This Is My Primitive Tribe-Chapter 72 - 67 Vine Tribe Year 2
Chapter 72: Chapter 67 Vine Tribe Year 2
In the cold winter, the days went by steadily with continuous bird catching, fishing, hunting, and crafting various tools and weapons.
During this winter, Chi Shao found time to draw many beast skin scrolls recording the major events of the tribe, and Jiang Xuan also made a preliminary, rudimentary map.
During this period, quite a few weak wanderers fell ill. Although treated by Old Witch and Chi Shao, two people unfortunately died due to limited conditions and a shortage of medicine.
Also, two members of the Vine Tribe were severely injured by wild animals while hunting outside but were fortunately carried back to the tribe in time, barely saving their lives.
When Jiang Xuan’s calendar bamboo tube recorded the Vine Tribe’s first year at day three hundred ninety-six, the long-overcast sky finally welcomed sunshine.
The temperature in the Southern Wilderness began to slowly rise, and the ice and snow quickly melted.
"Crash..."
"Thud thud thud!"
Ice blocks fell from a big tree, fragmented on the ground as they melted, while the drooping branches lifted up again.
Jiang Xuan sat by the bed, looking at those old calendar bamboo tubes, muttering with a furrowed brow, "Why are there three hundred ninety-six days—a month longer than Earth."
Jiang Xuan scratched his head, feeling that the task of crafting a calendar wasn’t that simple.
The interval between two meltings was thirteen months, yet this wasn’t precise, since the weather isn’t constant every year.
Sometimes winter might be longer, sometimes shorter, no one can quite say.
"Forget about it, let’s keep recording. Hopefully, after some years, some patterns will emerge."
Jiang Xuan knew that creating any kind of calendar wasn’t easy. It required decades, or even longer, to record and refine.
What Jiang Xuan could do was to carefully record the dates and climate changes during these times, but whether this calendar would ultimately succeed, no one knew.
Jiang Xuan put away those old calendar bamboo tubes, then found an unmarked bamboo tube and inscribed at the top: Vine Tribe Year Two, January First, Ice Melting.
"A year is gone."
After carving the words, Jiang Xuan put down the bamboo tube and small stone knife, feeling quite complicated.
The Vine Tribe had been established for a year, plus the six months before that, making it a year and a half since he came to this world.
Sometimes, he felt particularly lucky.
Though he had crossed into this primitive and dangerous world, he survived and even established a tribe.
From having nothing at all to slowly accumulating and developing into the current scale, the hardship was known only to him.
Initially, he often remembered the beautiful world in his past life, rich in resources and advanced in technology, where people could enjoy many conveniences.
But as time passed, the memories of his past life dwindled.
The bustling lights and traffic, the grudges and enmities gradually became blurred in his mind.
While the people and things in this world, all his experiences, became clearer.
"Being a leader of a primitive tribe isn’t so bad, right?"
Jiang Xuan chuckled and stopped reminiscing about the past.
This world, this primitive jungle, and this Vine Tribe that he built with his own hands were all he could possess.
As for the world he couldn’t return to, let it remain in the past.
Jiang Xuan collected himself, put away the new calendar bamboo tube, then opened the door and stepped outside, bathing in the long-awaited sunshine.
The others from Vine Tribe also went outside, their faces filled with relieved smiles.
The bitter winter had finally passed.
"We survived!"
In front of the houses on the outskirts of Vine Tribe, over a hundred wanderers were brimming with happy tears, hugging each other and shouting, celebrating their rebirth.
"We survived..."
Jing Jie hugged his wooden Wolf Fang Club, his eyes slightly moist as well.
No one expected that over a hundred wanderers could survive in a tiny tribe through the beginning of this winter.
Jing Jie had even mentally prepared himself for many to die from hunger and cold.
But thanks to Jiang Xuan and the Vine Tribe, they miraculously survived, and not with sallow and emaciated faces; they had food throughout the winter.
Through an entire winter, losing only two people to illness was a miracle even in some of the larger tribes!
Jing Jie looked up, glancing at the towering Stone Mountain and Ancient Vine, then resolutely headed toward the bamboo houses where Jiang Xuan and others lived.
With only one thought in mind: to stay in the Vine Tribe, to join the Vine Tribe!
Soon, Jing Jie found Jiang Xuan, who was basking in the sun.
"Leader!" Jing Jie’s expression was a bit nervous.
"Oh, it’s Jing Jie, what do you need?"
"Leader, you promised beforehand that if we survived until spring, you’d let us join the Vine Tribe. We’ve made it through now."
Jing Jie anxiously eyed Jiang Xuan, both nervous and expectant.
Jiang Xuan glanced towards the wanderers, then nodded and said, "I did say that, you and those wanderers can stay in the Vine Tribe."
"However, becoming actual members of the Vine Tribe will still require a test of time."
Jing Jie quickly said, "As long as I can join the Vine Tribe, I’m willing to wait however long it takes."
Jiang Xuan smiled and said, "As long as you’re loyal to the tribe, joining is only a matter of time, don’t worry."
Jing Jie nodded firmly, confident in himself.
Jiang Xuan added, "Now that the snow has just melted, ice blocks are falling everywhere from the trees, go make sure they’re okay, don’t run around aimlessly to avoid being hurt by falling ice."
"Alright, I’m going there right away."
Jing Jie, holding his Wolf Fang Club, quickly returned to the area in front of those houses, rounding up the wanderers who were overly excited and running around wildly.
"Do you want to be killed by ice? Dare to run around again, I’ll break your legs!"
Under Jing Jie’s scolding, the wanderers finally calmed down and stayed quietly in the open space to bask in the sun, not daring to run around.
That night, the cold north wind became a warm south wind, accelerating the melting of snow on the trees and ground.
Two days later, the snow and ice had vanished without a trace from the trees, and most of the ground snow had melted away.
The streams flowed joyfully once again, and the ice on the rivers broke up, large blocks being swept away by the current.
In the ponds created by Vine Tribe, the resilient fish began swimming actively again.
After three days of warm south winds, tender grass buds sprouted on the ground, and the animals that hibernated in the forest reappeared.
The whole primitive jungle once again displayed vibrant life.
The only person in Vine Tribe not very happy was Da Jiao. Due to food shortages in winter, many of the animals he kept had been eaten; only a few remained.
Jiang Xuan came to his cave and comforted Da Jiao, "It’s alright, we’ll catch some more to raise."
"I think those flightless Unihorn Birds are pretty good, they might be easier to tame than Seven-Colored Pheasants."
"And Gray Rabbits—they breed quickly."
Hearing Jiang Xuan’s words, Da Jiao felt better and eagerly discussed with Jiang Xuan which animals would be suitable for taming.
In the fields, Gan Song resumed plowing the land with his Bone Plow.
He had only one arm, lacking the hunting skills of others, but in planting, none except Jiang Xuan in Vine Tribe could rival him.
The harvest from last year bolstered Gan Song’s confidence; this year, he’s determined to open up more land to plant more grains and vegetables!
In the jungle, the Hunting Team of Vine Tribe set out once more. Compared to the barren winter, they preferred the lush, spring forest abundant with prey.