Chapter 139 Winter is Coming
Southern Wilderness, the ruins of the Crow Tribe.
"Gone. The Crow Tribe is gone."
Dozens of warriors from the Jackal Tribe felt their scalps tingling when they saw the ruined Crow Tribe in front of them.
The Crow Tribe and the Jackal Tribe had been fighting for so long, but neither could do anything to the other.
Who would have thought that the Crow Tribe would be destroyed suddenly?
If the Jackal God had not discovered something unusual and sent them over to check, they would not have known that the Crow Tribe was gone.
A warrior asked in confusion: "Which tribe could have wiped out the Crow Tribe in such a short time?"
"Maybe a medium-sized tribe."
"Yes, it must be a medium-sized tribe."
"Let's go back and tell the leader and the witch first."
The destruction of the Crow Tribe made the warriors of the Jackal Tribe feel a sense of crisis, because the strength of their Jackal Tribe was similar to that of the Crow Tribe. Since the other side could destroy the Crow Tribe, they could also destroy the Jackal Tribe.
These warriors immediately rode back to the tribe on jackals and brought back the news that the Crow Tribe had been destroyed.
When the leader and witch of the Jackal Tribe received the news, they were shocked at first, and then made the same judgment as those warriors, believing that the Crow Tribe must have been destroyed by the medium-sized tribe.
For a moment, the entire Jackal Tribe became nervous, because they had no idea where this medium-sized tribe was, or whether it would pose a threat to the Jackal Tribe.
They would never have thought that the Crow Tribe they destroyed was just a small tribe with a population of no more than a thousand.
…
Southern Wilderness, Teng Tribe.
After Jiang Xuan led the warriors of the Teng tribe back, he brought the tribesmen hiding in the cave on the other side of the Feiyu River back to the tribe, and moved the hidden supplies back to the granary.
Coupled with the large amount of spoils seized this time, the warehouses of the Teng tribe were filled up.
This winter, even though there is no hunting or fishing, the Teng tribe can still have enough food and clothing.
There is always joy and sorrow in everything. This time, sixty-five warriors of the Teng tribe died in the battle, seventeen warriors were disabled, and countless others were injured.
Jiang Xuan will not abandon the disabled warriors. He will arrange things for them that they can do so that they can continue to live in the tribe.
As for the dead warriors, Jiang Xuan wrapped each body with animal skin according to the tribe's custom, and then buried them on the sunny hillside north of the Teng tribe.
After everyone left, Jiang Xuan sat in front of the sixty-five graves and whispered, "Actually, I hate separation and death. I hope everyone in the tribe can live to the end of their lives."
"But living in this dangerous and wild world, if we want more people to survive, some people have to fight and sacrifice. There's no other way."
"Rest in peace, warriors. Your achievements will be forever remembered in the tribe's history, and the tribe will take good care of your loved ones..."
Jiang Xuan stayed in front of the cemetery for a long time, talking a lot, until the sun set, he walked down the hillside step by step.
The setting sun shines on the graves on the hillside, as if covering them with a layer of red gauze.
On the south side of the Teng tribe, the old witch stood outside the bamboo house, watching Jiang Xuan coming down the hillside, nodded with a smile, and said, "He is a sentimental and righteous little fellow."
Perhaps because he lives in a cruel environment and has seen too many cold-blooded people, the old witch tends to appreciate people with feelings and righteousness.
Perhaps cold-blooded people can make choices that maximize their benefits, but they cannot gain true trust from others.
…
On October 13, the weather was getting colder, and in the early morning, a layer of white frost condensed on the ground.
This means that autumn is over and the cold winter is coming.
In the bamboo house, Jiang Xuan used a stone knife to peel the skin of the dried red crystal rice one by one, and then threw them into the pottery tripod.
The size of red crystal rice is about the size of a red date and has a thin red skin.
You can cook it without peeling the skin, but it won’t be as pleasant to eat.
After peeling dozens of red crystal rice grains, Jiang Xuan added water, some dried animal meat and salt to the pottery tripod. Then he covered the tripod with a lid, moved the tripod to the fire pit, and slowly boiled it.
Red crystal rice is a cereal grain. If it is cooked long enough, it will turn into porridge.
Of course, Jiang Xuan couldn't wait that long, he just needed to cook it thoroughly.
Slowly, a mixture of grains and animal meat aroma emanated from the pottery tripod, which smelled very pleasant.
“It smells so good!”
After cooking, Jiang Xuan picked up a ceramic bowl, scooped the red crystal rice and animal meat into the bowl with a large ceramic spoon, and then slowly began to eat.
Red crystal rice tastes similar to glutinous rice, soft and delicious.
Add to that the salty and fragrant dried animal meat, and Jiang Xuan can eat five large bowls.
“Boom boom boom…”
Outside the yard, there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Who is it?" Jiang Xuan asked.
"Chief, it's me, Maidong."
"Tangyuan, go open the door."
Maidong was once a two-color warrior of the Mountain Sheep Tribe, but now he has become a warrior of the Vine Tribe.
Tangyuan reluctantly came out of the bamboo shed, then staggered to the gate of the courtyard, picked up the wooden stick that was supporting the gate and put it aside, then immediately went back to the bamboo shed to sleep.
As Tangyuan grows in size, the bamboo shed has been widened and raised, otherwise it would not be able to accommodate it.
Maidong pushed open the door and walked into Jiang Xuan's room.
"Have you eaten yet?"
"have eaten."
"What do you want from me?"
Jiang Xuan asked Maidong while putting the red crystal rice into his mouth.
"Chief, now that the weather is getting colder, and the tribe doesn't have much to do right now, I want to start making insect wax."
In the spring, Maidong went to the mountain goat tribe with Jiang Xuan and the old witch to manage the waxworms and make worm bags for them.
In September, after the waxworms spit out wax, Jiang Xuan took Maidong to the wax tree forest again to collect the wax from the branches.
Waxworms produce wax in August and September. They eat the leaves of the wax tree and produce large amounts of white wax that wraps around the branches.
The branches covered with insect wax look as white as the thick layer of snow covering the branches when it snows heavily.
After bringing the insect wax back to the Teng tribe, they were too busy with the autumn harvest and had no time to process it, so they all put it in the warehouse.
Now, the busy autumn harvest is over, the battle against the Crow Tribe is over, and Maidong has been thinking about the insect wax, so he came to find Jiang Xuan.
After insect wax is collected, it is in a fluffy state similar to snowflakes and cannot be used directly.
It needs to be boiled in a ceramic tripod. After it melts, the dirt and some dead waxworms will be removed. After cooling, the insect wax will solidify into blocks.
Afterwards, the condensed insect wax is boiled to melt again and poured into bamboo tubes or other containers. It can be made into candles or used for medicinal purposes.
Jiang Xuan quickly finished the food in the bowl and said, "If you hadn't told me, I would have almost forgotten about the insect wax. Come on, I'll take you to get it."
Jiang Xuan put down the bowl, wiped his mouth, and then took Maidong to the warehouse where the insect wax was stored.
All warehouses in the Teng tribe are guarded by warriors. Ordinary people cannot enter without the order of the leader or witch.
Insect wax is an important material and is stored in the newest and largest mud-brick warehouse.
After Jiang Xuan brought Maidong over and said he wanted to get the insect wax, the soldier guarding the gate opened the door immediately.
After entering the warehouse, the first thing that catches your eye is the mountains of grain. Red crystal rice and the like are packed in animal skin bags, while round potatoes, stone eggs and other grains are piled directly on the ground covered with reeds.
Every time I see these grains, I feel particularly at ease.
Jiang Xuan walked to the corner of the warehouse and found four animal skin bags filled with insect wax. He said, "Insect wax is precious. Bring it to my place to boil it."
"yes."
Maidong and Jiang Xuan each carried two bags of insect wax, then left the warehouse and returned to the yard in the bamboo forest.
Unprocessed insect wax will be more fluffy. After processing, four bags of insect wax will probably become one bag.
After the insect wax was moved into the house, Jiang Xuan took out a large three-legged pottery tripod, washed it clean, placed it in the fire pit, and added half a tripod of water.
Then, Maidong poured the insect wax into the pottery tripod until it could no longer hold any more.
Making insect wax is a job that requires patience, and Ophiopogon japonicus is a very patient person.
He watched the fire, waiting for the water to heat up and the insect wax to begin to melt, then from time to time he would reach in with a stick to stir it.
The fluffy insect wax gradually melts in the hot water, the wax floats on the top of the water, and the insect corpses and dirt sink to the bottom.
When all the insect wax had melted, Maidong turned off the fire and poured cold water into the pottery to allow it to cool faster.
As the water in the pottery tripod gradually cooled, the insect wax on the upper layer gradually condensed into a large lump. It was snow-white, very beautiful, and had a faint fragrance.
Maidong fished out the piece of insect wax and placed it on a wooden block nearby. Then he poured out the water in the pottery tripod and cleaned the insect corpses and dirt inside.
Then, he put the pottery tripod back into the fire pit, poured half a pot of water into it, added insect wax, and continued to boil.
It took Maidong two full days to boil all four bags of insect wax into large, snow-white blocks of insect wax.
After the four large bags of worm wax solidified, only about one bag was left.
Of course, its weight has not decreased much, it has just changed from a fluffy state to a solid state.
Boiling insect wax is a very time-consuming and patient process.
Removing impurities from the insect wax and changing it from a fluffy state to a cake shape is the first and most time-consuming step.
The next step is to shape the insect wax into the desired shape.
Jiang Xuan planned to use half of the insect wax to make candles. To this end, he specially twisted a few thin ropes to make the candle wick.
Then he found many bamboo tubes and used them as molds for making candles.
Maidong found a double-handled pottery jar, washed it clean and put it in the fire pit.
After the clay pot was heated, Maidong broke off a large piece of insect wax and put it into the pot.
“Sizzle…”
As the temperature rises, the insect wax blocks in the pottery jar gradually melt into liquid wax oil.
Maidong found something to wrap the ears of the pottery tripod, and then picked it up.
Jiang Xuan picked up a bamboo tube with his left hand and held a thin rope with his right hand, hanging it in the middle of the bamboo tube.
"Chief, be careful. I'm about to fall."
Maidong held the pottery jar and slowly poured wax oil into the bamboo tube, stopping only when it was almost full.
Jiang Xuan picked up the bamboo tube, walked to the pool outside, and immersed most of the bamboo tube in the water to help cool it down.
It was approaching winter and the water temperature was extremely low. The wax in the bamboo tube solidified quickly, and the rope was fixed in the center to become the candle wick.
Finally, he took the bamboo tube back into the house and immersed it in hot water. When the bamboo tube heated up, the insect wax sticking to the bamboo tube would melt. Jiang Xuan took the opportunity to easily pour out the entire thick candle.
"alright."
Jiang Xuan looked at the round, thick candles and felt a sense of accomplishment. This was the first candle he personally participated in making! Afterwards, they used the same method to make fifteen large candles with half of the insect wax.
"The wax forest is too far away, and we didn't take care of the wax worms, otherwise we could get more wax to make candles."
Maidong is quite regretful about the production of insect wax this year. In his opinion, it is a big loss.
"It doesn't matter. The wax trees we planted on the nearby mountains are already alive. After winter is over, we can transplant more wax trees here. In a few years, there will be a large wax forest there."
"When the time comes, we will bring the waxworm eggs here, and our Teng tribe's territory will also be able to produce wax."
"From now on, you will be responsible for the management of those wax trees and wax worms."
After hearing Jiang Xuan's words, Maidong's eyes lit up and he became excited.
"Chief, I will take good care of the wax trees and waxworms and produce more wax for the tribe!"
Jiang Xuan smiled and nodded, patting Mai Dong on the shoulder: "I believe you!"
After receiving the leader's affirmation, Maidong felt full of strength and worked more vigorously.
For the remaining half of the insect wax, they also used a bamboo tube as a mold to make it into a cylindrical shape, but without the hemp rope inside.
These insect waxes are used for medicinal purposes. When needed, you can use a stone knife to cut a small piece of insect wax and grind it into powder.
After finishing the insect wax, Maidong finally put his mind at ease.
"Chief, the work is done. I'm going back now."
"Wait a moment."
Mai Dong turned around and said, "Chief, is there anything else you need me to do?"
Jiang Xuan took out a smaller candle and said, "This is for you."
"This... this is too expensive..."
Maidong didn't dare to take it because he knew that candles made of insect wax were very valuable. Even in the Mountain Sheep Tribe, only the witch and the chief could use them. Others could only get some insect wax powder to stop bleeding when they were injured.
"Take it. If it weren't for you, the Teng Tribe wouldn't have so much insect wax. This is what you deserve."
Jiang Xuan stuffed the candle into Maidong's arms.
Maidong was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.
Jiang Xuan smiled and patted his shoulder: "The Teng tribe will not mistreat those who have made contributions to the tribe."
Maidong nodded heavily, then put the candle made of insect wax in his arms.
"Go back."
"Thank you, Chief."
Maidong sincerely thanked Jiang Xuan, then turned and left.
From this moment on, he finally felt a real sense of belonging to the Teng tribe and a sense of admiration for Jiang Xuan.
Let me ask you, who wouldn’t like such a leader?
A few days after the insect wax was made, it snowed in the southern wilderness.
Snowflakes fluttered down from the sky and covered the ground.
After the heavy snow falls, all things hide, whether it is people or animals, they will stay at home if possible, and they are all quietly waiting for the coming of spring again.
Thanks to the helmsman "Hao Qingtian" for the reward of 1,500 book coins.
Thanks to the book friend "亦早知不合衬" for the reward.
Thanks to the book friend "中二病小黑" for the reward.
Thanks to the book friend "This nickname does not meet the standards" for the reward.
Thanks to the book friend "Aiyiwan-Yu" for the reward.
(End of this chapter)
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