Autumn sunlight poured down, filtering through the green bamboo leaves and casting patches of light on the ground.
Under the bamboo shadow, beside the granite stone mill, was a wooden rack and a wooden box was hanging on it.
Inside the box, soft, golden, fresh millet stalks were spread out, still carrying a faint grain scent.
A piece of linen cloth lay on top of the millet stalks, under which lay a chubby little baby wrapped in a linen blanket.
The baby was truly fat. Even lying down, his face, plumped with too much fat, had become pear-shaped, looking round and pudgy.
One arm, sticking out from under the blanket, was segmented like a freshly cleaned and tender lotus root dug from the water. His chubby little fingers had dimples at their bases.
At that moment, two of his fingers were being sucked into his toothless mouth.
Those fingers were undoubtedly delicious. Otherwise, the chubby little one wouldn’t be sucking them so contentedly and sweetly.
While saliva dripped down, his baby-fat face occasionally lit up with a smile.
A head suddenly stretched over from above the baby, blocking some sunlight filtering through the bamboo leaves.
Seeing his chubby son, Han Cheng couldn’t help but reach a finger to tickle his little armpit. A smile appeared, and he made playful sounds, starting a game he often played with his son.
The chubby little pea squinted his eyes, grinning from ear to ear, showing a smile even happier than Han Cheng’s.
Just over a hundred days old, the little pea could already giggle. As Han Cheng tickled him, his arms flailed about randomly, and the linen blanket was pushed aside.
Han Cheng’s head lowered, getting too close to the little one. The baby’s drooly hands were on Han Cheng’s face in no time.
Han Cheng would have been disgusted if it were anyone else. He would have wiped his face and moved away, maybe even giving the person a kick.
But with Little Pea, everything was different. He didn’t pull his face away; instead, he leaned in even closer, letting his son hold his face as he pleased.
The playful game continued for a while before Han Cheng gently lifted the little pea from his cradle, adjusted his diaper, and held him in his arms.
With Han Cheng’s skilled cooking and nourishing, Bai Xue’s milk supply was abundant.
With good food, Little Pea’s body grew strong.
At just over a hundred days, he weighed over fifteen pounds, which was rare in primitive times. Even in the food-rich Green Sparrow tribe, not many babies had this much weight at a hundred days.
The fifteen-pound little one, held in Han Cheng’s arms, felt as heavy as a stone egg.
His neck had already become firm, so he didn’t need Han Cheng’s hand to support him; he could hold his head up on his own for a while. However, occasionally, he would lose control and accidentally bump his head into Han Cheng’s chest, leaving a trail of drool.
Holding his son, Han Cheng babbled in a language that even aliens would struggle to understand. Father and son communicated happily.
Not far away, Bai Xue, after feeding the silkworms some mulberry leaves, walked towards them, her bamboo basket in hand. Watching this scene, her heart felt peaceful and happy.
This happiness eased the heaviness in her heart, knowing that Han Cheng would be leaving the tribe tomorrow...
As night fell, the busy and lively Green Sparrow tribe settled into quietness, with only the autumn insects chirping in the night.
The sound of the insects, mixed with the growing coolness of the evening and the flickering glow of fireflies in the last few days, made the surroundings feel even more tranquil.
Wait, that’s not right. Besides the sounds of the autumn insects, some other sounds seemed faintly heard at night...
Han Cheng’s heavy breaths and Bai Xue’s kitten-like sounds mixed together, creating an ancient melody.
Such a melody often accompanies a man when he leaves for a long journey or returns home.
When he departs, it is a send-off; when he returns, it is a welcome.
In the past, when great generals set out or returned triumphantly, cannons would be fired to accompany the event, either as a grand send-off or a celebratory salute. For example, in the famous Mu Guiying Takes Command, the lyrics say, "Outside the carriage gate, three gunshots ~ like thunder ~ from Tianbo Manor..."
Han Cheng was not a general, so he naturally couldn’t use three gunshots to mark his departure. For him, one or two shots would be enough.
If there were three shots, he’d probably not leave tomorrow.
The send-off was a bit too loud, and soon, another sound pierced the quiet night—a child's crying.
“Damn it! You little rascal, you’re just trying to go against me!”
Han Cheng waited momentarily and saw that Little Pea didn’t stop crying; he cried even harder. Reluctantly, he stopped, wiped the sweat from his forehead, cursed angrily, and let go of Bai Xue, who had curled up into a small ball.
The following day, the people of the Green Sparrow tribe woke up early. The trade team led by Shang and Mao brought the deer out, and they placed all the things they had prepared in the last two days on the deer.
Most of the others were also up. Some were busy with things, while others gathered around the soon-to-depart group, occasionally chatting.
The people gathered in the courtyard, speaking in hushed voices, often making the same gesture—glancing towards the door of the Divine Child’s residence.
The closed wooden door opened from the inside, and the Divine Child appeared, looking a bit listless.
Hearing the sound, everyone lifted their heads to look at the door. Despite Han Cheng preparing himself mentally before coming out, he still felt slightly embarrassed.
Fortunately, his skin had thickened over the years, and he quickly composed himself, walking steadily as he met everyone’s gaze.
“What are you all doing here? Go do what you’re supposed to,” Han Cheng said, trying to cover up his awkwardness.
After speaking, he promptly went to wash up and eat.
Damn it, having a kid is a trap for dads!
Han Cheng avoided everyone’s gaze as he splashed cold water on his face, grumbling inwardly.
Last night, that little rascal had no idea what was wrong with him. As soon as it was the critical moment, he started crying loudly, needing comforted for quite a while before he calmed down.
As a result, what should have been a quick task dragged on until the late hours, and it was far from satisfying. They had to wrap it up quickly.
That wasn’t even the worst part—after waking up feeling exhausted, he had to face the strange looks of the entire tribe.
It would have been one thing if something had happened, but the reality was different from what everyone imagined, and there was no way to explain it.
The unspoken frustration Han Cheng felt was beyond words.
It was lucky that this was his son. Han Cheng probably would have thrown the little one out of the window last night if it had been anyone else.
After hastily washing up and having breakfast, Han Cheng called out in a lively voice, gathered his people, and left the tribe, heading toward the copper mountain at the Teng Snake tribe.
He took a few steps and looked back at Bai Xue, who was holding Little Pea in her arms. However, he wanted to give the troublesome little rascal a good spanking, leaving made him reluctant.
Han Cheng fought the urge to go back and hug the little troublemaker. He waved goodbye to them, along with the elderly Shaman standing nearby, and continued walking toward the distant road.
Sometimes, things just couldn’t be perfect.
Even though he wanted to stay with his parents, wife, and children and live a peaceful life, reality forced him to make the hard decision to leave for a faraway place.
Because staying at home wouldn’t support the whole family…
Compared to many who left home to work far away in the future, Han Cheng’s situation wasn’t that bad. But even so, the feeling of leaving was hard. Those who worked thousands of miles away, only returning for a few short days during the New Year to reunite with their families—how could they not understand this kind of bittersweetness?