The First Section, The Season of Hunger

The entire village is suffering from hunger. Especially during the cold winter, the number of deaths will increase significantly

In the village of Panshi, animal skin cloaks are never in short supply. Whether in summer or winter, these are the standardized attire of the villagers. The most popular is the skin of the giant horned deer, followed by that of the fierce dog. Especially the former, as they are herbivorous, and as long as hunters do not provoke the giant horned deer during the mating season, dealing with them is not particularly difficult.

In Tianhao's memory, this type of building is quite similar to the "stilted bamboo houses" found in the southern tropics. The difference lies in the fact that the stilted houses of that time were designed for heat insulation and coolness, whereas the current stone-pier wooden houses are intended for warmth

The fur robe must be worn with the hairy side turned inward to provide warmth. The deer skin robe that Tian Shuang wears is quite old and tattered. She learned the art of sewing from her deceased mother, patching and mending, using many scraps of leather. Nevertheless, it serves as her reliance to ensure she does not freeze to death in the cold weather

In any case, when spring arrives tomorrow with blooming flowers and abundant food, women will be able to bear more children

Since last week, the Panshi Zhai has been cut off from supplies

The wide leather robe formed a stark contrast with Tian Shuang's frail body. From a distance of more than five meters, Tian Hao could see the ribs of his younger sister protruding from beneath her skin through the empty collar of the robe.

Before entering the house, he deliberately glanced at the wooden bowl placed at the door. Apart from a thin layer of frost flowers at the bottom of the bowl, there was nothing else.

Tian Hao has reason to feel fear

... ...

If the parents were alive, this situation would absolutely not occur

As for men... heh, this world has never been short of them

Most people in this world are unable to kill an adult wild boar on their own. Weighing over 400 kilograms, the strength of this beast comes from its mass, and its protruding tusks are slightly curved upwards, resembling a pair of swords poised to pierce forward at any moment

Lice can also be eaten

According to past experience, lice are most rampant in the summer, and can only manage to survive until autumn at most. When winter arrives and temperatures plummet, these blood-sucking creatures, which have left their offspring in corners that are difficult for humans to detect, all perish. By the time spring arrives the following year, the cycle of life continues to repeat itself.

This year's winter has arrived earlier than in previous years. The sudden heavy snowfall has transformed the entire world into a blanket of white, while also completely extinguishing people's hopes for survival. Tribes that have not gathered enough food can only rely on their savings since autumn to barely get by

After the death of his parents, the food allocated to Tianhao has been sporadic. At times, he would go several days without receiving even a small piece of rotten, foul-smelling meat or decayed bones. Especially since the onset of winter, he has not received any distributed food at all

He had never seen such lice the size of yellow soybeans before

He glanced at the empty wooden bowl, and with a cold smile, Tian Hao shook his head and walked into the room

Brother ... ... I am hungry ... ...

In my memory, my father was once the strongest hunter in the village, while my mother was recognized as an expert in fur sewing. Two years ago, during a hunting expedition, they were both decapitated by a terrifying bear. Although the remains were retrieved by fellow villagers, they were not buried in the ground

Tian Shuang caught a louse from the pungent crotch of his pants, stuffed it into his mouth, and bit down between his teeth, producing a crisp "crunch" sound, chewing it with great relish

In this situation, after deliberation, the leader and the priest reluctantly announced the decision to "abandon" a certain number of elders selected from the village

The wooden house is a traditional architectural model of the northern tribes. Huge logs are sawed in half, resulting in planks approximately 5 centimeters thick. The floor is elevated above the ground using frozen soil and rocks, typically featuring two types of foundation: one with four piers and another with six piers. Between the piers, crushed stones and soil are used to fill in, creating hollow low walls, upon which the planks are laid. The vertical and horizontal boards interlock to form a circular structure. The roof is covered with dry thatch or treated branches. This type of construction lacks aesthetic appeal but is very sturdy, capable of withstanding wind and snow

People, driven nearly to madness by hunger, had no choice but to venture into the mountains to hunt despite the heavy snow. The women and children who remained at home also dug through the snow surrounding the village, using simple tools to pry at the frozen ground, which was harder than iron, in hopes of finding a few edible roots and wild stems to fill their stomachs. However, even when they were fortunate enough to have a harvest, the meager food obtained could not satisfy everyone's needs. Hunger became a terrifying disaster that loomed over the heads of all the villagers, an inescapable plight.

Like all the buildings in the village, the house where Tian Hao resides is also constructed from thick, raw timber. It is rough and simple, yet quite sturdy. This is the only thing his parents left him.

It is said that the kings of large tribes have more than a hundred foundation mounds for their residences. Such structures can no longer be simply referred to as "wooden houses"; they should be called "palaces"

Tian Hao glanced at her, reached into his leather robe to take out a piece of meat, drew his dagger, and forcefully cut it in half on the floor

The extremely emaciated body hunched over, resembling a shattered piece of dry walnut with a surface covered in numerous wrinkles. The white hair stood out starkly against the dark brown skin, sparse in number, and scattered in the cold wind. A hint of grayish-white shone through the lifeless eyes, devoid of any signal of hope.

To Tian Hao, all of this seemed to have nothing to do with him at all

Even such a bland and tasteless thing, when divided among individuals, amounts to merely a little over half a bowl for each person

Hmph

Every morning, the villagers place their containers at the doorsteps. The "Ten Leaders" and "Hundred Leaders" distribute the corresponding amounts of food according to the population. This is the same even for the food distribution from deceased villagers.

The number of foundation piers at the bottom of a wooden house corresponds to the identity of the homeowner. Under normal circumstances, only those with the title of "Hundred Leaders" are qualified to build a wooden house with six foundation piers, while leaders and shamans can have up to eight. If the identity is even more distinguished, the number of foundation piers can be increased further.

Walking from the entrance to sit in front of the fire pit, the disheveled Tian Shuang kept staring at Tian Hao. A wolf-like dark glow emanated from her deeply sunken eye sockets

This is already the third person in a week

Nevertheless, he still shrank back against the wooden fence, cautiously allowing the villagers, whose faces were filled with hunger and whose expressions were stern, to pass by before he hurriedly slipped back to his small wooden cabin.

When Tian Hao walked into the village gate, he happened to encounter several villagers escorting an elderly woman who was walking unsteadily and appeared indifferent, heading towards the assembly hall

Food is the greatest challenge that has always troubled the Rock Fortress. Regardless of life, aging, illness, or death, the bodies of all villagers will not be wasted

In this cold season, for the villagers of Panshizhai, anything that can move freely can be classified as "food".

As long as there are women, children can be born

The same thing will not happen to the two brothers, Tianfeng and Tiankuang. They are strong and robust, members of the hunting team, and belong to the category of individuals in the village whose food supply must be prioritized.

If the hunting party does not bring back enough game, and if this heavy snow continues for a long time

The scale of Panshi Village is not large, with a total of just over 200 people. The highest-ranking individual in the village is the leader, followed by the shaman. Below them are two individuals equivalent to deputy leaders, known as "Bai Ren Shou". Finally, there are the "Shi Ren Shou", who are responsible for managing each household.

The physical development speed of the barbarians in this era is significantly different from what Tianhao remembers. Tianshuang's current height is comparable to that of adults in the civilized era. Her skin is very dark, covered with a large amount of dirt that obscures her true complexion. Due to prolonged lack of adequate nutrition, her cheekbones are prominently high, and her slightly parted lips reveal dark yellow teeth.

Compared to the young and strong, the frail and sickly elderly clearly represent a burden within the tribe. They produce little yet consume a considerable amount of food. Rather than wasting resources to sustain them, it would be better to resolve the issue in advance, allowing the robust villagers to safely endure this cold winter

Nine-year-old younger sister Tianshuang sat by the fire pit catching lice

At Panshi Village by the sea, people have become accustomed to cooking meat directly in seawater. The food prepared this way has a salty flavor, but the villagers are reluctant to discard the entrails of the prey, resulting in a strong fishy smell in the broth that is quite nauseating.

Food must be prioritized for the hunting team composed of young and strong men. As for women and children, they can at most taste a bit of leftover food. In the village, it is common to see starving children gnawing on anything they perceive as edible. Even during summer, the surfaces of the hardest discarded bones from large animals bear clear tooth marks.