Dozens of Jackal tribe warriors looked at the dilapidated Crow tribe in front of them and felt their scalps go numb.
The Crow Tribe and the Jackal Tribe have been fighting for so long, and no one can do anything to the other.
Who would have thought that the Crow Tribe would be wiped out suddenly?
If the Jackal God hadn't noticed something unusual and sent them over to check, they wouldn't have known that the Crow Tribe was gone.
A soldier asked doubtfully: "Which tribe could wipe out the Crow Tribe in such a short period of time?"
"Maybe it's a medium-sized tribe."
"Yes, it must be a medium-sized tribe."
"Go back and tell the leader and the witch first."
The destruction of the Crow Tribe gave these Jackal Tribe warriors a sense of crisis, because the strength of their Jackal Tribe was similar to that of the Crow Tribe. Since the other party 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 leaders and witches of the Jackal tribe got the news, they were shocked at first, and then made the same judgment as those warriors, thinking that the Crow tribe must have been destroyed by the medium-sized tribe.
For a time, the entire Jackal tribe became nervous because they had no idea where this medium-sized tribe was and whether it would pose a threat to the Jackal tribe.
They would never have thought that the Crow tribe that was wiped out was actually two small tribes with a population of less than a thousand.
……
Southern Wasteland, Vine Tribe.
After Jiang Xuan returned with the soldiers of the Teng tribe, he took the tribesmen hiding in the caves 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 loot captured this time, the warehouses of the Vine Tribe are full.
This winter, even if they no longer hunt or fish, the Teng tribe can still have food and clothing without worries.
There are always joys and sorrows. This time, the Vine Tribe killed sixty-five warriors, seventeen warriors were disabled, and countless others were injured.
Jiang Xuan will not abandon disabled warriors. He will arrange things for these people so that they can continue to live in the tribe.
As for the dead warriors, Jiang Xuan wrapped each corpse in an animal skin according to the tribe's custom, and then buried it on the sunny hillside to the north of the Teng tribe.
After everyone left, Jiang Xuan sat in front of the sixty-five graves and whispered: "Actually, I hate separation between life and death. I hope that everyone in the tribe can live to the end of their lives."
"But living in this dangerous wild world, if you want more people to survive, some people have to work hard and some people have to sacrifice. There is no way."
"Rest in peace, warriors. Your achievements will always be remembered in the history of the tribe, and your relatives and tribe will also take good care of you..."
Jiang Xuan stayed in front of the cemetery for a long time and talked a lot. It wasn't until the sun set that he walked down the hillside step by step.
The setting sun shines on the cemeteries on the hillside, as if covering them with a layer of red gauze.
On the south side of the Vine Tribe, the old witch stood outside the bamboo house. Looking at Jiang Xuan's figure coming down the hillside, he nodded with a smile and said: "He is a kind and loving little guy."
Maybe it's because he lives in a cruel environment and sees too many cold-blooded people, but the old witch appreciates people who are kind.
Perhaps cold-blooded people can make choices that maximize their interests, but they cannot gain the true trust of others.
……
On October 13th, the weather became increasingly cold, and in the early morning, a layer of white frost condensed on the ground.
This means that autumn has passed and the cold winter is coming.
In the bamboo house, Jiang Xuan used a stone knife to peel off the skin of the dried red crystal rice one by one, and then threw it into the pottery tripod.
Red crystal rice is about the size of a red date and has a thin red outer skin.
You can cook it without peeling it, but it won’t be so comfortable when you eat it.
After peeling dozens of red crystal rice grains, Jiang Xuan added water to the pottery cauldron, some dried animal meat, and salt, then closed the lid of the cauldron, moved the pottery cauldron into the fire pit, and simmered it slowly. Red crystal rice is a kind of cereal. If cooked for long enough, it will turn into a pot of porridge.
Of course, Jiang Xuan can't wait that long, he just needs to cook it thoroughly.
Slowly, the pottery tripod emitted a scent that was a mixture of grain and animal meat. It smelled very good.
“It smells so good!”
After cooking, Jiang Xuan picked up a pottery bowl, scooped the red crystal rice and animal meat into the bowl with a large pottery spoon, and then ate it slowly.
Red crystal rice tastes like glutinous rice, soft and delicious.
Coupled with the salty dried animal meat, Jiang Xuan can eat five large bowls.
"Dong dong dong..."
Outside the yard, there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Who?" Jiang Xuan asked.
"Leader, it's me, Maidong."
"Tangyuan go and open the door."
Ophiopogon japonicus, once a two-color warrior of the Blue Sheep tribe, has now become a warrior of the Vine tribe.
Tangyuan reluctantly came out of the bamboo shed, then waddled to the courtyard door, took the wooden stick supporting the courtyard door aside, and then immediately went back to the bamboo shed to sleep.
Due to the increase in body size, the bamboo shed of Tangyuan has been widened and taller, otherwise it would not be able to accommodate it.
Maidong opened the door and walked into Jiang Xuan's house.
"Have you eaten?"
"Already eaten."
"What do you want from me?"
Jiang Xuan asked Ophiopogon japonicus while picking up red crystal rice in his mouth.
"Chief, the weather is getting colder now, and the tribe doesn't have much to do now. I want to start boiling insect wax."
In spring, Ophiopogon japonicus, Jiang Xuan and Lao Wu went to the Blue Sheep tribe to manage the wax worms and make worm bags for them.
In September, after the waxworms spit out wax, Jiang Xuan took Ophiopogon japonicus to the wax forest again and collected the wax on the branches.
Waxworms will spit out wax in August and September. They eat the leaves of wax trees and spit out a large amount of white wax, covering the branches.
The branches covered with insect wax are just like the thick layer of snow covering the branches when it snows heavily. They are as white as snow.
After the insect wax was brought back to the Vine Tribe, they were busy with the autumn harvest and had no time to process it, so they put it all in the warehouse.
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Now, the busy autumn harvest is over, and the crow tribe has also finished harvesting. Ophiopogon japonicus has been thinking about those insect waxes, so I came to find Jiang Xuan.
After the insect wax is collected, it will be in a fluffy state similar to snowflakes and cannot be used directly.
It needs to be boiled in a pottery tripod. After melting, remove the dirt and partially dead waxworm bodies. After cooling, the waxworm will condense into blocks.
Afterwards, the agglomerated insect wax is boiled, melted again, and poured into bamboo tubes or other containers, which can be made into candles or used for medicinal purposes.
Jiang Xuan quickly finished the food in the bowl and said: "If you didn't tell me, I almost forgot about the insect wax. Come on, I will take you to get it."
Jiang Xuan put down the bowl, wiped his mouth, and then took Ophiopogon japonicus to the warehouse where the insect wax was placed.
All warehouses in the Vine Tribe are guarded by warriors. Without the order of the leader or shaman, ordinary people cannot enter.
Insect wax is an important material and is placed in the newest and largest mud brick warehouse.
After Jiang Xuan took Ophiopogon japonicus over and said he wanted to get insect wax, the soldier guarding the gate opened the door directly.
After entering the warehouse, the first thing you see is the mountain of grain. Red crystal rice and other grains are packed in animal skin bags. Food such as round potatoes and stone eggs are piled directly on the reed-paved ground. Every time I see these grains, I feel particularly reassured.
Jiang Xuan walked to the corner of the warehouse, found four animal skin bags containing insect wax, and said: "Insect wax is precious, bring it to my place to boil it."
"Yes."
Ophiopogon japonicus and Jiang Xuan each carried two bags of insect wax, then left the warehouse and returned to the yard among the bamboo forests.
Untreated insect wax will be fluffy. After treatment, four bags of insect wax will probably turn into one bag.
After the insect wax moved into the house, Jiang Xuan moved out a large three-legged pottery tripod, cleaned it, placed it in the fire pit, and added half the tripod with water.
Later, Ophiopogon japonicus poured the wax into the pottery tripod until the pottery tripod could no longer hold it.
Boiling insect wax is a job that requires patience, and Ophiopogon japonicus is a very patient person.
He guarded the fire pit, waiting for the water to heat up and the insect wax began to melt, and from time to time he would reach into it with a stick to stir it.
The fluffy insect wax gradually melts in hot water, and the wax floats on the upper layer of the water, while insect corpses and dirt will sink to the bottom.
When all the insect wax melted, Ophiopogon japonicus removed the fire and poured cold water into the pottery tripod to cool it faster.
As the water in the pottery tripod gradually cools down, the insect wax on the upper layer gradually condenses into a large piece, which is snow-white and beautiful, and has a faint fragrance.
Ophiopogon japonicus took out the piece of insect wax and placed it on a wooden pier aside. 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 pond, poured half a tripod of water, added insect wax, and continued to cook.
It took Ophiopogon japonicus two full days to boil all four large bagworm waxes into large pieces of snow-white wax.
After the four large bags of bagworm wax solidified, there was only about one bag 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 requires patience.
This is the first and most time-consuming step to remove the impurities of the insect wax and change it from a fluffy state to a cake shape.
The next step is to make the insect wax into the desired shape.
Jiang Xuan planned to use half of the insect wax to make candles, so he specially twisted a few strings to make the wick of the candle.
Later, he found many bamboo tubes with sections and used them as molds for making candles.
Ophiopogon japonicus found a double-eared clay pot, washed it and put it in the fire pit.
After the clay pot was heated, Ophiopogon japonicus broke off a large piece of insect wax and put it into the clay pot.
"Zizzizi..."
As the temperature rises, the insect wax blocks in the clay pot gradually melt into liquid wax oil.
Maidong found something to wrap around Tao Ding's ears, and then picked it up.
Jiang Xuan picked up a bamboo tube with his left hand, held a thin rope in his right hand, and hung it in the middle of the bamboo tube.
"Be careful, leader, I'm going to fall."
Ophiopogon japonicus holds the clay pot and slowly pours wax oil into the bamboo tube until it is 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 down.
It was approaching winter at this time, and the water temperature was extremely low. The wax in the bamboo tube solidified quickly, and the rope was fixed in the center and became 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 attached to the bamboo tube would melt. Jiang Xuan took the opportunity to pour out the entire thick candle easily.
"Okay."
Jiang Xuan looked at the round, thick candle and felt full of accomplishment. This was the first candle he had personally participated in making!
Then, they used the same method to use half of the insect wax to make fifteen large candles.
"The wax forest is too far away and we didn't take care of the wax worms, otherwise we could get more worm wax to make candles."
Ophiopogon japonicus is quite sorry for the production of insect wax this year. In his opinion, this is a big loss.
"It doesn't matter. The wax trees we planted on the nearby mountains are already alive. After the winter passes, more wax trees can be transplanted. In a few years, there will be a large wax forest there."
"When the time comes, we will bring the eggs of the waxworms here, and in the future our Vine Tribe's territory will also be able to produce waxworms."
"From now on, you will be responsible for managing those wax trees and wax worms."
After listening to Jiang Xuan's words, Maidong's eyes lit up and he became excited.
"Chief, I will take good care of the wax trees and wax worms so that the tribe can produce more wax!"
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 became more energetic at work.
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 there was no 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, Ophiopogon japonicus finally let go of a worry.
"Chief, the work is done, I'm going back first."
"Wait a minute."
Maidong turned around: "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 precious..."
Ophiopogon did not dare to pick it up because he knew that candles made from insect wax were very valuable. Even in the blue sheep tribe, only shamans and leaders could use them. Others could only get some insect wax powder to stop bleeding when they were injured.
"Take it, without you, the Vine Tribe wouldn't have so much insect wax. You deserve it."
Jiang Xuan stuffed the candle into Maidong's arms.
Maidong was moved to tears and wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.
Jiang Xuan smiled and patted his shoulder: "The Vine Tribe will not treat those who have contributed to the tribe badly."
Maidong nodded heavily, and then held the candle made of insect wax in his arms.
"Go back."
"Thank you, chief."
Mai Dong sincerely thanked Jiang Xuan, then turned and left.
From this moment on, he finally had a real sense of belonging to the Vine Tribe and a sense of admiration for Jiang Xuan.
Let me ask, who wouldn’t like such a leader?
After making the insect wax, it snowed in the southern wilderness within a few days.
Snowflakes fell from the sky and covered the earth.
After the heavy snow falls, all things are hidden, whether they are people or animals, they will not go out unless they can, and they are all quietly waiting for spring to come again.