I am a Primitive Man-Chapter 830: A Riddle That Makes You Bang Your Head
Chapter 830: A Riddle That Makes You Bang Your Head
After the site for the former Wild Duck Station—now the Longmen Inn—was chosen and cleared, Han Cheng, along with some others, brought part of the dogs and deer and returned to the tribe along the road.
This trip back served two purposes: first, the road and construction teams had run low on food and needed to fetch more; second, Han Cheng planned to bring Shaman, Bai Xue, Xiao Xing’er, and the others over to Longmen Inn for a visit.
Last year, he had promised to take them there. Now that most of the Qing Tong High-Speed route had been completed, it was time to fulfill that promise.
Departing from Longmen Inn in the morning and resting at Tongfu Inn at night, they set off again the next morning, and by late afternoon, the tall walls of the Green Sparrow main tribe came into view.
Returnees and those eagerly awaiting them were overjoyed. Familiarity mixed with novelty, everyone had endless things to talk about, filling the tribe with happiness.
The three small squirrels—one perched on Fu Jiang, two on Han Cheng’s shoulders—drew particular fascination from the tribe’s children, who wanted to get close to them.
Han Cheng swore that his visit back to the tribe had only these two purposes, with no hidden motives.
As for waking up the next morning with a sore back, that was Bai Xue’s doing, not his concern; he honestly hadn’t thought about it that way.
“Really?!”
When they returned to the tribe yesterday, it was nearly dark, and things were hectic, so only now did Han Cheng have a chance to tell Bai Xue that in two days they would ride a donkey cart along Qing Tong High-Speed to visit Longmen Inn.
Upon hearing this, Bai Xue nearly jumped from the ground with excitement, grabbing Han Cheng’s arm with delight.
“Of course it’s true.”
Han Cheng smiled and patted her head.
With the confirmation, Bai Xue happily held his arm and bounced with joy.
Since the arrival of Little Pea and Han Xing, she had never traveled far.
The idea of riding a donkey cart along the completed Qing Tong High-Speed route to the Copper Mountain residential area had been long anticipated, originally expected to happen only after the autumn harvest. Han Cheng bringing it up now was an enormous surprise.
If not for noticing Han Cheng holding his back, Bai Xue would have dragged him back into the house immediately.
“Divine Child, I’m not going…”
Shaman, also hearing the news, hesitated.
Shaman was older and deeply attached to the tribe. While he wanted to see the journey along Qing Tong High-Speed, he felt reluctant to leave the home he had lived in all his life, fearing problems might arise in his absence.
This was a typical sentiment among elders who had lived in one place all their lives.
“It’s fine. After we leave, there’s Eldest Senior Brother and the others in the tribe. They’ll take care of the tribe. This is our shared home, built together.”
Han Cheng reassured Shaman, adding, “Qing Tong High-Speed, Tongfu Inn, Longmen Station, Wild Duck Lake, and Copper Mountain Residential Area—all belong to our tribe. Don’t you want to see them?”
Han Cheng sincerely hoped Shaman would accompany them; unlike the younger ones, missing an opportunity might become a lifelong regret for him.
His words touched Shaman, ending his hesitation. Indeed, he had never seen Copper Mountain Residential Area; this was a chance to witness it firsthand.
This journey was mainly for sightseeing. Besides the teams transporting food, the small group included Shaman, Han Cheng’s family, and Yuan. Other participants numbered only eight.
Many in the tribe had never visited Copper Mountain Residential Area, so a limited number of spots couldn’t meet everyone’s desires.
Han Cheng couldn’t bring more, as even during the farming off-season, plenty of people were still needed for weeding and other tasks. Pulling more would impact food production.
“Divine Child, just tell them to stay and work in the tribe,” Shaman said, asserting himself.
“Wait a moment,” Han Cheng laughed, stopping him.
It was normal for tribe members to want to go out. During the road construction, he had already teased them. Simply forbidding them now seemed a bit harsh.
Han Cheng decided to address the tribe himself.
“Do you want to ride a donkey cart to Copper Mountain Residential Area?”
Gathering the remaining tribe members, Han Cheng asked loudly.
“Yes!”
They answered in unison, full of excitement and anticipation. Riding a donkey cart along the completed Qing Tong High-Speed route to see the barren Copper Mountain and the beautiful pools on top was something many wanted, especially with Han Cheng and Shaman accompanying them.
Han Cheng laughed, “Want to? No way! If everyone goes, who will do all the work in the tribe?”
The excited group froze, then some laughed awkwardly. Having lived with Han Cheng for so long, they were accustomed to his occasional humor and didn’t take him entirely seriously.
“It’s not that others can’t go, but not everyone can. To join, you must meet certain conditions,” Han Cheng said, raising his voice.
Immediately, everyone perked up, stretching and preparing to hear the condition.
“It’s simple. I’ll give you a riddle. Anyone who guesses correctly can join us tomorrow. If you don’t, stay and work in the tribe until next time.”
“What’s a riddle?” someone asked. They had never heard of one before.
“It’s when I describe something, and you guess what I mean,” Han Cheng explained.
Those known for their intelligence—Shaman, Shitou, Yuan—immediately perked up. Shaman and Yuan were determined to go.
Shitou, who had visited Copper Mountain before and stayed on the Qing Tong road construction, was familiar with the area and less eager than those who had never been.
He was to stay behind to assist Senior Brother in managing the tribe, but this didn’t diminish his curiosity.
Shaman, though eager, worried the riddle might be too easy. If everyone guessed it, the tribe’s tasks would be neglected.
Han Cheng had no such concern; he was confident in the riddle’s difficulty.
“Listen carefully. The riddle goes: square head, flat mouth, eye in the waist, leg in the eye.”
Han Cheng repeated it slowly three times, smiling at the crowd.
Even the smartest in the tribe were baffled.
“What is this? Square head, flat mouth, eye in the waist, leg in the eye?”
Everyone racked their brains. Solving the riddle in front of others was prestigious, but it was extremely tricky.
The scene became quiet as people struggled mentally. Shaman, initially worried it might be too easy, tapped his head repeatedly.
“Divine Child, does this thing really exist?” someone finally asked.
“Yes! Of course it exists. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a riddle,” Han Cheng laughed.
“Have we seen it before?” Shitou asked.
“Yes, everyone in the tribe has seen it.”
The crowd was even more puzzled. Seen it? In the tribe? How could they not recognize it?
“Take your time. You have until tomorrow morning. Whoever guesses correctly, come tell me, and tomorrow you can go with us.”
“Keep working while guessing. You can discuss it. Time’s still long; the deadline is tomorrow morning,” Han Cheng added.
The tribe dispersed but couldn’t stop thinking about the riddle.
“Square head, flat mouth, eye in the waist, leg in the eye… I’ve seen it, and the tribe has it…”
Tied to their work, they muttered the riddle repeatedly, still clueless. Iron Head even banged his head on a tree in frustration.
Others suffered the same mental torment.
When Shitou returned from Han Cheng’s house, those who had given up racing to guess gathered eagerly to hear the answer.
“Wrong, guessed wrong,” Shitou said with a wry smile.
“Sigh~” everyone groaned.
“Divine Child, what is it? That strange thing?”
Han Cheng replied, “Not yet. The time isn’t up. Don’t worry; there’s still time to guess.”
That night, many couldn’t sleep. Han Cheng, however, did something unspeakable and slept soundly.
Bai Xue, lying in bed, reviewed the riddle and the hints, realizing the answer—though she hadn’t guessed it herself; Han Cheng had told her.
Early the next morning, Han Cheng stretched and felt refreshed. Most of the tribe looked exhausted, with red eyes and dark circles.
“Divine Child, what is it?”
Outside his house, many were waiting, some having stood there for some time. Han Cheng sighed at how much the riddle had tormented them.
“Anyone figured it out? Speak up now, or it’s too late.”
A few guessed, but all were wrong.
“Then I’ll tell you,” Han Cheng said, dragging out the suspense, heightening anticipation.
“This thing is—an axe!”
“Axe?”
The tribe was stunned. At first, it seemed impossible. But comparing the riddle with an axe’s shape—square head, flat mouth, eye in the middle (axe eye), leg in the eye (handle)—it fit perfectly.
“Sigh~” Many understood and were frustrated at not realizing sooner, especially Bo, the tribe’s top carpenter, who used an axe daily.
“Eye in the waist, leg in the eye—it really is!” Shaman muttered, scratching his thinning hair.
The riddle was extremely tricky. If Han Cheng had added a hint that it could treat headaches, it would have been even harder to guess.
Historically, the axe is connected to medicine: in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Hua Tuo prescribed an axe to relieve Cao Cao’s headache, which led to comic misunderstandings.
The tribe, thoroughly tormented by the riddle, lost interest in visiting Wild Duck Lake or Copper Mountain Residential Area temporarily, completely captivated by the puzzle.
Han Cheng realized riddles were a useful method for managing the tribe. He had many in reserve, each capable of frustrating the tribe immensely.
Picking up Xiao Xing’er and handing her to Bai Xue in the donkey cart, Han Cheng surveyed the sleepy tribe members, grinning mischievously.
“Let’s go!”
With food and tools loaded, the tribe set off, following the Green Sparrow flags along Qing Tong High-Speed.
“Take care of the tribe; we’ll be back in a few days!” Shaman, riding with Yuan on another cart, instructed the others, feeling slightly uneasy.
Considering, he even wanted to get off and return—but the cart doors were sealed.
Han Cheng reassured him: “Shaman, let’s go. It’s also time to let Shitou and the others gain experience; under our protection alone, they can’t grow.”
Shaman calmed down and settled into the cart.
.
!
Chapter 830: A Riddle That Makes You Bang Your Head
Comments