I am a Primitive Man

Chapter 309: The Happy Ping Zi

The sun rose, casting its radiant light upon the earth.

Though the morning air felt chill, Ping Zi was shirtless, with sweat glistening on his face and body.

He exerted some force with his hands, digging the bone shovel into the earth and bringing up clumps of soil.

Gripping the bone shovel handle, he tilted it slightly to the side and deposited the clumps onto the ground.

The Divine Child had said that doing so would prevent the grass above from being smothered.

After living here for a few days, Ping Zi had formed a positive impression of the new tribe, especially of the childlike Divine Child, whom he deeply respected.

He had heard that everything the tribe possessed now was thanks to the Divine Child's leadership.

Ping Zi had never done digging and turning soil before, but he learned quickly and soon grew to enjoy it.

While Ping Zi was strong, he wasn't skilled in hunting—his spear-throwing accuracy and speed couldn't match the women's. Consequently, his status in the tribe was low, and his meals were not satisfying.

However, in the new tribe, everything changed. People here didn't hunt much; instead, they engaged in many unfamiliar tasks: weaving with tree branches, carrying stones, and digging.

Ping Zi quickly grew fond of digging. It didn't require him to roam and call out in the wilderness; instead, he could eat three meals a day just by digging with the bone shovel. He found this lifestyle very satisfying, almost unbelievable at first.

"Time to eat! Time to eat!"

Someone shouted from atop the high walls.

When he heard the call, Ping Zi's face immediately lit up with a smile. After a few days here, he understood what it meant.

This was his favorite time of day.

Grabbing his bone shovel, Ping Zi hurried with the others digging to return to the tribe, eager to devour the delicious food.

The food was as delicious as ever, but using the sticks called chopsticks was still awkward.

However, the Divine Child insisted they use them, so Ping Zi dared not disobey.

After the meal, they gathered together, and a boy named Shi Tou, about the same age as the Divine Child, came to teach them some words. He also used a tree branch to write something in the sand.

They said this was the language and writing of the gods, something all members of the Green Sparrow Tribe had to learn.

Ping Zi felt uncomfortable at moments like these, finding this seemingly effortless activity strangely distressing. In his view, it was far less enjoyable than wielding the bone shovel to dig.

He wasn't alone in feeling this way; many others shared his sentiments. Interestingly, the younger ones seemed much more at ease.

After enduring the long ordeal, the boy called Shi Tou finally announced the end of the lesson.

Ping Zi, who had been feeling uncomfortable, suddenly felt relieved. He picked up his bone shovel and dashed happily toward the edge of the tribe.

As he ran, he glanced sideways at the spot near the wall where the former leader was bound.

At first, Ping Zi had entertained thoughts of secretly rescuing the leader. But he had abandoned such ideas since drinking Green Sparrow Water and learning its significance.

Not only that, but he also felt that punishing the former leader was justified.

This tribe was kind, tolerant, and generous, yet their leader had led them to attack. It was unjustifiable.

Moreover, this was now his tribe. The former leader had attacked his tribe, so Ping Zi naturally harbored no goodwill towards him.

As Han Cheng, Shaman, and Eldest Senior Brother watched the original members of the Bone Tribe bathe, change their hairstyles, and work alongside the elderly members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, they couldn't help but smile at each other.

Over these few days, the former leader of the Bone Tribe had been bound there without anyone to guard him. It wouldn't have taken much effort to release him, yet none of the Bone Tribe members had done so.

They grew to hate the former leader even more as time passed, feeling that he should never have attacked the Green Sparrow Tribe.

After confirming that the integration was initially effective and that the new members of the Bone Tribe were unlikely to rebel or harm the Green Sparrow Tribe, according to Han Cheng's instructions, Eldest Senior Brother led Shang and a few others out of the tribe, heading towards a distant destination.

Accompanying them were the two strongest individuals from the Bone Tribe.

Officially, they were being sent with the Eldest Senior Brother to carry out a task, a sign of recognition. Han Cheng was concerned that these two might cause trouble once Eldest Senior Brother and the others left. Having the Eldest Senior Brother take them away was easier, sparing him from worry.

There was no need to worry about them causing trouble outside; at this time, people had to stick together to survive. One or two people couldn't live long in the wilderness alone.

This was also why Han Cheng mentioned exile for those who rebelled when drinking the Green Sparrow Water.

Being exiled from the tribe at this time was essentially a death sentence, much more severe than exile after the establishment of a country.

For primitive people, such punishment was very effective in deterrence.

The integration of the Bone Tribe would be a long process. After the initial intense measures, Shi Tou was responsible for what remained.

When these people learned to speak the common language, they could write some Chinese characters, dress like the elderly members of the Green Sparrow Tribe, adopt similar lifestyle habits, and eventually no longer show any differences. They would truly have integrated into the Green Sparrow Tribe.

The rapeseed flowers had fallen, and they would mature in a while.

This year's rapeseed crop was much larger than last year's, so Han Cheng instructed people to clean and prepare the wheat fields early.

This had to be done every year.

The wheat field was on the west side of the courtyard and had been expanded considerably, with the gate moved aside. This facilitated people's coming and going, and in a while, Han Cheng planned to build another twelve rooms, so the wheat field had to be located where it wouldn't be in the way.

Previously planted mulberry and fruit trees mainly survived, and many fruit trees even blossomed.

However, these blossoms were unlikely to bear fruit because they had just been transplanted, and the roots below had not yet fully grown, lacking sufficient nutrients to support the fruit.

More than half of the nursery near the rapeseed field had suffered casualties, with only about half of the branches sprouting tender shoots. Nevertheless, this was enough to make Han Cheng happy.

When planting the branches before, Bugs Bunny had planted a lot, at least two thousand. Even if half of them died, they would still obtain many saplings.

After two or three years, they could be transplanted.

By then, the Green Sparrow Tribe would have a helpful forest.

Planting trees takes ten years, but cultivating people takes a hundred. This was indeed something that required careful planning ahead of time.