Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 35

After boiling the tough bark of the kudzu vine, the exposed fibers were separated into thin, white strands. Xie Yu left them to dry for a while, making them easier to separate.

Yun Nai smoothed the strands and instructed the tribespeople to hand-twist them, using tools to gradually refine them into finer yarn.

This process was time-consuming, taking four to five days.

Ge Cloth, also known as summer clothing, was lightweight and cool. Since it wasn’t urgent to make winter garments, they decided to first collect and boil the kudzu vines, stockpiling the kudzu fiber. During the winter months, when most tribespeople stayed indoors instead of hunting, they could focus on weaving the cloth.

Two days later, Yun Nai held a ceremony to formally welcome Lei, Wu, and the others into the Tribe.

This ceremony was significant, not only marking a new beginning for the five newcomers but also symbolizing the Tribe’s growing strength to its members. After all, who would willingly join a weak Tribe?

During their time together, the Tribespeople and the newcomers had grown somewhat accustomed to each other. While not perfectly harmonious, their understanding had deepened considerably.

The day Wu and Lei told the other three they could stay, the trio hesitated only for a moment before agreeing to Xie Yu’s request.

While their fallen Tribe held a special place in their hearts, and they longed for vengeance, survival came first. If an opportunity for revenge arose later, so be it. If not, they would have to accept it.

The ceremony proceeded smoothly, without any unexpected incidents or mishaps.

Afterward, the five newcomers gathered around Yun Nai to express their gratitude according to custom. The other Tribespeople then presented the newcomers with the food they had prepared over the past few days. Though the portions were small, even meager, they served as a friendly gesture of acceptance.

Ke handed the supplies to the newcomers, instructing them to divide the provisions among themselves.

Yuan followed behind her, observing the ceremony. She had been here for five days, appearing remarkably docile to everyone. Given Ke’s protection, no one dared to bully her.

Xie Yu suddenly remembered that Ke had once intended to form a contract with someone else, and a strange sense of guilt washed over her.

Ah, Ke must just be too stubborn.

Ke led Yuan to wait nearby.

Yuan usually took the initiative to gather fruits and other resources. Asking her to join the hunt would be too much; her physique clearly wasn’t suited for hunting.

Ke never assigned her little slave any tasks, granting her complete freedom. She could gather as many or as few fruits as she pleased.

Ke was going hunting with Ping, Yan, and the others. Today was the day for the collective hunt, though Xie Yu no longer participated in every one.

Now that they had bows and arrows, even smaller hunting parties faced a lower risk of injury.

Xie Yu walked over and called out to the pair, “Yuan, how far is the tung tree you know from our camp? How long would it take to get there?”

“It’s very close, Chief,” Yuan replied softly, her voice resembling Sha’s but her demeanor entirely different.

“To the west,” Yuan said, “keep going west until you reach the foot of the second mountain. It’s a quick trip.”

Xie Yu pondered for a moment before deciding to send a team to collect tung tree seeds in the autumn. Yuan would accompany them.

If they set out early, they could definitely return before the snow fell.

Seeing that Yun Nai was too busy, Ke Jianyun turned to Xie Yu. “Chief, after the Priest finishes her work, could you ask Yuan if she’d like to help her with tasks? I’m going hunting today, and… um…”

Her words tumbled out in a jumble, but Xie Yu understood her meaning. Ke likely worried that Yuan was struggling to integrate into the Tribe and wanted her to work alongside Yun Nai.

After all, in Ke’s eyes, the Priest was the kindest person in the world. While the other Tribespeople were good too, working with Yun Nai would help Yuan assimilate faster.

Xie Yu nodded and told Yuan to prepare to gather near the pottery kiln shortly.

When she turned back, she found Yun Nai still surrounded by people. Lei and three others were deep in conversation with other Tribespeople, while Wu clung to Yun Nai’s arm, swaying beside her.

“Wu, go attend to your own duties,” Xie Yu reminded her. “The Priest has other matters to attend to. She’s very busy.”

Wu met her gaze, staring blankly. “I understand, Chief.”

“By the way, the temporary shelters for the five of you won’t be ready so soon. For now, sleep in the Clan Hall as before—there are still plenty of wooden beds.”

“Gan and Zhi will fill you in on the other details.”

Xie Yu lifted her chin. “Look at Lei—they’re already getting the explanation. The Priest is leaving with me now.”

Although the five newcomers had learned most of the Tribe’s rules during their first few days, they still lacked specific details, such as the requirement to surrender a portion of their hunting spoils to the Tribe.

This system, similar to future taxes, aimed to ease the Tribespeople’s acceptance of taxation by starting with hunting. Additionally, the construction of larger structures like their huts also required Gan, Zhi, and others to contribute a portion of their earnings.

While the surrendered amounts were small, these accumulated contributions would gradually become substantial.

Those who couldn’t afford to pay could defer their debts.

Lei, listening to Gan and Zhi explain the rules, suddenly felt a surge of anxiety. He’d heard that the longer a debt remained unpaid, the more it would grow.

And if they failed to repay within the agreed-upon timeframe, they would face mandatory punishment.

From that day forward, the five of them had to intensify their hunting efforts, and Xie Yu could no longer afford to slack off.

Wu glanced in her younger brother’s direction and smiled at the two women. “Well, Chief, I’m off. Priest, I’ll catch up with you after I’m done with my tasks.”

“Go on, go on,” Xie Yu said stiffly, waving her away.

Only after Wu had left did Xie Yu finally exhale in relief. She took Yun Nai’s hand and led her toward the charcoal kiln.

“Chief, tell me, what have I been so busy with lately?” Yun Nai teased, shifting their grip so their fingers intertwined, their hands clasped tightly.

Xie Yu muttered, “Anything but being pestered by her.”

“Curious why she keeps clinging to me?”

“Exactly! Why does she only cling to you? Why not me?” Xie Yu pondered, perhaps because Wu had just arrived and Yun Nai was the first person she’d met, and Yun Nai was so gentle.

“Do you want her clinging to you?”

This was a dangerous signal. Xie Yu pulled Yun Nai’s hand to her lips and kissed the back of it. “Of course not! I don’t want her clinging to me. So why does she keep clinging to you?”

“She says it’s to repay me for saving her life. She keeps bringing me fruit and meat and asking if I need help.”

“That reason doesn’t hold water,” Xie Yu huffed.

“Oh, by the way, do you know if Lian has been eating anything strange lately? He came to me yesterday, saying his body keeps twitching.” Yun Nai shook her head helplessly, recalling Lian’s furtive questions about whether he might have a terminal illness.

Lian was practically her half-sister twice over. Xie Yu, hearing this, exclaimed in surprise, “He’s sick?”

“Not exactly.”

“He did mention something recently about getting goosebumps whenever he hears certain words,” Xie Yu said, squeezing Yun Nai’s hand. “Maybe he’s just particularly sensitive to certain phrases.”

Like when she overheard Yuan and Ke talking, Yun Nai thought, her mind flashing back to Lian’s bewildered expression at the Great Market.

The two women arrived at the charcoal kiln, where bamboo stalks she had ordered to be brought over lay nearby.

Inside the kiln, neatly split firewood of uniform length had already been stacked. If all went well, this would become the Tribe’s first batch of charcoal.

Now, only the lighting remained. Once they ignited the earthen kiln at its firing mouth, the wood inside would undergo incomplete combustion, transforming into charcoal.

Other people were working near the pottery kiln. As soon as they saw Yun Nai and Xie Yu approach, several of them hurried over.

“Should we light it like this?” one of the tribespeople asked, staring in astonishment at the kiln packed to the brim with wood. Past experience had taught them that for a fire to burn fiercely, the wood couldn’t be piled too tightly; otherwise, the flames would quickly be smothered.

Xie Yu nodded and led Yun Nai a little further away.

Near the kiln’s fire pit lay a pile of dry, flammable grass and leaves. A tribesperson took a burning piece of wood and touched it to the fire pit, immediately sending sparks flying and smoke billowing into the air.

“I’m off now,” Yun Nai said, shaking the hand Xie Yu held.

She needed to take several tribespeople who were shaping ceramic blanks to gather Kudzu Vine. By stockpiling large quantities of tough bark fibers to make kudzu fiber, the Tribe could switch to Ge Cloth clothing next summer.

Finally, they could shed their stifling soft bark and animal hide garments.

With the Tribe now producing plenty of Pottery Jars, there was no shortage, allowing them to reduce the workforce at the pottery kiln. Even with five new recruits, they’d been stretched thin.

Xie Yu had already selected the kiln workers yesterday.

Now, those chosen stood nearby, motionless and respectful, their eyes fixed on the Chief and Priest’s clasped hands.

Xie Yu’s gaze shifted from the flames already creeping into the charcoal kiln to the group of workers. Men and women, some slender, others robust, waited patiently.

She recalled Yun Nai’s description of the Kudzu Vine location from a few days prior, confirming it wasn’t far from the tribe’s camp. This reassured her.

“Be careful,” she reminded them, as always.

Xie Yu stayed behind to tend the charcoal kiln and, while she was at it, practice making bamboo fire cages.

These cages, crafted from thin bamboo strips, would be essential for surviving the winter. Mass production would require a significant amount of bamboo, but fortunately, Yun Nai had already instructed others to gather ample supplies during Xie Yu’s absence at the Great Market.

Their Priest truly possessed foresight.

Though Xie Yu’s craftsmanship couldn’t match Yun Nai’s, her training had brought her skills up to a respectable level.

She drew her sharpened stone knife and began splitting bamboo poles into thin strips of varying sizes and thicknesses—a relatively simple task that took little time.

Once the strips were prepared, she retrieved the Pottery Bowl fire basins Yun Nai had fired earlier. These basins would hold the burning charcoal, preventing the bamboo fire cages from catching fire and burning.

The basin was the perfect size. Xie Yu brushed off a bit of clay dust clinging to the rim and began weaving the fire mouth and cage body from the bottom up, circling the basin. For the handle, she tightly bound bamboo strips with hemp rope, finishing by tidying up the base.

She glanced at the sundial standing nearby. Weaving the bamboo fire cage had taken her about an hour.

The finished cage wasn’t particularly beautiful, but it certainly wasn’t ugly either. Xie Yu swung it in her hand as she observed the charcoal kiln. Seeing that everything was still normal, she continued weaving her bamboo fire cage.

The charcoal-making process took far longer than weaving the cage, especially in an earthen kiln. It could take anywhere from a day to several weeks, depending on various factors.

By the time she had refined her technique to a presentable level, the charcoal was finally ready.

“Chief!” someone howled, rubbing their hands together and hopping in place. “It’s done!”

Hearing this, Xie Yu let out a long sigh of relief.

After the charcoal had cooled completely, she used two bamboo sticks to retrieve a dark, hard piece. Its black, solid exterior concealed the potential for combustion.

The charcoal was placed in the fire basin of the bamboo fire cage, and Xie Yu immediately lit it. Warm, comforting heat instantly enveloped her hands as she gripped the cage’s handle, banishing the surrounding chill.

Warmth!

Now her tribespeople could stay warm in winter, and Yun Nai’s hands wouldn’t freeze anymore.