With the arrival of the cold season, the Spark Tribe welcomed its first snowfall.
When they woke up in the morning, the entire tribe was blanketed in white. Snowflakes were still drifting down from the sky.
Before dawn, the people responsible for cleaning the tribe had already started sweeping the snow off the main paths.
“Snow is good, snow is good. The colder the weather, the better next year’s harvest will be.” The one-eyed man said cheerfully as he shoveled the snow.
He wore a thick padded coat, with a woolen hat and gloves covering his head and hands, and animal-hide boots on his feet. His whole body was wrapped tightly.
Working in the cold wind, he didn’t feel the chill at all. His whole being was warm and comfortable.
The one-eyed man was already fairly old. Long past his prime years, and being just an ordinary person, he used to dread the cold season the most.
Every time, he feared that he would freeze to death or starve to death in this icy season.
During the cold season, unless he absolutely had no choice, he would never leave the cave.
In the harvest season, he would gather as much firewood as he could. During winter, he would stay curled up by the fire, keeping himself from freezing to death.
He also tried his best to eat his fill when food was abundant in the harvest season, so that it would be easier to survive the cold season.
He moved as little as possible, so his stomach wouldn’t burn through food too quickly.
Ordinary people with mediocre strength and declining stamina would easily fail to make it through the winter if they didn’t do what he did.
In the past, the tribe also gave very little food to the elderly, so most people didn’t live long lives.
There was no other choice. The tribe itself never had enough food, so of course, they preferred to give it to the young and strong adults, or the children who represented hope.
But now it was different!
Even the one-eyed man could receive warm, substantial clothing, live in a cozy house, and have enough food to fill his stomach.
Most importantly, he could have plenty to do within the tribe, creating value. He wasn’t a useless nobody!
The one-eyed man cherished his current life. When he had previously learned about the rebels, he had been extremely, extremely angry. Every time he passed by their bodies, he would spit in disgust.
“Why? Won’t it freeze the things we plant if the weather is too cold?” asked a young beastfolk child who was sweeping alongside the one-eyed man, puzzled.
“You just don’t understand,” the one-eyed man said proudly, explaining, “Cold weather in winter can kill the pest eggs in the soil. Next year, with fewer pests, the things we plant will grow much better.”
The beastfolk child suddenly understood: “Oh! So that’s why! You know so much!”
“This is all what the Divine Envoy said. These are the wisdoms granted by the gods! With the gods’ wisdom, our days will only get better and better,” the one-eyed man said earnestly.
“So you must study hard. Only by learning knowledge can we make our tribe stronger and stronger.”
The beastfolk child’s face immediately fell. “But school is so hard… It’s even harder than hunting!”
“You still have to learn. I’m not saying you need to be perfect at it, but at least you need to know numbers, arithmetic, and how to read. The tribe’s library has so many interesting storybooks. You won’t understand them if you can’t read!”
“I’ll have someone tell me the stories instead.”
The one-eyed man pointed a finger at the child’s head. “You, you… I’m already this old and still learning. How can a kid like you be so unmotivated!”
The beastfolk child looked like he wanted to cry, but had no tears. “But it’s really so hard… I try my best in class every time, but I just don’t understand.”
The one-eyed man patted his head sympathetically. “Poor child.”
The beastfolk child let out a deep sigh. “But I’d still rather go to school than be hungry and freezing like before.”
The old and the young adjusted their clothing, wrapping themselves in warmth. Even with the cold wind on their faces, they didn’t feel the chill.
The two exchanged a smile, then sped up their sweeping, trying to clear the roads before dawn so as not to disrupt the tribe’s normal daily life.
When Yang Yi woke up, the snow had already stopped, and the roads had been cleared. Yet the entire land was still blanketed in silver, radiating a unique beauty.
“No wonder it’s so cold… it actually snowed.” Yang Yi pushed open the window. His eyes brightened.
Yang Yi was from the south, where snow was rare.
Even if a harsh winter came occasionally, the snow would melt as soon as it touched the ground. Being able to pile snow into a snowman the size of a palm was already something to photograph and boast about for a long time.
When he studied in the north, he saw snow often enough that it wasn’t strange. But every time he saw it, he still felt inexplicably excited.
“It’s cold. Be careful not to catch a cold in the wind.”
Hei Lie walked in. Seeing Yang Yi standing in the cold without a coat, he frowned and quickly draped a coat over him.
Yang Yi smiled. “It’s warm inside. I’m not that weak.”
The two of them were still sleeping in the same room. After the trading fair ended, Yang Yi had suggested returning to his own room.
Hei Lie agreed, but he followed along.
Even though the tribe members had all been checked over, no one could guarantee that a few stragglers hadn’t slipped through.
Nighttime was often the peak period for ambushes. To prevent a repeat of what had happened before, Hei Lie felt it necessary to stay close and provide protection.
Yang Yi ultimately agreed. He recovered quickly from that previous ambush as the victim, but the others had been extremely nervous.
Jiao even organized a special ritual, praying to the sky gods to bless the Spark Tribe and prevent such incidents from happening again.
More people were now assigned to stay near Yang Yi. Everyone understood clearly the weight he carried in the tribe.
Although many areas no longer required Yang Yi’s guidance. Some people had already started learning from the books in the library, and the tribe could continue functioning normally even if he left, but he was still an indispensable presence. If another tribe were to capture him, no one wanted to imagine what would happen to the Spark Tribe.
Anyway, they were already used to sleeping together, and the added sense of security was real.
Yang Yi’s bed was large, so it didn’t cause any inconvenience.
In the middle of winter, even with a fireplace, the room wasn’t quite warm enough. But with multiple people sleeping together, it was cozy.
“I wonder if this snow will freeze the vegetables in the ground,” Yang Yi said, concerned.
He had already used all the thin films and other materials in the space to set up greenhouses, ensuring the winter food supply.
In addition to the greenhouses, he had used straw to protect the roots of the plants. Previously, everything had survived successfully. But today, the weather was even colder, and it had snowed. He didn’t know if the plants would make it through.
“Qing hasn’t sent anyone to report back, so it shouldn’t be a big problem. We’ll know soon enough when we go take a look.”
When Yang Yi went to wash up, Hei Lie had already prepared breakfast: large cornmeal buns, millet porridge, fried eggs, and a small side of pickled vegetables. Simple, but very tasty.
The big buns were made from corn and wheat grown by the tribe. Their flavor was especially rich and fragrant. They are far more delicious than anything Yang Yi had eaten back on Earth.
He normally didn’t eat buns much, preferring filled foods like steamed buns or shumai. But here, he enjoyed these plain buns because of the natural fragrance of the ingredients.
One bite released a unique aroma that made him feel completely comfortable. Even without the small pickled vegetables, he could eat three or four fist-sized buns on their own.
Yang Yi preferred strong-flavored foods, yet in the tribe, he ate the lightest meals, appreciating the original taste of the food.
For example, with chicken, the tribe’s people particularly liked heavily spiced dishes like spicy chicken, while Yang Yi preferred plain boiled chicken.
The chicken just needed to be cooked thoroughly. No complicated seasonings were required. When eating, you could dip it lightly in a sauce made from salt, scallion segments, ginger, and a touch of sour flavor.
The taste was exceptionally good. Yang Yi never grew tired of it.
Occasionally, he would make some slightly more elaborate dishes for variety. But here, he felt especially satisfied with the food.
Healthy and delicious, the improvement in his body was closely related to his diet.
“How’s the canal work going?”
The canal had only recently begun excavation. Yang Yi and Hong Guang, along with others, had already spent a lot of time surveying and marking the spots beforehand.
The canal couldn’t be dug randomly. Everything had to be carefully planned.
Yang Yi had only gone to check when the work officially began. Afterward, he had been too busy to pay it any attention.
Hei Lie, on the other hand, passed by during every training session and knew the canal’s progress very well.
“The pace is even faster than we expected. The beastfolk can’t sit still. They all ran over to dig the canal,” Hei Lie said with a laugh.
Only a portion of the tribe was digging the canal at any time. After all, tools were limited, and there were other tasks to be done in the tribe.
To be fair, the beastfolk were rotated in proportion to help with the canal, while the rest stayed in the tribe to handle other work.
Winter work was relatively easy. Handicrafts were still tiring, but staying in a warm house was far better than going out to dig a canal.
Yang Yi shook his head. “These beastfolk… how can they be so ungrateful? They have it so good, and yet they insist on running outside. Don’t they feel the cold?”
“That’s because of their animal instincts. You can’t force it,” Hei Lie replied.
“But if they only do physical labor, it’s likely to cause imbalance in the long run,” Yang Yi said, worried.
According to development plans, some physical labor with little technical content would, over a long period, be exhausting and offer low rewards.
Although there were many clever and skillful beastfolk members, overall, the proportion of those who were simple-minded but physically strong was higher.
Hei Lie wasn’t worried at all. “This is only temporary. In the future, the concept of a ‘beastfolk’ won’t even exist.”
“That’s true,” Yang Yi immediately understood his point. “We still need to encourage them more, to integrate the beastfolk with the Eastern Continent humans.”
“So far, things look good. People don’t seem to mind. In fact, they find it somewhat novel.”
“Novel?”
Hei Lie curled his lips into a sly smile. “With animal instincts, I wonder if exercising together would feel… different.”
“……”
Yang Yi considered himself not an easily embarrassed person. He occasionally joked in a risqué way. Online, he could be completely uninhibited. But here, he felt out of place.
The people here were too natural. Talking about harmonious exercise was as casual as drinking water or eating a meal, which only made him feel awkward and self-conscious.
After all, he had been influenced by his environment to some extent, unlike the people here, who were calm and composed.
“Ahem… well, this is… actually good. It can help break down barriers.”
Hei Lie glanced at Yang Yi. “Hong found a boy with the deer instinct and is planning to get married.”
Hong had been the first to boldly confess to Yang Yi. Yang Yi had been somewhat troubled before, unsure how to handle such intense feelings.
He hadn’t been seen for a while. Now, Yang Yi realized it was because he had found a new target. Yang Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
“This guy is pretty fast… and already getting married.”
Yang Yi was still a little surprised. Not long ago, Hong had sworn he was the one true love, and yet in no time, he had found someone new.
Suddenly, just married.
Hei Lie spoke very seriously: “Don’t worry. He and I are completely different.”
