back to prehistoric savage

Chapter 267

The two men were talking very wildly, and many of the contents were far beyond Yan Yu's knowledge, but when he saw the unusual attire of these guys and the large number of exquisite artifacts they brought, he couldn't help but not believe them.

Yan Yu was shocked to learn that the Sky Clan had more people than their three tribes combined.With such a large population, looking at the whole of Hexi, it is also one of the largest tribes!
Such a powerful tribe could not have been established overnight. It must have developed slowly. Why have I never heard of it before?

As for the grand peach blossoms and idyllic scenery described by the two, Yan Yu was even more doubtful, not because he suspected that Yu Mu and Niu Wa were talking nonsense, but because he could not understand why the ground was covered with millet, the houses were crowded with bamboo rats, and the wolves were substitutes. They look after homes and courtyards, colorful cloths are fluttering in the wind, and exquisite pottery is piled up...

It was simply unbelievable. He couldn't even imagine what kind of scene it would be.

But this also aroused his strong curiosity. He believed that Yumu and Niuwa would not lie to him, and the Taoyuan people were right in front of him, which greatly increased his credibility.

In any case, the tribes in Hexi have always been harmonious, and they welcome friendly guests.

Yanyu brought out the best food and entertained the guests warmly. The local specialties swan geese, wild ducks, crocodiles, wild rice, lotus seeds... were all served on the table.

The guests volunteered to participate in the cooking. The spices, seasonings and new cooking methods they brought opened the eyes of Dayan people.They also brought a lot of dry food, which was made from corn. It was easy to carry and very satisfying for hunger, so it was very popular among the wild geese.

The process of cooking is undoubtedly the best time to gossip, and the mysterious Taoyuan people are the hottest topic nowadays.With the efforts of the Niutou Tribe and the Big Fish Tribe, the teachings of the sky were spread to everyone in just one meal.

Niu Wa proudly said: "There will no longer be a Niutou tribe! We are now the people of Sky and a member of the Sky Clan!"

Not to be outdone, Yuchang hurriedly said: "When winter passes, we will also move to Taoyuan and become citizens of the sky!"

The people of the Dayan tribe were shocked. Seeing that the two of them were not joking, they couldn't help but ask: "What about your previous home? Are you never going back?"

"I'm not going back!" Niu Wa said firmly, "If you have visited and lived in Taoyuan, you will know that there is nothing to miss about your current home."

The Dayan people looked at each other. They occupies a favorable location, with abundant resources and people, and their living conditions are much better than those of the Niutou Tribe and the Big Fish Tribe. It is difficult to understand their choice to abandon their homeland, and they can only sigh with emotion as to why they should not eat minced meat.

Zhang Tian also knew that it would be difficult to persuade the Dayan tribe to move their families. His goal was to develop all of them into believers in the sky. It would be great if he could attract some people to immigrate to Taoyuan.

Niu Wa and others have already taken care of the task of preaching the doctrine. He did not repeat it again and again, as if he was begging them to believe in the sky. Faith is not such a cheap thing.

He said to the Dayan tribe members: "This winter, the Dayu tribe will send two people to our tribe to study. If you are willing, you can also send two people. We can teach you knowledge for free, including the methods of making pottery and linen." "

Of course you can teach, but he didn’t say when.Before the other party falls into the embrace of the sky, he will not teach them any substantive techniques, but only cultural knowledge such as language, numbers, and symbols.

Seeing is believing, just like Niu Wa said, only when they come to Taoyuan to see and live in Taoyuan, their ideas will change.

Is there such a good thing?

Yan Yu couldn't believe her ears. The Taoyuan people's pottery and linen products were so amazing!Let’s not talk about the linen products, which are completely new things. Although other tribes can make pottery, they are far less high-quality than the Taoyuan people’s pottery. It is a world of difference!

He agreed immediately, fearing that the other party would regret it.

The Dayan tribe began to communicate with the guests.

This is also tradition. Before arriving at the gathering, the Dayan Tribe usually exchanges the best things from the Niutou Tribe and the Big Fish Tribe. The Niutou Tribe and the Big Fish Tribe are also happy to exchange with the Dayan Tribe. As long as the needs of both parties are met, whoever they exchange with Not to change?Exchanges with the Dayan Tribe can also reduce the burden of travel.

But this time, the center of the exchange became the Sky Clan.

The pottery and linen products they brought were highly sought after by the Dayan people. The key was that the Sky Priest was very conscientious. Unlike the tribes who monopolized the pottery and demanded exorbitant prices, his request couldn't be simpler for the Dayan people!

"I want live geese and ducklings. One geese or ducks in exchange for a set of pottery bowls and spoons, and three geese or ducks in exchange for a piece of cloth."

What a deal!What they don’t lack most are wild geese and wild ducks!It was a little troublesome to catch them alive, but it didn't bother them. The men immediately took up their oars and went to look for traces of waterfowl in the reeds.

Because the other party does not know how to count, knots must be used to assist when exchanging. Every time a set of bowls and spoons are taken out, a knot is tied to keep accounts. The things that the Wild Goose Tribe wants are left first and collected when they return. "remuneration".

In addition to waterfowl, Zhang Tian also saw another thing that interested him: gourds and gourds.

Gourds are suitable for cooking and utensils, and have been cultivated artificially for a long time. The earliest cultivated gourds discovered so far can be traced back to 7000 years ago. However, the development of craft gourds is relatively late. It started in the Tang Dynasty, became popular in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the founding of New China. Later, he became famous all over the country for "Calabash Baby".

Even in the 21st century, many northern households still have gourds and ladles for scooping water. The gourds are also given a beautiful meaning that is homophonic to "Fu Lu" and have special cultural connotations.

The gourds of the Dayan Tribe are probably wild. They are generally ugly, with a very small top and a very big bottom, like a winter melon, but with a large volume and easy to hold water.

Practicality is justice. For primitive ancestors, appearance was not that important, as long as it was easy to use.

"Where did you find these gourds?" Zhang Tian asked.

"We got it in exchange with the Gourd Tribe." Yan Yu told the truth, "This kind of plant is not found in other tribes, only in their territory, so it is very precious! But it is really useful, lighter and easier to carry than pottery, and it is very It's strong and not easy to break. If you want, you can exchange it with the Gourd Tribe at the gathering."

Zhang Tian was looking forward to this grand event even more. Each tribe gathered together with their own specialties, and maybe they could find some good things.

……

There are two ways to go to Giant Turtle Lake from Dayan Tribe: land and water.

In this wetland where the Dayan Tribe settled, the source of the main river is the Giant Turtle Lake. You can go upstream along the river to reach your destination.

In the past, the troops were divided into two groups. The Dayan tribe and the Dayu tribe took the water route, while the Niutou tribe had to go by land because they were driving cattle.

Today, the Tauren travel lightly, so everyone travels by boat.The small boat of the Dayan tribe is made of reeds and cattails. It is about two meters long and can accommodate up to four to five people. It usually seats two to three people, and the remaining space is used to load goods.

There are a total of 80 NO.[-] people from the four tribes, and nearly thirty small boats cut through the water, sailing through the reed swamps and into the fields of lotus leaves.

After autumn, the lotus flowers have declined, but the lotus leaves still rely on each other closely, like a green curtain covering the water.

Lotus seeds are also a specialty of the Dayan tribe and are also very popular goods, but there is no word for lotus root in the local language. It seems that the Dayan people have not yet discovered that the rhizomes of lotus can also be eaten, and are even more delicious than lotus seeds.

In order to be able to eat lotus root and pork ribs soup in the future, Zhang Tian reminded: "When we come back, we can dig out these lotus roots and stew them in soup."

“Can lotus roots be eaten?”

Yan Yu was slightly surprised. It's not like they had never dug up lotus rhizomes before. Firstly, they buried them too deep and it took a lot of effort to dig them out. Secondly, they dug out a black lump. Not to mention whether it was poisonous or not, whether it could be digested in the stomach. , the appearance alone was enough to persuade people to quit, so it was not selected for Dayanren’s menu.

"Of course! The rhizome of the lotus is called lotus root, which is suitable for making soup and is very delicious!"

After hearing what the Sky Priest said, everyone was moved and decided to try it out when they came back. If it was true as the Sky Priest said, then they would have more goods to exchange, which was undoubtedly a good thing!

The speed of the water flow is not fast, but after all, we are traveling against the current, and the speed of the boat is slower than walking. The advantage is that we don't have to carry heavy objects, we are relaxed, and we can go down the river when we come back, which saves time and effort.

Wild geese often travel this waterway, so they know it well and are not in a hurry. They row leisurely throughout the whole journey. In the evening, they stop at the shore and return to the land to spend the night. On the way, they can catch some fresh river food to eat.

After three days, we finally reached the source of the river.

The newcomers to Taoyuan couldn't help but stand up and look at the breathtaking scenery.

The boats sailed into Giant Turtle Lake one after another. The vast lake surface was as smooth as a mirror, just like the sea. The reeds in the lake swayed gently. Suddenly, a small boat floated out from the reed swamp, causing ripples like ripples on soft silk. .

Before this, Shuijing Lake in Taoyuan was the largest lake the tribesmen had ever seen, but it is no longer the case. Giant Turtle Lake is far wider than Shuijing Lake, with no end as far as the eye can see!

A small boat floated out from the reed swamp and approached slowly. There were two dark and strong young men sitting on the boat. Before anyone arrived, the voice came first: "Hey, Cowboy! Why did you come by boat? Didn't you drive the cattle?" "

The visitors are Awei and Azhou from the giant turtle tribe.

The two sides met in the lake. When Niu Wa talked about the causes and consequences, he inevitably had to talk about the Sky Clan and Taoyuan.

While Ah Wei and Ah Zhou were guiding the guests, they listened to Niu Wa's talk and cast surprised glances at Zhang Tian and others from time to time.

The Giant Turtle Tribe is one of the largest tribes in Hexi. Their ancestors came to this lake rich in aquatic products a long time ago, built floating islands with reeds and cattails, settled here, and thrived to this day.

The number of ships gradually increased, including not only the ships of the Giant Turtle Tribe, but also other tribes that had arrived before them. Everyone was happy to see each other again after a long absence, and the sounds of greetings, laughter, and fights were endless.

Everyone noticed the unfamiliar faces in the crowd, but they didn't take it seriously. The autumn gathering is an annual grand gathering in Hexi. It is a gathering of talented people, young and old, and it is normal to have people they don't know.

The "land" consisting of hundreds of floating islands is in sight.

Looking from afar, the leaves of cattails are arranged in a row, swaying slowly in the slightly cool breeze, giving the lakeshore an elegant edge.Because of its tough texture and outstanding buoyancy, it has become a good material for locals to weave boats, mats, and build floating islands and houses.

The boat docked steadily on the shore.

When you board the island, you feel like you are stepping on straw stacks, which are soft and soft.

The Taoyuan people who landed on the island for the first time were extremely cautious. Fortunately, they had already learned how to swim, otherwise they would have been worried all day long.

Zhang and Lin carefully observed the "ground" under their feet.

The original ancestors of Giant Turtle Lake were not the only ones who used reeds and cattails to build floating islands. The Uru people from far away in Peru also lived on the water in "Lake Titicaca" and have always done so. Inherited to modern times.

Most of the reeds underfoot are tied into cylindrical reed bundles about 30 cm in diameter and 60 cm long. Hundreds of reed bundles are then tightly connected to form the island base. Dry reeds are spread on the island base and finally anchored to prevent drifting. , a small island floating on the lake was built.

This is not a one-time solution. Reed bundles that have been soaked in water for a long time will become soft and rot. Therefore, the island base must be replaced every two or three years, and the reeds on it must be repaired twice a month. Fortunately, there are many reeds and cattails in the lake. , it’s easy to get materials, and you don’t have to worry about running out.

Ah Wei took them to the main island, which was about [-] square meters in size. There was an open space in the center of the island. Ah Wei said that this was the "square" of the island and the main venue for the autumn gathering. Only the most popular goods could be sold there. Exhibited and exchanged here.

Zhang Tian saw a group of children holding semicircular reed rolls, dividing the square into different areas.

"What about the cows?" he asked. "The cows can't go to the island, right?"

A small boat made of reeds and cattails cannot carry the weight of an ox.

Ah Wei said: "There are camps for you to stay on the shore. Most goods are exchanged on the shore, including some large goods."

Seeing that Ah Wei's explanation was not very clear, Niu Wa told the Sky Priest that this floating island was not used for living, but the most important sacrificial site of the Giant Turtle Tribe. It was of great significance to them, so only the most distinguished guests were allowed. Landing on the island with the most precious cargo.

Zhang Tian suddenly realized that he looked at the only building on the floating island. That building must be the altar of the giant turtle tribe... Well, why is it made to look like a turtle?
Niu Wa smiled and said: "Because the giant turtle tribe worships giant turtles. They believe that giant turtles are mythical beasts with endless lifespan. It is said that the longest-lived giant turtle has survived several generations of them and is still alive and kicking now!" "

Speaking of this, Niu Wa quietly sneered while Ah Wei wasn't paying attention, and said disapprovingly: "The giant turtle can't do anything but live, how can it be a mythical beast? Let me tell you, the cow is the real mythical beast! "

Zhang Tian smiled softly and did not continue, thinking that in the eyes of Taoyuan people, black and white bears are mythical beasts.

(End of this chapter)