Chapter 32: Book of the Earth
The intellectual excitement generated by the intertribal exchange continued to ferment within the Silver Moon Tribe. One morning, Lin Chen stood beside a newly opened experimental field, his brow slightly furrowed. Seeds from different sources were intermingled, growing in varying ways, making it difficult to track the unique characteristics of each crop.
"We need a better recording method." Lin Chen muttered to himself, "If we rely solely on memory and oral transmission, knowledge will be distorted and lost."
Not far away, Xiaoyu and Yunshan were arguing about the best time to plant a new crop, each holding their own opinion but unable to provide any concrete evidence.
This scene made Lin Chen determined. That night, he gathered tribal members who were interested in knowledge preservation and proposed a bold idea: to create the Silver Moon Tribe's first systematic recording method.
"It's not words," Lin Chen explained, "but pictures and symbols that record important knowledge so that future generations can learn."
Elder Shi Yan worriedly said, "Traditions are passed down orally. Will changing this method..."
"It won't replace oral tradition, but rather supplement it." Lin Chen showed off the simple symbol system he designed. "For example, this wavy line represents water, three slashes represent three days, and the sun symbol represents sunlight..."
Initially, only a few people were interested, but when crops planted one winter season before failed due to inaccurate records, more and more people realized the importance of systematic record keeping.
Lin Chen started with the simplest: weather symbols. Every day, watchtower guards recorded weather conditions, using specific symbols to represent sunny, rainy, windy, snowy, and so on. Soon, people discovered that this could help predict weather patterns.
Next came crop records. Yunshan led a team responsible for documenting each crop's planting date, growth status, and harvest quantity using symbols. Xiaoyu carved durable records on stone tablets and stored them in a dedicated knowledge cave.
The most groundbreaking innovation came from an unexpected inspiration. Lin Chen noticed that there were regular patterns in the weaving patterns left by the nomadic tribes of Feng Yi. Inspired by this, he designed a method that combined weaving symbols and pictures to record more complex information.
“Look,” he showed the curious onlookers, “this symbol represents short-horned beasts, and with the addition of numerical symbols and arrows, we can record their number and movements.”
Although Canglan was initially reserved, he fully supported the idea after seeing the hunting team's increased efficiency in using symbols to record animal migration patterns.
“This helps us predict where prey will be,” he admits, “much more accurately than relying on experience alone.”
The development of recording methods unexpectedly promoted further communication between tribes. When the mountain tribes visited again, they brought with them a unique marking system - using different colored stones and knots to record information.
"We use it to record family history and hunting routes," explained a representative of the mountain tribe.
Nomadic tribes displayed their "migration maps", using symbols and lines on leather to record seasonal migration routes and water sources.
Lin Chen is excited to integrate these systems: "Each tribe has unique wisdom, and combining them can create a more complete recording method."
A new project was launched: to create a "Book of the Earth" for the Silvermoon Tribe - not a real book, but a series of records: stone tablets engraved with symbols, tapestries woven with symbols, and even specifically arranged planting areas themselves became carriers of knowledge.
Xiaoyu is responsible for masonry records, Yunshan is responsible for plant symbols, Canglan guides hunting-related markings, and Meiguo develops a medical symbol system. Everyone can contribute their strengths.
The most touching thing is the change in attitude among the elders. Stoneclaw, who was initially the most conservative, now actively shares his decades of hunting experience with the younger generation, allowing them to record it in new ways.
“I used to worry that these symbols would replace tradition,” he admits, “but now I understand that they preserve tradition.”
The development of this record-keeping system also yielded unexpected benefits. By systematically recording weather and crop growth, the tribe discovered patterns they had previously overlooked: certain crops grew better during certain moon phases; shorthorn beasts exhibited specific behaviors before changes in barometric pressure; and even disease outbreaks were linked to weather patterns.
"Accumulating knowledge allows us to be more predictive and prepared," Lin Chen said, presenting the findings at a tribal meeting, "rather than reactive."
On a full-moon night, the Silver Moon Tribe held a "Knowledge Transmission" ceremony. The elders handed over objects symbolizing their experience to the younger ones, and the younger ones showed the records they had made, promising to preserve and develop this knowledge.
Elder Shi Yan solemnly declared: "From now on, knowledge is not only a memory, but also a gift we leave to the future."
After the ceremony, Lin Chen and Canglan wandered to the Cave of Knowledge. The stone walls were covered with symbols and images, recording the Silver Moon Tribe's journey: from caves to houses, from hunting to domestication, from isolation to communication.
"Look here," Canglan pointed to a record, "This is the day we met."
Lin Chen recognized the symbol: a shooting star (representing the outsiders) intersecting with a wolf's claw (representing the Silver Moon Tribe). There were additional symbols below: a campfire, a house, a handshake...
"You added these?" Lin Chen asked in surprise.
Canglan's ears turned slightly red: "I want to record all the changes you have brought."
The two stood quietly in the cave of knowledge, the light of the oil lamp dancing between the symbols, as if activating the wisdom in the records.
"One day," Lin Chen said softly, "these symbols may develop into real writing. The knowledge of the Silver Moon Tribe will be able to be transmitted across time and space."
Canglan held his hand and said, "And all this started with a wise man from outside."
Outside the cave, the starry sky shone brightly. In this primitive world without written language, yet still inventing ways to record things, humanity, in the most primitive way, took a crucial step towards the accumulation of civilization.
Knowledge is no longer blown away by the wind, but is carved into stone, woven into carpets, and planted in the ground. The Silvermoon Tribe is writing its own history - not with pen and ink, but with the life and wisdom of the entire tribe.
And all this is just the beginning. With the accumulation of knowledge and the expansion of communication, this primitive world is quietly changing, moving towards a richer and more diverse future.
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