Chapter 46: The First Emergence of Golden Ears
The spirit of starlight sowed the seeds of understanding and respect among the tribes of the Alliance, and the gifts of the earth also grew quietly in this harmonious atmosphere. One warm summer morning, while checking the growth of the Alliance's fiber crops, Yunshan noticed several special plants on the edge of the field.
The plants had tall stems, topped with plump ears of grain that shone golden in the morning light. Curious, she collected some samples and discovered the grains were plump and hard, unlike any other crops she was familiar with.
"Lin Chen, look at this!" She excitedly found Lin Chen who was guiding the astrological records. "These seeds look edible, and there are so many on one plant!"
Lin Chen's heartbeat quickened after a careful inspection—this was clearly wild wheat! In his world, the domestication of wheat was key to the agricultural revolution.
“This could be an important new food source,” he said as calmly as possible, “but it needs careful testing.”
Careful testing began. Lin Chen followed the standard process for plant identification: first, skin contact testing, then tasting a small amount and observing the reaction. After a few days, he confirmed that the grain was non-toxic and nutritious.
The alliance immediately organized a special "Golden Ear Project Team", which included agricultural experts from various tribes: the planting experience of the Silver Moon Tribe, the seed preservation technology of the Nomadic Tribe, the mountain farming knowledge of the Alpine Tribe, and the water management skills of the Lakeside Tribe.
The first harvest was disappointing: wild wheat grains fell off easily, and most of them were lost during the harvest; the grain shells were hard and difficult to process; and the yield was unstable.
“Maybe it’s not worth investing so much energy,” someone on the project team questioned. “The existing crops are good enough.”
But Lin Chen knew the potential of wheat: "If these problems can be solved, it could become an important reserve for the cold season. Look at these grains, they are rich in energy and easy to store."
The Alliance decided to continue research. Each tribe contributed its wisdom: the Nomadic Tribe proposed using a fine mesh under the ear to catch fallen kernels; the Mountain Tribe suggested an improved stone mill; the Lakeside Tribe designed a hydraulic shelling device; and the Silver Moon Tribe coordinated overall optimization.
After many experiments, they developed a combined harvesting method: using a fine net to catch the ears during harvesting to reduce losses; using an improved stone mill for efficient threshing; and even using water power for preliminary processing.
The most groundbreaking discovery came by accident. A batch of wheat, dampened by rain, sprouted and was discarded in a compost pile. A few weeks later, exceptionally lush new seedlings sprouted from the same pile.
"These germinated seeds grow better!" Yunshan discovered with surprise.
Lin Chen immediately realized that this was the key to seed selection: "We can consciously select plants with large ears and full grains for seed and gradually improve the varieties."
Systematic seed selection began, with all tribes participating: the Silver Moon Tribe was responsible for recording growth data; the Nomadic Tribe was responsible for seed preservation; the High Mountain Tribe was responsible for soil improvement; and the Lakeside Tribe was responsible for irrigation management.
After generations of breeding, wheat traits have improved significantly: the ears are larger and firmer, and not easy to fall off; the grains are fuller and easier to process; the plants are stronger and more disease-resistant.
Processing technology also advanced. The alliance developed specialized wheat stone mills, greatly improving efficiency; discovered fermentation techniques, enabling the production of bread and fermented beverages; and even experimented with simple noodle making.
"This thing called 'flour' is amazing!" a tribal woman exclaimed after a cooking demonstration. "It can be used to make so many different foods!"
The successful introduction of wheat brought about a chain reaction. First, more arable land was needed, and the alliance began to systematically plan land use. More efficient irrigation was needed, and water conservancy projects were developed. And better processing tools were needed, and stonemasonry technology advanced by leaps and bounds.
The most profound impact was the change in food storage and distribution. Wheat, due to its durability and ease of transportation, became a key strategic reserve for the Alliance. The Alliance established a "grain reserve system," with each tribe contributing and sharing its reserves proportionally.
“This will help with natural disasters and unexpected shortages,” Elder Shiyan explained, “ensuring that no tribe will go hungry.”
Wheat also became a vital commodity in Alliance trade. Tribes from far away heard the news and came to exchange rare goods for this "miracle grain." The Alliance carefully controlled this trade to ensure that the needs of its members were prioritized.
An unexpected benefit was the further development of the division of labor in society. Wheat cultivation, processing, and storage required specialized knowledge, and the first professional farmers, millers, bakers, and so on emerged.
“Everyone can find their own way to contribute,” said an old man who retired from hunting due to old age. “I work at the mill and still contribute to the tribe.”
Children also participated in it, learning agricultural knowledge and forming a "little agronomist" team to record crop growth and make improvement suggestions.
In the golden autumn, the Alliance held its first "Harvest Festival" to celebrate the successful introduction of wheat. Tribes brought food made from wheat: bread, cakes, noodles, and even fermented drinks.
During the festival, a special ceremony was very moving: representatives from each tribe jointly ground the first bag of new wheat, used the flour to make a large alliance bread, and shared it with all participants.
"Different tribes, same bread; different traditions, same harvest," said Elder Shi Yan at the sharing ceremony.
On the night of the Harvest Festival, Lin Chen and Canglan strolled to the edge of the wheat fields. The golden ears of wheat shone softly in the moonlight, and in the distance, the celebratory fires of various tribes flickered.
"From a few wild plants to this wheat field," Canglan sighed, "this is the crystallization of the Alliance's wisdom."
Lin Chen nodded: "Without the contributions of each tribe, success would not be possible. The nomadic tribe's preservation technology, the mountain tribe's soil knowledge, the lakeside tribe's irrigation wisdom, the Silver Moon tribe's organization and coordination..."
He pointed to the wheat fields and said: "This is not only a bumper harvest of crops, but also a harvest of cooperation."
Beside the wheat fields, a unique ceramic tablet records the process of wheat introduction and the contributions of each tribe. This is the intellectual tradition of the Alliance—recording not only the achievements, but also the process and contributors.
“Let future generations know every step forward,” Xiaoyu wrote in the inscription on the pottery tablet, “and every contributor.”
After the Harvest Festival, the Alliance decided to promote wheat planting to all tribes and adjust the planting methods according to the environment of each tribe: mountain wheat for highland tribes, wetland wheat for lakeside tribes, and dryland wheat for nomadic tribes.
Each tribe has developed its own specialty products based on its own characteristics: the durum wheat of the mountain tribe is suitable for storage, the soft wheat of the lakeside tribe is suitable for processing, and the fast-growing wheat of the nomadic tribe is suitable for migratory life.
The alliance also established a "seed bank" to preserve seeds of various varieties and planting knowledge to ensure the genetic diversity of crops and knowledge inheritance.
"It's not just about preserving seeds, it's about preserving choices and possibilities." Yunshan is responsible for the management of the seed bank.
The success of the Golden Ear Project inspired the introduction and research of more crops. Tribes began systematically exploring plant resources, and the Alliance's agricultural knowledge grew rapidly.
These slow and steady agricultural advances are more valuable than any modern technology, because they are not external inputs, but internal growth; not sudden revolutions, but natural evolution; not isolated breakthroughs, but shared progress.
Golden ears of wheat sway in the fields, and golden ears of alliance grow among the tribes. Among the tribes, and in the hearts of every individual, the seeds of cooperation have borne fruit, shared wisdom has yielded a rich harvest, and our shared future is more secure.
When the last autumn star rose, the Silvermoon Tribe and its allies were ready for more introductions and discoveries. Agricultural routes became wider, food sources became more diverse, and life became more secure.
In this season of harvest, human civilization continues its eternal exploration in the most simple yet profound way: how to learn from nature, how to cooperate with others, and how to prepare for the future.
And all this is just the beginning of countless explorations.
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