RPS – Chapter 7 Salt Gathering (2)

Li Feng chatted with Nuo along the way—well, it was mostly Nuo talking and Li Feng listening. Occasionally, Li Feng would respond with a few words. Nuo alternated between gazing enviously at the baby in Li Feng’s arms and excitedly rambling on about how to weave a basket. But the topic he circled back to most often was still Bu.

The journey passed quickly. Li Feng kept observing as they walked, spotting several edible wild vegetables and fruits. From time to time, he’d pull up a few plants or pick a piece of fruit. He only picked a couple to eat on the way though; he didn’t want to be so weighed down that he couldn’t make it to the salt springs. He figured he’d collect more on the way back. That said, there didn’t seem to be many fruit trees along the path—just a few sour wild fruits, not nearly enough for everyone.

“Hey, when we get to the fruit forest later, help me carry some too,” Nuo said as he bumped his shoulder against Li Feng’s. “I only brought a piece of animal hide, so I can’t carry much. I’ll help you carry it, okay? You’ve got the baby, after all.”

Li Feng chuckled at Nuo’s worried expression, like he feared being rejected. “Of course. Just don’t complain it’s too heavy later, alright?” His basket didn’t look big, but it was deep—surprisingly roomy.

“Don’t worry! I’ve got strength, it won’t be a problem,” Nuo said, beaming.

The salt field wasn’t far. Salt crystals blanketed the area, some covered in dust. When the tribe arrived, they startled the animals that had been licking salt there, so now it was just them.

Li Feng wrapped the baby against his chest with some animal hide, then bent down to gather salt. There really was a lot of it—likely exposed by years of wind, rain, and erosion. Lucky for them, otherwise finding salt would’ve been nearly impossible. He really couldn’t imagine living like the White-Haired Girl (a Chinese folktale about a woman who lived without salt). Drinking blood to get salt like some wild beasts? No thanks. Thank goodness they’d found salt.

They called it “gathering salt,” but truthfully, the surface salt here was more than enough for now. Still, with so many people needing it, collecting extra was smart. Li Feng picked up a few large, crystal-clear chunks and stopped there—it was plenty for a long while. The other tribespeople kept collecting. If the chief hadn’t reminded them they were also here to gather fruit, they probably would’ve kept going.

Li also picked up a few large chunks and dropped them into Li Feng’s basket. Li Feng felt the sudden weight on his shoulders, then a brief lightness—Li had tried to take the basket off him to carry it himself. Unfortunately, the basket was secured by vine straps across Li Feng’s shoulders, so Li couldn’t get it off.

“I’ll carry it. It’s heavy—you just hold the baby,” Li said. He didn’t usually act so thoughtful, but since Feng had just given birth, he wanted to help. Lately, Feng had been colder toward him, even stiffening whenever he got too close. So Li had been keeping his distance. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder—why had Feng changed after the baby? Did having a child mean he no longer needed a man? Li couldn’t figure it out.

Li Feng didn’t refuse the offer. He hadn’t done hard labor in ages, and this body was already on the weaker side—especially after giving birth. He was already out of breath just from walking here. If someone was willing to help, he’d gladly accept. Plus, he still had to care for the baby, and the basket was not comfortable to carry. Honestly, this body was so weak—nothing like his strong one from his past life, all skin and bones now.

Since Li didn’t feel the weight much, he picked up a few more chunks and tossed them in. Li Feng’s eye twitched—was that really necessary? Even if it was salt, it was still stone! How could he not feel the weight?

Then again, maybe it was better to take more now and avoid having to come back soon. What if they ran into wild animals? It was safer to gather in a big group like this. He’d just pick fewer fruits later. If only he’d made a smaller basket for himself too—then he could’ve carried more. He wondered what kind of fruits they’d find in the forest?

Under the chief’s lead, the tribe stopped collecting salt, wrapped what they had in hide, and began heading toward the fruit forest. That side of the woods had more fruit trees. Here, because of the salt, there were almost no plants—rain had likely washed the salt to the surface over time.

Looking at all the exposed salt crystals, Li Feng figured there must be even more underground. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about running out. They weren’t near the sea, but this stash might last them generations—maybe even tens of thousands of years if the population stayed low.

Holding the baby—who was now sleeping and blowing spit bubbles—Li Feng thought about how he’d need to crush the salt when they got back. Just the other day, he’d spent ages pounding enough to cook meat. The tools here were really too primitive.

“Hey, Feng,” Nuo suddenly said, appearing at his side again. “Why are you being so cold to Li? What happened? Are you sexually frustrated? Or is Li just not satisfying you?”

“Pfft—what the hell are you saying?!” Li Feng glared. “You think everyone’s like you, brain full of nonsense?” This guy really was blunt, naive, and kind of heartless. “I was thinking about how to improve the basket design so I can teach you! But now? I’m not teaching you anymore!”

“Hey, no, no, don’t say that! I’ll shut up, okay?” Nuo begged. “But seriously, something’s off between you two. What happened?”

Li Feng just glanced at him, then turned and walked ahead, following behind Li. He really didn’t know how to answer.

Nuo scratched his head. What did he say wrong? That look Feng gave him was weird. Still, watching Feng and Li walking side by side with matching steps—it actually looked pretty nice. They seemed like a good match. Why did it feel off to him, then? Maybe he was just imagining things. He should probably apologize to Feng later—just in case.