Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 26

Lian’s report had concluded, but Xie Yu wasn’t planning immediate action. First, the Shadow Tribe was stretched thin; with most members out hunting and gathering, only a few remained to clear land and guard the watchtower. Sending even a small team to investigate would leave the settlement dangerously understaffed. Second, there was no urgency. Their primary goal wasn’t reconnaissance of other tribes, but gathering bamboo.

The bamboo forest wouldn’t be depleted quickly, and the tribe’s newfound wariness after encountering Lian would likely keep them away from the area. Xie Yu wasn’t worried.

Once the wood ash production was complete, the land-clearing team immediately spread it as fertilizer across the fields. The process was simple; after a single demonstration, they mastered it.

The uses of wood ash extended far beyond fertilizer. It could also be used for washing hair and bathing.

In addition to these uses, wood ash mixed with soil and fired twice could create a material as hard and durable as cement. In rural areas and ancient Liangjiao, this wood ash-based mortar was commonly used for sealing roofs, making them waterproof and leak-proof.

Initially, the Tribe didn’t use this method for reinforcement because they needed to build too many houses, requiring vast quantities of wood ash. The firing process was also complex, making this method too cumbersome. Instead, they decided to use it only to repair leaky thatched roofs as needed.

A few scattered figures bent over, fertilizing the fields, occasionally exchanging a few words.

Li sighed, “I never imagined chopping the ground a few times would take so long. It’ll take forever to finish. The sun’s already starting to set.”

The person next to him nodded in agreement. “It’s almost as tiring as hunting. At least when hunting, you can move around. This constant bending over is killing my back.”

“Your back’s as delicate as a flower,” another person teased. “I could snap it in half with one hand.”

“Then your back must be even weaker than mine,” the first man retorted.

Xie Yu couldn’t help but think of the flower she had picked in the forest and pinned in Yun Nai’s hair. Lost in thought, she unconsciously sped up her work.

“Are you all ready? We might need to dig up some more plants,” Xie Yu said with a smile, sprinkling water around. “Just a little more work.”

The others stopped their playful banter, wiped their sweat, and grabbed their small shovels. They followed Xie Yu into the dense thicket of small trees.

Over on the other side, several people were squatting beside Yun Nai.

Their fair hands were covered in dirt and sand, stained with mud and grime.

Yun Nai squatted alone on one side, while the others worked on the opposite side. They used their shovels to carefully dig up the plants, roots and all, and placed them in nearby baskets.

These vegetables weren’t harvested once or twice a year; their growth cycle was relatively short. Transplanting them to a single location would streamline collection, preventing them from being too scattered and inefficient.

Xie Yu walked over to Yun Nai and glanced into the basket, already brimming with plants. She crouched down and took the shovel from Yun Nai’s hand.

The small shovel was wrapped in soft animal hide, preventing it from chafing Yun Nai’s hand.

Xie Yu had crafted this tool specifically for Yun Nai, wanting to make her foraging trips less strenuous. It had taken her a considerable amount of time to complete.

“Are you tired?” Xie Yu asked, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she glanced at Yun Nai. “Do you want to rest?”

“No,” Yun Nai replied, shaking her head. Her movements remained swift and precise. With a few quick strokes, she located the root’s pressure point, dug it out intact, and tossed it into her basket with practiced ease.

The others who had come with Xie Yu had already paired up with instructors, leaving Xie Yu the only one standing idle.

They probably think I’m slacking off, Xie Yu thought to herself. She found a small patch of vegetables near Yun Nai and bent down to start digging.

Her movements were fluid and efficient, showing no signs of inexperience.

Yun Nai glanced at her and remarked, “It seems the Chief is quite knowledgeable about this, which is why you didn’t need me to teach you.”

Xie Yu’s face flushed with embarrassment. In truth, she already knew how to do this; yesterday, she had simply used it as an excuse to spend time with Yun Nai. “I’m self-taught,” she stammered. “I can learn by just watching once.”

Her awkwardness didn’t last long. With her keen senses, Xie Yu immediately noticed Yun Nai moving closer.

Yun Nai calmly explained the key points to Xie Yu, then slowly retreated to her original position.

Xie Yu’s ears burned as she stole glances at Yun Nai, who was focused intently on her work. Shaking off her wandering thoughts, Xie Yu gradually found her rhythm and began to excel.

After some time, the group carefully sorted the vegetables and transferred them into several woven baskets.

Xie Yu examined the harvest, noticing the Violet Vine among the greens. This vine, also known as Violet Leaf, lived up to its name with its purplish-green leaves.

Stir-frying them would be ideal, but the tribe faced a persistent problem: a shortage of oil. Extracting sesame oil was too inefficient and costly, but flaxseed oil might be a viable alternative.

Flaxseed oil could serve both as lamp fuel and cooking oil. Xie Yu resolved to inquire about flaxseed plants at the Great Market, hoping other tribes might sell them.

“Chief, we’re finished,” someone called out.

Xie Yu nodded and casually took the small shovel from Yun Nai’s hand. “Go wash up first. We can handle the rest.”

To minimize the risk of wild animals straying into the fields, Xie Yu built a simple fence around the cultivated area after replanting.

After spending several days organizing the Tribe, Xie Yu finally began considering gathering bamboo.

With Lian leading the way, the group traveled for most of the day to reach the bamboo grove. Ke and four other men accompanied them.

Xie Yu’s eyes lit up. The vibrant green bamboo stalks emitted a faint, refreshing fragrance, their appearance alone indicating high-quality material.

“First, check the surroundings for any signs of people,” Xie Yu instructed. “Look carefully.”

Moments later, the group returned, reporting in unison, “Nothing. We didn’t find any footprints either.”

“They’re probably hiding to avoid being discovered by other tribes,” Xie Yu mused. This meant the Tribe would likely be safe for the time being.

“Such lovely wood,” Lian praised. “I really like it.”

“Then Lian should cut down extra and bring more back. There are so many things we can make with it.”

Ke chimed in from the side, her tone pointed, “The Chief should bring back extra to make nice things for the Priest.”

Human nature truly is gossip-prone. Hearing this, the others immediately joined the conversation.

“Hmm, I want to make nice things too.”

“What does the Chief plan to make for the Priest?”

“The Chief should give the Priest more flowers. I think the Priest would really like them, just like me.”

“I’ve never seen the Chief give flowers before.”

Lian nodded enthusiastically. “Chief, you should be bolder!”

“Exactly! Use the same courage you show when fighting wolves on the Priest!”

Xie Yu looked exasperated. “I am bold! Stop thinking about such nonsense and get back to work.”

The group chopped down about eighty logs, then used the vines they’d brought to bundle them into manageable bundles and dragged them back to the settlement.

“Chief, you’re finally back!”

That evening, as the returning Tribespeople entered the settlement, they were greeted by the excited shouts of a group of cubs.

“We were only gone for less than two days,” one Tribesperson remarked. “The little ones missed us this much?”

“We missed you terribly!” the cubs exclaimed, their faces flushed with excitement. They had no idea how they had endured the past few days.

The Priest had been rounding them up to teach them to read, making them scratch symbols in the dirt with sticks every morning.

Several cubs gathered around Xie Yu, begging her to intervene with the Priest. Though their hopes were slim, they remembered the Priest’s words: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Xie Yu casually recited, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

“Didn’t memorize it? Go practice it a few more times,” Xie Yu said, raising an eyebrow. “Are you complaining about the Priest to me?”

“No, no!”

“We wouldn’t dare!” The cubs waved their hands frantically. The Priest had been so kind to them; how could they betray her trust? They were just begging the Chief to ask the Priest to stop making them write those strange symbols—they were so mind-numbing! As warriors of the Tribe, they only needed to focus on physical strength and fitness.

“Didn’t I tell you before?” Xie Yu feigned surprise, then pretended to be slightly annoyed. “The Priest’s words are my words.”

The cubs immediately hung their heads in dejection.

“Actually, these are very useful. If you study hard—you might even become like me.”

“Really?”

“Perhaps. It depends on how well you study.”

Xie Yu instructed the noisy cubs to return tomorrow to continue learning characters. The adult Tribespeople were too busy to teach, so starting with the cubs was a good approach.

After the bamboo was stacked in the warehouse, Xie Yu dismissed everyone to rest early.

Although hauling over eighty green bamboo stalks wasn’t particularly difficult, it was tiring after spending most of the day on the task.

Seeing Yun Nai waiting for her at the entrance, Xie Yu boldly extended her hand. She spread her left palm before Yun Nai and pointed her right index finger at the tips of her left fingers. “Look, they’re all red.”

The redness wasn’t very noticeable. Yun Nai, the woman Xie Yu had been thinking about for two days, said, “I can’t see it clearly.”

Undeterred, Xie Yu leaned closer, placing her fingertips right in front of Yun Nai’s eyes. “They’re red.”

“I see it now. They’re a little red.” Yun Nai suddenly pinched Xie Yu’s fingertips. “Let me check if they hurt.”

“It’s fine,” Xie Yu blinked. “The little ones told me you taught them a lot, but they haven’t memorized ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way’ yet. Make them repeat it more tomorrow.”

She continued, “Oh, right, I brought something back for you.”

Tucked into a pocket of her animal hide jacket was a flower, which Yun Nai spotted immediately. “I love it.”

Yun Nai twirled the flower, teasing, “Chief, after being away for so long, what are you thinking about? Did you gain more experience in wilderness survival?”

“I really want—”

“The bed at home!” Xie Yu gasped, her attempt to hide her true feelings almost comical. “Sleeping outside is so uncomfortable. I can’t rest properly.”

Not really. This body had long grown accustomed to sleeping outdoors.

“Anything else?” Yun Nai pressed, clearly enjoying Xie Yu’s flustered state. “Just the bed? Or maybe the table, chairs, carrying basket, and cabinets? Or perhaps your animal hides?”

“What do you think I want?” Xie Yu countered, retreating to buy time.

“How would I know if you don’t tell me?”

As Xie Yu followed behind her, Ke’s words—”You need to be as brave as when you hunt wolves”—echoed in her mind.

“They said I should be bolder.”

“I think you’re already incredibly bold.”

“Not bold enough.” They want me to use the same courage I showed with the wolf on you, Xie Yu thought, but of course, she couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud.

“What if I told you I still miss you?”

Yun Nai smiled slyly in Xie Yu’s blind spot, playing a silent game. “That fits our relationship perfectly. It means you’ve passed.” She poured some water and handed it to Xie Yu.

Xie Yu took a sip, catching her breath. “What about you? Have you passed?”

Yun Nai nodded gently. “I’ve passed.”

“That’s good. So we’ve both passed,” Xie Yu said with a sigh of relief. “Then what do I need to do to get an excellent grade?”

“You can’t leak exam questions. Are you trying to cheat?” Yun Nai adopted the stern demeanor of an examiner.

To Xie Yu, Yun Nai looked utterly adorable—in her eyes, ears, and heart.

Xie Yu shook her head and went to close the door. “No cheating.”

The moonlight was shut out as the two women, in unspoken agreement, never mentioned the earlier conversation again. They lay down on their respective beds.

It wasn’t until Xie Yu’s eyes were drifting shut that she suddenly remembered she had forgotten to ask what their relationship was.