s the point of eating and sleeping? In winter, you can only change back to your beast form to eat and sleep, living like a beast. I’d rather live the kind of life the Lord Priest talked about, reclaiming land, planting, raising sheep and rabbits, and having endless food.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. I also want to live that kind of life. The land has thawed. I just don’t know when we’ll start planting. I’m so looking forward to it.”

“Let’s wait for the chief and the Lord Priest to arrange it. Let’s go and tidy up the camp first.”

The wind had stopped, and the snow had melted. The winter-abandoned camp was a mess.

Without needing the chief’s command, the recuperated tribe members got busy on their own, pulling weeds, picking up withered leaves, washing stone pots, and rebuilding the fire pits…

He had been delayed by tidying up the bamboo utensils. When Hua Shi’an came out of his tree hollow, he saw this beautiful and harmonious scene. His hand, which was holding the bamboo utensils, paused slightly, the corners of his mouth uncontrollably lifted, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes.

So good. Winter has gone and spring has come. Everything is reviving, and the tribe is lively again.

“Shi’an, Shi’an!”

Just as he was about to head to the camp, a loud shout came from behind. Hua Shi’an turned his head to see Chief Mu running towards him.

He had been running around all morning, waking up the tribe members. Chief Mu was exhausted.

He was wrapped in a sheepskin, with beads of sweat on his forehead, but the tip of his nose was red from the cold. When he finally reached Hua Shi’an, he was panting for breath, unable to speak for a long time.

This was the first time he had seen a picture of hot and cold intertwined on a person’s face. Hua Shi’an chuckled and couldn’t help but tease, “You’ve been too idle this winter, Chief. Not only have you gained weight, but your stamina is also not as good as before. You haven’t left your bed except to eat, have you?”

“You little brat, you, you’re teasing me as soon as you see me.” Chief Mu let out a hot breath and playfully punched Hua Shi’an’s arm. “Let’s not joke around. I, I have something serious to talk to you about.”

Chief Mu hadn’t recovered his breath yet and was still panting a little. He gathered his thoughts for a long time but didn’t speak.

Hua Shi’an lifted his hand and handed over the stacked bamboo weaving utensils. He spoke first, “I also have something to talk to you about, Chief. These are what Huaishan and I made in the tree hollow a few days ago. You can take them to Uncle Qing and the others and have them weave them when they have time.”

From large washing baskets to small soup spoons, more than ten exquisite bamboo utensils were stacked together. Chief Mu’s eyes went straight. Forgetting his purpose in finding Hua Shi’an, he quickly took the bamboo utensils and examined them one by one.

“What’s this for? And this? And this, why is it so sharp?”

The old chief had turned into a child, looking at the new toys over and over.

Considering that some of the bamboo utensils were a bit abstract, Hua Shi’an introduced them to him from the beginning, “This is a colander, for washing vegetables and filtering. This is a steamer, for steaming food. This is a conical hat. You don’t have to worry about getting wet when you wear it on a rainy day. And this…”

“You’re so capable, Shi’an. How do you have so many ideas in your little head every day? Each has its own use. These bamboo utensils are so great! Especially this dou, douli? I like this one. Can you give it to me?” Chief Mu put the conical hat on his head and couldn’t stop smiling.

Hua Shi’an decisively refused, “This is a sample. There’s only one. It has to be shown to the tribe members who are weaving the bamboo utensils so they can copy it.”

“It looks quite complicated. Can they really weave it just by looking at it?” Chief Mu took off the conical hat and looked at it again, asking curiously.

Hua Shi’an nodded. “They can. There are only a few weaving techniques for bamboo utensils. It’s just that the details are different. They’ve already woven so many back baskets and winnowing baskets. Don’t worry. They’ll get the hang of it after a little practice. It will just take a little more time.”

“That’s good.” Chief Mu played with the conical hat with great fondness. After speaking, he suddenly patted Hua Shi’an’s shoulder again and said quite solemnly, “You’ve worked hard, Shi’an. Everyone has been resting these past few days, but you’ve been working so hard to weave so many bamboo utensils. You haven’t had a proper rest, have you?”

Hua Shi’an chuckled softly, looked up at Chief Mu, and gave him a meaningful look. “It’s not hard. I’m the priest, after all. I can rest whenever I want. But the bamboo utensils were woven by Huaishan and me. He’s the one who worked hard, sacrificing his rest time to weave them.”

The smile froze on his face. Chief Mu glared at Hua Shi’an and snorted. “Hmph, don’t think I don’t know you two have been together every day. I haven’t even said anything about you, and you’re already trying to get credit for him.”

“Isn’t it credit?” Hua Shi’an blinked innocently.

Chief Mu couldn’t do anything about him. “It is, alright!”

After the small talk, it was time for business. Chief Mu’s expression gradually became solemn, but his eyes, looking at Hua Shi’an, sparkled with anticipation. “Shi’an, the land has thawed. When do we start turning the soil and planting potatoes?”

Winter had quietly left, but the remaining chill still lingered in the forest. Many plants had not yet grown, and there were not many edible wild vegetables. It was indeed a good time to turn the soil and plant, but…

Hua Shi’an was no longer joking. He stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, “There’s no hurry. After the winter, there’s not much food left in the warehouse, and the crops we plant won’t be harvested for a while. We still have to find something to eat first, or we’ll be eating up all our reserves.”

Chief Mu didn’t think much of it and immediately nodded, about to leave with the bamboo utensils. “Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’ll have them go and find wild vegetables then.”

“Hey!”

He hadn’t finished speaking yet. Hua Shi’an quickly called out to him and said mysteriously, “Chief, just let the gathering team go. The hunting team will stay behind. We have something else to do.”

“What is it?” Chief Mu’s interest was piqued.

Hua Shi’an didn’t keep him in suspense and said directly, “Cast the net and catch some fish.”