RPS – Chapter 6 Salt Gathering (1)

Today happened to be the day the tribe went out to gather fruit. Li Feng carried a basket he had woven himself on his back, cradling the baby in his arms as he followed Li out to the large open area at the center of the tribe.

It was Li Feng’s first time seeing so many people since arriving here. Ever since he transmigrated, he’d hardly seen anyone. Even when he did, it was only from afar before he quickly retreated back into the cave. After being cooped up for so long, he had pretty much lost the desire for social interaction. If he could avoid talking to people, he would. It was much more peaceful and hassle-free to just enjoy life on his own.

Men and women in the tribe gathered separately — the men wore only a piece of animal hide around their waists, and the women did the same, except they also had hides covering their chests. Li Feng had expected to see a lot more skin, but to his surprise, everything was quite modestly covered. Who would’ve thought gender consciousness would already be this distinct in a primitive society?

Looking at the people standing in two separate groups, Li Feng decisively stood with the men, right beside Li, even though he still held a baby in his arms. The baby had fallen asleep, and Li Feng figured that while they were out, he could see if there was any food suitable for the little one. The baby was so small — he wasn’t sure if fruit and meat broth every day might end up upsetting its stomach.

The tribal chief was a tall, powerfully built man in his thirties, with bristling hair that reminded Li Feng of the Golden-haired Lion King — only, the lion king had golden hair, while the chief’s was black. His name was Zheng. He had led the tribe through their migration and discovered this land, where they had now settled down.

Li Feng thought Zheng was fairly capable. At the very least, under his leadership, the tribe had survived the dangers of their journey. Some had been injured, but fortunately, there were no fatal wounds. Li himself still bore several claw marks from a wild beast, which looked like they had once been quite serious — luckily, his strong constitution had carried him through.

Chief Zheng stood before the crowd. “Since we’re heading out to gather fruit today, I have something to announce first.” He paused and waited until everyone was clearly paying attention. Then he cleared his throat and continued, “Some time ago, our tribe discovered a white crystal. At first, we thought it tasted bad, so we just left it alone. But a few days ago, Li’s partner used it to cook meat, and it turned out to be delicious. Apparently, this thing isn’t meant to be eaten directly — according to Feng, it’s supposed to be used as seasoning. You just add a little while roasting or boiling meat. I tried it myself, and it was really good. Just don’t use too much.”

He took a breath after rattling all that off in one go, a little parched now, and then skipped straight to the end. “Alright, let’s get going!”

Li Feng wasn’t comfortable around so many strangers. He held the baby a little tighter and stuck close behind Li — the only person he felt somewhat familiar with. He had no desire to mingle with all these strangers.

Just as he quickened his pace to keep up, a cheerful young man hopped over beside him. “Hey, Feng! Congrats on the baby — they’re adorable!”

The boyish-faced young man looked about eighteen or nineteen, and his baby face made him seem even younger. Li Feng recognized him — his name was Nuo, and he had been close with the body’s original owner, Feng. He had a lively personality and actually got along well with the more reserved Feng.

“Uh… thank you,” Li Feng stammered. He still couldn’t quite accept the fact that he had given birth. Sometimes, he even felt like the baby hadn’t really come from his own body. I mean, how could a man give birth? This world was just too crazy — and there were women here, too!

“Wow, no need to be so polite! Oh, and what’s that you’re carrying on your back?” Nuo rubbed his bare arm and pointed at the basket on Li Feng’s back. He had noticed it earlier — it looked strange and unfamiliar. What was it for?

As Nuo asked, the people around them perked up their ears. They had already noticed the odd item, but hadn’t dared to ask. Now that someone finally did, their curiosity surged.

Li Feng looked at the deformed-looking basket he had painstakingly woven. It had cost him a good number of hibiscus vines. He had tried many times, nearly swelling up his fingers from all the weaving, before finally managing to make one that didn’t fall apart. It still needed work — the weave wasn’t tight, and it had uneven spots. But since they were heading out to gather fruit, he decided to use it for now. After all, the fruit was big enough that it wouldn’t fall through the gaps. He’d just make do for now and improve the design later. Once he got it right, maybe he’d teach others in the tribe. This one was too misshapen to be shared.

“Oh, this? It’s an unfinished basket I made for holding fruit. I don’t have anything to carry stuff in, and I also have to hold the baby,” Li Feng explained a little awkwardly. Honestly, it was the ugliest basket he’d ever seen. Other people’s baskets looked sleek and tidy — tight where they needed to be, loose where they didn’t. His just looked like it wanted to cry.

“Wow, really? You can actually use this for fruit? Feng, you’re amazing! How come I’ve never seen you make one before?” Nuo tossed a stone inside and was surprised at how much it could hold.

“Well… I didn’t really know how. It took me a long time to make this one. I was just… experimenting,” Li Feng said, tightening his hold on the baby.

“Can you teach me? I want to make one too! With something like this, it’d be way easier to carry stuff. I’m gonna make a big one for… Bu. That way he can carry lots of things.” Nuo blushed a little when he mentioned Bu — he clearly had feelings for him.

Li Feng knew that in this tribe, the gender ratio was extremely unbalanced. In such a primitive society, women often died easily, especially during childbirth or in the harsh winter. They weren’t as physically strong as men, and even though they had animal hides, winter was still bitterly cold, and food was scarce. Many people — especially women and children — froze or starved to death.

Because of this, it wasn’t unusual for people without wives to form partnerships with other men. Humans were social creatures, and living with someone was far better than living completely alone.

“Sure! But I’m not very good at it yet. I’ll show you what I know when we get back, and you can figure out the rest on your own,” Li Feng agreed easily. Nuo was pure-hearted and straightforward like a child — a great friend to have.