Time flies, and before long, the courtyard walls at the foot of Copper Mountain were over half completed.
Thanks to Hei Wa’s efforts, three furnaces had already been set up, and the fourth one was in progress.
Han Cheng, who had gotten sunburned, led a few people, including Third Senior Brother, on a tour near Copper Mountain. He occasionally pointed with his finger, giving off a bit of a “commanding” feel.
At this moment, Han Cheng explained how to cultivate the land to the Third Senior Brother and the others.
The land around Copper Mountain had to be cultivated for farming. The goal wasn’t to create a surplus, but to achieve self-sufficiency.
Relying solely on transporting food from the big tribe wouldn’t work.
It was not only troublesome but also costly in terms of resources for transporting food.
Thus, cultivation here had become a necessity.
With the walls being built and some houses being constructed for living, and once these basic infrastructures were completed, it would be close to the autumn.
By then, it wouldn’t be suitable for planting crops, but preparations for the following spring could be made.
Han Cheng focused on showing them the area where they would cultivate once the structures were complete.
Not far away, four or five people were chopping trees on the first plot of land Han Cheng had designated for cultivation.
A bit further from them, several people were building a mound of earth with smoke rising—this was for charcoal making.
Han Cheng had already explained most of what needed to be done, and after nearly a month, it was time for him to return.
Before leaving, Han Cheng planned to have a batch of copper and tin ingots smelted.
This was to test if the new furnaces worked appropriately; if not, they could be repaired while Hei Wa was still around.
Additionally, the stock of copper and tin ingots left in the tribe had dwindled, so bringing some back would replenish the metal resources that were about to run out.
Lastly, Han Cheng didn’t want to return empty-handed.
While it would be easy to return without anything, it would be a waste of manpower, especially since the Green Sparrow Tribe was still expanding on two fronts.
As Han Cheng was busy making plans, the Green Sparrow Tribe trade team, led by Shang and Mo, had finished packing up, leading deer and dogs, carrying weapons, and heading out from the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Based on experience, it wouldn’t be long before large quantities of millet and soybeans—now expanded to nearly fifty acres—would be ready for harvest.
Once autumn arrived, the tribe’s other activities would have to make way for the harvest.
Shang and Mo decided to trade before the harvest began because they had not conducted any trade trips after the New Year.
They had discussed this with Shaman and their Eldest Senior brother, both of whom agreed.
Compared to those expanding the walls, the trade team was somewhat of an “auxiliary” group.
Moreover, not long ago, when the god-child decided to lead the construction of the Copper Mountain living area, he had explicitly stated that the tribe’s expansion wouldn’t happen overnight, so there was no rush.
As for the tribe’s defense, there was no need to worry. After such long-term expansion, the population of the Green Sparrow Tribe had grown sufficiently, and sending out sixty to seventy adults wouldn’t leave the tribe defenseless.
If any tribe thought the Green Sparrow Tribe’s interior was weak and tried to raid them for valuable goods, the farmers, who had been wielding tools for a long time, would gladly pick up weapons and turn them into slaves of the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Led by Shang and Mo, the trade team made their way forward, warmly welcomed by those eagerly awaiting their arrival.
One tribe that had previously traded with the Green Sparrow Tribe had gathered around a few trees.
The trees had relatively small leaves, and between the leaves, there were small clusters of beans.
The beans were not large, roughly the size of mung beans.
The side exposed to sunlight had a reddish tint, while the rest was still green.
An older native cautiously picked a few of the beans, causing the branches to shake.
As they continued picking, the older native accidentally pricked her hand on a thorn, causing her to shake it in pain.
Under the watchful eyes of others, the older native put one of the greenish-red beans into her mouth and started chewing slowly.
The rest of them closely watched her, hoping that this would be edible and provide another food source for their tribe.
However, things didn’t go as hoped. After only chewing a few times, the older native spat everything out.
Not only did she spit out the chewed beans, but her mouth still felt extremely uncomfortable. The taste was far more intense than anything she had ever experienced.
She stuck out her tongue, drooling for a while, before finally feeling better.
The older natives and the rest of the tribe members looked at the newly discovered food with reverence, mixed with disappointment.
If only this could have been an edible food…
But this disappointment didn’t last long before someone started shouting excitedly.
She was speaking and gesturing to make her point clear.
Upon hearing her words, the others quickly switched from worry to joy.
Yes, how could they have forgotten that wealthy and strange tribe?
Although this newly discovered plant wasn’t tasty, it produced seeds.
These seeds, which they had never seen, might be worth something when traded with that tribe.
After thinking about this, the women hesitated no longer. They started picking the beans from the branches, wrapping them in large tree leaves, and heading back to the tribe.
On their way back, the women started to feel uneasy. It wasn’t just because they remembered how long it had been since that mysterious and wealthy tribe had visited, but also because their hands, which had picked the fruit, had become numb. When they pinched their nails, there was no pain.
This discovery made them fearful; they feared they might be poisoned, just like the tribe member who had died after eating something similar from a newly discovered plant.
Many of them worried whether they would die or if their strangely feeling hands would ever return to normal.
The woman holding the toxic fruit, in a fit of fear, was about to throw the frightening thing away…