In the hopeful anticipation of the Green Tribe’s leader, the first batch of millet planted by the Green Sparrow Tribe had already sprouted, and the second batch of millet was also planted today.
The tiny millet seedlings were tender and green, similar to some common grasses seen in later generations, such as dogtail grass.
However, when they grew up, the differences between them could be discerned.
Millet could produce food that could fill one’s stomach, while the previously disregarded wild grasses, thought to be no worse than millet, only yielded a few unappreciated grass seeds.
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Even though it was the same half a year, the difference in harvest was quite significant.
The people of the Donkey Tribe had come again. This was their third visit since the beginning of spring, two more times than the other tribes.
Moreover, unlike the other tribes, who usually only wanted salt and rarely brought food or fur to exchange for pottery, the people of the Donkey Tribe always brought a large amount of fur and plenty of food whenever they came.
These furs and food would be exchanged for pottery and returned by them.
Han Cheng calculated that so far, the people of the Donkey Tribe had taken the most pottery from the Green Sparrow Tribe compared to the surrounding tribes.
Even the Bone Tribe, which could rival the Green Sparrow Tribe in numbers, and the wealthiest Sheep Tribe were surpassed.
Had he been mistaken from the beginning? Was the Donkey Tribe not only the poorest but also the richest among the surrounding tribes?
Were they a hidden wealthy family?
Watching the Donkey Tribe people leave a pile of goods behind and walk eastward with many pieces of exchanged pottery, Han Cheng couldn’t help but feel puzzled.
Today, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe did not busy themselves in the fields, but instead, armed with some tools and weapons, went to the salt mountain.
Providing free salt to several tribes, the salt stored by their tribe was quickly depleted.
Every time the people of the Donkey Tribe came and went, they took away a lot of salt. This time, they brought three jars directly, which made Han Cheng strongly suspect that these guys were treating salt as their staple food.
Clang, clang, clang…
Swoosh swoosh…
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe were already familiar with salt boiling. After arriving at the salt mountain, some smashed the salt rocks, filtered them, and boiled them over the fire.
By now, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe no longer carried salt rocks back to boil, as it was too cumbersome.
Instead, they brought their tools directly to the salt mountain to boil.
Bringing back finished salt products was much easier than carrying salt rocks.
The actual salt boiling place was not at Salt Mountain but near a spring not far from it.
It was here that Han Cheng and the others had previously lured the deer and filled the clay pots with water and salt.
Initially, this spring was not very abundant, and it was not enough for salt boiling.
But such a problem clearly couldn’t trouble Han Cheng.
When he led Eldest Senior Brother and the others to dig the spring deeper by half a meter and dug a reservoir more than half a meter deep and five square meters in size not far away, there was no longer a water shortage for salt boiling.
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Near this spring, a clearing was opened, with three fires burning. Each fire had a large pot for boiling salt placed on top.
As the water evaporated, the salt dissolved and condensed at the pot’s bottom…
Water was the source of all things. In the mountains and forests, where there was water, there were generally more birds, beasts, and other creatures. Many footprints were left behind on the edges of the reservoirs and springs.
However, today, the birds, beasts, and other creatures that came for water were destined to return disappointed because a group of domineering monkeys had occupied this area’s water source.
These monkeys not only walked on two legs but could also make various strange things, especially those red, pulsating things that terrified the birds and beasts the most.
Boiling salt directly on the salt mountain was very efficient. In just five days, the Green Sparrow Tribe made up for the deficit and gained eight more jars of salt than before.
With this salt, they could sustain themselves for quite some time.
When Han Cheng and the others left, the people remaining in the tribe could stop worrying about salt.
The weather was getting warmer day by day. By the time the last batch of millet was planted, the rapeseed field had already fully grown, reaching nearly half a meter in height. Some impatient ones had even blossomed with a hint of golden yellow.
Many things in the world were bound to happen. Avoiding them blindly wasn’t a wise approach. Apart from making one’s heart anxious, the rewards in other aspects would generally not be significant.
Having no other reasons left, Han Cheng finally had to embark on his first significant journey in this world.
Clang, clang, clang…
This wasn’t the sound of the gong announcing someone’s arrival at the tribe but Lame making the final spare oar with stone knives, chisels, and wooden sticks.
Making oars was necessary. Otherwise, how would they move forward? They couldn’t rely solely on waves, could they?
Although Han Cheng was sometimes a bit reserved, his skill level was insufficient to ride the waves. Therefore, he had to make oars obediently.
The Green Sparrow Tribe’s four single boats were already in the water, now parked at the ample temporary pier by the riverbank in front of the tribe.
Ropes were tied to large wooden stakes nailed to the shore. Several single boats were squeezed together, rhythmically floating up and down in a small area with the waves, which was quite rhythmic.
The Eldest Senior Brother, Shang, and the Third Senior Brother held oars with leather ropes under their arms, pulling the ropes and pulling the single boats to the shore. As the boats swayed back and forth, they came onto the boats.
After continuous practice and familiarity over the past ten days, facing this level of rocking and floating, Eldest Senior Brother and the others were already able to face it calmly, without trembling legs as before.
There was no longer worry about "the boat sinking after getting on board."
On both sides of the bow of the single boat, there was a tree stick about twenty centimeters higher than the boat. There was a tree branch on each of the four sticks on each boat.
After stepping onto the single boat, Eldest Senior Brother skillfully hung the oar he held in his arms on the tree branch.
Then, he accepted the bottles and jars handed over from the shore.
These were the things they had prepared in advance for this journey.
Among them, the most prepared was food. In addition to the jars placed at the beginning, there were also many salted fish and meat.
There were also pottery jars for cooking rice and boiling water, as well as bowls for eating.
Weapons such as bows and arrows, vine shields, slings, spears, and javelins were naturally not forgotten.
These items were placed separately. On each of the four single boats, there were some. This was to avoid losing all supplies in case one boat encountered unforeseen circumstances, causing them to fall into trouble, or even be wiped out.
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