I am a Primitive Man-Chapter 804: The Green Sparrow Tribe’s First Big Spender
Chapter 804 – The Green Sparrow Tribe’s First Big Spender
The weather was scorching hot. Grass and trees stood still, baked limp by the blazing sun.
Even in such weather, the Green Sparrow Tribe’s road-building team continued its work.
Though they avoided the peak hours of noon, laboring under the fierce sunlight still left them drenched in sweat.
The sunburn was tolerable, but the muggy air made breathing difficult.
Many men chose to work bare-backed. Some bolder women loosened the front buttons of their clothes.
But no matter how much they stripped down, sweat still poured relentlessly, leaving white salt rings on their clothes.
Worse yet, many began to lose their appetite entirely.
It was then that several two-wheeled donkey carts rolled up along the newly built road.
The lead cart carried a Green Sparrow flag.
“People from the tribe are here! The tribe is here!”
Even in this sweltering heat, the sight of the fluttering flag and the drivers spurred cheers from the road workers.
“The Divine Child knows you’ve lost your appetite from the heat, so he sent us with something delicious!”
The cart drivers beamed as they shouted the news.
Excited workers immediately swarmed them.
“What food? It’s so hot we don’t even feel like eating…”
“You’ll see. Once you try it, you won’t get enough!” the driver said mysteriously, puffed with pride, deliberately keeping them guessing.
They began unloading the carts.
First came a set of stone mills—different from the tribe’s earliest ones. The bottom slab and the groove for catching liquid were carved from a single block of granite, making them more portable.
Next came two large jars of soaked mung beans, three sacks of dried beans, and other supplies.
Under the shade of trees, they set up a makeshift stand, secured the stone mill, and began grinding the soaked beans.
The road workers, sweating as they worked, watched with eager eyes, waiting for this new food the Divine Child had promised.
“Delicious! Delicious!”
“More! Give me another bowl!”
The moment the mung bean jelly (liangfen) was prepared and announced ready to eat, the camp erupted in slurps and satisfied groans.
The cart drivers hadn’t exaggerated—this was indeed the perfect food to revive appetites in such oppressive heat.
“Burp~”
Da Jiao let out a loud belch, licking the corners of his mouth. Three bowls of jelly later, he felt every pore of his body relax.
But seeing the remaining bags of beans, he shook his head with regret.
Da Jiao had once been a slave from the Half-Farming Tribe. His regret wasn’t about the taste—he loved it. Instead, he recalled how his old tribe had grown these same beans for years, yet never discovered this use. They only boiled them in water.
Now, under the Divine Child, these beans had become not just more productive but transformed into a refreshing delicacy.
He couldn’t believe it, even after watching it with his own eyes.
Others from the Half-Farming Tribe felt the same.
The comparison only deepened their awe for the Divine Child and strengthened their loyalty to the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Bellies full, refreshed by jelly, the road builders threw themselves back into work with renewed vigor.
The Divine Child had not forgotten them—he’d created something delicious and sent it all the way here just for them.
How could they not work hard?
Not even the stifling heat could slow their will.
Back in the Green Sparrow Tribe, after inventing the perfect summer food, Han Cheng’s good mood didn’t last.
The problem wasn’t seasoning for the jelly—it was the tribe’s rattan armor.
The craftsmanship of Lame and his apprentices was impeccable. The issue lay not in weaving, but in maintenance.
Unlike rattan shields, which were only used in training or battle, rattan armor was worn daily by road-builders for protection.
Endless sun, dew, and sweat wore them down quickly.
The once-bright armor dulled, edges frayed. The folding at the edges caused splits in the rattan strips, stripping away bark and weakening their resistance to rot.
In just half a year, some pieces crumbled at the touch of a fingernail.
Lame suggested repairs, but Han Cheng shook his head. Replacements never matched the strength of the original weave, and the process was too troublesome.
If armor lasted only half a year before endless patching, it was unacceptable.
He recalled a solution from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms: soaking rattan armor in tung oil, drying it, and repeating.
The result: armor that resisted blades, shed water, and even floated—though highly flammable.
Perfect for their needs… except tung oil didn’t exist here.
So Han Cheng tried pig fat instead.
Using brushes of boar bristles, he coated armor piece after piece with grease, then set them in the sun.
The warriors stared, salivating.
Second Brother muttered that he could eat the oily armor right then.
But the experiment failed. The armor smelled foul, attracted flies, and consumed huge amounts of precious fat—needed for cooking and soap-making.
Han Cheng was forced to stop, feeling like the tribe’s “first big spender.”
In the end, it was cheaper to keep weaving and repairing. The problem gnawed at him, but he had no choice.
Meanwhile, at the road camp, autumn rain finally broke the lingering heat.
The workers rested in their huts, catching up on much-needed sleep.
But Da Jiao and two others—another ex-slave and one Green Sparrow citizen—set out in the drizzle, looking for fruit.
Relations between citizens and freed slaves were unusually harmonious here, thanks to Han Cheng’s efforts.
Their luck seemed poor until Da Jiao spotted a slope littered with round, dark-brown fruits, some split open to reveal kernels resembling chestnuts.
Excited, the three filled their bags quickly.
Da Jiao even cracked one open to eat, but the citizen stopped him.
Tribal rules forbade eating untested foods—many lives had been lost before this rule was set.
Grudgingly, Da Jiao obeyed. They returned with three bulging sacks, stunning their campmates.
Former Green Tribe leader Gu, now overseeing the road team, inspected the fruit. It looked like chestnut, but wasn’t.
New foods had to be tested.
Da Jiao immediately volunteered, eager both to prove himself and to earn citizenship.
Gu agreed—but, following tribal protocol, had preparations made before the test bite…
.
!
Chapter 804: The Green Sparrow Tribe’s First Big Spender
Comments