Chapter 10, Early Morning

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Tian Kuang could not understand why his third brother insisted on washing his hands with hot water multiple times before doing this job. If it were in the past, he would have completely ignored Tian Hao's words, even scoffing at them. However, after following Tian Hao outside the village today and encountering that ferocious bear, he now felt as if he no longer recognized this brother. Amidst his surprise, he unconsciously developed a sense of awe.

As the hair was swept into the fire pit, it emitted a faint crackling sound, and a few plump lice could be seen jumping out in a panic, only to be swiftly caught by Tian Shuang, who was quick-witted and agile. Instinctively, she brought her hand to her mouth, wanting to eat the lice as she used to do. However, upon seeing the serious gaze of her third brother, Tian Hao, she could only lower her hand, reluctantly and with a hint of unwillingness, forcefully squashing the lice on the floor.

After a brief pause, Wu Xing's wrinkled face revealed a hint of mystery: "I don't know if you noticed the kind of thing that Ahao and the others used to bring back the giant bear. The structure is quite simple, two pieces of wood placed together, with the front shaped into an upward curve. Such a heavy violent bear was dragged back by two children... Yonggang, if it were you, could you do it?"

Regardless of the circumstances, Ahao is a member of the Panshi Village. His performance yesterday fully deserves the title of 'man.' Although he did not cure Aping, he saved Tianfeng, and based on this alone, he can be considered a healer. Especially with today's events, Ahao has taken the initiative to assume responsibilities for the village. Therefore, in addition to providing sufficient food rations, we must also give him the respect he deserves. I acknowledge his identity as a 'healer.' When spring arrives next year, we will build him a larger and sturdier wooden house.

Tian Kuang vigorously swung the sharp spear held in his right hand, proudly boasting aloud: "We are going to hunt bears, and we will return in the evening with meat to eat"

Tian Hao smiled as he raised his hand and gently tapped his forehead: "Sometimes, the power of the mind surpasses the strength of the body"

What is known as simmering soup is to entrust the remaining work to time and patiently wait

Looking at Tianhao, who sat nearby, Tianfeng, with his arms restrained, revealed a look of satisfaction in his eyes: "When Father was alive, he always said you were the smartest person in the family"

The giant-like hunting captain fell into deep thought

The giant-like Tian Kuang reached out and pulled over Tian Hao, who was standing beside him, forcefully embracing his shoulders. He tilted his head back and laughed heartily, saying, "That is the achievement of our third brother; if you want to express your gratitude, you must thank him."

The watchtower is erected inside the village gate, approximately fifteen meters above the ground. The triangular tower structure is stable, and at the top is a house enclosed with thick wooden planks. Normally, two people take turns to stand guard in the tower, with firewood for heating during the night supplied by the village, and the night watchman also receives an additional portion of food

He does not oppose cannibalism. He simply prefers to avoid it whenever conditions permit

The firewood burning in the hearth crackled with a "pop and crackle" sound, yet the three people sitting around the pond fell into silence. After a long while, the old priest Wu Xing finally relaxed the tight wrinkles on his face and slowly said: "Ahao's father was an excellent hunter"

"Should we send a few people to keep an eye on him?" After saying this, Yonggang immediately clarified: "What I mean is to see how Ahao actually hunts"

... ...

If it were the lazy Tianhao from before, no one would listen to him at all

But now it is different; he is the healer of this village

Tian Shuang ran to the side of Tian Feng holding a wooden bowl, carefully using chopsticks to pick up a piece of oil residue and send it to his mouth, her face filled with joy: "Elder brother, you should try it, it's very delicious"

Tianfeng's injuries require him to rest in bed. He tilted his head, watching Tianhao take the bucket of meat from Tiankuang's hands and pour it into the pot of boiling hot oil, quickly stirring it back and forth with a wooden spoon, instantly filling the air with a strong aroma

After cutting off the excessively long hair, Tian Hao thoroughly washed his head with the hot water he had prepared in advance. Looking at the dirty water in the clay basin, which was hardly different from mud, he finally felt rejuvenated, regaining the motivation to breathe in the air again

No matter what, you are still my elder brother

Mu Tuo and A Jie were both stunned, momentarily at a loss for words. In their view, only a warrior as powerful as Tian Kuang could contend with the Violent Mane Bear

Brother San said: If you eat lice again in the future, you will not be allowed to eat meat

The attitude of the old priest is similar to that of Fusong: "Ahao is now the healer of the village. I used to misjudge this child, thinking he was lazy. It seems now that he has been diligently studying. I am old and may not last for many more years. Perhaps in the future, Ahao will take over my position and become the priest of the village"

Fusong made a decisive statement, bringing the conversation to a close

He did not expect Tiankuang to understand this sentence. Turning around, he made a gesture towards Tianshuang, who was happily eating from a bowl of oil residue. The latter quickly ran to the corner of the opposite room and rummaged through a wooden box to find a pair of rust-stained scissors

A dark head poked out from the tower's window, and Tian Hao recognized it as Mu Tuo, the night watchman of the village. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, it took him several seconds to clearly see the person who had disturbed his dreams. The anger he initially felt seemed to be doused by a splash of cold water, instantly fading away. He quickly rubbed his face with both hands, becoming more awake, and spoke with a hint of kindness and a smile: "Oh, it's you! Where are you off to so early in the morning?"

Another night watchman, A Jie, also leaned out of the window, his eyes sparkling with surprise, envy, and admiration: "A Kuang, the bear meat you brought back yesterday was truly delicious, thank you!"

Taking up the scissors, Tianhao walked over to Tianfeng and said earnestly, "Elder brother, your hair has grown long as well, I am here to give you a haircut"

In the early morning, when Tianhao and Tiankuang stepped out of the wooden cabin, the entire Panshi Village was still asleep

In the wooden house, Tian Hao repeatedly washed the pot used for boiling meat with boiling water several times, ensuring that there was not a trace of grease or meat particles. Only then did he add chunks of fatty meat cut into small pieces, which gradually transformed under the intense heat into a pool of liquid fat at the bottom of the pot, along with the brownish-yellow oil residue floating on top

Yonggang raised his head, his dark skin illuminated by the firelight, revealing the unique competence and toughness of the northern barbarian: "I am wondering if Ahao was able to kill that raging bear because he used poison"

As for Tianhao

The oil residue scooped up was placed in a wooden bowl and casually handed to the eagerly anticipating Tianshuang beside her. She hugged it tightly as if it were a treasure, eagerly reaching her hand towards the bowl, only to immediately retract it as the heat, still uncooled, pricked her like needles. She hurriedly brought her fingers close to her lips, desperately blowing on them.

Kill the bear

"Do not use your hands, use chopsticks." Tianhao said with a smile as he handed over a pair of chopsticks, which were actually just two roughly sharpened tree branches

Tian Hao took it over, gripping it with his right hand, while his left hand slowly groped above his head. Amidst the continuous "clicking" sounds, he cut off clumps of black hair that had become matted with dirt.

The burly Tian Kuang dragged the sled to the front of the watchtower, released the rope that was pulling on his shoulder, and knocked forcefully on a slender wooden strip on the side of the tower's base. This was a hollow tube connected to the top of the tower, capable of producing a special resonance effect; in a sense, it was essentially the "doorbell" of this era.

Furthermore, if I catch you secretly continuing to eat lice, I will eat you

Cleanliness and hygiene must first begin with oneself in order to influence more people

Are you going out to hunt this early?

The leader Fusong pondered for a few seconds: "There is no need for that. If Ahao feels it is appropriate to speak, he will take the initiative to come to us openly. If it is his secret, even if we force him to reveal it, he will certainly conceal something."

Although there is no salt, the flavor of the crispy fried pork cracklings is indeed quite good. They are fried to perfection and are not greasy

The old priest shook his head: "I was watching closely while the meat was being divided; the color of the entrails of the poisoned beast varied greatly. Moreover, Ahao himself also divided the meat, and he even ate a small piece of bear liver on the spot"

After stir-frying the meat chunks, Tianhao added water to the pot, covered it with a lid made of tree bark and straw, and added some firewood to the fire pit

Due to prolonged unhealthy lifestyle habits, the host's body has an excessive number of parasites. In fact, it is not just Tianhao; the entire family, including everyone in the Panshizhai community, is in the same situation

Tian Kuang has never been a patient person. Yesterday's success filled him with anticipation for today's hunt. Watching the two sentinels in the tower fall into a daze, Tian Kuang tightened the rope on the sled and shouted unhappily, "Open the door quickly, we are in a hurry to go out"

The enormous figure of Tian Kuang grinned widely while stirring the chunks of meat in the wooden barrel. The bear meat that was distributed was quite fragmented, and the only seasoning, apart from seawater, was a type of dried leaf that had a flavor similar to Sichuan pepper. This was something Tian Hao had found in the host's memories; the owner of this body had collected some during the summer but did not know how to use it

The northern tribes do not have the ancient custom of "keeping long hair." However, people who have struggled for a long time to make ends meet rarely think about matters related to "beauty." They seldom groom their hair unless it has grown to the point of interfering with normal life.

The construction of the stockade wall is quite ingenious, relying on a rocky foundation, with large logs driven into the ground. The gaps are filled with a mixture of gravel and mud. Both the clay and limestone have unique textures, and the mortar made from their mixture, once dried, exhibits a very high hardness, not much different from the concrete of the civilized era

Tian Kuang used hot water to wash off the grease from his hands, then sat down, looking at Tian Hao with curiosity and admiration: "Lao San, how did you come up with that method of hunting?"

He did not finish his words, but Fusong and Yonggang had already understood the hidden meaning behind them—since he is a hunter, there must be some special skill to deal with beasts. Perhaps this is part of the inheritance that Tianhao received from his father