The early summer breeze rustled the branches, lifted braids, and fluttered the edges of the women's hemp garments.
Mao wiped the sweat from his forehead as he paused from digging with his bronze spade, savoring the rare coolness of the wind while stealing glances at a nearby primitive woman.
Her hemp clothing rose and fell with the wind, revealing glimpses of her flesh beneath.
In the past, Mao believed that primitive women looked best without any clothing. But as he gained more experience, he gradually realized that a clothed woman could be even more captivating.
Take now, for example—despite being completely drained by his juice extractor at home just last night, convinced he wouldn’t be interested in women for at least two days, the sight of her shifting garments stirred something inside him once again.
If not for the fact that everyone was busy working—and the cool breeze made labor exceptionally comfortable—he would have already dragged his mate into the bushes.
Han Cheng had no idea what was going through Mao’s mind, but if he did, he would have given him a big thumbs-up in genuine admiration.
The ever-sly Han Cheng wholeheartedly agreed with such thoughts.
Why else would he have deliberately torn small holes in many of Bai Xue’s clothes?
Fueled by a smoldering frustration, his efforts were now more vigorous.
Not far away, another trade team leader, Shang, wielded a specially crafted tamping tool and repeatedly slammed it down.
Each heavy blow sent a deep, dull thud through the air as the stone-packed tool compacted the loose soil beneath it…
Building the New Wall.
After the spring planting season, the trade team had only gone out once before voluntarily returning to assist in constructing the new perimeter wall.
There were two reasons for this:
The tribe now had a copper mine, and most of the surrounding stone and seed resources had already been traded for. External trade was no longer as urgent as before.
The design hanging inside the blue-brick house was too enticing. The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe, eager to build a better future through hard work, dreamed of constructing everything in that illustration—and living inside it.
Han Cheng understood their motivation. With access to copper, beans, and limestone, the tribe’s reliance on outside goods had significantly diminished.
He didn’t rush them, so he allowed the trade team to remain and help with the construction.
Only after some time did he send them out again, essentially reducing their external trade expeditions from two trips per cycle to one.
For the resource-rich and independent Green Sparrow Tribe, this was no issue at all.
But for the many tribes accustomed to Green Sparrow’s salt supply, it was a disaster.
With fewer trade trips, their lives were severely impacted.
Without salt, not only did their food taste bland, but even their bodies felt weaker than before.
Faced with this crisis, some tribes chose to wait patiently, hoping for the return of the flag-bearing, deer-herding, wolf-led Green Sparrow traders.
Others, however, took a more aggressive approach.
For example, one tribe—not too far from Green Sparrow—was now making its desperate moves for salt.
Due to frequent bear sightings near their settlement, they were known as the Bear Tribe…
Bear Tribe sounded powerful and imposing, but ironically, its members were smaller, thinner, and generally shorter.
However, appearances could be deceiving—for example, a bald thug with thick gold chains and tattoos might be found hopping through the grass, catching grasshoppers.
Despite their unimpressive build, the people of the Bear Tribe were speedy runners.
And none ran faster than their chief, who could maintain top speed for the most extended duration.
This wasn’t due to any supernatural abilities. Unlike most tribes, which chose their leaders based on strength, the Bear Tribe selected their chief through a footrace.
Running was an invaluable skill in this era, just as crucial as brute strength.
A faster runner had a greater chance of catching prey while hunting.
A faster runner also had a greater chance of surviving an attack from wild beasts.
It was thanks to this ability that, despite their unassuming appearance, the Bear Tribe managed to sustain a relatively decent standard of living.
The Bear Tribe’s Expedition.
Today, led by their fleet-footed chief, the Bear Tribe, heading eastward, set off from their settlement.
Their goal was twofold:
Capture animal cubs for trade.
The food was for their sustenance. The cubs, however, were meant for trade with that mysterious and wealthy tribe—the Green Sparrow Tribe—in exchange for salt.
Through their past trade experiences, the Bear Tribe had noticed an interesting pattern:
New and unique items—such as untraded stones, seeds, or animal cubs—tended to fetch much better deals than other common goods.
Food, while precious, was rarely traded. Most tribes barely had enough to sustain themselves, and aside from a few exceptions, very few were willing—or even capable—of trading food away.
But around this time each year, the Bear Tribe rejoiced.
For in a particular place, not too far from their settlement, an abundant food source would emerge—one that could fill their stomachs without worry.
Armed with their crude weapons and digging tools, the Bear Tribe journeyed onward under the leadership of their swift-footed chief.
By sunset, they finally arrived at their destination.
The sky was painted in crimson hues, and a gentle evening breeze stirred the lush greenery before them.
The rustling sound of countless leaves filled the air.
A vast sea of green stretched before them.
Cheers erupted from the tribe.
Without waiting for orders, the hungry tribespeople eagerly rushed into the embrace of the green expanse.
Scattering along the bamboo forest’s edge, they wielded their simple digging tools, breaking into the soil with practiced motions.
Before long, one after another, tender bamboo shoots began to emerge…