Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 34

For the location of the charcoal kiln, Xie Yu chose a spot far from the camp but relatively close to the pottery kiln. Building it too close would risk the black smoke from slow-burning affecting the Tribespeople’s health.

Digging and reinforcing the earthen kiln wasn’t particularly difficult. It mainly involved digging a pit and reinforcing the mud walls. The basic structure was straightforward, but the details required careful attention.

For example, the placement of the fire pit, the wood-stacking opening, and the smoke vent.

At the chosen site, Xie Yu measured the kiln’s dimensions by pacing it out, estimating that they should build two kilns to start.

Perhaps this area could eventually become the Tribe’s processing zone. One day, when she had time, she’d move Gan, Zhi, and the other carpenters’ small workshops here for convenience.

“Lian, go fetch a few people,” Xie Yu instructed, signaling him to return to the Tribe and bring back some workers to dig the earthen kilns.

She had a basic understanding of how to make charcoal, but producing high-quality charcoal was no easy task—it was a skilled craft.

Of course, besides wood, bamboo could also be used to make charcoal.

These materials were essential for smelting and casting. From now on, charcoal production should be managed by the Tribe, just like pottery making.

Otherwise, overexploitation and misuse would be inevitable.

Lian ran back and forth, covering a considerable distance. As Xie Yu waited, she pondered that winter would soon arrive after autumn. Once the charcoal was ready, she could finally start making the bamboo fire cages she had planned before heading to the market.

Beyond that, she needed to improve the torches. The Tribe’s current torches were crude: a wooden stick split into a cross at one end, filled with layers of straw and other flammable materials.

Simple and convenient, but they burned out quickly.

Later improvements had made little practical difference.

The idea of making torches by soaking cloth in oil and stuffing it with other materials, as she had once heard, was either absurd or wildly exaggerated.

Oil was equally impractical. Commoners couldn’t even afford to light oil lamps sparingly, let alone use oil for torches.

At least, that was the case for ordinary people.

For a long time, cloth had been a hard currency. Even a scrap of fabric would be used by common families to make shoe soles or stuff clothing for warmth. Using cloth for torches was no different than burning paper money for light.

Making torches was a skill in itself. A truly good torch should extinguish with a few precise swings, yet retain a smoldering ember inside. When needed again, two more swings would reignite it.

It was clear that even using torches required skill.

Once charcoal was produced, things might improve significantly.

Lost in thought, Xie Yu suddenly remembered that her Tribe didn’t even have a scrap of cloth.

Next spring, when they planted flax, they could make linen, but the process was complex and time-consuming, requiring considerable labor. Mass production of linen remained a distant dream.

Leaning leisurely against a nearby tree, Xie Yu pondered these matters when she finally saw Lian and his group running toward her from across the field.

The group carried shovels and looked noticeably stronger than before.

They approached Xie Yu respectfully, awaiting her instructions.

“Come over here,” Xie Yu directed them, pointing to the site and gesturing to show them how the charcoal kiln should be built.

The Tribespeople had grown increasingly skilled at digging pits. Xie Yu instructed them to pile the clay into a bun-shaped mound with a hollow center.

Asking if they had any questions, Xie Yu saw them all shake their heads. She then assigned Lian to oversee the work, instructing him to report back once the kiln was reinforced in the next few days.

At this time of day, the camp was sparsely populated. Xie Yu headed straight for Gan’s workshop, needing her help to craft a large bed.

The thought of comfortably cuddling with someone in a few days deepened the smile on Xie Yu’s face, her good mood radiating for all to see.

“Chief, were you looking for me?” Gan asked, hurrying out to greet her as she stood at the doorway.

“I need you to make a larger bed, big enough for two people.”

Upon hearing this, Gan smiled at her, just like Lian had earlier that morning. “I understand.”

Gan found it odd. It made sense for the Chief to want a larger bed, but what was strange was that Ke had also asked her to make a large bed earlier, insisting on high quality and offering generous compensation.

A new little slave had arrived in the Tribe, and many Tribespeople had seen her, including Gan.

Rumor had it that Ke had traded many valuable items for her. Perhaps she intended to give the slave her old, smaller bed.

The little slave was humble and, though she looked frail, she was clean and well-behaved. Gan couldn’t bring herself to mistreat her.

She imagined Ke felt the same, which was why she was giving the slave her old bed.

“Alright, Chief,” Gan agreed to Xie Yu’s request, telling her to come back tomorrow to pick it up.

As Xie Yu went to retrieve the large bed, she happened to run into Ke, who was dragging a similar bed toward her thatched hut.

“Chief,” Ke waved, “we both got large beds!”

Xie Yu’s gaze shifted to the bed Ke was dragging. “What’s this?”

“Uh… I asked her to sleep with me,” Ke explained matter-of-factly. “She has nowhere else to sleep, and I’ve traded all my goods. I have no more animal hides or meat to build her a separate hut.”

“Did Yuan agree?” Xie Yu asked, then immediately realized the absurdity of the question. Slaves had no say in the matter.

Ke’s face flushed slightly, and she stammered, “I’m her Master. If I tell her to sleep with me, she has to. Besides, if she slept elsewhere, there wouldn’t be any hides to keep her warm.”

Flustered and her face burning, she hurried off. “Chief, I should get going.”

“Treat Yuan well,” Xie Yu reminded her. “We still need her to guide us to the tung tree.”

Don’t break her spirit.

Without hesitation, Ke agreed wholeheartedly. “You can count on me, Chief.”

Xie Yu carried the large bed back to her hut, selected two thick animal hides to spread underneath, and lay down to roll around on it.

The bed was sturdily constructed, with hardwood forming the outer and bottom layers and a layer of softwood fixed in place for the mattress.

The wood had been expertly treated and sun-dried, carrying the scent of sunlight.

It was sturdy and didn’t creak or groan.

Satisfied, she rolled around on it a few more times.

The original two single beds had been chopped up for firewood.

The remaining minor tasks were completed almost instantly. Yun Nai had told her to rest well these next few days, but Xie Yu found herself bored with the sudden downtime.

What is Yun Nai doing? she wondered, imagining Yun Nai busily working with a mix of fondness and concern.

Being the Tribe’s Priest was such a demanding role. If only their Tribe were stronger, they wouldn’t have to rely on so few people to handle everything.

Just as she was about to head to Yun Nai’s usual spot, she spotted a familiar figure near the watchtower, a basket slung over her shoulder, walking cheerfully toward the camp.

Rarely did Yun Nai display such unreserved joy. Xie Yu ran over to take the basket, her eyes widening at its contents.

“Is this Kudzu Vine?” she asked tentatively, afraid she might be mistaken.

Though slightly different from the Kudzu Vine she’d seen before, the resemblance was unmistakable.

When boiled in water, the vine’s tough outer bark would soften, gradually separating into silky white fibers.

These fibers, when hand-spun or processed with tools, could be woven into thick, durable Ge Cloth.

The fact that Kudzu Vine fibers could be used to make linen meant they could gradually transition away from wearing animal hides—provided they could successfully produce the linen.

As Yun Nai had mentioned, there was a vast patch of Kudzu Vine nearby, so they wouldn’t need to go to the trouble of transporting it.

Yun Nai nodded, a smile playing on her lips. She stood on tiptoe to kiss Xie Yu, then gently patted her cheek twice. “You guessed right. Here’s your reward.”

Teased by Yun Nai, Xie Yu felt a surge of heat. She forcibly suppressed the urge to pull Yun Nai into her arms and shower her with kisses.

The tribespeople were watching, after all. They had kissed for far too long the previous night.

Xie Yu took Yun Nai’s hand, noting the weight of the Kudzu Vine on her back. Carrying it back would be no easy task.

Xie Yu massaged Yun Nai’s hand. “Where did you find it?”

Yun Nai pointed in a direction. “A huge patch. I thought I was seeing things at first, but when I peeled back the bark, it was real.”

“Is it far? Next time, I’ll bring someone with me.”

Yun Nai scratched Xie Yu’s palm. “Not too bad. Just a short walk.”

“What if someone tries to steal our Priest?”

“Then you’ll just have to steal her back.”

Oh my god, Xie Yu thought, her heart pounding wildly. She’s too cute.

“Wu is with me, but she’s still out gathering fruit,” Yun Nai said suddenly.

“She’s been clinging to you a lot lately,” Xie Yu grumbled, her displeasure evident.

Yun Nai gently squeezed Xie Yu’s pinky finger to reassure her. “Maybe she just wants to help the Tribe by working with me.”

Speaking of Wu and the others, Xie Yu mentioned their plan to join the Tribe and asked if Yun Nai had time to perform the ceremony for them.

After a moment’s thought, Yun Nai decided, “The day after tomorrow should work.”

Xie Yu readily agreed.

Returning to the thatched hut, Xie Yu placed a basket of Kudzu Vine beside the stone pot used for cooking. Following Yun Nai’s instructions, she began boiling water.

Once the water reached a rolling boil, she added the harvested Kudzu Vine and simply waited.

Soon enough, the tough outer bark of the vine began to separate, revealing long, soft, white fibers. Xie Yu carefully scooped them out and draped them over the rim of a clay basin. Occasionally, droplets of hot water splashed onto her skin.

“Ouch!” Xie Yu exaggeratedly stepped back, her grip on the clay basin remaining steady as she retreated directly to Yun Nai’s side. “The water splashed on me—it stings!”

The hand that had been burned arced through the air and landed perfectly in front of Yun Nai, palm open.

Yun Nai meticulously examined the wheat-toned skin for any sign of a burn, but found nothing.

If it had been just a little slower, the burn wouldn’t have happened.

She enjoyed indulging Yun Nai’s occasional childishness and asked, “What should we do?”

Xie Yu grinned, looking like a fox who had just gotten its way. “Give it a kiss. One kiss will make it all better.”

She watched as Yun Nai took her hand and gently touched her fingertip to her lips.

A cool sensation spread from her fingertip.

It really worked.

The one being coddled beamed, turning back to her work with renewed energy. Her hands moved swiftly as her mind replayed the scene.

She was picking apart the details.

First, she hadn’t burned her fingertip; it was her palm. Second, Yun Nai should have kissed her hand instead of pulling her hand to her lips.

Her nitpicking was meticulous.

Perfect! Tonight, I’ll have another excuse to trick her into giving me two more kisses before bed.