I am a Primitive Man-Chapter 837: The Sudden Heavy Snow
Chapter 837 – The Sudden Heavy Snow
After covering up, Han Cheng went to the front wall.
A small kang (heated platform) had been set up there, and Little Pea was sleeping alone on it, curled up from the cold.
Han Cheng, half-shod, walked over, bent down, and picked up his sleeping son. He brought him to their main kang, lifted the fur blanket slightly, placed Little Pea next to Little Xing’er, and tucked the edges of the blanket securely to prevent drafts.
“This is really strange—how did it suddenly get so cold?” Han Cheng muttered to himself.
After finishing, still shivering, Han Cheng grabbed his tiger-hide cloak from a simple cabinet in the room and wrapped it around himself.
He had initially planned to go out and gather firewood to heat the kangs, but just as he was about to open the door, he changed his mind and went to the other end of the house instead.
This was the room where Shaman and Yuan lived.
Shaman and Yuan’s late-blooming romance was genuine. Han Cheng quietly entered with an oil lamp and found them sleeping while embracing each other—Yuan’s head resting on one of Shaman’s arms.
This sudden display of affection made Han Cheng feel strangely satisfied.
However, he realized he should remind Shaman not to sleep like this anymore. Frequent sleeping in this posture could lead to frozen shoulder for one and cervical issues for the other, especially in cold weather.
This was far more practical advice than the classic trope of undercooked chicken soup and sentimental love stories that end in illness.
Han Cheng saw that they were sleeping soundly, so he did not wake them. He slowly left, carrying the lamp, opened the door, and immediately felt the blast of cold air outside.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
“Everyone, wake up! Don’t sleep! Some of you, bring firewood inside and light the kangs!”
Wearing his tiger-hide cloak and holding the lamp, Han Cheng went from house to house, knocking and waking people while urging them to heat their kangs.
This year, frost had not yet fallen. Usually, it would take time for the weather to get this cold, so the tribe had not started heating their kangs.
But with the sudden drop in temperature, they had to act quickly.
At this time, primitive medicine was limited to skins and furs; many illnesses could not be treated. Catching a cold could be fatal, especially for children and the elderly.
That was why Han Cheng immediately went out at night to wake everyone to heat their kangs—if ignored, someone could catch a deadly chill.
As Han Cheng knocked and shouted, the sleeping tribe members gradually woke.
Some, still groggy, instinctively reached out. Regular training had kept their reflexes sharp.
Once they realized the voice outside, they understood the urgency. Suddenly, everyone noticed how cold the night had become.
The Green Sparrow tribe soon became lively with activity.
“Wake everyone in the other rooms as well, and light their kangs. Also, go to the slave quarters and do the same,” Han Cheng instructed the senior brothers and others who had come out.
He then went with more people to the firewood storage to fetch wood.
After assigning tasks, Han Cheng returned to his own room, carrying some firewood, placing a portion in his room and another in Shaman’s.
Shaman was awakened by the noise outside and was blowing on a fire striker.
“Divine Child, what’s wrong?” The shaman asked, seeing Han Cheng entering with firewood and a lamp.
“Nothing, it just suddenly got cold. I woke everyone to light their kangs,” Han Cheng replied while placing the wood down.
Shaman tried to get up, but Han Cheng stopped him: “Don’t. It’s very cold. I’ve already woken everyone and assigned tasks. Stay warm.”
Yuan, now awake, helped Shaman lie back down and started placing firewood into their kang.
Han Cheng returned to his room, admiring Bai Xue’s deep sleep—she remained completely oblivious despite the commotion.
He placed the lamp on the table, opened the kang’s fire hatch, and added firewood. He then used kindling (dried grass, straw, leaves) to ignite the fire.
Han Cheng monitored the fire, adding more wood when needed, then closed the hatch, leaving a small opening for slow burning.
After finishing, he removed his cloak and clothes, lay on the warm kang, covered himself, and extinguished the lamp.
Lying on the heated kang, he felt no cold—only comfort. Thinking briefly about the sudden chill, he soon fell asleep.
Outside, the noise gradually faded, leaving only faint smoke from the chimneys and the smell of burning firewood.
The Green Sparrow tribe’s kangs allowed people to sleep soundly despite the sudden cold, but not all tribes were as fortunate.
Far north, the Black Stone Tribe huddled inside their cave. Flickering firelight cast dancing shadows, and they wrapped themselves in furs over dried grass and bark bedding.
Despite this, they felt cold and pressed closer to the fire and each other.
Shu Pi, one of the tribe members, felt the urge to urinate. Too cold to go outside, he tried to hold it, but the urge intensified.
Finally, he wrapped himself tightly and shuffled to the cave entrance, lifting the small stone blocking the exit. A gust of icy wind rushed in, stinging his face.
Snow!
Shu Pi shivered violently. He disliked snow entirely.
Looking outside, he saw faint white reflecting on the ground—definitely snow.
The Black Stone Tribe had no calendar and only a rough sense of the seasons. Compared to previous years, this snow had arrived unusually early.
Many tree leaves were still green, and some small yellow flowers were still blooming.
In the past, snow would fall only after the leaves and flowers had died. Early heavy snow was disastrous, representing cold, hunger, and death for primitive tribes.
After a moment of shock, Shu Pi braced against the wind and finally relieved himself at the cave entrance. The expelled water froze instantly in the cold wind, emphasizing just how harsh the weather was.
He quickly covered himself with furs and ran back inside, only to find his sleeping spot occupied.
Rather than making a fuss, he slipped into a gap between two people and let his body heat force them to make space.
The sudden cold left him shivering, but realizing that the Black Stone Tribe had enough stored food, his worries dissipated. He wrapped himself in furs, nestled closer to the fire, and soon fell asleep.
The next morning, after removing the stone blocking the cave entrance, everyone saw the thick white snow and slowly falling flakes. People shouted in amazement and gathered at the entrance.
Seeing the world transformed overnight, many froze in shock.
The Black Stone Tribe’s chief was equally stunned.
After a moment, he realized that the stored food inside the cave would ensure survival despite the early snow.
The tribe’s atmosphere relaxed, with some even feeling joyful—they could stay inside and eat without venturing out in the cold.
Shu Pi, previously punished, was now fully integrated and respected within the tribe.
Other neighboring tribes with basic tools like fish traps and bows reacted similarly: initial fear gave way to relief due to stored food.
However, tribes without enough reserves were stunned, with some crying—they could not accept such a harsh surprise.
Leaders quickly distributed furs and led people outside, walking through the snow and wind to gather food.
Though technically still deep autumn, foraging in the snow was dangerous, but survival required it. Many tribespeople had already exhausted themselves to survive.
“Creak~”
A door opened. Little Pea, now wearing an extra layer, tumbled out like a small ball, followed by Little Xing’er. Their short legs wobbled as they walked, trying to keep up.
Han Cheng followed behind as their father.
He noticed frost covering the grass piles, not snow.
No wonder it was so cold last night—the frost was thick.
Han Cheng realized this sudden temperature drop was essentially a cold wave.
Fortunately, all harvestable crops had been collected except for some small winter-hardy rapeseed leaves, which were unaffected.
Han Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
However, his expression soon changed.
He called Bai Xue to watch the children, then hurried outside.
Not far away, Shaman and Ba Ge arrived, looking distressed and anxious.
Han Cheng immediately knew something bad had happened.
“Divine Child… the cabbage… radishes…” Rabbit Eight-Legs stammered, confirming Han Cheng’s fears.
“Let’s go see,” Han Cheng said, and together they rushed to the vegetable fields outside the tribe.
Outside the Green Sparrow tribe, near the threshing ground, lay a flat area of roughly seventy to eighty acres—the tribe’s vegetable garden.
Vegetables required ten times the effort of grains. Daily tasks such as watering, weeding, pest control, and fertilizing kept everyone busy.
Most crops, aside from onions and garlic, were early autumn plantings meant to grow into winter cabbage and radishes.
Usually, at this time, the garden would be thriving.
But now, it was a desolate sight.
Radish leaves were purple and bent from frost, worse than frostbitten eggplants. Cabbage leaves had frost flowers but were slightly better.
Though Green Sparrow cabbage was bred from rapeseed and should tolerate frost, timing mattered. Early autumn cabbage had grown fully, preparing to form heads. Exposure to frost now would halt growth, reducing harvest by at least half.
Rapeseed, by contrast, was intended for seeds, and slow winter growth did not affect spring harvest.
Han Cheng realized the damage could be significant. The sudden frost and early snow had hit the vegetable crops at the wrong time, putting winter food supply at risk.
He quickly called for assistance and prepared to assess the full damage.
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Chapter 837: The Sudden Heavy Snow
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