Chapter 54
Half a month was the final deadline. Of course, the Snow Wolf Tribe could not possibly make the Black Wolf Tribe wait half a month.
The shedding period was right now. After half a month, they would not need them as much anymore. Therefore, that very night, the Snow Wolf Tribe first gave them ten combs. To make up the number, they even took two that the sub-adults were using.
The sub-adults were reluctant, but they did not dare refuse. They could help with food, but salt was a resource that could only be obtained at the market. They really had no way to help with that.
Seeing the group of sub-adults looking listless, Lang Shuo immediately found it funny. “New ones will be made tomorrow. You’ll use the new ones.”
“There will still be more tomorrow? Aren’t they for the Black Wolf Tribe?”
“We still have to keep some for ourselves.” Lang Shuo explained. The tool-making members were making combs faster now, and other members would also help. They could not possibly prioritize supplying all of them to the Black Wolf Tribe. They still had to set some aside for their own tribe.
The sub-adults’ gloom was swept away. They had originally thought their tribe would only be able to use the remaining few combs until the one hundred were finished, and only then could they use new ones. Since there would be more all along, there was no need to worry about there being too few combs for them to use.
Lang Shuo drove the group of sub-adults back to rest. “Hurry and go sleep. Tomorrow, help make combs.” Since the combs were useful, of course they had to be arranged sooner. The sub-adults had run wild outside for two days and had just come back to help.
In the past, whenever they heard that they could not go out, the sub-adults would be unhappy. Today, they were not reluctant at all and were very willing.
Lang Shuo had said that in the first few days, the combs would be used in turns. After a while, when more had been made, each person would get one and could take it out to comb their fur at any time.
The snow wolf sub-adults, feeling comfortable and light all over, happily returned to the cave to rest. On the other side, the sub-adult black wolves were studying the unfamiliar objects their chief had brought back.
After Lang Yan brought the combs back to the tribe, the sub-adults received one. After all, they were the noisiest group in the tribe. If they were not given one to satisfy their curiosity, no one else could hope for peace.
The members who had followed Lang Yan to the Snow Wolf Tribe had learned how to use the combs. While combing one another’s fur, they taught the other members.
Most members followed their steps. Only the sub-adults took an unusual path.
The member teaching them said they had to first untangle the knotted fur on the back. The sub-adults looked at their companion’s back and felt this step was unnecessary.
Wouldn’t it be combed out later anyway? What was the difference between combing it off directly and untangling it before combing?
Thus, the sub-adults automatically skipped the first step and began helping comb fur.
The sub-adult lying on the ground had originally been full of anticipation. The moment it hurt, he nearly jumped up and let out an awoo.
Lang Yong, who was combing his fur, soothed him. “It’s fine. It won’t hurt after a while.” After saying that, he continued.
Howls rang out nonstop on the ground.
Lang Yan: “…”
Lang Yan said, “Untangle the knotted fur before combing.”
Lang Yong said, “It’s all the same.”
“No one else is hurting. Only your side is howling. You call that the same?”
Hearing this, Lang Yong stopped and looked around. Sure enough, the other members whose companions were combing their fur all had faces full of enjoyment.
Lang Yong could only put down the comb and first untangle the clumps of fur on the other party’s back.
The comb was quickly taken away by the next sub-adult. This sub-adult did not skip the steps, but he lacked patience. The fur knots at the front were patiently untangled or simply cut off with a knife, while the later ones were done carelessly. When combing the fur from neck to tail, he pulled out a clump of black wolf fur that had originally been quite firm.
The crouching sub-adult sucked in a breath. He did not cry out, but he also lost interest in having his fur combed and quickly changed into human form. “Not combing, not combing.”
The chief must have been tricked. How could it be as comfortable as the hunting party described? It must be that their skin was too thick and they could not feel pain.
The comb reached the third sub-adult’s hands. The sub-adult black wolf picked up the comb and promised the sub-adult in front of him, “Don’t worry. I’ll move lightly. It definitely won’t hurt!” As he spoke, he quickly slid the comb across the other party’s back. It did not look like combing fur, but like scraping fur off prey.
As long as the movement was fast enough, the pain could not be felt!
The sub-adult being scraped only felt both pain and relief. He howled once, then sucked in a breath.
Lang Yan: “…”
Even though he had guessed that the sub-adults would not quietly listen and obey like the sub-adult snow wolves, seeing this scene still made Lang Yan’s eyelids twitch with anger.
There was someone beside them teaching, but every sub-adult had his own ideas.
Lang Yan stood in place for a while and decided to make peace with himself, lest he be angered to death by this group of sub-adults before the next chief was chosen.
Lang Yan turned and went to the cave where important supplies were stored. He separated out the salt that would be given to the Snow Wolf Tribe. After giving two instructions to the members guarding the supplies, he went out and told two patrol team members, “Tomorrow, send the salt to the Snow Wolf Tribe.”
“Go to the Snow Wolf Tribe?!” Lang Yong became excited and pulled a clump of fur from the sub-adult in front of him.
The sub-adult whose fur had been pulled could no longer endure it and changed back into human form. “Switch places. I’ll comb you!”
“Wait.” Lang Yong casually answered, then continued asking Lang Yan, “Chief, we’re going to the Snow Wolf Tribe? I know the way!”
Lang Yong’s shout was loud. The noisy sub-adults around them immediately quieted down, then fell into an even more heated discussion.
All the sub-adults were full of anticipation toward going to the Snow Wolf Tribe.
Lang Yan: “…”
Hold it in, Lang Yan advised himself inwardly. Getting angry with a group of sub-adults was useless. They could not realize their own mistakes at all.
Lang Yan said, “Not you. Stay put.”
The Snow Wolf Tribe was already busy enough. If these sub-adults were added, he did not even dare imagine how chaotic the scene would become.
“What?” Hearing the terrible news, the sub-adults instantly lost all energy. They returned dejectedly to their previous positions and continued grooming one another’s fur.
After using the combs more, they actually did manage to grasp the method. After combing out the tangled fur on their bodies, combing became comfortable. The group of sub-adults waited eagerly for the comb to reach their hands.
However, when Lang Yan finished arranging tomorrow’s work and returned, the group of sub-adults had started fighting again.
Lang Yan asked, “What happened to them now?”
Lang Qi said, “They’re competing to see who’s stronger. The loser combs the winner’s fur.”
Lang Yan: “…”
Sure enough, they could not quiet down.
Lang Yan chose to spare his eyes and went back to rest.
Originally, after going out hunting today, he could stay in the tribe tomorrow. But these last two outings had both been specifically to catch milk-producing curved-horned beasts for the cubs, so the tribe’s food was not quite enough. They still needed to go hunting tomorrow and had to fall asleep as soon as possible to replenish their strength.
Lying down in the place where he usually slept, Lang Yan hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes.
Today’s dream was especially different.
Lang Yan discovered he was in the Snow Wolf Tribe. Beside him was a familiar figure, and behind him was an unfamiliar yet soft sensation.
It was the scene he had just seen that evening, except this time, the person whose fur Lang Shuo was combing had changed from Lang Yu to him.
Different from the sub-adults who only knew how to use brute force, Lang Shuo’s technique was extremely skilled. Lang Yan did not feel the slightest pain at all, only incomparable comfort.
It was a feeling he had never experienced before.
A burst of wailing abruptly rang out.
Lang Yan suddenly opened his eyes.
The sky was bright.
The sub-adults outside had begun tormenting people again.
Lang Yan closed his eyes, then opened them again. The ferocity in his eyes faded, and he became that calm Black Wolf chief once more.
Another day of wanting to resign.
Lang Yan once again thought of his father, whose whereabouts were still unknown. Was there any possibility that when his mother had given birth to two cubs back then, the other one had been hidden away?
In other tribes, every chief and the chief’s brothers gave birth to a pile of cubs to compete for the next chief’s position. Why had his father and Lang Lan’s father both been so useless?
Lang Yan did not understand. Lang Yan only wanted to sleep properly.
Sleeping was impossible. Outside, the wolf-murder screams grew more tragic one after another.
Lang Yan took a deep breath and walked out of the cave.
Good news: the sub-adults were not fighting. Or rather, they had already finished fighting.
Bad news: the sub-adults had taken all the combs brought back yesterday and were combing fur one-on-one.
Worse news: after one night, the fur that had been combed until midnight yesterday and finally smoothed out had become messy again. Every stroke brought out a large clump. This was also why the sub-adults kept howling.
Unlike yesterday, when they howled a few times and were unwilling to lie there anymore, today’s sub-adults understood that as long as they waited a while, it would become comfortable, so they were especially patient.
Lang Yan quietly looked at these sub-adults. This was the first time they had ever shown such patience.
“Boss, you’re up this early today?”
Lang Qi, who had likewise been woken by the sub-adults, reluctantly said goodbye to his partner and left the cave. Seeing Lang Yan, he was a little surprised.
Recently, the chief would stay in the cave for a while in the mornings and only come out when the team was about to set off. Today, he was rather early.
Lang Yan glanced at him. “Have you eaten your fill?”
Lang Qi: “???”
All right, this morning’s chief was still the irritable chief. If he had known, he would have come out later.
After complaining inwardly, Lang Qi still had to honestly answer the chief’s question. “No. I’m going to eat now.”
After having more contact with the Snow Wolf Tribe, the Black Wolf Tribe had also learned some time-saving skills. For example, every morning, several members would prepare the hunting party and gathering team’s food in advance. Once they woke, they could eat directly. Waking at the same time as before, they could set off much earlier.
Today, the Black Wolf Tribe’s food was stewed meat and roasted meat. The cooking methods were similar to the Snow Wolf Tribe’s, but the taste was far from the same. Especially since yesterday, after delivering the curved-horned beasts, they had been kept for a meal. Compared to last night’s food, today’s food always felt like it was missing something.
It was not that they disliked the food their clansmen helped cook. After all, what they made themselves would only taste even worse. It was just that the difference in the two tribes’ meals was too large. Now, they could somewhat understand why the sub-adults kept talking about going to the Snow Wolf Tribe. Being able to eat different food every day—if it were them, they would also be unable to resist missing it, let alone the sub-adults who received special treatment from Lang Shuo.
At this moment, the group of black wolf members had the same thought as the sub-adults.
If only Lang Shuo belonged to their tribe.
Of course, this kind of thing, even more beautiful than a sweet dream, could only be thought in their hearts. The black wolves quickly finished eating, packed their back baskets, and prepared to set out.
Carrying back baskets when going out was also a habit they had recently developed. Unlike the Black Wolf Tribe, where Hu Yun had hidden and covered up everything, causing the entire tribe to recognize only a few medicinal herbs, every member of the Snow Wolf Tribe knew many medicinal herbs and even taught them to the Black Wolf Tribe’s gathering team.
After becoming familiar with them, the hunting party would occasionally bring back medicinal herbs the Snow Wolf Tribe needed when they saw them, especially several kinds with strong smells, which were particularly popular.
After the hunting party left, the sub-adults also finished combing fur, quickly ate breakfast, and set out with back baskets on their backs, heading in the completely opposite direction from the hunting party.
Ever since discovering that bringing sub-adults hunting meant running an extra loop, several hunting parties had tacitly placed a ban on the sub-adults. Sub-adults were not allowed to step into their hunting range, lest they increase the difficulty of the hunt.
…
Unlike the noisy Black Wolf Tribe, the Snow Wolf Tribe’s mornings were extremely quiet.
When the hunting party and gathering team woke, food had already been prepared outside. The two groups quickly finished eating, took their tools, and left the tribe. The sub-adults followed the tool-making members to learn how to make combs.
Knowing that they lacked patience, Lang Shuo arranged simple work for them: cutting wooden boards, then polishing them after the other members finished.
After arranging the sub-adults’ work, Lang Shuo carried a cub to check the remaining food in the tribe. He planned to think of a way to extend the preservation time of food.
The prey brought back by the hunting party were all rather large. It was impossible to eat them all. When the weather was cold, meat that could not be finished could be directly placed in the innermost part of the cave beside them. As the weather gradually grew hotter, even inside the cave, it was no longer suitable for long-term storage of raw meat. They would first cook or stir-fry the remaining meat before placing it there, allowing it to be stored for a few more days. Quite a lot had already accumulated inside the cave.
It was just that this method could only extend the time by a limited amount. The meat had to be eaten as soon as possible. If left too long, it would develop an odd smell.
Now that the tribe was about to gain half a back basket of salt, Lang Shuo considered making some smoked meat. Smoked meat could be stored for several months, even a year. Although aside from snow season, the other seasons would not lack food, without stored grain, there was always a sense of insecurity. Beastmen were all the type to be unhappy without meat, so storing more smoked meat would prepare for any need.
Lang Shuo recalled the method of making smoked meat. First, use salt and spices to marinate it until the flavor entered, then smoke it with cypress or pine for five to seven days.
They had salt, and he had already collected several kinds of spices before. It could completely be made.
He just did not know whether Lang Yu would agree. After all, marinating meat before smoking required quite a lot of salt. Although in the end it would not be wasted and would all be eaten into their stomachs, the amount used was large, so he still had to ask in advance.
Lang Shuo first estimated the amount of salt needed. After the hunting party returned in the evening, he asked Lang Yu.
Lang Yu estimated the salt remaining in the tribe and nodded in agreement. “Use it.”
Whether they marinated meat or not, the remaining salt could at most be used until after snow season, while the market only opened before snow season. Therefore, this year, they would definitely have to go to the market to exchange for salt. As long as the remaining salt was enough until snow season, it was fine.
Moreover, the salt sent by the Black Wolf Tribe had been exchanged for combs. At least half the credit belonged to his younger brother. Lang Yu remembered all of this. As chief, no matter how much he did for the tribe, it was what he should do. But his younger brother could not suffer losses. The salt exchanged for combs could be freely used by Lang Shuo.
Lang Shuo did not think that much. After receiving an affirmative answer, he went to tell the members cutting meat that the meat pieces used to make smoked meat should be larger, making it convenient for smoking later.
While the other members cut meat, Lang Shuo placed the salt and spices he needed into a pot and fried them. After they were fried, he evenly rubbed them onto the meat pieces, placed them into clay jars, and sent them into the cave to prevent mosquitoes and bugs. At the same time, the temperature inside was low, so the meat would not spoil easily.
For the first time, he only marinated two large clay jars. Lang Shuo planned to first test whether it could succeed. After all, the weather was somewhat hot now, and the success rate was not as high as smoking it in winter. If the first batch succeeded, they could continue making it later. If it did not, they would think of other methods.
The remaining prey was still handled the same as before, boiled once in advance or fried out, then likewise placed into the cave.
Lang Shuo lit two more mosquito incense coils to ensure that no mosquitoes or bugs inside could affect the food. Only then did he feel reassured.
Smoked meat needed several days to be done, so Lang Shuo was not in a hurry. However, he was not idle during the time in between either. There were still many things to prepare.
They were about to enter growing season. Many fruits would soon begin ripening in large quantities. In his memories, many fruits could be gathered every growing season, but in the end, some always spoiled. It was too wasteful.
Aside from fruits, the potatoes he had led the clansmen to plant could be harvested in a few more days.
With so much food, they could not just put everything into this one cave. Even if the cave was large enough to fit everything, different foods would interact and ultimately shorten the storage time of the food.
He had thought about this problem during snow season, but at that time, there had been little food and no need to make such a big effort. Making dried fruit had solved the storage problem. Now there was more food, so they had to use another method.
Lang Shuo quickly made up his mind: dig a cellar.
It just so happened that after making combs for a whole day, the sub-adults were beginning to lose patience. He could find them something else to do and divert their attention. If they alternated between two types of work, it would not be so boring.
Digging a cellar did not require using precious resources from the tribe. He only needed to mention it to Lang Yu.
Lang Shuo informed his brother, then brought the sub-adults to choose a location the next day.
During growing season, it rained every two or three days, so the entrance of the cellar had to be positioned a little higher to prevent rainwater from pouring in. It would be best if there was cover above, so they could still come over to take things when it rained. At the same time, the location could not be too far. Otherwise, carrying supplies back and forth would take too much time.
After listing several conditions and checking them one by one, Lang Shuo chose a small hill some distance behind the mountain. Its elevation was higher than the surrounding area, but it was surrounded by several mountains and was relatively hidden. The part above ground was stone. They could first dig a cave to serve as the cellar entrance, then dig downward from inside the cave.
The only drawback was that it was slightly far from the residence, but no other place had such a large space. They could not very well dig under the place where they lived. That would be too unsafe. In the future, more and more supplies would be stored. If they accidentally hollowed out the mountain, that would be terrible.
After choosing the address, Lang Shuo marked out an area on the hill and told the sub-adults, “Start digging inward from here. First dig to the depth of one person’s height, then dig downward.”
After speaking, Lang Shuo asked them somewhat uneasily, “Can you dig it? Use tools. Don’t keep digging with your hands. Got it?”
The sub-adults nodded. Lang Nuo patted his chest and promised, “Shuo, if we’re doing the work, just be at ease.” After speaking, he quickly pushed Lang Shuo, telling him to go back.
“We want meat for lunch!” Another sub-adult ordered food.
Lang Shuo agreed readily.
At noon, the sub-adults ran back to eat. When they saw the sub-adults, Lang Shuo and the other members cooking all froze.
The sub-adults, who had been completely snow-white that morning, now looked one by one as if they had run out from the stove. Aside from black and gray, not a bit of their original color could be seen.
After running over, several sub-adults changed into human form. Lang Nuo came over and asked, “Shuo, is our food ready?”
Lang Shuo was still staring at their color-changed hair and dirty animal hides, and a bold guess rose in his mind.
Lang Nuo thought he disliked that they were dirty and raised his hand to wipe at his animal hide. In the end, the more he wiped, the dirtier it became. He muttered in grievance, “The rocks under the mountain are black. We still have to dig later, and even if we wash, we’ll get dirty again.”
They were already this dirty. Washing until they became white would take half the day. After discussing it, the sub-adults had simply decided to eat first. In any case, after eating, they still had to continue digging in the afternoon.
Lang Nuo sighed. “Shuo, the place you picked isn’t good. There are too many black stones. We’ll have to dig for several days.”
Fortunately, the black stones were not difficult to dig.
Lang Shuo calmed his excited mood and raised his hand to pat Lang Nuo’s head. “Silly child, you don’t understand.”
Who said this location had not been chosen well?
