The Primitive Adventures of a Chipmunk 60

Chapter 60

“Dinner’s ready, dinner’s ready!”

A loud shout broke the quiet night. The busy tribe members all put down their work, took their bamboo tubes and chopsticks, and lined up for food in a busy but orderly manner.

If you’re not enthusiastic about eating, there’s something wrong with your thinking. Hua Shi’an and the two sub-beastmen sent over the pan-fried small miscellaneous fish, took the opportunity to get their food, and then returned to the quiet little fire in the corner to enjoy their dinner at a leisurely pace.

The fish chunks stewed in clear water were a bit lacking. The taste was relatively bland, and the fishy smell was a bit strong, but the fish meat was fresh and firm. A bite of meat and a sip of soup, and they felt warm all over, incredibly satisfied.

The roasted fish tasted quite good. The skin was dry and fragrant, and the inside was fresh and juicy. The chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, and fish meat were a perfect match, and the aroma was overflowing. Every bite was endlessly satisfying.

There were a lot of delicious things, but Hua Shi’an’s favorite was the small miscellaneous fish that he had pan-fried himself.

The miscellaneous fish and shrimp, pan-fried to a golden brown on both sides, were only sprinkled with a little salt. They were crispy and crunchy, making a “crunch crunch” sound when chewed, like eating potato chips. He couldn’t stop eating them, one after another.

“Delicious, so delicious! I declare, I am now the happiest sub-beastman in the world!” Yan Zhile’s cheeks were puffed out, and his chopsticks never stopped, frequently reaching for the clam shell with the dry-fried small miscellaneous fish.

Hong Yinglan was also having a great time. She ate five or six small miscellaneous fish in one go, licked her lips, not quite satisfied, and stared at Hua Shi’an with sparkling eyes. “Lord Priest, you must cook more in the future. The miscellaneous fish are so fragrant and crispy, so delicious, the fragrance fills my mouth! And the konjac tofu you made last time, I still can’t forget that taste!”

The diners’ love is the chef’s greatest motivation. Hua Shi’an tilted his head back and took a sip of the fish soup. His face was calm, but the corners of his mouth uncontrollably lifted. “Mm, I’ll cook more when I have time. Of course, the delicious food is not all my credit. Work hard to find more ingredients and seasonings, and the food in the future will only become more and more delicious.”

“Burp!”

He hadn’t even finished the fish meat in his bamboo tube, but Yan Zhile let out a loud burp.

Seeing Hua Shi’an and Hong Yinglan staring at him, he smiled shyly, then patted his chest and said with a straight face, “Oh my, it’s really like a dream. Not only can I eat my fill every day, but I can also eat meat and fish. Life is even better than in the Clear Sky Forest.”

“That’s right.” Hong Yinglan put down her chopsticks, a trace of sadness in her eyes. “If only the others were also here. My father and mother, and the Great Chief and the others. Lord Priest, do you think they might still be alive, just separated from us, and still living in some corner of the forest?”

This question stumped Hua Shi’an. Both sub-beastmen had lost their relatives in the disaster. He didn’t dare to give them hope easily, nor could he bear to shatter their last glimmer of fantasy.

“Shi’an.”

Just as Hua Shi’an was struggling with how to answer, a savior arrived. The beastman Hong Yong had appeared from nowhere. Hua Shi’an heard his voice and turned to see that he was already standing behind him.

A great help. Hua Shi’an greeted him warmly, “You’ve finished eating so quickly. Are you full? Come and sit, have some more.”

“No need, I’m full.” Hong Yong had no intention of sitting down. He walked unhurriedly to Hua Shi’an’s side, his expression slightly nervous, and he pursed his lips a little unnaturally. “Shi’an, this is for you.”

“Yo yo yo yo!”

“Not bad, Hong Yong.”

A small stack of sheepskin was held up in the air. The two sub-beastmen, who were not afraid of stirring up trouble, started to hoot.

He had uncharacteristically called him Shi’an and had inexplicably given him a sheepskin. Looking at the beastman’s slightly reddened ear tips, Hua Shi’an’s hand, which was holding the bamboo tube, paused slightly, and he suddenly understood.

He couldn’t possibly accept it. Hua Shi’an pretended not to understand and asked with a smile, “What are you giving me the sheepskin for? It’s still cold. You should keep it.”

“This is not a sheepskin. It’s, it’s clothes.” A trace of embarrassment flashed in the beastman’s eyes, and his ears turned even redder. He quickly unfolded the “sheepskin.”

The soft, white sheepskin was sewn together with coir thread, in the same style as the coir shirt that Hua Shi’an had woven. It was clear that the person who had sewn the clothes was not very skilled. The crooked coir thread was mottled on the white sheepskin, like an earthworm.

He had given his only sheepskin to a sub-beastman before they had even become mates. Yan Zhile was extremely envious, his eyes glued to the sheepskin shirt. He grabbed Hua Shi’an’s arm and shook it vigorously, frantically encouraging him, “Take it, quick, take it. This sheepskin shirt is so beautiful. It will definitely be warm to wear!”

“Yan Zhile!” Hong Yinglan glared at him.

It’s one thing to watch the fun, but it’s not right to make decisions for others.

In primitive society, there weren’t so many twists and turns. When a beastman gave such a precious item to a sub-beastman, it was a clear sign of courtship. And if Hua Shi’an accepted it, it would mean he agreed.

The two sub-beastmen were making a fuss here. He couldn’t refuse too bluntly, lest he hurt the beastman’s pride. After a moment of silence, Hua Shi’an looked up at the beastman, the smile in his eyes gradually fading. “The weather is slowly warming up. This coir shirt is just right for me. You should keep the sheepskin shirt, Hong Yong. I don’t need it.”

Winter would come again. If he couldn’t wear it now, he could wear it in the future. But Hua Shi’an just didn’t want it. Hong Yong understood as soon as he heard him. He reluctantly withdrew his hand, a sigh escaping his lips. “I know, Shi’an. I’ll give you something you can use now next time.”

There’s a next time? Before Hua Shi’an could react to the meaning of his words, the beastman had already left with the sheepskin shirt, silently disappearing into the darkness.

His back looked a little lonely, but there was no embarrassment of being rejected.

…

There was a lot to do. The next morning, before the sky was light, the people gathered in the camp and got busy.

The fish had been salted overnight and were now thoroughly cured. He washed off the excess salt on the surface with warm water. The large ones had their bellies propped open with wooden sticks and were then skewered with coir rope and hung on tree trunks. The small ones were directly spread out on winnowing baskets to be air-dried.

Some were starting fires, some were washing fish, and some were drying fish. The people were all busy with their own tasks.

As the gentle, warm sun dispelled the thin mist and slowly rose, the area around the camp was a silvery expanse. Winnowing baskets were arranged side by side, and the giant trees were dressed in new, silvery-white clothes. The fishy smell of the harvest was so strong it couldn’t be dispersed.

After the fish were processed, it was already broad daylight, and it was time for those who were going out to leave. Chief Mu and Chang Yueyue led the gathering team out. Half of them were responsible for picking wild vegetables and fruits, and the other half were responsible for digging up blueberry and wild onion seedlings.

And the hunting team stayed in the tribe, following Hua Shi’an’s arrangements.

Reclaiming the wasteland still required a proper tool. The polished stones in the warehouse would come in handy. Hua Shi’an sent the beastmen back to the forest, letting them cut their own trees to make hoe handles and pick their own stones to make hoe heads.

After the beastmen had scattered like a swarm of bees, Hua Shi’an picked up a piece of dry wood that had been blackened by the fire but had not yet burned out from the fire pit, and then strolled alone to the meadow where the tender shoots had sprouted.

The meadow was flat and open. From the giant trees to the riverbank slope, the width was about twenty meters, and the length… was endless. In short, it was more than enough to reclaim a field.

It wouldn’t do to just start digging with a hoe. A little planning was necessary. Hua Shi’an paced back and forth, looking around, and finally made up his mind. He picked up the blackened dry wood and walked upstream.

When he reached a position roughly parallel to the sheep pen, Hua Shi’an stopped. The dry wood in his hand turned into a brush, and he began to draw on the grass with a flourish.

His strokes were decisive, but the straight lines turned into wavy lines.

Hua Shi’an looked at the line on the ground, which had bent into an earthworm after less than a meter. He slapped his forehead in frustration, immediately threw down the dry wood, and returned to the camp, carrying back a straight bamboo pole.

He placed the bamboo pole horizontally on the grass. Hua Shi’an drew along the bamboo pole, and finally, a straight black line divided the grass in two. One line was far from enough. He carried the bamboo pole forward and continued to draw the second, third… after finishing the upstream, he drew the downstream.

Just as he had finished drawing the lines and returned to the camp, before he could even catch his breath, a group of beastmen came over, carrying hoes. He had no choice. Hua Shi’an stood up, panting, and led the group of beastmen to the grass.

When he reached the first black line upstream, Hua Shi’an’s footsteps faltered slightly. He turned to look at the beastmen who were peeking around and looking around. “Do you see the line on the ground? You’ll start digging from here later, all the way up. Don’t dig up the entire sides either. Leave a space as wide as your forearm.”

“What about this side?” Yan Qiuyu was the first to ask, pointing to the other end of the black line. “Are we not digging this part?”

Hua Shi’an grunted in acknowledgment. “We’re not digging. I also drew a line downstream. We’re not digging this part inside the black line.”

If you looked at it from the air, the black line that Hua Shi’an had drawn actually divided the entire meadow into three parts. The two ends were for reclaiming and planting, and the middle part, closest to the camp, was to be preserved.

Hong Yong understood, but he was a little curious and couldn’t help but ask, “Why are we leaving the middle part empty? This part is closest to the camp and our tree hollows. It would be convenient to plant things here, and we wouldn’t have to run so far.”

As expected of the captain of the hunting team, he always asked the key questions.

Hua Shi’an smiled and pointed to the forest, explaining to the crowd, “The forest is full of trees. Besides our camp where we make fires and cook, it’s hard to find a wide, flat open space. This part of the meadow in front of our doors is being left because it’s close. In case we need to dry something in the future, or smoke meat or something, we’ll have a place, right?”

Hua Shi’an was thinking long-term. Although he hadn’t found any seeds yet, he had already left a drying ground for crops such as grain and wheat.

“I see,” Hong Yong nodded.

“There’s more over here. What are these two black lines for?”

In the time it took to say two sentences, Hong Yunlang had run ahead on his own and was exclaiming at the black lines on the ground. Hua Shi’an waved for the crowd to follow and continued to walk forward.

After walking for about twenty or thirty meters, two black lines of the same length came into view. The black lines were very close, but not completely together, with a space of about a forearm’s width in between.

Without waiting for the beastmen to ask, Hua Shi’an pointed to the middle of the black lines and said unhurriedly, “Don’t dig this long strip in the middle of the black lines. Leave it as a ridge. The two sides are the same. We also have to leave ridges.”

“A ridge? What’s a ridge?” Mo Huaishan rarely spoke, and he asked in a low voice.

Hua Shi’an’s bright eyes curved slightly. He gave him an encouraging look and explained with a smile, “A field is not one large piece. The stranger said that a real field is in pieces, and each piece is separate. A ridge is the boundary of a field, and it’s also for storing water and for us to walk on.”

Hong Yong stroked his chin thoughtfully and nodded again. “I understand. We’re going to divide the grass into many pieces. The soil in the middle will be for planting vegetables, and we’ll leave ridges around the sides to frame the fields, making it convenient for walking and watering.”

He understood, but Yan Qiuyu still had a question. “But why do we have to divide it into pieces? Can’t we just dig a large piece and plant it? It would be more convenient.”

“No ridge, no field.”

Hua Shi’an gave him a look of disappointment. “Some crops like it dry and need less water. When it rains, we even have to drain the water. Some crops like water and even have to be planted in water. If we dig a large piece for convenience, are we only going to plant one kind of plant?”

“I understand, Lord Priest,” Yan Qiuyu pouted.

Winter had gone and spring had come, and the green grass was also starting to sprout.

Hua Shi’an looked at the specks of green at his feet and added a few more instructions, “This area is a meadow itself. Although the green grass hasn’t fully grown yet, there must be a lot of grass roots in the soil. You’ll have to work a little harder. Try to dig a little deeper, dig out the grass roots, and pick them out. Otherwise, when the green grass grows, it will compete with the crops for nutrients, which will be very troublesome.”

“We know, Lord Priest,” the crowd replied in unison.

He wouldn’t be participating in the manual labor. Hua Shi’an smiled and waved to the crowd, then turned to walk back. “I’m leaving now. If you need anything, come and find me. You guys—good luck!”

“Start digging!”

With a vigorous roar from the beastmen, the sound of “thump thump thump” immediately echoed on the grass.