Chronicles of Primitive Civilization’s Growth

Chapter 30: Re-encountering the Tree Tribe

Luo Chong, who was working hard to harvest the rice, had no time for anything else right now. He was carefully stripping each rice panicle, fearing that he might accidentally drop a single grain. After all, these were all seeds, they represented hope.

In about half an hour, all the rice plants in this forbidden area, roughly two hundred in total, each had grown more than ten or even forty panicles. Each panicle was approximately 500 grains. Additionally, this rice was slightly larger than normal. By calculation, there was really quite a lot, enough to fill two sacks made of snake skin. It weighed about 60 kilograms.

Looking at these fruits of labor, Luo Chong felt a sense of admiration. One had to know that grandpa Yuan’s dream was “resting under the shade of rice plants”. He dedicated his efforts to creating rice plants taller than a man, as their height advantage naturally allowed them to bear more fruit.

But luckily, Luo Chong had such good fortune. The primitive rice he discovered for the first time was already this large. Without any professional knowledge in this field, he could not explain this phenomenon, so he could only attribute it to the pristine ecological environment and fertile land.

After all, the lands from his previous life that had been cultivated for thousands of years, their soil fertility was understandable. Without chemical fertilizers, it was unimaginable how much the food production would have decreased.

He didn’t continue to lament, Luo Chong worked hard to place the two sacks in the front and rear hatches of the kayak. He felt satisfied and prepared to paddle home, ready to start his farming era.

But unexpectedly, he was surrounded just a few meters away after he began paddling.

A group of clan members from the Water Caltrop Tribe saw Luo Chong place two sacks in the front and rear hatches of the small boat and was about to leave. Their eyes immediately lit up.

This object that could float on the water could carry people and also store things. Several smart individuals instantly visualized the scenario of them using this kayak to harvest water caltrops. They couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is truly a magical device!”

And thus came this scene where the Water Caltrop Tribe gathered around his little boat, constantly touching and examining it, wondering about its construction and the materials it was made of, akin to visitors in a museum.

“Hey! Hey! What are you doing?”

Luo Chong, seeing their curious actions, felt a headache coming on. With the constant swaying, he was almost about to feel seasick. But these people clearly had no ill intentions towards him, so he couldn’t just kill them outright. Peace was the most important thing.

Lingcao noticed Luo Chong’s growing signs of irritation and quickly stopped the others’ continued examination. She gestured and asked Luo Chong if he could teach them how to make this thing.

Make a boat?

Luo Chong looked at the people surrounding him in water. Their skin was somewhat swollen from being in the water for a long time. He was dealing with fellow beings who were struggling hard to survive. Luo Chong was willing to help; after all, making connections and good karma while on the road was always a good thing. Moreover, such a task wasn’t difficult at all.

This kayak that Luo Chong made was similar to making a torch. First, one uses branches to create a frame and then covers it with a waterproof skin. The issue was with the skin; how could one easily get this thing? This fish skin was something Luo Chong obtained by chance. If they wanted to make many of such boats, they’d need plastic sheets.

After Luo Chong’s gestures and explanations, Lingcao understood roughly. She realized the problem with animal skins, and they both stared at each other, furrowing their brows.

However, when Luo Chong’s gaze fell upon the logs they had in their arms, all issues were solved. If a kayak couldn’t be made, why not try out a raft instead?

Luo Chong gestured for them to gather all their logs together and neatly arrange them. He then fetched some reeds as ropes and bound these logs together, then he let Lingcao climb onto it.

As expected, Luo Chong’s idea was correct. When Lingcao climbed onto it, the raft made from about a dozen logs still stably supported her on the water surface.

Lingcao was excited at this first experience of floating and enthusiastically called the tribesfolk to try it out. Unfortunately, the raft wasn’t large, only able to accommodate two people. If another person climbed on, it might capsize.

Those who couldn’t get onto the raft envied those sitting on it. However, Lingcao was exceptionally happy because she realized that making such rafts was simple, and the materials were not constrained, as logs and ropes were readily available in the tribe. She could already foresee a raft-making craze in the tribe after she returned with the raft.

Thinking about this, Lingcao looked at Luo Chong with gratitude and warmly invited him to visit the Water Caltrop Tribe. However, Luo Chong declined the invitation.

Spending a night outside was impossible for Luo Chong, knowing that there were a group of Blue Horse Antelopes waiting for him outside the marshes. If anything unexpected happened, and the antelopes ran away, Luo Chong would probably cry himself to death.

After receiving the rejection, Lingcao didn’t insist further. She handed Luo Chong a gourd-shaped water caltrop, as big as an egg, as a token of goodwill, and made an agreement that if he ever encountered difficulties, he could bring this water caltrop to the Water Caltrop Tribe for help. It was somewhat reminiscent of Luo Chong and Da Shu exchanging arrows as a farewell gift.

Luo Chong laughingly received the water caltrop but inwardly cursed in his mind. “Giving me a piece of something to eat as a token, yet refusing me to eat it. Are you doing this on purpose?”

After bidding farewell to the Water Caltrop Tribe, Luo Chong hurriedly embarked on his journey back with two sacks of rice seeds to the foothills of Eight Treasure Mountain.

At this point, after a day’s emergency harvest, Luo Chong obtained about 60 kilograms of grain, but he didn’t dare to eat a single grain. His sole thought was to quickly transport these treasures home.

However, planting couldn’t be done this year. That didn’t stop him from preparing for next year’s spring sowing. Since farming was inevitable, agricultural tools were indispensable. Therefore, he still had to bring some copper and tin ores back.

On the evening when Da Shu emerged from the Black Forest, Luo Chong, separated by Eight Treasure Mountain, was on the small meadow by the swamp eating a juicy and spicy roasted beaver that flowed with fat, crafting large baskets and preparing for the next day’s mining work.

Da Shu and his group on the western side of Eight Treasure Mountain were faring badly. They hadn’t brought any firewood when they fled, so these two days they only gnawed on some dried meat. Without a campfire, the cold nights weren’t bearable, and their dried meat supplies were almost depleted. Typically, they were only capable of catching rabbits and nothing else.

Each of them could only gnaw on a little dried meat and drink cold water from the stream. The women huddled together, protecting their children inside while warming themselves. Da Shu and the remaining four adult men had to take turns patrolling and standing guard. Their situation was miserable indeed.

The next day, at sunrise, Luo Chong, having eaten his fill and slept soundly, was in high spirits as he lead Wu Da and Xi Men towards the west side of Eight Treasure Mountain.

Wu Da and Xi Men proved rather useless. Luo Chong had hoped the pair could attract a few more female Blue Horse Antelopes, but they failed to attract even one. Each day, other than eating the grass Luo Chong prepared for them, all they did was mate with the nearby female antelopes, constantly and without end.

“Damn it! The both of you useless good-for-nothings! Even rabbits know not to overdo it near the nest. Why can’t you two stay away from the ones nearby and get some outside? You’ve made them all pregnant, making it impossible for them to work. Just you watch, by next spring’s farming, I’ll work you both to death!”

As Luo Chong was whipping Wu Da and Xi Men’s butts with a stick, he mumbled under his breath. In truth, he was quite pleased pulling this team of eighteen Blue Horse Antelopes, watching them carry the seeds and rice, filling him with a profound sense of satisfaction. Here were all hopes for the future!

Da Shu at the foot of Eight Treasure Mountain’s west side was distributing wild fruit to the clans. At that moment, Shuzhuang, who was on watch, spotted Luo Chong on Eight Treasure Mountain.

The vegetation on Eight Treasure Mountain was sparse, mostly low shrubs. If it were only Luo Chong, he wouldn’t be too noticeable, but with the eighteen Blue Horse Antelopes, they were incredibly striking. Especially since they were marching in pairs in a neat formation, which, aside from wild geese, would never happen for natural wildlife. Hence, Luo Chong in front was quickly recognized.

Shuzhuang hurried over in a fluster to Da Shu, gesturing and shouting, “Da Shu! Da Shu! Luo Chong is there!”

Wishing everyone a happy Little New Year! I wonder if you all have eaten rice cakes or braised sugar today? Did you spend a sweet little new year? If not, make sure you don’t forget to catch up tomorrow. Also, another request for more recommendations. If there are more recommendations, there will be additional updates during the Spring Festival!

(End of Chapter)